Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact - Giant Attack

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Capcom

Street Fighter III: New Generation was a very solid fighting game…but as we learned from the Street Fighter II games, there was probably going to be multiple Street Fighter III games released that tweaked and improved upon the gameplay. Sure enough, only seven months after New Generation hit the arcades, 2nd Impact was released as well. While the roster wasn't expanded on significantly, there were a few additions like Hugo and Urien. Yun and Yang, you previously were the same player, but with different heads, now have different move sets as well, making them separate characters. Lastly, a familiar face returns in the form of Akuma as a secret character. The gameplay itself was tweaked a bit, making everything even smoother than it was in New Generation. The Super Arts concept also got a change, with the addition of EX Specials, which allow players to perform "EX" versions of their regular moves, but at the cost of part of the Super Arts gauge. A feature that can be helpful in a close fight, where you know a big move can end it, but your Super Arts gauge isn't quite maxed out to do your Super Move. Also, bonus rounds make their return in this game….unfortunately, instead of destroying cars or beating up barrels, you're just practicing how to parry by attempting to parry basketballs lobbed at you. Overall, 2nd Impact is an improvement over New Generation, but not an overly large one…which I suppose one should expect from a game released seven months after the original was released. Still, if you enjoy fighting games, you'll likely find plenty to love here.

Review added: 06/03/2025

Street Fighter III: New Generation

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Capcom

After releasing countless variations of Street Fighter II over the years, Capcom finally decided to make a new entry in the Street Fighter franchise and introduced Street Fighter III: New Generation. Tossing all previous Street Fighter characters to the curb, except for Ryu and Ken, Street Fighter III has a new assortment of colorful characters to brawl with. That new group of fighters also has a bunch of new abilities and gameplay mechanics at their disposal. The most noteworthy one would be parries, which allows the player to block an attack without taking any damage. If you can time the parry correctly, you can even withstand the hardest-hitting attacks without even losing a sliver of health. Super Arts are another new feature, replacing the Super Combo from the later Street Fighter II games. When you select your character, you're also asked to select which Super Art that you'll be using in battle. Depending on your choice, the length of the Super Art gauge will be different, and you may or may not be able to stock up multiple gauges. You can also segue from a special mode into a Super Art move mid-move, if you really want to make your opponent hurt. While the new features are very welcome additions, they also make the game a little less pick-up-and-play, like Street Fighter II was, which may turn of casual fighting fans. But, while some Street Fighter fans may have an initial disappointment to not seeing some of their favorite fighters (a lesson that Capcom has learned with each new, numbered release since), once the fighting starts, you'll be treated to an excellent fighting game. Later variations of this formula perfect it, but New Generation was a great start.

Review added: 06/03/2025