# Street Fighter III
**Street Fighter III** is a series of three 2D fighting games developed and released by Capcom for arcades, beginning with *Street Fighter III: New Generation* in 1997 and concluding with *Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike – Fight for the Future* in 1999. The series replaced the cast of *Street Fighter II* with a new generation of fighters, introduced the parry as its central defensive mechanic, and renamed super moves as Super Arts, of which each player selects one of three per game.[1](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Street_Fighter_III/Gameplay) • [2](https://www.neoseeker.com/streetfighter3/faqs/38345-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-parry-a.html) Although it never matched the mainstream popularity of *Street Fighter II*, it became a favorite of tournament-level players, and its final installment, 3rd Strike, is widely regarded as one of the classic series' most accomplished entries.[3](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-third-strike-online-review/1900-6332002/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Series entries | *New Generation*, *2nd Impact*, and *3rd Strike – Fight for the Future*; the Dreamcast compilation *Double Impact* contains the first two[4](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/dreamcast/913699-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike/reviews/38427) • [5](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-double-impact-review/1900-2540564/) |
| 3rd Strike release | First released December 31, 1999; platforms listed as arcade, Dreamcast, PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-review/1900-2601909/) |
| Signature mechanic | Parrying: tapping forward or down just before an attack lands instead of blocking; successful parries grant meter and negate chip damage[2](https://www.neoseeker.com/streetfighter3/faqs/38345-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-parry-a.html) • [7](https://kaptam.fi/assets/pdf/street_fighter_3rd_strike_general_tips_and_info.pdf) |
| 3rd Strike newcomers | Chun-Li, Makoto, Twelve, Q, and Remy; [Gill](https://www.edgepedia.org/gill-street-fighter) returns as the boss[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-review/1900-2601909/) • [8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/) |
| Defining moment | Evo Moment 37 (August 2004): Daigo Umehara parried all 17 hits of Justin Wong's Chun-Li Houyoku-sen Super Art[9](https://as.com/meristation/2014/10/02/reportajes/1412231400_136650.html) |
| Later ports | *Third Strike Online Edition* (2011, PS3 and Xbox 360); included in the *Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection* (2018)[3](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-third-strike-online-review/1900-6332002/) • [10](https://as.com/meristation/2018/05/29/analisis/1527577200_176078.html) |
## Versions
The series ran through three arcade iterations in quick succession. *New Generation* introduced the new cast and systems; *2nd Impact* added new characters, EX attacks, and the parries; and *3rd Strike* completed the formula.[10](https://as.com/meristation/2018/05/29/analisis/1527577200_176078.html) Capcom's *Double Impact* compilation for the [Dreamcast](https://www.edgepedia.org/dreamcast) packaged the original game with *2nd Impact*, and *3rd Strike* followed as the third game in the series, adding new characters and enough new options to be worthwhile even to owners of the compilation.[5](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-double-impact-review/1900-2540564/) • [6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-review/1900-2601909/)
The full subtitle of the final game, *Street Fighter III: 3rd STRIKE Fight for the Future*, carries deliberate meaning. The developers explained that "STRIKE" was chosen as a word with more immediate force than "Impact," while "Fight for the Future" calls back to *New Generation*'s next-generation-of-fighters theme and signals the team's hope that live arcade matches would continue.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/)
## Gameplay
**Parrying.** The parry is the trademark mechanic of the entire series, simplified slightly in *Third Strike*. Instead of blocking, a player taps the lever forward (against high attacks) or down (against low attacks) at the moment an attack connects. A successful parry negates chip damage from special and super moves, grants special meter, and creates a chance to interrupt the opponent's offense with a counterattack.[2](https://www.neoseeker.com/streetfighter3/faqs/38345-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-parry-a.html) • [7](https://kaptam.fi/assets/pdf/street_fighter_3rd_strike_general_tips_and_info.pdf) In *3rd Strike*, mid-air parries use the same lever direction as ground parries, a change from *2nd Impact*.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/) The mechanic is demanding: the window for a "red parry" (parrying while blocking) is 3 frames for normal attacks and 2 frames for special and super attacks, and the game uses a priority system rather than hitbox and hurtbox comparison to decide which attack wins when both are active on the same frame.