Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

• 1. Arcade Genesis And Hardware

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  Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike hit arcade floors in May of 1999. It ran on Capcom's CP System III hardware, a machine built to handle the game's complex animations and large character sprites. The initial release came with three distinct revisions of the arcade board. These revisions differed by specific bugs and gameplay mechanics, particularly regarding unblockable moves for characters named Urien and Oro. The Dreamcast version arrived in 2000 and was based on the third revision that removed these unblockables. This console port introduced significant lag that competitive players at EVO 2004 avoided by playing the original arcade version instead. The PlayStation 2 version released in 2004 reverted to earlier arcade revisions where those unblockable moves remained intact. A limited edition package in Japan included an All About Street Fighter history book and a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle alongside the game disc.

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• 2. Character Roster Expansion

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  Chun-Li returned to the arena after retiring from fighting for a while when a young orphan under her care was kidnapped under mysterious circumstances. She decided to track her student's whereabouts and return to the world of combat. Makoto sought to challenge other fighters around the world to restore her father's dojo, Rindoukan, to a flourishing state. Her story began with the words I will make it a major karate school once again! Q appeared as a mysterious figure wearing a mask and overcoat who was being pursued by the CIA because of sightings around the world near accidents. Twelve acted as a shapeshifting soldier developed by Gill's organization whose first mission was to hunt down his prototype, Necro. Remy bore a grudge against all fighters after he and his late sister were abandoned by their father who decided to go fight. These five new additions brought the total selectable roster to nineteen characters including Akuma.

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• 3. Mechanics And Judgement System

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  The commands for air parries, throws, holds, and leap attacks changed significantly from the previous 2nd Impact version. A player could perform a Guard Parry or a parry during guard stun if the timing was right. This specific move turned the character red and became known as a Red Parry. The game introduced a grade-based Judgement System where the winning player received a score based on offense, defense, techniques, and extra points. Special points were awarded after fulfilling specific requirements within the match. Chun-Li played a very defensive game using quick pokes and mid-range attacks to keep opponents away. Makoto sported a very slow walk but a very fast dash with hard-hitting tools that allowed for touch-of-death combos. Twelve possessed an airdash which made him unique among mainline Street Fighter games at the time.

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• 4. Console Ports And Online Evolution

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  Capcom announced an online edition of 3rd Strike titled Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con. Iron Galaxy Studios developed this version featuring GGPO-built online play and enhanced visual settings. The game released for PlayStation Network on the 23rd of August 2011, and on Xbox Live Arcade on the 24th of August 2011. It reached number eight on the PSN download sales chart before a final patch corrected issues on the 12th of February 2014. The Dreamcast version included an additional remix of each character's musical theme composed specifically for that platform. The PlayStation 2 version was not released in the PAL region but appeared in North America as part of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. A proprietary netcode solution developed by Digital Eclipse later powered the arcade version within the 2018 Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.

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• 5. Cultural Reception And Legacy

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  Game Machine listed the game on their the 1st of July 1999 issue as being the most successful arcade game of the month. It became Japan's ninth highest-grossing arcade software kit of 1999. Home console versions sold 56,741 units for the Dreamcast in Japan and 49,088 for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. Critics initially found it weak in graphics compared to its predecessor while others called it worthy of just about anyone's private collection. Complex magazine ranked it as the eleventh best arcade game of the 1990s and placed it tenth on their list of best 2D fighting games of all time in 2013. IGN named it the greatest fighting game ever made in 2022 after years of growing cult following. The spritework remains highly regarded alongside titles like Garou: Mark of the Wolves and The King of Fighters XIII.

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• 6. Evo Moment Thirty Seven

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  The game is notable for being played during the now-famous Evo Moment 37 where Daigo Umehara performed the Daigo Parry. This moment is often considered the most iconic moment of competitive gaming history. It inspired many people to start playing 3rd Strike which brought new life into the fighting game community during a time when the community was in a state of stagnancy. The match revitalized interest in the title and cemented its status within the competitive scene. Players at EVO 2004 opted to play on the original arcade version rather than the laggy Dreamcast port due to this intense focus on high-level competition. The event demonstrated how the refined parry mechanics could create moments of incredible tension and skill.

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