Street Fighter Alpha 2 is a fighting game released by Capcom in 1996 as the sequel to Street Fighter Alpha. It is greatly enhanced and refined from its predecessor, and is regarded as the definitive entry in the Alpha series. Set three years after Ryu defeats Sagat, the game retains the original world view: the "Street Fighter" tournament is held again, and Ryu faces off against many skilled fighters in intense battles.
In terms of gameplay systems, it keeps the signature features of the previous game and introduces the Original Combo system. Players can consume their super combo gauge to create their own custom combos, a system considered a revolutionary breakthrough in fighting games. In addition, the roster is greatly expanded, with 18 playable characters and 5 hidden characters, boosting the game's replay value.
The game's balance is also optimized: each character has a unique playstyle, breaking the old pattern of clearly strong or weak characters and making fair matches possible. Thanks to these improvements, Street Fighter Alpha 2 has been hailed as a classic by players ever since its launch.