Support NeoGAF

[CO_Andy]

Recently picked up SFA3 Upper GBA at a bargain bin, and i'm stunned to say the least.

The graphics... WOW! The game retains not only all the characters from the home version but also most of the of the animation from the original. Sad to hear that the audio doesn't live up, but i guess that's the limitation of cartridges (more memory = more expenses). The two face buttons don't help either.

Cap needs to continue its tradition of milking and port this bad boy to the DS (yes i own a PSP, but every gamer around me owns a DS for some unexplainable reason). Konami's Castlevania team proved it could easily recycle sprites from GBA development to the DS, so i imagine that most of the work has already been done for Cap.

 

[renvi]

GBA version is the worst port IMO, lack of backgrounds, voice/music, and world tour mode. lack of buttons is a problem for combos, as well.

 

[Willy Wanka]

Yeah it looks great but the lack of buttons spoils it imo.

 

[Mejilan]

I still hold it to being one of the most technically impressive GBA games ever. I always hated SFA3's awful music, so hearing it dumbed down on the GBA wasn't a big deal. No loads, mostly full animations, more characters than any other version of the game before it (the PSP version has all of the GBA characters plus 1 more, IIRC), fun unlockables, and a nice collection of extra modes. Best portable fighter ever, IMHO.

 

[Lee N]

SFA3 Upper

Upper? Is that what the arrow stands for? I thought the name was simply "Street Fighter Alpha 3"

 

[Mejilan]

Yeah, SFA3 on the GBA is based on the "Upper" version which had some tweaks and improvements, IIRC, such as Ryu's air throw. My memory's hazy, but I think that Upper was, until the GBA game, an arcade only version of SFA3. Maybe the DC version was well...

 

[sonikokaruto]

dreamcast sfa3: saiko dojo.

all the people thrashing the gba sfa3, should trash either capcom or crawfish. The game is only 64mb.

Imagine what could it had been with 128 or *gasp* 256

 

[Mejilan]

IIRC, mid-project, Capcom agreed to put the game on a bigger cart, giving Crawfish more room to play with. It was going to have a lot fewer characters than it wound up having. I'll take characters over stages any day of the week.

 

[Lyte Edge]

According to one of the Crawfish developers that used to post on Gamefaqs, if Capcom had given them a bigger cart size to work with, they would have been able to cram in more animation, backgrounds, and had much higher quality voice samples and music. He also said he thought it was possible to do a port of Street Fighter III 3rd Strike(!) that would have been the same quality as SFA3.

GBA version is the worst port IMO, lack of backgrounds, voice/music, and world tour mode. lack of buttons is a problem for combos, as well.

Of course the GBA version is the "worst port." That's a given based on the quality of the other ports to the console systems, but considering what Crawfish had to work with, the port is amazing, and despite the lack of buttons, the game plays very well and the combos ARE there.

Yeah, SFA3 on the GBA is based on the "Upper" version which had some tweaks and improvements, IIRC, such as Ryu's air throw. My memory's hazy, but I think that Upper was, until the GBA game, an arcade only version of SFA3. Maybe the DC version was well...

Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper was an arcade port of the Dreamcast Street Fighter Zero 3 to the Naomi hardware. Not sure about any tweaks since I only played it once in the arcade, but the main difference are the home version features (I.E. Guile, T. Hawk, Fei Long, and Dee Jay) being put into the arcade version.

I still hold it to being one of the most technically impressive GBA games ever. I always hated SFA3's awful music, so hearing it dumbed down on the GBA wasn't a big deal. No loads, mostly full animations, more characters than any other version of the game before it (the PSP version has all of the GBA characters plus 1 more, IIRC), fun unlockables, and a nice collection of extra modes. Best portable fighter ever, IMHO.

"Best portable fighter ever" up until the PSP was released, yes, although many felt that SNK Vs. Capcom MOTM on the Neo-Geo Pocket still held that crown. It no longer matters, since the PSP version is far better and has even more new features. The extra character is Ingrid from Capcom Fighting Evolution/Jam.

GBA had three great fighters with SFA3, Guilty Gear X Advance Edition, and KOF EX2, but they can't compare to SFZ3 Double Upper, Guilty Gear XX #Reload, and Darkstalkers Chronicle.

