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Thirteen years after the release of the original Street Fighter, Capcom has decided to bring a version Street Fighter III to a home console in the U.S. The biggest difference in Street Fighter III from previous versions is the simplified fighting system.

As with the second game, the emphasis is on skill and defensive ability as opposed to the massive super move fights of other Capcom games. Say goodbye to the air blocks, alpha counters, and tag-team action. In their place, you get a technical, ability intensive game. We are not talking about Marvel vs. Capcom, where a beginner can whip out a 30-hit combo with ease. A good SFIII player will destroy any newbie opposition within seconds. The result is a game that requires a measure of practice and dedication.

In addition, you can say bye-bye to the old favorites of the Street Fighter world. In Street Fighter III, you won't be seeing Zangief or Blanka. The only returning faces in SFIII are Ryu, Ken, and Akuma. We are also going to be seeing a bunch of new warriors. In total, 12 new characters are available in Street Fighter III. Still, a couple of the new fighters are similar to the Street Fighter II alumni. For instance, Dudely is very reminiscent of Balrog, the big bad boxer from days of old. Necro should have been named Dhalsim II. No matter whom you use, the controls are basically the same. Half the moves are half-circle fireballs, with the other half represented by two-second charging maneuvers.

As implied by the name, Street Fighter III: Double Impact is a double disc set. The second disc is basically an update to SFIII, in a "Championship Edition" kind of way. It includes a few different characters and a tweaking of the fighting engine. Both the games support the VMU and the Arcade Stick. Of course, you'll also be able to compete with a friend in the two-player Vs. mode. ~ Bryan Melville, All Game Guide