Graphics - 7:
The backgrounds do little to impress, though the characters move nicely. There is some good character design here, with a lot of unique animations and general character appearances. That being said, the level of detail is not quite up to par with fighters today, though some of the filter options are cool to play around with.
Sound & Music - 8:
I actually liked this soundtrack better than the Street Fighter II original one (though I liked the Remix version's better than Street Fighter III). Everything sounds good and clean musically while the game peppers you with character shouts and impact sound effects.
Gameplay - 9:
The controls definitely take some getting used to. Street Fighter has always been able to manage the tightrope act of staying accessible and popular to the masses, while having some solid technical expertise behind the combatants. That being said, I think this is probably the toughest Street Fighter game to master. Canceling out of moves to pull off parries was an entirely new mechanic that really takes some serious time to perfect.
Intangibles - 9:
There are a ton of characters, as you would almost expect out of any fighter nowadays. If you take the time to master a character or two, it is very rewarding in my opinion. There is a very clear reward for taking the time to train and pick up on the combat nuances. Street Fighter has never been particularly kind to button mashers, but I think Street Fighter III was actually the most elitist of the titles. That will turn a lot of players off the way the incredibly technical Virtua Fighter series does, but for those who want to sink their time into it, Street Fighter III can be very rewarding.
Overall - 8.25:
The online options add a ton of life to this game. Everything looks and sounds good, but the real adventure is in learning and doing your best to master a particular character or set of characters. The training modes really help with the difficult learning curve. You have the sort of standard free mode for sparring, and you can even script what kinds of moves and combos you want to have the AI use against you. But there is also a trial mode that gives you some challenges that range from 'kind of easy' to 'ridiculously difficult'. Oh, including the scenario from EVO 2004 called 'Parry Trial 10'. If you don't know what that refers to? Arguably one of the best Street Fighter finishes ever. Well, here you go:
I would say third strike is one of the greatest fighters of all time and definitely one of the most technical. It was never as popular as SFIV, but it one of the best. The online version is ok, but it will never match the love it had in the arcade. Good review. And it's been awhile since I've seen the EVO vid where Daigo baits and then parries Justin Wong's Chun.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I have never played a Street Fighter game at all. Well actually I played it once on a 3DS in a Gamestop store, but never when I was a kid. I was so into Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct instead lol.
ReplyDelete- The Girl Gamer
I agree with Mr. Badguy. Third Strike is one of the greatest fighters of all time, but I was sorely disappointed with the online options. I know an SFIII re-release was never going to be as popular as SSFIV, but some sort of lobby would be nice. Wait times are surprisingly atrocious... I don't know. If it weren't for the (slightly) spruced-up graphics, I'd still be playing my Street Fighter Anniversary Collection for the PS2
ReplyDeleteNice review, though, as always!
Good catch on the pic - that's what I get for writing up so many SF reviews in such a short time, lol. And yeah, that video is just fun - I love the crowd's reaction as they realize what's happening right there at the end.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliments - and for dropping by. And I tend to agree, the online is not as good as the single player experience, which is a shame. In general, the online has just that -hint- of lag that makes this one a bit tougher to play online than the other SF games too, I think. Just trying to pull off some of the more technical moves like the parries can be tough when there's that --tiny-- bit of lag.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I never really got into Killer Instinct - a buddy of mine had it, so like the first couple of Soul Calibur games the only time I got to try it was over at someone else's place. I do have my review of the 3DS version coming up soon as well, as I got that from my wife several months back.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely loved Mortal Kombat as well. I played both quite a bit, but I certainly have fonder Street Fighter II memories as that was the more popular arcade cabinet in my town, and thereby the best chance to 'show off' to a group. I was among the best players back then, but I get beaten pretty badly online nowadays.
Ahh, good old Third Strike, still my favourite ever fighting game! :) I still have the original for my Dreamcast (along with the cool arcade stick) so I doubt I'll be investing in this version but it's still a cracking game!
ReplyDeleteDreamcast - there were some entertaining fighters on that system. Some good sports game at the time too. One of my few consoles that did not hold up well over time.;
ReplyDelete"I first played this version of Street Fighter on my Sega Dreamcast years ago."
ReplyDeleteI still have my Dreamcast, and hooked it up last year at some point and recorded some footage from one game, never used it though.
The video at the bottom, that was crazy! They should use that video to sell any future game, in a commercial. "Do you have skills? LIKE THIS!? Buy now and you can!" Did the "winner" get anything?
I love the marketing campaign, and I'm sure there was something for the winner of that tournament. If nothing else, he gets legendary bragging rights from here on out. Absolutely love this video though - the reaction from the crowd still gives me a grin.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you listen closely, you can hear some dude in the crowd scream "Suck it down!" lol Classic.
ReplyDelete