Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

"The worst of the SF Series."

I have been a fan of the Street Fighter series ever since Capcom released Street Fighter II way back when. Like many fans, I begged Capcom to release a sequel. When they finally got around to releasing Street Fighter III (SF3), boy was I disappointed.

Street Fighter III: Third Strike is the third attempt to get SF3 right. While it is the best iteration of SF3, it still carries all of the major flaws that hurt this incarnation of Street Fighter.

Gameplay

SF3:TS adopts the familiar gameplay that Capcom developed of so many years ago. You pick one of eighteen characters, including old favorites Ryu, Ken, Ibuki, and Oro, and newcomers Chun Li, Twelve, Q, Remy, and Makoto. You go mano-a-mano with various characters until reach the game's boss, Gill.

The game uses a six button layout composed of three punches and three kicks, each of different strengths. By combining various joystick movements and buttons, you can execute special attacks. During the match, you will build up super energy, which can be released in the form of souped-up special attacks (EX attacks) or deadly super arts.

Unlike Street Fighter 2 or the Alpha series, after selecting your character, you must select one of three super attacks to use in the match. I never understood why Capcom chose not to give you access to all of the supers in a match. Some say it adds strategy by forcing you to choose before the match how you want to play. I think it is a cheap trick to ''add'' more characters into the game without having to design any. Thankfully, the DC version allows you to change this game setting and use all 3 supers.

SF3:TS plays similarly to the venerable Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo. The pace of matches is slow (due in part to the long animations for attacks) and does not favor button smashing. The combo system is much more reserved than Capcom's Versus series, limiting juggle combos to just a handful of extra hits.

The much maligned feature of the SF3 series has been the parry system. By pressing forward or down just as you about to get hit, your character will parry the attack and take no damage. A successful parry rewards you with super energy and lightning fast recovery time with which you can punish your opponent. While you cannot air block (on default settings), you can parry in the air by pressing forward; this pushes you away from your opponent. You can parry successively multiple times. New to SF3:TS is the ability to parry after blocking.

Parrying, in the hands of a novice, comes out more as a fluke than anything else. In the hands of a master, it is possible to parry multiple hitting super arts and combos with ease. After parrying a flurry of attacks, you can serve your defenseless opponent (who is still going through attack recovery animations) a big fat super. Against a player skilled in parrying, it can be lethal to wildly jab your opponent.

The parry system was originally put in to promote a more offensive game by allowing you to get out of cheap traps (a.k.a. the Ryu/Ken/Akuma fireball/uppercut pattern). However, because of the parry system, SF3 becomes a defensive game with battles degenerating into a series of poking attacks that strike from far enough away to prevent a parry and counter. After a while, that gets pretty boring.

Graphics

SF3 moves as fluidly as a Japanese cartoon. The amount of effort is just staggering. When Ryu and Ken release their fireballs, you can see the energy rip through their bodies into their hands. If you opponent lets you, you can watch Makoto walk forward for 5-6 seconds without repeating any frames. The game is just beautiful to watch in action.

The backgrounds are also quite amazing. Some backgrounds react to your battle, such as Hugo's stage where food and toys bounce in the air when somebody eats the floor. Graphically, SF3:TS is without par amongst fighting games.

Sound

SF3:TS pulls away from its predecessors and adopts a techno/rap soundtrack. The pre- and postmatch beats are quite good, as are the in battle music. Battle cries and special move names sound clear in the midst of a fight.

Characters

SF3:TS has an ecletic cast of characters. Fans of SF3 will find that the entire cast is back for a third go-around. Hugo, Urien, and Akuma from Giant Attack (Double Impact on the DC) return as well. Joining the cast are: fan favorite Chun Li; Q, a man with a metal mask and a trenchcoat; Makoto, a teenaged karate expert; Remy, a French Guile; Twelve, a construct that can change its shape and mimic its opponents.

The characters in the game are not terribly interesting. The majority can be aptly described as freaks who animate very well. Capcom designed characters that would show off the 2D powerhouse CPS3 arcade board rather than creating fun to play personalities.

Control

SF3:TS has incredibly tight, highly responsive control. Moves are performed easily when you want them. The only problem is the DC gamepad does not work well with a six button control scheme. The L and R triggers are not responsive enough for a fighting game. I recommend using a gamepad with six buttons up front such as the Mad Catz pad or using an arcade-style joystick.

Final Thoughts

Street Fighter III: Third Strike is an average 2D fighter that will appeal more for fans of old school, slower paced fighting game. The parry system, while tweaked for this version, is still too powerful a tool and hampers gameplay.

Gamer looking for faster gameplay may want to look at Street Fighter Alpha 3 or Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Other old school fighters for the DC include King of Fighters '99 and SNK vs. Capcom.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 07/14/01, Updated 07/14/01