The Parrying system from the previous installments is still intact and impressively more solid than before. Parrying is a skillful way to defend against your opponent's incoming attacks (by tapping forward in time with your opponent's attack), instead of just holding back to block. By parrying, you can quickly counter-attack your opponent with a priority attack, special move, or even right into a combo or super move if you have such skills. The fluid pace of SFIII's animation makes it easier for the eyes to anticipate incoming attacks, which is why parrying works so well with this game. You can of course parry while standing, parry low attacks by tapping down and parry in the air (with more punishable outcomes this time around since fighters aren't "pushed back" like in New Generation).


The commands for air parries, throws and leap attacks were changed from 2nd Impact. Additionally, the player can perform a "guard parry" or a parry during a guard stun if the timing is right. A guard parry is also known as a "red parry" due to the fact that the character turns red while performing it. The game also introduces the "judgment system," where the winning player is given a letter grade based on their performance in several different categories: offense, defense, techniques and extra points... pretty cool!
   

 

Parrying also adds power to the super combo gauge, which of course allows players to perform a devastating super art (or two) against their opponent. The super combo gauge can also be used to perform "EX specials" which enhance regular special moves by making them faster or more damaging (This mechanic was introduced in the prequel, 2nd Impact). Characters have a great selection of priority attacks, command attacks, special moves and a choice of three hard-hitting super moves. Overall, the characters are represented incredibly well and are some of the "deepest" 2D fighting game characters to date. Thanks to the updated character roster, SFIII is definitely more fun than ever, but that's not all that's changed...

  
3rd Strike also features a brand new soundtrack which can be summed up as a "mix" of techno, jazz and hip-hop... an interesting choice that takes some getting used to, but the end result is a win! BGMs are particularly well done... each song actually has three different remixes, which kick in during the beginning of each round and brilliantly flow with the "pace" of the fight. The new tunes also do a superb job at creating the feeling of "unique atmosphere" in each location. The 2D backgrounds themselves are also completely new to the Street Fighter series and look excellent for the most part.


Also updated from the prequel was the character voice acting. All voiceovers for each and every character were completely re-done and sound spot-on for the most part. However, I must say that I prefer 2nd Impact's voice acting (and music) over 3rd Strike's... but I was still glad to see that they actually took the time to update the sound in this installment. Capcom definitely paid close attention to presentation this time around, which some of us more "nitpicky" fans really appreciate.
   

 

In closing, 3rd Strike's overall presentation is expertly done; from the flashy (yet simple) introduction, to the awesome music & sound, to the slick game menu & options. Visually, it stands out as one of the best looking 2D video games ever made... 3rd Strike is also one of those fighting games that "looks good" regardless of the skill level of the people playing the game. It's literally a "work of art" in motion. And this game is definitely not all about looks, because (if you didn't know) Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is one of the deepest 2D fighting game experiences in existence. It's a timeless fighting game, and you'd be a fool not to play it and like it.

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Page Updated: January 10th, 2021 Developer(s): Capcom Publisher(s): Capcom Designer(s): Tomoshi Sadamoto     Producer Hidetoshi Ishizawa     Planner Obata Shinichiro            Planner Yasuhiro Seto Tomonori Ohmura Halachie du Harais Artwork by: Daigo Ikeno     Character Art Harumaru         Soundtrack & Covers Platform(s): Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 (in SF Anniversary Collection), Xbox (in SF Anniversary Collection), PSN (as SF3: 3rd Strike Online Edition), Xbox Live (as SF3: 3rd Strike Online Edition) Release Date(s): May 12th, 1999               Arcade June 29th, 2000              Dreamcast Oct. 4th, 2000                  Dreamcast July 22nd, 2004               PS2 Oct. 28th, 2004               Xbox Oct. 29th, 2004               Xbox Feb. 22nd, 2005              Xbox Aug. 23rd, 2011             PSN - as SFIII: 3rd Strike Online Edition Aug. 24th, 2011             XBLA - as SFIII: 3rd Strike Online Edition Characters:  Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Remy, Makoto, Q, Twelve, Alex, Yun, Yang, Ibuki, Dudley, Necro, Sean, Oro, Elena, Hugo, Urien, Akuma, Gill Featured Video: Related Games: SFIII: 3rd Strike Online Edition, SFIII: 2nd Impact, SFIII: New Generation, Street Fighter, Street Fighter 2, SF2 Champion Edition, SF2 Turbo, Super SF2, Super SF2 Turbo, Super SF2 Turbo: Revival, Super SF2T HD Remix, Ultra SF2, Street Fighter 4, Super SF4, Super SF4: 3D Edition, Super SF4: Arcade Edition, Ultra SF4, Street Fighter 5, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, SFA3 Upper, SFA3 Max, SFA Anthology, SF Anniversary Collection, Street Fighter EX, SFEX2, SFEX3, SF The Movie, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Super PF2T HD Remix, Pocket Fighter, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, Martial Masters    Gameplay Engine  10 / 10 Story / Theme  9.0 / 10 Overall Graphics  10 / 10 Animation  10 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  9.0 / 10 Innovation  8.5 / 10 Art Direction  9.5 / 10 Customization  9.5 / 10 Options / Extras  9.5 / 10 Intro / Presentation  9.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun  10 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  10 / 10 Characters  10 / 10 BOTTOM LINE  9.8 / 10  Review based on Dreamcast version       Final Words: As far as traditional 2D fighting games go, it really doesn't get much better than Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. You're simply not a true fan of 2D fighting games if you don't like Third Strike... my words can't really do this game justice; you just have to play it. Flawless animation, awesome and memorable characters and breathtaking martial arts action!  The character roster isn't huge, but this time it's about "quality," not "quantity". The gameplay & parry system is spot-on and also stands out as unique in the fighting game genre. 3rd Strike is fun to pick up and play, but an incredibly tough game to master... it's a timeless fighting game and will always have a place in history as one of the all time best. ~TFG Webmaster | @FIGHTERS_GEN    Click Here for all character selection art! Click Here for all concept artwork! Click Here for all poster/box artwork!