Genre: 2d Fighter
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

The comic book art style returns for this second iteration of Capcom's spin-off Street Fighter series, and to great effect; the animation, quality of the character art, and even subtle touches like the layout of the intermission screen between matches is excellent. The backgrounds have all been completely re-drawn since the original Alpha title and, unlike the series' initial entry, this game has unique backgrounds for each character.

Unlike the first game, there is only one version of the soundtrack present, but it is magnificent. The jazz fusion sound is back, and there are some instant classics in this rendition, such as the awesome song for one of the new characters, Rolento. The music helps to set an almost dark tone for the series, and the complimenting sound effects are as sharp as ever.

The razor sharp and precise engine and gameplay from the original Alpha title is back, but is much more balanced this time around; there are now 18 selectable characters, which feels like exactly the right amount, and characters that felt broken in the original, such as Sagat, are tweaked to make them competetive.

Street Fighter Alpha was a fun alternative to SFII, but it didn't feel like a finished game. Alpha 2, however, provides more characters, excellent gameplay balance, a somewhat dark and exciting mood, and unique backgrounds for each character. In fact, this game feels as balanced, polished, and whole as Super Street Fighter II Turbo, and could even give the aforementioned entry a run as the best Street Fighter game ever.