Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is the third installment of the Street Fighter III Series, released in 1999. A sequel to Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, it continues the series' use of the parry system, command grabs, and overhead attacks. At Comic Con 2010, a new version entitled Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition was announced.

Characters
3rd Strike differs from the previous installments of this series (known for having none of the original characters other than Ryu, Ken, and Akuma) by re-introducing series regular Chun-Li as a new addition. In addition to Chun-Li and the fighters already in 2nd Impact, four other new characters are introduced; Q, Remy, Twelve, and Makoto.

Story
3rd Strike tells the story of what happened after the events of Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact; however much of the battles within the game are not canon - for example, very few characters actually fought Gill after the conclusion of the Third World Warrior Tournament. A side-effect of this is that none of the characters introduced in this game should be considered competitors in the tournament. Among the battles in Third Strike that are confirmed to have happened are:

Alex vs Ryu - Ryu encounters and defeats Alex comprehensively, leading Alex to become obsessed with fighting Ryu again and becoming a better fighter.

Ryu vs Ken - The two friends face off once more and Ryu again narrowly defeats Ken, lauding him as his worthiest opponent.

Chun-Li vs Urien - Chun-Li demands the return of a kidnapped child and Urien agrees to comply if Chun-Li can provide an entertaining match. Though the victor is unknown, although it is implied Chun-Li won, as the child is returned.

Gameplay Additions and Alterations
New game play mechanics introduced in third strike is the Guard Parry, also known as 'Red Parry'. A player is able to parry during a guard stun if timing is correct. Also introduced are player evaluations after match, where the winner of a two-person match is given letter grades in Offense, Defense, Tech, and Extra. A player in Arcade mode will always be evaluated, even in case of a loss. The grades range from E to MSF(E,D,C,B,A,S,MSF). Also re-introduced was the fan favorite 'Destroy the Car' bonus stage during arcade mode.

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Home versions
A PlayStation 2 version of 3rd Strike was released in 2004, with all the features from the Dreamcast, including a choice between arcade and Dreamcast version's respective soundtracks. It was released in Japan as a stand-alone game, with a limited edition package containing an All About Street Fighter history book, a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle and a strategy DVD. The PS2 version was released in North America as part of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, a two-in-one bundle that also includes Hyper Street Fighter II. The PS2 version was not released in the PAL region. The PS2 version was re-released in Japan on September 18, 2008 in a two in one bundle with Capcom vs. SNK 2.

An Xbox version of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection was also released during the year in all three regions. The Xbox version of 3rd Strike includes all the features from the PS2 version, as well as an online Versus Mode.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition
An "Online Edition" of the game will be released for the PS3 & Xbox 360 as download in summer 2011. All the bugs, glitches, and quirks of the original game remain so that veterans of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike will feel right at home, The E3 trailer revealed that the game will feature enhanced visual settings, Youtube Sharing, GGPO-built online play and will be ported by Iron Galaxy. The game will also feature a new Trials mode, which is broken up into a number of different sections, each focusing on a different aspect of gameplay (for example parrying), Other trials are similar to those from the Street Fighter IV games. All the EX moves and super art combos from the original Third Strike return, complete with their over-the-top animations and visual effects. There's also a separate group of challenges to master, which are similar to achievements, but they award you with points that you can spend on unlocking new content.

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