I was out of arcades by the time SFA came along. I was solely a console gamer at that point. I remember reading all the coverage I could in gaming publications at the time. I was a big Street Fighter fan and this was right up my alley, the change I felt was long over due for the franchise. They released this at just the right time, fans were getting tired of being nickel and dimed for Street Fighter II minor updates.
RE: Street Fighter Alpha Franchise Launched in Arcades – June 27th, 1995 - Today in Video Game History