[11](https://www.fightinggameguide.com/sf3.html)
**Super Arts and customization.** Super moves are known as Super Arts, and each player chooses one of three available to a character for the entire game.[1](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Street_Fighter_III/Gameplay) *3rd Strike* also added a system-direction option screen of ten pages of settings that alter gameplay, allowing players to cancel Super Arts into Super Arts, enable air blocking, turn on chain combos, and more.[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-review/1900-2601909/) A Grade Judge system rated the aesthetic quality of a match rather than only the win or loss; its designer, Haruo Murata, said he wanted to judge "the aesthetic aspects of a fight" after watching graceful performances by skilled *2nd Impact* players, and the requirements were loosened after early playtesters could not even reach an A rating.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/)
## Development of 3rd Strike
Development took about a year and a half, starting around the time *2nd Impact* was finished, with mostly the same team plus new staff. Producer Noritaka Funamizu said the team took what it learned from *2nd Impact* and re-examined the whole SFIII system, aiming to make the final word on the series; he called *3rd Strike* the culmination of the SFIII series in terms of volume of characters and content.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/) Concept work began during *2nd Impact*'s development under the provisional title "Second Edition," which is the origin of the numbering.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/)
The game went through a location test of almost a month, and the developers said roughly 70 percent of the changes made during it came in the final three days.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/) The team considered adding a second major mechanic on parrying's level, including a once-per-match "bomb" that would break any defense, but dropped the idea on the grounds that "there's no BOMBS in Street Fighter."[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/)
**New characters.** *3rd Strike* was the first SFIII game to feature Chun-Li, added partly in response to fans; she took the most time and effort of any character to complete, and the team deliberately wrote her background for themselves rather than using her *Street Fighter II* notes.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/) Makoto was designed around the concept of *ikken hissatsu*, simple, direct, and powerful, with a Japanese rather than American style of karate; her design had actually been finished during *2nd Impact*'s development but was held back. Twelve began as a face-swap of Necro and ended as an "everything-swap," a deliberately weird character tied to the Secret Society storyline. Q was designed as a mystery unconnected to the main storyline, and Remy, the last newcomer created, was conceived as a rival to [Alex](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-street-fighter) and Ryu.[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/)
**Sound.** The soundtrack departed from earlier fighting-game music as a hybrid of rap, electronica, and jazz, and the developers used the Canadian hip-hop artist infinite for the opening track, aiming to capture the essence of "Fight for the Future."[8](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/) • [12](https://electronicsandbooks.com/edt/manual/Magazine/R/Retro%20Gamer%20UK/33.pdf)
## Reception and legacy
Contemporary reception was mixed. GameSpot's 2000 review of the Dreamcast version scored it 7.4, calling it a good, refined 2D fighter while noting that owners of *Double Impact* might not need more.[6](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-review/1900-2601909/) • [13](https://www.gamespot.com/games/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-fight-for-the-future/reviews/) GameSpot's 2011 review of the *Online Edition* observed that the game was deeply technical and complex, underappreciated at its late-1990s release, but a favorite among tournament-level players, and called the port practically flawless.[3](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-third-strike-online-review/1900-6332002/) Later retrospectives have been more emphatic: the 2004 *Street Fighter Anniversary Collection* port was described as "a perfect port of an excellent, underappreciated game" that stuck to its hand-drawn 2D roots, and a 2018 review of the *30th Anniversary Collection* called *Third Strike* for many the best game of the classic series.[14](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-anniversary-collection-review/1900-6106065/) • [10](https://as.com/meristation/2018/05/29/analisis/1527577200_176078.html)
