Although later Capcom fighters on the console easily surpass this game, it's still worth checking out.
The Saturn takes full advantage of its processors and really lets gamers see the 2D muscle that Sega's big, black box is capable. The conversion from the arcade is nearly flawless, so don't expect any type of slowdown or missing animation during intense battles. Unfortunately, the conversion was not perfect and it came in the form of one fatal flaw, the loading times. I realize loading times are a part of every game, but the ones in Street Fighter Alpha' Saturn port are ridiculous. After selecting you character, expect to wait around 5-10 seconds before the actual match gets underway; thankfully you won't see these in between each individual round (like SFA2 on the SNES). I don't have a RAM cart, so I don't really know if one will have any effect on shortening these load times, so you'll just have to put up with them.
The game itself has a pretty complex engine, lots of new mechanics are introduced such as Alpha Counters, air blocks, and a 3-tier super meter. The graphics are redone in a cool anime-style art unlike the previous games, returning characters look completely different and refreshing after five years of SFII games. The initial roster of fighters is paltry; once you fire up the game you will only have 10 players to choose from. Returning characters from SFII include Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Sagat; the rest of the guys are Adon, Birdie, Sodom, Charlie, Rose and Final Fight's Guy. Along with these you'll also be able to unlock 3 secret characters: M. Bison, Akuma, and comic relief Dan Hibiki; you will be in for a tough time trying to get these guys a permanent spot on you roster, however. The requirements needed to officially unlock the secret characters are just insane, and usually involve beating the game on the highest difficulties as well as fulfilling some extra objectives.
Despite the long load times, lack of characters, and often unfair AI; Street Fighter Alpha proves to be a pretty solid port on the Saturn. Although later Capcom fighters on the console easily surpass this game, it's still worth checking out. The game today is relatively cheap on sites like Ebay, and its accessibility allow newcomers to jump into the game fairly easily. Even if you already own a lot of Capcom fighters for you Saturn, Street Fighter Alpha should be welcome in any players library.