Street Fighter Alpha

Many fans of such popular games as Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct were playing with rattles, not joysticks, when Street Fighter debuted in the mid-'80s. The latest edition, Street Fighter Alpha, reunites personalities from past versions and elegantly animates them. While the look hasn't changed much, the game has fought off the flashier sockfests and resisted the urge to incorporate their gore. Alpha's fighters are downright polite (''You fought well,'' says one after his victory. ''I was honored''), proving that there's more to a game than punching and kicking. Charm and style do count. A-