Title - "Street Fighter Zero 2"
Alternative title(s) - "Street Fighter Alpha 2"
Genre(s) - Fighting - 2D
Platform(s) - Arcade, Playstation, Saturn and Super Famicom

Whatever you saw in the first "Zero" game in terms of story, forget about them because these new stories replace them. "Street Fighter Zero II" came out in 1996, a year after the first "Zero" game. Other versions of "SFZII" followed.

After the first tournament which occured a year before in terms of story, a dictator named Vega wants to take over the world. One of the tasks he does is look over at the previous champion of the tournament Sagat. He joins only because he'll be able to have revenge with Ry. This was one of the parts of the puzzle Vega needed to fulfill his plans.

Now, on the other side, various characters are going after this guy. There's Nash, a top notch soldier and fighter who is out to stop the mad leader. There's Chun-Li, an international detective whose father was killed thanks to Vega. Oh and of course, along the way, you have other people like Gai and Ry.

Everyone from the first "Zero" game is here and there are five more characters. There's Gen, the old Chinese martial artist from the first "SF" game. You have Rolento, one of the bosses in the "Final Fight" series. You also have Zangief and Dhalsim. Finally, you have a character new to the world of Capcom named Kasugano Sakura, a high school girl who wants to fight like Ry.

Like in the first "Zero" game, you have your SC's, your ZC's and the like. What's so different this time around is that there are now two ZC's for each character and the subtraction of chain combos. (Gai still can connect his classic combo though.) Instead, we have Variable Combos (or Custom Combos for you non-Japanese people) and they're initiated by pressing either two punches and a kick or two kicks and a punch. Here, you are able to link various attacks together, assuming that they will all connect. So, you can throw many Hadken strikes, sweeps or any other task. The catch is that you must have least one level of power in your bar.

Fun - 10

This is hands down, the best game of the "Zero" timeline. Why? The fundamentals! The VC is not the best fundamental in the world, but I used it from time to time. Other than that, it still feels like a true "SF" game. Add to the fact that Sakura is a fun character to play as.

Life - 10

Though there are 18 characters to begin with, don't forget the alternate versions. A good amount of them do make an imapct. Chun-Li in her Chinese fit plays more like the Chun-Li in the first "Zero" game.

Story - 10

Despite some of the silly stories, a good amount of them are real good like Ry's.

Control - 10

It's like the first "Zero" game, but better in which that there are more extras to be dealt with. What else do you need to know?

Audio - 10

Songs from the first "Zero" game are transfered here, which is good. I don't know if Gen has his old theme, but I do know that Rolento has one of the songs in "Final Fight", as it is in the fifth level. Zangief's theme is altered a bit, though it still has the same feel. Dhalsim's is totally different and it's nothing special. Sakura's "Precious Heart" is one of the best fighting game songs ever in terms of songs that have a J-pop feel.

The old characters have new voice samples and they either improved the character like Ken or they feel the same to me at least like Chun-Li, which is not a bad trait at all. The new characters don't have special samples, though Sakura is fine here. You have some new effects and it's still the same series, which is good.

Art - 10

Right off the bat, the game keeps the same anime feel, which is good. The game looks way better than the first "Zero" game in terms of backgrounds. Ken has a stage where various Capcom characters appear. Instead of Japan, Gai is now in the U.S. where a bunch of characters from the "Final Fight" series appear. Rose has an Italy background with a boat ride away from the fight, which is elegant.

The effects may still be the same, but that's okay. What's nice is that Capcom added more visual indications on how you won a round. If you won by a throw, you see a picture of a rope. If you won by a weak hit, a picture of a cherry is shown. (Why? I don't know. Ask Japan.)

Overall - 10

This is hands down the best game of the "Zero" saga in my opinion. The amount of characters, the fundamentals, the backgrounds, this is that good of a game and this is one game for sure I know I didn't score too high. So, if you get an opportunity, play this game for old times sake.

+

The amount of polishing, the backgrounds, the fundamentals, this is that good of a game.

-

Aside from some minor flaws, I have nothing to say here.

Date of creation - 10/24/04

Last update - N/A

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