 

[Blame!]

SFA3 on psp is impressive.....gba not so much.

 

[sonikokaruto]

uhm, dude, it's 8 megabytes. 8 freaking megabytes, that's like, 1/200 of the psone version, 1/400 of the dreamcast version, and about 1/600 of the psp one.Think aboot it.

 

[Lyte Edge]

SFA3 on psp is impressive.....gba not so much.

You've got to be kidding me; it's far more impressive on the GBA than it is on the PSP. Crawfish was able to cram in MORE characters than the original, with all the ISMs intact, into a GBA cart, plus individual character voices and a number of modes including the dramatic battle variations with three unique characters on screen at once. They really outdid themselves.

 

[Mejilan]

"Best portable fighter ever" up until the PSP was released, yes, although many felt that SNK Vs. Capcom MOTM on the Neo-Geo Pocket still held that crown. It no longer matters, since the PSP version is far better and has even more new features. The extra character is Ingrid from Capcom Fighting Evolution/Jam.

Oh yes, obviously. I mean, we've had SFA3 Upper on the GBA for what, 3 years now? It had a great run, and assuming they fixed/got around the fucking PSP dpad issues, that version will likely smoke all others! Can't wait.

 

[MoxManiac]

You've got to be kidding me; it's far more impressive on the GBA than it is on the PSP. Crawfish was able to cram in MORE characters than the original, with all the ISMs intact, into a GBA cart, plus individual character voices and a number of modes including the dramatic battle variations with three unique characters on screen at once. They really outdid themselves.

Exactly. SFA3 Max, as good as it is, is -expected- to look that good on PSP, because, well, it's PSP Heck, SFA3 is probably below par at what PSP is capable.

Control issues aside, SFA3 GBA is seriously an amazing accomplishment. It's not just the animation that's intact; every move, every movement, every hit frame and velocity, frame by frame, is a perfect conversion of the DC game.

Consider that SFA3 is on an 8 MB cart. That's 64 megabits. SSF2 on SNES was 32 megabits. Think about that for a second. SSF2 ON SNES IS HALF THE SIZE OF GBA SFA3.

 

[neptunes]

SNKvsCap:MotM >>> SFA3 upper

 

[Agent X]

You've got to be kidding me; it's far more impressive on the GBA than it is on the PSP. Crawfish was able to cram in MORE characters than the original, with all the ISMs intact, into a GBA cart, plus individual character voices and a number of modes including the dramatic battle variations with three unique characters on screen at once. They really outdid themselves.

I agree with this. The fact that Capcom and Crawfish were able to shoehorn as much material as they did, and still manage to retain the overall feel, is a monumental testament to their programming skills.

The PSP version might be more faithful overall to the source material, but the GBA is more impressive in the sense that they accomplished such a high level of quality on a much more limited hardware platform. You'd typically expect the PSP game to be able to rival the arcade game's quality, but most people probably didn't think the GBA game would turn out anywhere near as well as it did. That is what makes the GBA game so impressive.

I still play the GBA game pretty often...don't know how often I'll play it after I get the PSP version this week, but I'm sure I'll still play it at least occasionally.

 

[Blame!]

i dunno, its like saying FF: the spirits within is an amazing movie somehow because of the all of the technical aspects....SFA3 on psp is amazing because of the dpad add-on sticker. it really does feel like an ascii pad now wtihout the 6 button config face.

 

[Mejilan]

i dunno, its like saying FF: the spirits within is an amazing movie somehow because of the all of the technical aspects....SFA3 on psp is amazing because of the dpad add-on sticker. it really does feel like an ascii pad now wtihout the 6 button config face.

'cept that SFA3 on the GBA is a fucking awesome game as well as a staggeringly impressive technical achievement, not because of it. FF TSW was neither a good movie or all that impressive a technical tour-de-force, IMHO.

 

[Bebpo]

SNKvsCap:MotM >>> SFA3 upper

Yeah. I mean I like SFZ3 PSP and all, but it's not that great of a game (gimme 3rd strike on PSP) and it's just some same old same old game that you can turn on a console and play the better version. SvC was a brand new fighter, a fighter exclusive to handheld. It gave you a reason to play it over playing your console fighters.

Original game >>>>>> Port.

