My biggest complaint is that you still have that letterboxing effect during fights. Characters and animations are highly detailed and look fantastic. The visuals in this game have taken on more of an anime style than previous titles, which only serves to preserve it moving forward. Also, while I didn't have any issues with my Super Famicom copy, I've heard that this cartridge has a tendency to heat up pretty quickly. Before you can actually take control and start beating each other, there's an awkward pause of upwards of three seconds. One casualty to come as a result of all this new flare is the introduction of load times at the start of each fight. All of these new mechanics are easy to use and great to look at, resulting in a fighting game that's as much fun to watch as it is to play. Ending a fight with one of these new mechanics results in a special finish, which really just means some flashy visuals and extra points. Aside from an expanded roster, Alpha 2 introduces a Super Gauge used to pull off super-powered variants of special moves or burst into a high-speed combo attack.
That's not to say Street Fighter Alpha 2 doesn't bring anything new to the table for 16-bit fighter fans though. Controls are quick and solid and there's really no sense dwelling on the excellent gameplay that has been in place since the first iteration of Street Fighter II. Each button is assigned to weak, mid and strong versions of either punch or kick, and each character has access to their own slew of special moves. Core gameplay is the same as it's ever been with Street Fighter.