It's now May 12th in Japan, a day that marks the 20th anniversary of Capcom's Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, arguably one of the greatest fighting games ever made. The third and final instalment in the Street Fighter 3 sub series, 3rd Strike refined the 2D sprite-based gameplay and mechanics of its predecessors while systematically revamping the look and feel of the game with a new soundtrack (with multiple tracks written and performed by rapper Infinite), new stages, new voice acting, new endings and new UI.
Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike also saw the addition of five new characters, including series legend and fan favourite Chun Li. Boosting the roster up to 19 characters, 3rd Strike (and the SF3 sub series) was infamous for featuring very little returning characters from previous Street Fighter games, instead introducing many new characters led by Alex, the new protagonist over gaming icon Ryu.
3rd Strike improved greatly on the gameplay introduced in its predecessors New Generation and 2nd Impact. In addition to the infamous Parry System, 3rd Strike introduced the Red Parry, a more precise version of a Parry that allows players to parry during guard stun. Also introduced were player evaluations after each match, ranking a player from E (the lowest) to MSF [Master Street Fighter] (the highest). Brought back from New Generation and 2nd Impact were the Super Arts, three unique special moves for each character that ranged from powerful hadokens to brutal hyper bombs.
Since it's initial release in arcades 20 years ago, 3rd Strike has seen numerous re-releases over the years. In 2000 it was released on the Sega Dreamcast, its first appearance on home consoles. A PlayStation 2 version would be released in 2004, bundled together with Hyper Street Fighter II in North America and standalone in Japan, with an Xbox version included in a Street Fighter Anniversary Collection releasing the same year. In 2011, a new version titled Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition was released on PS3 and Xbox 360 by Iron Galaxy Studios, with enhanced visual settings and GGPO-built online play. Online Edition reached #8 on the PSN download sales chart and still sees an active online player base today. The latest re-release of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike was in May 2018, included in the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection with the other 2D sprite based Street Fighter games.
Over the years, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike has gained a cult following within the fighting game community, with its rise in growth attributed to the iconic Daigo Umehara Parry, otherwise known as EVO Moment 37. As we reach 20 years since its first release, 3rd Strike continues to have a very passionate fanbase, with numerous re-releases and hundreds of fighting game tournaments (including the annual Cooperation Cup in Japan) occurring over the last two decades. As it reaches its latest milestone, it feels safe to say that Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike has more than left its mark in fighting game history.
So Era, it's been 20 years! Join me in celebrating this amazing game and share your memories and thoughts on it!
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