 

[Tony HoTT]

PSP alpha 3 is sooo damn good. GBA one was good also especially for GBA when we had no other option.

My only problem with PSP version is hitting all three punches or kicks at the same time is hella fuckin hard. I'm getting better at it but it's still a pain in the fuckin dick.

 

[Blame!]

Yeah. I mean I like SFZ3 PSP and all, but it's not that great of a game (gimme 3rd strike on PSP) and it's just some same old same old game that you can turn on a console and play the better version. SvC was a brand new fighter, a fighter exclusive to handheld. It gave you a reason to play it over playing your console fighters.

Original game >>>>>> Port.

buddy i think you're forgetting one crucial detail for your little comparison there:

SFA3 on PSP plays about 10x better than SVCMOTM on neogeopocket....sorry i simply cant deal with those graphics and framerate in this day and age.

 

[The Abominable Snowman]

Yeah. I mean I like SFZ3 PSP and all, but it's not that great of a game (gimme 3rd strike on PSP) and it's just some same old same old game that you can turn on a console and play the better version. SvC was a brand new fighter, a fighter exclusive to handheld. It gave you a reason to play it over playing your console fighters.

Original game >>>>>> Port.

I think the PSP version has more fixed and more added than any other version...

 

[Sanjuro]

Everyone is putting up valid arguements here. I'm not saying the game is bad and I'm definatley not one to bash older games...Just out of all the SF games to be ported I would like something completly new or maybe SF3 port or sequel. I'm still waiting for my seqel to "Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game".

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Very commendable effort, above and beyond the call of duty considering the hardware. As for the PSP version...there are better technical and complete versions than that one?

 

[CO_Andy]

Yeah. I mean I like SFZ3 PSP and all, but it's not that great of a game (gimme 3rd strike on PSP)

But 3rd Strike doesn't have Zangief

In SFZ3's defense: Cap's a known slacker, so it's rather astonishing to see each character get a personalized bg & musik track (Can't say that about 3rd Strike).

 

[Barry Lightning]

GBA version is the worst port IMO, lack of backgrounds, voice/music, and world tour mode. lack of buttons is a problem for combos, as well.

yea, i agree. i think this game is a bunch of kenk and i rarely play it. i think the original sf turbo that was released around the same time as the gba itself is the surperior version.

 

[Nick]

I still hold it to being one of the most technically impressive GBA games ever. I always hated SFA3's awful music, so hearing it dumbed down on the GBA wasn't a big deal. No loads, mostly full animations, more characters than any other version of the game before it (the PSP version has all of the GBA characters plus 1 more, IIRC), fun unlockables, and a nice collection of extra modes. Best portable fighter ever, IMHO.

I said this once on TNL and they chewed my ass off. They said Pocket Fighter or whatever was better, but I still stand by the fact that in most every way SFA3: Zero Upper was far and away the superior pocket fighting game.

 

[neptunes]

but I still stand by the fact that in most every way SFA3: Zero Upper was far and away the superior pocket fighting game.

hmm, according to what though?

 

[CO_Andy]

hmm, according to what though?

No SD characters

 

[Mejilan]

Meh, Capcom's own SSFT2 Revival for the GBA was a fucking hackjob of a game. Slowdowns, bugged/glitched challenge records, butchery of a timeless OST, and a 100% fatal Akuma crash bug. Crawfish fucking HUMILIATED Capcom at their own game, in every possible sense, if you compare SSF2Tr and SFA3 Upper.

 

[mosaic]

Yeh, SFA3 on PSP, as scrumptious as it is, isn't impressive--it simply lives up to expectations. Of course, it's not a bad thing that those expectations were "the best possible version of the game, fast load times, and all the animation intact." No longer must I be tempted by the Saturn 4MB RAM cart version! The game tells me I have fists of God. Who am I to argue?

SFA3 on GBA, meanwhile, was a God damned revelation. How did they pull THAT off on the GBA?! Sure, it was missing a lot, but it was still fluid, beautiful, and packed with characters. Best of all, the US and Euro versions had a couple extra backgrounds that the JP version didn't.

It's too bad Crawfish is gone, because I could see them reviving that engine for a Nintendo DS version -- with all of the BG's and animation put back, and the audio improved. And, of course, six buttons.

