Street Fighter III Double Impact marks the first release of not one but two Street Fighter III
games for the console market. The title packs two games for play on the Sega Dreamcast: Street
Fighter III: New Generation and Street Fighter III: Second Impact.
Once again the parade of half-sequels begins, only this time we complain about seeing threes
instead of twos. On one level, the game is beating a dead horse; on another, the horse is the best-
looking dead horse ever, thanks to the power of 128-bit technology and the smoothest character
animation yet.
The responsive controls and lack of load times are a blessing, so the experience is worth a look.
Generation presents a cast of nearly all-new characters, with only Ken and Ryu as returning
favorites. The central character is Alex, a tough New Yorker. Also featured are twin Chinese
Kung Fu artists, an old hermit who fights single-handedly, as well as an Afro-British boxer
(Balrog's cousin?).
Second Impact offers three additional characters, including Akuma and two entirely new faces.
Impact also gives players two-punch or two-kick power with the press of a single button.
Both games now feature parrying abilities to deflect attacks. Characters also choose from a
handful of Super Arts (a.k.a. Super Combos) styles, resulting in a sort of pseudo rock-paper-
scissors situation in which no one art has absolute power over another, but certain advantages
certainly do exist.
No new character is any cooler than any of the old familiars, and I wish the game began with an
introduction to your chosen character. Of course, in order to please everyone, Capcom would
have to let you skip such intros.
In the old days, the characters felt so distinctive. These days, anything new feels like imitation
unless provided with some context. When fighting, I just don't feel connected to the characters
as much as I used to. This problem has yet to receive attention from Capcom, so the game's
saving graces are the new features and the fact that it's on the Dreamcast.
Publisher: Capcom