1995

The Warriors’ Dream: Analyzing The Alpha Systems That Transformed Street Fighter

A lot of thought goes into a videogame sequel to progress the gameplay and characters of the original, but its changes need to justify their existence while capturing the original’s intent. So, how do you meaningfully expand on a game like Street Fighter II that defined fighting gameplay, especially when its constant revisions resulted in five major arcade releases? One trick is to build new systems over the core gameplay, useful for when a genre like 2D fighting needs to modify elements without having to redraw character animations. Street Fighter Alpha shows how modular, swappable systems can dramatically change the foundation they are built onto, its new mechanics adding depth to Capcom’s fighting game formula while dramatically improving the presentation to create exhilarating, anime-caliber battles between fast, fluid, and powerful characters.

Chrono Trigger’s Clockwork Precision

∞ Play Time

Out of all of Chrono Trigger’s significant contributions, New Game+ most epitomizes its soul. Not only does it recognize the player’s hard work, allowing them to return to the beginning of its story with all their experience and rewards, it’s consistent with its time-travelling premise. Of course, NG+ would be pointless if the games core wasn’t worth returning to, but it’s a wondrous adventure, stocked with a great cast of characters full of personality. Fitting a premise that can have small moments have big ramifications, it starts with a fateful encounter.

Continue reading “Chrono Trigger’s Clockwork Precision”