Along with a more diverse roster, SF3's has become more technical thanks to some new gameplay enhancements. "EX Specials" have been added in, which allow players to use their Super Gauge energy to make character's special moves faster and/or more powerful. Players still select from three different Super Arts per character, but now have the choice of spending meter on their Super Art, or using several EX Specials to mix things up.


One of the main (and only) flaws about SF3: New Generation was that it was a bit "slow" in terms of gameplay... but as a reboot title, Capcom was understandably going back to basics and "playing it safe". 2nd Impact's EX Specials really help speed up the gameplay and add plenty of new strategies to each match. (On a side note, 2nd Impact's EX Specials would later be "borrowed" by many other fighting games for decades to come.) The parrying system was also tightened up in 2nd Impact, and turned out to be more solid and more challenging than in the original.

 

 

Graphically, 2nd Impact is one of Capcom's finest, and easily one of the best looking 2D fighters of the time. The returning character artwork was borrowed from the first game (and is definitely badass enough to be reused), but of course, the new characters were drawn in the same awesome "sketchy" style, which really sets the series apart from others artistically. This not only includes character select portraits but also win & loss artworks after battles (still and amazing presentation). 2nd Impact also shows off a variety of new hand-drawn stages, with several classic returning backgrounds featuring new visual elements (and new BGMs).

Finally, Street Fighter III's animation is still at the top of its class. Not only in terms of "fluidity" and including many authentic martial arts techniques, but especially... ouch factor. To me, there's nothing more satisfying than hitting moves like Ken's Shinryuken, Alex's Hyper Bomb, Hugo's throw into clothesline, and the list goes on and on. Not only does SFIII's animation aesthetically please the eyes, but makes the game "feel" smooth and especially fun to play. SFIII enabled players to anticipate the opponent's attacks, parry, and counter with hard-hitting stylish badassery.

 

Click here for all Character Artwork!

Page Updated: January 18th, 2024 Developer(s): Capcom Publisher(s): Capcom Designer(s): Tomoshi Sadamoto      Producer Hidetoshi Ishizawa       Planner Akiman                               Character Designer Kinu Nishimura              Character Designer Obata Shinichiro            Planner Yasuhiro Seto Tomonori Ohmura Halachie du Harais Artwork by: Akiman, Kinu Nishimura, Bengus, Daigo Ikeno, Shoei Platform(s): Arcade Dreamcast  as SF3: Double Impact Release Date(s): October 30th, 1997 Characters:  Ryu, Ken Masters, Dudley, Alex, Yun, Yang, Ibuki, Necro, Sean Matsuda, Oro, Elena, Hugo, Urien, Akuma, Gill, Shin Akuma Featured Video: Related Games: Street Fighter III: New Generation, SFIII: 3rd Strike, SFIII: 3rd Strike Online Edition, Street Fighter, Street Fighter 2, SF2 Champion Edition, SF2 Turbo, Super SF2, Super SF2 Turbo, Super SF2T Revival, Super SF2T HD Remix, Ultra SF2, Street Fighter 4, Super SF4, Super SF4: 3D Edition, Super SF4: Arcade Edition, Ultra SF4, Street Fighter V, SFV: Arcade Edition, SFV: Champion Edition, Street Fighter 6, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, SFA3 Upper, SFA3 Max, SFA Anthology, SF Anniversary Collection, Street Fighter EX, SFEX2, SFEX3, SF: The Movie, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Super PF2T HD Remix, Pocket Fighter, Final Fight Revenge    Gameplay Engine  9.5 / 10 Story / Theme  9.0 / 10 Overall Graphics  10 / 10 Animation  10 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  10 / 10 Innovation  9.5 / 10 Art Direction  10 / 10 Customization  8.5 / 10 Options / Extras  8.5 / 10 Intro / Presentation  8.5 / 10 Replayability / Fun  9.5 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  10 / 10 Characters  9.5 / 10 BOTTOM LINE  9.6 / 10  Review based on Arcade / Dreamcast version       Final Words: Like SFIII: New Generation, 2nd Impact didn't receive a "widespread" release outside of the arcade scene. However, the Dreamcast exclusive "SFIII: Double Impact" port featured both New Generation and 2nd Impact on one disk, and was easily one the best 2D fighting games on the system. Furthermore, 2nd Impact was one of the defining 2D fighters games of the era... even though it didn't get much mainstream recognition. Still, 2nd Impact made the bold statement that "traditional 2D fighters aren't dead"... at a time that 3D fighters and 2D tag-team fighters were innovating and dominating. For 2D fighting game fans that were paying attention in 1997-1998, 2nd Impact's fresh roster, tight gameplay, and awesome presentation was not under-appreciated. I personally enjoyed New Generation quite a bit, and quickly fell in love with 2nd Impact. Of course, both games were important stepping stones to the great sequel known as 3rd Strike. In closing, 2nd Impact is still one of my favorite 2D fighters of all time! On that note, I still strongly prefer 2nd Impact's beautiful hand-drawn backgrounds, memorable music, and epic voice acting over 3rd Strike's... but of course, 3rd Strike is where it's at when it comes to the best character roster & gameplay. Regardless, 2nd Impact will always have a special place in my heart. ~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen      Click Here for Posters / Box Artwork / Etc!   Click here for all Animated Backgrounds! CHARACTER LOSE ARTWORK           Click here for all Character Lose Artwork! Click here for all Screenshots! FOLLOW    ON:                             TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES