"Nothing's changed, the game is still dreck"

When Capcom released Street Fighter III, I, like most fighting game fans, were going "WTF" at the new characters. If Rose from SFA wasn't out of place enough, in SF3 we have a dead guy and an old coot with glowing eyes and one arm, for God's sake! And a boss who looks like a die-hard '49ers fan! Not to mention that, with the exception of Ryu and Ken, all the fighters we have come to know and love had vanished completely. SF3:2i had a few new characters, most notably Hugo (a.k.a. Andore from Final Fight) and Akuma, but Akuma was WAY too overpowered and it soon became a one-note game. In the latest release, Third Strike, Capcom tweaked the gameplay even more and added lots of new characters. Unfortunately, there are even more circus characters than before: now we have Twelve, a T-1000-looking thing that can morph; and Q, who looks like Inspector Gadget with a metal mask who burps when he is hit(!). However, SF3:3S also heralds the return of Chun-Li (a character I'd have rather left out), as well as new characters Makoto and Remy. And thankfully, Akuma has been toned down. So what's wrong with this game? You got awhile? We STILL have the parries. Yep, the too-easy parries from SF3 have not been toned down one bit. In fact, in SF3:3S you can now parry while blocking! What was Capcom thinking?! The characters, while animated fluidly, are still pretty dull. And the bottom-ranked characters have been toned down even more. Urgh...

Gameplay: 5/10. Seems fun at first. You have your special moves, some of which can be powered up ala DarkStalkers. You have your Super Art (you can still only choose one), and you have your regulars. But you also have your parry. Once you get parries down pat (it isn't very hard), the game becomes boring as hell. Special moves, combo attempts, jump-ins, and even anti-airs get punished with a parry into powerful move or Super. It becomes a game of who can do the best pokes. And that's just boring.

Graphics: 8/10. The graphics are amazing, can't deny it. They are full of life and move fluidly. The backgrounds, however... ehhh. Now, characters SHARE backgrounds. Argh! Twelve and Necro, Sean and Oro, Ken and Alex, and more share the same stage, with different palette changes. Other than that, I have no real complaints. The portraits are beautifully drawn and there's even a bit of CGI (the much-rejoiced return of the bonus stage, for example).

Sound: 7/10. Good sound, good music. So why does it get a 7? That damn rapper! Won't he shut up?!?!

Competition: 5/10. People just don't like to play this game anymore, it seems. Those who do either pick shotos (the scrubs) or Chun-Li (the arcade kings). And good matches are boring to watch.

Overall: 5/10. It's the most fun of all the Street Fighter III games, but it's still dreck, and I'd much rather play Marvel vs. Capcom, a game that requires even less skill, than this. At least MvC's games aren't made up of who has the fastest Jab.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 12/10/99, Updated 12/10/99