Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

"Excellent AI for the SOLO Street Fighter"

This review is focused for people who intend to play this game against the computer primarily. This does NOT mean this game shouldn't be played competitively with other people...which is of course a desirable thing.

However, realize then that not all gamers are created equal. Indeed, there will be some who do not have access to a competitive arcade, or don't have friends or family who like fighting games or perhaps even avoid competition altogether and the trash-talking that goes with it which some may perhaps consider detrimental towards one's spiritual well-being. For those players forced by circumstance or who choose otherwise, hence my review.

First of all, the graphics are excellent. Everything is pure hand drawn and it is amazing counting how many frames there are in a single win pose. (Such as Elena's) Regarding special effects, extremely detailed though nothing flashy. I find it extremely important to mention that the illusion of hitting a human body is very well-recreated in Street Fighter 3, better than most fighting games of the same genre. Roundhouse kicking an opponent for example seems to instill ''the'' bone-jarring umph, that indescribable thing that seems to imply hitting an opponent composed of flesh and bone unlike some 3d games which seems to simulate hitting a wooden marionette rather than a human body.

Bodies fall down from a great height with a bone-breaking crunch, Hugo's 300+ pound frame lands from jumps with a reverberative earth shaker. In other fighting games, it mystifies me seeing my character pound a 350 pound (according to their stats) wrestler, send him flying to a height of 20 feet or more and seeing them land on their backs as soundless and light as a feather hitting the earth. Gameplay is of course, the most important thing and these details may not count as much to me and others however, it is nice to see Capcom take especial care into instilling all these effects thus producing a very pseudo-realistic feel of hitting a real human body instead of a marionette or a paper cut-out.

But the real meat of this review is the AI. With regards to that, the AI is very well-done and less predictable than most. That is because of one thing, the parry system.

Parrying in SF3 at it's most basic levels, requires inputting a forward or down command generally done before an opponent's attack connects. Done correctly, characters will ''parry'' (or block according to SF3's Japanese terminology) and enable them to recover quickly and perhaps give them sufficient time to counterattack.

Capcom's programmers wrote the AI in such a way so as to prevent averagely skilled players from parrying successfully and consistently attacks made by the computer. CPU Ryu for example, supposedly the ''easiest'' character to parry does not always counter air attacks with the Rising Dragon Punch. Sometimes he does standing roundhouses, or an early Dragon Punch to offset the timing in an air parry. Or better yet, a twice-hitting EX dragon punch or air EX Hurricane kick to confound parry timing. The result, an AI that is challenging and difficult to predict thus forcing the average player to rely on reflexes and skill more rather than route-pattern memorization of CPU characters unlike some other fighters.

The AI is not invincible however. It still falls prey to some patterns however, I can safely say, SF3 is less susceptible to it unlike the Alpha series.

With regards to the last boss, it is sad to say he is predictable than most...however, considering his power to resurrect, his terrible reach with his overly long limbs and frightening speed of linking shorts with roundhouses, I would say things are still very much in his favor. He can be considered very good practice for parrying...which is better mastered before you reach him.

SF3 is an excellent title which ages like fine wine. As your parrying skill grows along with your awareness of Capcom's painstaking detail in the creation of SF3, the game just seems to get better and better. Had I reviewed this game the day I bought it, I would have given it a 7. Today, a year since then, I give it a 9. (9.5 actually but no fractions or decimals allowed) And perhaps in the future, a perfect 10!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/02, Updated 11/29/02