Street Fighter Zero - An adjunct to the Street Fighter canon
Street Fighter Zero 2 - Sakura makes her debut, game play balanced
Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha - The USA version of SFZ2 back in Japan
Street Fighter Zero 3 - The ISM fighting style selector debuts
Pocket Fighter - Mighty mites battle for their pipsqueak honor

Players select the games by rotating through placards which depict artwork from the five selections. After the initial loading time, each game stays resident in the PS2's ram and no further disc access occurs. The speed, controls, and feel of the games are pretty much 1:1 to the arcade originals. NCS booted up the old CPS-2 kits this morning (thankful that the batteries had not committed seppuku yet) and compared the games alongside the PS2 conversions. We're pleased.

Jan Code: 4976219023108

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.

NCS Game Notes
» Capcom didn't produce a new intro for the game but the title screen is acceptable and features artwork from the various SFZ releases. After pressing START, players may flip through the five games that are featured by way of artwork placards.

» The code for all of the games is based on the original coin-op versions complete with Q-Sound teasers, logos, and introductory animation sequences. By pressing START in any of the games, a menu appears where a player may change button configurations, view moves, adjust the display, and exit from the game. Loading times after the initial boot of each game are non-existent and all of the games stay resident in memory.

» On a Dual Shock 2 controller, either the D-pad or analog nub may be used for controlling the fighters. To view a moves list for your fighter, press the START button and check out the COMMAND LIST which shows the various attacks with D-pad directions and fist icons.

Pocket Fighter
Game Modes include:
/ ARCADE / Select a fighter from 12 possible choices and battle through the ranks
/ VERSUS / Fight against a second human player to determine who's the best squat fighter
/ TRAINING / Select one of 12 fighters and the stage upon which to train in
/ OPTION / Set difficulty, controller settings, sound options, adjust display, etc
/ EXIT / Return to SFZ Fighter's Generation title screen

The standard characters in Pocket Fighter are
Ryu
Ken
Chun-Li
Sakura
Morrigan
Lei-Lei
Felicia
Tabasa
Zangief
Ibuki

Two "secret" fighters are
Gouki
Dan

» On a Dual Shock 2 controller, either the D-pad or analog nub may be used for controlling the miniature fighters. Analog works well here with easy execution and smooth moves. To view a moves list for your fighter, press the START button and check out the COMMAND LIST which shows the various attacks with D-pad directions and fist icons.

» It's been a couple of years since NCS staffers have booted up Pocket Fighter on the Saturn, Playstation, or CPS-2 but the game plays well and has withstood the harsh test of time. NCS compared the game to the CPS-2 original this morning and it's pretty much 1:1. The colors are bright, the action runs fast, and the fighters have enough charm and moxie to keep us motivated. Puzzle Fighter introduced a gem power-up system where treasure chests give up various jewels which are used to level-up characters during the course of a round. By clobbering an opponent with combos, he or she loses a treasure chest and thus the jewels that have been accumulated.

» In the backgrounds of the various stages, assorted character make cameos - for example, in the bar scene, E-Honda peers over his shoulder at the action while moving his body, M. Bison from the original SF bartends, Cammy bops up and down on a stool and Guile + Nash sit at a corner table enjoying each other's company. On the right side of the screen, June Lin Milliam from Star Gladiator operates the cash register. Not to be outdone by the background characters, the SD Pocket fighters ham it up with little antics and special moves. The most entertaining fighter to watch is Felicia with her gang-up cat attack, her various alter-ego morphs, her overly energetic kicks, and her general love of life. Ibuki has a special move where she transforms into an attacking geisha and another where she leaps upwards in penguin cosplay for a double-kick attack.

Street Fighter Zero
Game Modes include:
/ ARCADE / Select a fighter from 10 possible choices and battle through the ranks
/ VERSUS / Fight against a second human player to determine who's the best fighter
/ SURVIVAL / Select a fighter from 13 possible choices and face off against the other fighters in 1-match bouts. After each successful bout, your fighter's energy bar only retrieves a partial amount of health based on your performance in the match.
/ DRAMATIC BATTLE / Player selects two fighters from 13 possible choices and battles against a rampaging Adon while the other fighter is controlled by the game's AI. Despite the odds against Adon, he beats ass. Your two fighters share one health bar so any damage that the poorly controlled AI takes reflects against you. After beating Adon, Sagat takes the stage for his turn followed by other bosses.
/ TRAINING / Select one of 13 fighters and the stage upon which to train in
/ OPTION / Set difficulty, controller settings, sound options, adjust display, etc
/ EXIT / Return to SFZ Fighters Generation title screen

Characters in the game include:
Ryu
Chun-Li
Gouki (available in Survival and Dramatic Battle only)
Nash
Ken
Guy
Birdie
Vega (available in Survival and Dramatic Battle only)
Sodom
Adon
Rose
Dan
Sagat

» Rose has the ability to reflect a fireball back at Ken or Ryu with her semi-circular slashing sash move. Rose also has an air-throw where she'll grab an opponent in mid-air and chuck him away like rubbish.

