Street Fighter II is one of those games that will forever be linked with the SNES, thanks to the fact that Nintendo's 16-bit console was the first home system to get a port of the arcade sensation. Who knows how many gamers cut their teeth on this edition rather than the coin-op? It's a pretty legendary conversion and one which ironically overshadows the fact that the SNES also got a port of the more-advanced Street Fighter Alpha 2 later on in its life.
Released in 1996, Street Fighter Alpha 2 was arguably better suited to the (then) newfangled 32-bit consoles like the Saturn and PlayStation, but the fact that the SNES got it at all was (and still is) impressive. What's even more impressive is the fact that this oft-derided port has concealed a cheat code for a quarter of a century.
Programmer Gizaha from the Zeldix forums has been reverse-engineering the game, and, during this process, has discovered a previously unknown code which unlocks the hidden boss Shin Akuma as a playable character.
The code has been verified by EventHub, and requires you to finish the game's Arcade Mode and set a new high score. Once this is done, you must enter the initials KAJ in the high score table, return to the title screen and hold down the L, X, Y and Start buttons on a controller plugged into the console's second controller port while the player one pad is used to select the 'Versus' mode. From here, player one or two can select Shin Akuma by holding the Start button while selecting normal Akuma. You'll know you've been successful because Akuma's clothing will change colour.
Have you pulled this cheat off personally? Remember, Street Fighter Alpha 2 is available on the Wii U Virtual Console, so it's worth a try...
[source eventhubs.com]
Comments 42
I always thought it weird Street Fighter Alpha 1 never came out on SNES.
As opposed to the current code to get extra characters in Street Fighter- enter the 16 digit number on the front of your card, then the last 3 digits of the cvv2 number on the back.
A real cheat and not a glitch. Nice.
@Clyde_Radcliffe
It's because the Super Nintendo is too advanced for such old Game like Alpha 1 ;D
To the Topic:
Have the original Alpha 2 here around, this is a Cause to play for a High Score
@MrGawain Don't forget that code also works on Smash Ultimate for the Switch! A very useful code indeed
@MrGawain it’s the equivalent of the Konami code for the current generation!
I tried this and it definitely does not work on the default setting.
Well, if this was never publicly released info, it really is no surprise no one found it until now.
Feeling honoured my name is used for this
@Jayofmaya Most cheat codes back in the day weren't 'publicly released', though. Many were codes inserted by developers to assist with bug testing and were never meant to be used by the public.
Why the hell waste time reverse engineering SNES versions of games that have better Arcade/PC versions when you could be RE'ing other things?
Stupid question time: does this work on the SFA2 version included in the SF 30th Anniversary Collection on the Switch?
@mjharper
It wouldn't as the games on the collection are the arcade ports.
@mjharper No. That version is the arcade release.
@Clyde_Radcliffe Gameboy Color for 1, GBA for 3, it was an odd pattern. XD
@durr Probably because it uses the S-DD1 chip to compress the graphics so it could fit on a regular SNES cart.
@mjharper Nope Shin Akuma was not even in that game whether playable or as a hidden opponent, Evil Ryu was playable however. To tell you the truth Shin Akuma was only console exclusive for the home versions of Street Fighter Alpha 2. All home versions (SNES, PS1, and Sega Saturn) had different codes to play Shin Akuma. It wasn't until Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold that Shin Akuma was playable in the arcade.
Damn this would had been my childhood dream to be able to play as this guy back in 1996 for my Super NES. Instead I had to go buy the lame PS1 port just to play him. GamePro, EGM, and Nintendo Power all failed me.
@Clyde_Radcliffe Street Fighter Alpha 1 was on Game Boy Color so SNES got Street Fighter Alpha 2 instead which is strange but make sense. Strange cause GBC came out way after the SNES was on its way out but make sense as SNES is more powerful than GBC.
The port of SFA2 is kinda good, but it pales in comparison of the previous SF games on the system. SF II is a way better port. The music in SFA2 sounds like it came straight from an 8 bit game.
@Edu23XWiiU Street Fighter Alpha 2 arcade used Capcom's more advance QSound processor so it's really difficult to reproduced those in midi format unlike previous CPS-2 port like Super Street Fighter II which doesn't use QSound. For what it is though it sounds okay for SNES.
@Retro_Player_77 I know it's a much more advanced arcade game, and it's an achievement done on the Super Nintendo, but compared to the other SF games, it's certainly on the bottom of the bunch.
@durr I believe I read on a different site that it was because they were trying to study the games code to find ways to better optimize it (as for why they wanted to do that to begin with, it was probably just for fun/the coding practice)
@Azuris yeah Alpha one is so weak even the GameBoy Color could run it. ;P
Does it also work on the Super Famicom version SF Zero 2? That’s the version I have because it was cheaper 😀
@GauBan
Yeah!
I mean, the original Gameboy Version of Street Fighter 2 had own Borders on the Super Gameboy and a two Player Mode!
Alpha didn't support own Borders!
I pulled this off a few days ago
https://youtu.be/7hutl8U9JhI
Sorry, but SNES/Super Famicom version of Alpha 2 was way, way inferior to the Japanese Saturn version. Even the PlayStation version was trimmed slightly (missing reflections in the puddles on Gen's backstreet stage, Zangief missing considerable more frames of animation) etc, etc
Brave attempt for the old SNES, but once you'd bought, or played it on Saturn (or a genuine CPII board via a super gun) then there was simply no going back unfortunately. Still own an import copy somewhere.
I don't think I have this on Wii and I doubt it will work on 3DS. Also, some douchebag stole my SNES copy. I guess I'll have to use less legal means to try this out.
@Damo Ahhh, that makes sense. So this would have been intended to always been hidden!
@Jayofmaya I'd imagine so, but I suspect many programmers popped things like this in as secrets, too. Or maybe Shin Akuma was intended to be in the game to begin with, but Capcom decided against it at the last minute?
@Mr-Glissando I said as much in the piece itself? No one was saying that the SNES version could compete with the 32-bit editions.
I don't understand why this was never shared back in the day.
All the other versions cheat codes were publicized in many magazines, but nothing for the Snes.
Did Capcom just never tell anyone.
@Thorhax They forgot about ever programming it.
@Azuris that was more of an issue of the GBC only games like Alpha not having a Super GameBoy type device when it came out. Was only when the GameBoy Player came out could you play those type of games on a TV.
I thought it was found in the code, nothing reimplemented, just discovered.
So that means it was programmed.
Unless I'm missing something.
Just couldn’t get it to work for me unfortunately.
I do love secrets like this that were hidden for ages and no one figured them out. Usually all cheat codes got distributed in magazines after the publishers released them so the magazines could test some games easier. I still remember a few years after Goldeneye was released when a load of cheat codes were all suddenly just released out of no where and managed to keep their existence a secret for ages.
Better late than never? Too bad I don't have the system nor the game anymore.
An awesome game and technically a super impressive version. Whilst the sound doesn’t sound as good as other snes SF ports, the gameplay here is much deeper (supers, alpha counters, mid air blocking, custom combos etc.) making this a much better game.
By the time the game was released snes coverage was thin on the ground ( heard to even locate magazine published contemporary reviews for this game). Were the 32 bit versions better? Of course. But that doesn’t stop this being a great conversion which is immensely playable.
Great article.
@Damo
Never said you did. It was just an odd time and decision to launch Alpha 2 on the SNES/Super Famicom, when there were clearly superior versions available.
@Mr-Glissando Yet, at the time of release, the install base for the SNES would have been bigger than that of the PSX, Saturn and N64 combined, I'd wager. So it made sense in that regard
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