Street Fighter Alpha 3 is the third and final game in Capcom's Street Fighter Alpha series and runs on the CP System II arcade hardware. It opened in Japanese arcades as Street Fighter Zero 3 on 15 July 1998. The game introduced three fighting styles called isms (A-ism, X-ism and V-ism) and a Guard Power Gauge, and its arcade roster has 28 playable characters: all 18 from Alpha 2 plus newcomers such as R. Mika, Karin, Cody and the Dolls Juli and Juni.
Home versions kept growing the game. The PlayStation release added a World Tour mode and extra fighters and sold one million copies by June 2016, while the PSP version, Alpha 3 MAX, raised the roster to 39 playable characters.
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (2018) brought back the arcade version with online play, and Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (2025) includes Alpha 3 Upper.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Arcade | July 1998 | Capcom | 1 |
| NA | Street Fighter Alpha 3 | PlayStation | May 5, 1999 | Capcom | 1 |
| NA | Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAXJapan 2006-01-19 | PSP | Feb 7, 2006 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | Street Fighter Zero 3CP System II | Arcade | Jul 15, 1998 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | Street Fighter Zero 3supports the PocketStation | PlayStation | Dec 23, 1998 | Capcom | 1 |
| EU | Street Fighter Alpha 3 | PlayStation | Jun 25, 1999 | Virgin Interactive Entertainment | 1 |
| JP | Street Fighter Zero 3Dreamcast; North America 2000-05-24, Europe 2000-09-29 | Other | Jul 8, 1999 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | Street Fighter Zero 3requires the 4 MB RAM cartridge | Saturn | Aug 6, 1999 | Capcom | 1 |
| JP | Street Fighter Zero 3 UpperNAOMI hardware | Arcade | February 2001 | Sega | 1 |
| JP | Street Fighter Zero 3 Upperdeveloped by Crawfish Interactive; North America 2002-12-03 as Street Fighter Alpha 3 | Game Boy Advance | Sep 27, 2002 | Capcom | 1 |
| WW | Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collectionarcade version; also PS4, Xbox One and Switch | Windows | May 29, 2018 | Capcom | 2 |
| WW | Capcom Fighting Collection 2includes Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper | Windows | May 15, 2025 | Capcom | 3 |
Also known as: Street Fighter Zero 3 JP1ストリートファイターZERO3↑ JP4Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper WW1Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX WW1
Box art by region
JP Street Fighter Zero 3
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: Wikipedia.
Version differences
-
ContentPlayStation
The PlayStation version replaced hit-effect sprites with polygons to save memory for animation, added a World Tour mode, and added Balrog, Juli and Juni by default plus Dee Jay, Fei Long and T. Hawk; Guile, Evil Ryu and Shin Akuma are unlockable.1
-
GraphicsSaturn (JP)
The Japan-only Saturn version uses a 4 MB RAM cartridge for near-arcade animation and sprites and adds two-player Dramatic Battle and Reverse Dramatic Battle, but drops the polygon effects and PocketStation support.1
-
ContentDreamcast
The Dreamcast version adds the Saikyo Dojo mode, an online high-score display and a different World Tour mode, and Guile, Evil Ryu and Shin Akuma are selectable from the start.1
Where to play legally today
-
Steam Purchase
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
Arcade version of Street Fighter Alpha 3
Checked: 2026-10-132store.steampowered.com
-
Steam Purchase
Capcom Fighting Collection 2
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
Checked: 2026-10-133store.steampowered.com
Reception
Game Machine listed it as the second most successful arcade game in its 1 September 1998 issue, and the Upper revision topped its chart in April 2001. The PlayStation version sold one million copies by June 2016, and the Dreamcast version holds a Metacritic score of 93.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
Spotted a mistake? Write to atlas@old-games.net.