Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact – Giant Attack is the first update to the original Street Fighter III: New Generation, running on Capcom’s powerful CP System III (CPS3) arcade hardware. It expanded the roster and refined the gameplay mechanics, making it a crucial step in the series’ evolution toward the acclaimed 3rd Strike.

Key Additions and Changes

2nd Impact built upon the foundation of the first game, offering significant improvements and new content. 

• New Characters: The roster increased with three new playable fighters: the Final Fight professional wrestler Hugo, Gill’s ambitious brother Urien, and the returning series veteran Akuma (as a secret character).
• Separated Characters: The twin brothers Yun and Yang, who shared a moveset in the first game, were given unique special moves and Super Arts, effectively making them distinct characters.
• EX Moves: A new mechanic was introduced, allowing players to perform enhanced versions of special moves by using a portion of their Super Art gauge, offering more strategic depth.
• Personal Actions: Each character received a “personal action” (taunt) that, in some cases, could affect gameplay, such as increasing stun recovery or attack power.
• Bonus Rounds: The popular bonus rounds, absent since Super Street Fighter II, returned with a “Parry the Ball” minigame hosted by Sean, helping players practice the crucial parrying mechanic.
• Widescreen Feature: It is the only CPS3 title to officially feature a widescreen display option. 

Story Context

The game continues the narrative focusing on the mysterious Illuminati secret society and its leader, Gill, who is hosting the Third World Warrior Tournament. 

• The main protagonist, Alex, continues his quest to avenge his mentor, Tom, after his defeat by Gill.
• Character-specific rival battles and endings were expanded, providing more lore than the first Street Fighter III.
• Urien’s story sees him temporarily usurp his brother as “President” of the Illuminati, only for Gill to promote himself to the higher rank of “Emperor”.
• Akuma appears as a hidden boss if the player meets certain requirements, with an even more powerful “Shin Akuma” variant available under strict conditions.