 

[Hydro_Alexis]

SFA3 on psp is impressive.....gba not so much.

On a console that is just below the power of a ps2 you are correct it is impressive.

 

[miyuru]

I think a lot of you guys are having trouble here. Some people are arguing how *impressive* one game is because of the system it was developed for, while others are objectively comparing games and then saying which is better.

...

Reading comprehension you 'tards.

 

[choplifter]

not only cart memory size, but the fact that GBA is not as powerful as the CPS2 board
(circa 1992-1993) that SFA3 was originally made for.

 

[shibbs]

Ive lost my copy

 

[EmCeeGramr]

Its impressive sure, but whats the point of shoehorning streetfighter onto a system with only four buttons? I wish capcom would've made an original fighting ip for the system instead.

Spoiler

marvel vs capcom for ds plz

And uh, what did happen to crawfish btw?

 

[ziran]

And uh, what did happen to crawfish btw?

they had to close, some of the team moved to climax.
http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/392/392214p1.html
not sure about the team's whereabouts now.

 

[1337]

The GBA version of Street Fighter 3 Alpha is untill now by far the worst port and isn't even coming close to being a arcade perfect conversion. Sure, the hardware isn't much of help here, but that's Capcom's problem. The game plays like crap and it just feels like a huge step back in evolution if you've played the almost arcade perfect version on the Saturn. Another point that's lame, is that the GBA only has 4 buttons and Street Fighter games use 6 buttons. So you're playing a game and 1/3 of the buttons is missing.... So in fact, with Street Fighter 3 Alpha you're buying an incomplete game.

Street Fighter 2 Turbo X Revival isn't much of a Street Fighter game as well, but it sure beats SF3A on the GBA anyday.

 

[Hero]

The GBA version of Street Fighter 3 Alpha is untill now by far the worst port and isn't even coming close to being a arcade perfect conversion. Sure, the hardware isn't much of help here, but that's Capcom's problem. The game plays like crap and it just feels like a huge step back in evolution if you've played the almost arcade perfect version on the Saturn. Another point that's lame, is that the GBA only has 4 buttons and Street Fighter games use 6 buttons. So you're playing a game and 1/3 of the buttons is missing.... So in fact, with Street Fighter 3 Alpha you're buying an incomplete game.

Street Fighter 2 Turbo X Revival isn't much of a Street Fighter game as well, but it sure beats SF3A on the GBA anyday.

You're funny.

 

[Joseph Merrick]

Heh. Yeah, that was pretty bad. Must try harder.

 

[jarrod]

It's really too bad Crawfish folded... I wish Capcom had bought them out instead and set up shop doing glorious GBA/DS ports of Puzzle Fighter, 3rd Strike, CVS2, Vampire Chronicle, Hyper SF2 and so on.

 

[CreatureX3]

SFA3 GBA + GB Micro = Portable fighting nirvana!

 

[Kseutron]

SFA3 on psp is impressive.....gba not so much.

hahahaha

"Doom is impressive on my brand new computer, not on my GBA"

 

[Kabuki Quantum Lover]

It's really too bad Crawfish folded... I wish Capcom had bought them out instead and set up shop doing glorious GBA/DS ports of Puzzle Fighter, 3rd Strike, CVS2, Vampire Chronicle, Hyper SF2 and so on.

Aren't they part of Climax now?

 

[jarrod]

Aren't they part of Climax now?

Yeah, most of the key staff went to Climax iirc.

 

[Joico]

SNKvsCap:MotM >>> SFA3 upper

And I still fucking play it to this day....

SNKvsCap:MotM >>> SFA3

QFT.

 

[CO_Andy]

And I still fucking play it to this day....

SNKvsCap:MotM >>> SFA3

QFT.

Don't you mean CvS2? I can't imagine anyone going back to play the first one. CvS, while fun, is still a shoddily put-together game

 

[neptunes]

I dunno about him, but I'm talking about this version.

Hell, Card Fighters Clash was pretty fun as well.

 

[renvi]

I dunno about him, but I'm talking about this version.

Hell, Card Fighters Clash was pretty fun as well.

SNK should make this game to GBA.

 

[the androgyne]

The OT forum doesn't appreciate this stuff like you guys