Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Fight for the Future

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is a 1999 arcade fighting game developed and published by Capcom. The final iteration of Street Fighter III is revered as one of the greatest fighting games ever made, introducing the revolutionary Parry system and featuring hand-drawn animation that remains unmatched in fluidity.

Platform

Arcade

Year

1999

Genre

Fighting

Developer

Capcom

Controls

JoystickMove/Duck/Jump

Weak PunchLight Attack

Medium PunchMedium Attack

Strong PunchHeavy Attack

Weak KickLight Attack

Medium KickMedium Attack

Strong KickHeavy Attack

Forward + Medium Punch + Medium KickUniversal Overhead

Down-Down + Punch/KickEX Moves

Tap Forward at ImpactParry (High/Mid)

Tap Down at ImpactLow Parry

About This Game

3rd Strike refined the SFIII series with 5 new characters (including Chun-Li's return), bringing the roster to 19 fighters. The game's legendary Parry mechanic allows players to deflect attacks by tapping forward at the moment of impact, creating mind-game dynamics never before seen in the genre.

The CPS-3 hardware showcased breathtaking sprite work with 600+ frames of animation per character. Each stage features interactive elements like breakable objects and dynamic lighting effects that respond to character movements.

Despite initial arcade underperformance, 3rd Strike gained cult status through competitive play. Its balance depth and technical mastery ceiling produced legendary tournament moments like Daigo Umehara's "Evo Moment #37" full-parry comeback.

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