**Evo Moment 37.** The series' most famous legacy is a single sequence. In the losers final of the *Street Fighter III: Third Strike* tournament at EVO 2004, [Daigo Umehara](https://www.edgepedia.org/daigo-umehara), playing Ken against [Justin Wong](https://www.edgepedia.org/justin-wong)'s Chun-Li, was left with almost no health, where any chip damage from a blocked special would end the round. Wong launched Chun-Li's Super Art, the Houyoku-sen, an attack of 17 hits at different heights and timings. Umehara parried all of them, a feat requiring parries at the Super's rhythm with a timing window of 7 frames, about 11 milliseconds, then counterattacked for the win.[9](https://as.com/meristation/2014/10/02/reportajes/1412231400_136650.html) The upcoming *Street Fighter* film will reference the match with a cameo from Justin Wong bearing a '37' tattoo.[15](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/live-action-movies/street-fighter-movie-references-the-franchises-most-iconic-match-the-parry-fest-of-evo-moment-37/)
**Ports and availability.** *Third Strike Online Edition* brought the game to PS3 and [Xbox 360](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-360) in 2011 with online play, trials, and optional graphics enhancements.[3](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-third-strike-online-review/1900-6332002/) • [16](https://nerdbacon.com/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike/) Capcom ended the Online Edition's replay service for PS3 and Xbox 360 on October 13, 2023 JST, though multiplayer matches remain playable.[17](https://www.capcom-support.com/hc/en-us/articles/10902355428764-Notice-of-Termination-of-Replay-Service-Street-Fighter-III-3rd-Strike-Online-Edition) The game was one of four titles with online functions in the 2018 *Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection*, alongside *Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting*, *Super Street Fighter II Turbo*, and *Street Fighter Alpha 3*.[10](https://as.com/meristation/2018/05/29/analisis/1527577200_176078.html) The parry's influence extends beyond the series: *Capcom vs. SNK 2*'s P-Groove grants a *Third Strike*-style parry.[18](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/capcom-fighting-collection-2-review)
## References
1. [Street Fighter III/Gameplay, StrategyWiki](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Street_Fighter_III/Gameplay)
2. [Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Parrying FAQ, Neoseeker](https://www.neoseeker.com/streetfighter3/faqs/38345-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-parry-a.html)
3. [Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Review, GameSpot (Randolph Ramsay, 2011)](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-third-strike-online-review/1900-6332002/)
4. [Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike review, GameFAQs](https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/dreamcast/913699-street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike/reviews/38427)
5. [Street Fighter III Double Impact Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-double-impact-review/1900-2540564/)
6. [Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Review, GameSpot (Jeff Gerstmann, 2000)](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-review/1900-2601909/)
7. [Street Fighter 3rd Strike: General Tips and Info (NEW DEFENSIVE MECHANICS)](https://kaptam.fi/assets/pdf/street_fighter_3rd_strike_general_tips_and_info.pdf)
8. [Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike – 1999 Developer Interviews, shmuplations](https://shmuplations.com/sfiii/)
9. [Los Mejores Momentos de los e-Sports, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/2014/10/02/reportajes/1412231400_136650.html)
10. [Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, análisis, MeriStation (2018)](https://as.com/meristation/2018/05/29/analisis/1527577200_176078.html)
11. [Street Fighter III: Third Strike Guide, FightingGameGuide](https://www.fightinggameguide.com/sf3.html)
12. [Retro Gamer Issue 33](https://electronicsandbooks.com/edt/manual/Magazine/R/Retro%20Gamer%20UK/33.pdf)
13. [Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike – Fight for the Future Reviews, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/games/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike-fight-for-the-future/reviews/)
14. [Street Fighter Anniversary Collection Review, GameSpot (2004)](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/street-fighter-anniversary-collection-review/1900-6106065/)
15. [Street Fighter movie references Evo Moment 37, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/live-action-movies/street-fighter-movie-references-the-franchises-most-iconic-match-the-parry-fest-of-evo-moment-37/)
16. [Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike – A Retrospective And Review, Nerd Bacon Magazine](https://nerdbacon.com/street-fighter-iii-3rd-strike/)
17. [Notice of Termination of Replay Service – Street Fighter III 3rd Strike Online Edition, Capcom Support](https://www.capcom-support.com/hc/en-us/articles/10902355428764-Notice-of-Termination-of-Replay-Service-Street-Fighter-III-3rd-Strike-Online-Edition)
18. [Capcom Fighting Collection 2 review, TechRadar](https://www.techradar.com/gaming/capcom-fighting-collection-2-review)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Franchises and series › Fighting game franchises › Street Fighter franchise*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license