After 25 years, it’s been discovered that Shin Akuma can be unlocked in Street Fighter Alpha 2.
Gizaha, a modder, was looking to reverse engineer the game’s code in hopes of improving performance. In doing so, he came across a series of steps that lets players access Shin Akuma. While the character appeared as a secret boss character, it wasn’t until recently that the unlock method was made known.
Follow the steps below to play as Shin Akuma in Street Fighter Alpha 2 on the SNES:
1. Beat Alpha 2’s Arcade Mode and receive a new number-one high score
2. Enter the initials “KAJ” when prompted to record the score and then head back to the title screen
3. A second controller is necessary to complete the next part, as player two needs to hold down L, X, Y and Start all together at the start screen while the first navigates and selects Versus
4. Once the character select screen is loaded, either player can pick Shin Akuma by simply holding Start while choosing the character
5. Akuma’s gray gi will turn purple at the stage select screen if the code was successful
Note that the same process works in Arcade Mode, though Eventhubs mentions that the game “bugs out somewhat.”
