Capcom's first original Street Fighter game since 1991, Street Fighter Alpha distinguishes itself with an animé-influenced visual style and younger versions of Street Fighter II's cast. Known as Street Fighter Zero in Japan, Alpha serves as a prequel to 1991's game and introduces three new playable characters: U.S.A.F. lieutenant Charlie, Italian fortune-teller Rose, and Hong Kong martial artist Dan Ribicki. The remainder of the cast includes a mix of characters featured in previous Capcom games, such as Guy from 1989's Final Fight and Birdie from 1987's Street Fighter.
The PlayStation version of the arcade game offers three play modes: "Arcade," "Versus," and "Training." Arcade involves selecting one of ten initially available characters and battling a series of seven opponents until an eventual showdown with M. Bison or another boss. Versus lets you challenge a friend to a one-on-one fight, while Training involves practicing each character's varied moves. Street Fighter Alpha's gameplay once again relies on mastering character-specific combos. Characters can also perform multiple levels of "super" moves by maxing out a meter, block in the air, initiate counter attacks, taunt, and more.