» The original Street Fighter Zero offers measured gameplay in that it's not as fast as the other Zeros. The background animations are also fairly dull and uninspired. For example, in the coliseum stage, a couple of mangy cats walk around while a third scratches at the ground in the distance. Each fighter has weight where a larger bruiser such as Sagat moves and controls slower than a sprightly guy like Ken. The game play is well done however and served as the basis for future Zeros to become bigger, faster, and more graphically polished.

Street Fighter Zero 2 / Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha
Game Modes include:
/ ARCADE / Select a fighter from 18 possible choices and battle through the ranks
/ VERSUS / Fight against a second human player to determine primacy
/ SURVIVAL / Select a fighter from 18 possible choices and face off against the other fighters in 1-match bouts. After each successful bout, your fighter's energy bar only retrieves a partial amount of health based on your performance in the match.
/ DRAMATIC BATTLE / Player selects two fighters from 18 possible choices and battles against a rampaging Adon while the other fighter is controlled by the game's AI. Despite the odds against the opponent, he beats ass. Your two fighters share one health bar so any damage that the poorly controlled AI takes reflects against you. After beating Adon, Sagat takes the stage for his turn.
/ TRAINING / Select one of 138fighters and the stage upon which to train in
/ OPTION / Set difficulty, controller settings, sound options, adjust display, etc
/ EXIT / Return to SFZ Fighters Generation title screen

Characters in the Zero 2 games include:
Ryu
Chun-Li
Gouki
Nash
Ken
Guy
Birdie
Vega
Sodom
Adon
Rose
Dan
Sagat
Dhalsim
Gen
Sakura
Rolento
Zangief

» Street Fighter Zero 2 runs faster and smoother than the original SFZ. In Normal Mode, the game is crisp and fast but in Turbo Mode, the fighters move like banshees from area to area. The backgrounds aren't elaborate but they are interesting including the one with the Dekotora truck and the one in the Asian slum. In Ken's "Happy Birthday Eliza" stage, guests who enjoy the cocktail party aboard the ship include Morrigan, Strider, and Captain Commando while a darkened metropolis is passes in the background. Felicia's in the pool. In Chun-Li's stage, a million Chinese are bicycling in the background while a pagoda stands in the distance.

Street Fighter Zero 3
Game Modes include:
/ ARCADE / Select a fighter from 25 possible choices and battle through the ranks
/ VERSUS / Fight against a second human player to determine who's the best fighter
/ SURVIVAL / Select a fighter from 25 possible choices and face off against the other fighters in 1-match bouts. After each successful bout, your fighter's energy bar only retrieves a partial amount of health based on your performance in the match.
/ DRAMATIC BATTLE / Player selects two fighters from 25 possible choices and battles against a rampaging Adon while the other fighter is controlled by the game's AI. The two fighters have individual health bars and one losing 1/1 of his health won't affect the other player. After beating Adon, Gouki takes the stage for his turn followed by M.Bison who was modeled after Mike Tyson. The portrait for M.Bison shows Vega. Balrog is the next one up - we beat him like a rag doll. The fifth fighter is Sagat who's a little tougher with his tiger punch. The final boss is Vega - correctly portrayed and named for the general. After defeating himl, you earn a CONGRATULATIONS | DRAMATIC BATTLE ALL CLEAR before the credits start rolling.
/ TRAINING / Select one of 25 fighters and the stage upon which to train in
/ OPTION / Set difficulty, controller settings, sound options, adjjust display, etc
/ EXIT / Return to SFZ Fighters Generation title screen

Characters in the game include
Ryu
Chun-Li
Gouki
Nash
Ken
Guy
Birdie
Vega
Sodom
Adon
Rose
Dan
Sagat
Dhalsim
Gen
Sakura
Rolento
Zangief
R.Mika
E.Honda
Cody
Karin
Balrog
Blanka
Cammy

SFZ3 introduced the ISM fighting style for each character as follows:

X-ism / Fighters have a powerful Super Combo and a simple fighting style
Z-ism / Fighters have a number of Super Combos and standard fighting
V-ism / Fighters have Custom Combos and a variable fighting style

The music quality in SFZ3 is particularly vibrant and NCS staffers spent the most time with this particular game this morning.

This document is ©NCSX 2007. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.