Street Fighter gets a date with PSP

Like Ryu in constant search of a worthy opponent, so too is Capcom in constant search of a platform for which it hasn't yet released a Street Fighter port. That search will begin anew early next year, as today the company announced a February 2006 PSP debut for the series with Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max.

An enhanced port of the Street Fighter Alpha 3 arcade game, Alpha 3 Max includes additional content released in other console ports of the game...and then some. First of all, it packs in the already-expanded roster from the Game Boy Advance version of the game (with Capcom vs. SNK 2 characters Yun, Maki, and Eagle), but it adds in Ingrid from Capcom Fighting Evolution. It also gives players a better chance to explore the nooks and crannies of the roster with a new variable battle mode that allows for tag-team fights where the player can swap out fighters in the middle of a match.

The game also retains the survival, dramatic battle, and final battle single-player modes of previous versions and takes advantage of the PSP's wireless capabilities for its multiplayer modes. Beyond the standard one-on-one and team battle modes, gamers can take each other on in handicapped two-on-one versus dramatic battle matches, as well as the multiplayer version of the new tag-out versus variable battle mode.

For more on Street Fighter Alpha Max 3, check out GameSpot's hands-on impressions from the Tokyo Game Show.