Street Fighter Alpha 3 · English restoration
============================================

Version:  rc1 (2026-10-11)
Target:   MAME set 'sfz3j' (Street Fighter Zero 3 (Japan 980904))
Hardware: Capcom CPS-2
Patch by: Steve Gordon (https://x.com/strygo)
Website:  https://arcadepatches.com/sfa3-restoration/

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Street Fighter Alpha 3's US arcade version cut each character's win quotes
down to eight generic lines. The Japanese game also has a quote for each
opponent. This restoration brings back all 625 opponent-specific quotes, with
all 825 of the Japanese game's win quotes in English.

Detailed stage locations return in English, in the original stage panels.
Biographies, rival dialogue and endings follow the Japanese script in natural
English that fits each character. Capcom's English stays where it was
accurate, and Alpha 3 MAX's official wording is used where it fits.

The game uses the Japanese 980904 revision's gameplay and secret-character
access, with its original difficulty and Turbo 1 defaults. Regulation starts
OFF, restoring red hit blood and the full defeat and ending effects; the
operator can still switch it ON. The US arcade endings already contain the
same scenes and page timing, so this restoration preserves them.

Alpha branding in the animated intro, character selection, player
introductions and win screens, English A/X/V-ISM labels, descriptions and
score rankings, Western names in the intro and fights, title and entry
announcements, and English operator menus retain the USA presentation. It runs
in MAME and on MiSTer with the jtcps2 core. Supply your own original Japanese
sfz3j romset; split sets also need their sfa3 parent and QSound firmware.

This is a release candidate.

WHAT'S CHANGED

  - All 825 Japanese win quotes in English, including 625 opponent-specific
    quotes the US arcade version left out
  - All 24 detailed stage locations in English, centered in the original
    panels
  - Biographies, rival and boss dialogue, and endings that follow the Japanese
    script, keeping Capcom's wording where it was accurate
  - Japanese Regulation OFF by default, with its operator switch and
    uncensored effects
  - Japanese 980904 gameplay, difficulty, Turbo 1 defaults and secret-
    character access
  - Alpha branding in the intro, selection, player introductions and win
    screens; English A/X/V-ISM descriptions and score rankings, Western names,
    title and entry announcements, and operator menus

HOW TO APPLY (recommended)

    python3 apply.py /path/to/sfz3j.zip --out-dir out

This checks every file against the original, applies the patches, checks
the result, and writes everything you need for each platform:

  MAME:                     out/mame/sfz3j.zip
  MiSTer:                   out/mister/_Arcade/_Arcade Patches/_Restorations/Street Fighter Alpha 3 (USA) [Restoration].mra

Merged, split and complete sets work, including nested or renamed ROMs.
Use --rompath DIR (repeatable) to search a collection instead of naming the
zip, and --check to check inputs before building. ZIPs and extracted folders
need no extra software; 7z archives need 7-Zip. QSound can stay in your
emulator's ROM path; valid firmware already in a source set is kept in
complete outputs.

MAME: put sfz3j.zip from out/mame/ ahead of the stock set in your MAME
rompath.
MAME's game menu won't start a set with patched ROMs, so start it from the
command line: mame sfz3j. MAME shows checksum warnings for the patched
ROMs; that's expected and the game runs normally.
Keep your unmodified qsound.zip in MAME's ROM path.

MiSTer: copy the _Arcade folder from out/mister/ to the root of your SD card
and keep the stock, unmodified romset at games/mame/sfz3j.zip (split MAME
sets also need qsound.zip). The MRA applies the restoration in memory as the
game loads, so nothing on the card is modified. You need Jotego's jtcps2
core, which update_all installs. The MRAs are also a separate download.

HOW TO APPLY (any IPS patcher)

Extract sfz3j.zip, apply each file in ips/ to the ROM file of the
same name (Flips, Lunar IPS, or any IPS tool), then re-zip everything
as sfz3j.zip.

CHANGED FILES

    sz3.08c  (512 KB)  CRC32 910c4a3b -> 743184e5
    sz3.09c  (512 KB)  CRC32 b29e5199 -> be2779c3
    sz3.10b  (512 KB)  CRC32 deb2ff52 -> 61495b7e
    sz3.13m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 0f7a60d9 -> ce8690b4
    sz3.14m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 5ff98297 -> 31bfae76
    sz3.15m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 8e933741 -> 09e3362a
    sz3.16m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 52b5bdee -> c366c0ab
    sz3.17m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 d6e98147 -> 944c9737
    sz3.18m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 40631ed5 -> be20b9bb
    sz3.19m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 f31a728a -> 0a9b0b22
    sz3.20m  (4.0 MB)  CRC32 763409b4 -> 682eada9
    sz3j.03c  (512 KB)  CRC32 cadf4a51 -> 8f83a2d7
    sz3j.04c  (512 KB)  CRC32 fcb31228 -> aea73027

All other files in the set are unmodified.

LEGAL

This is a free, unofficial fan patch. It is not affiliated with or endorsed
by Capcom. All game titles, characters, and artwork remain the property of
their respective owners. You must own the game to use this patch. Do not
sell this patch or distribute it applied to a ROM image.
