History Videogame / StreetFighterIII

The 3rd Strike, y'all, in Street Fighter III! III! III!"''

Eight months later, Capcom released the inevitable update with ''2nd Impact: Giant Attack'', which added a member of the Andore clan (the {{Giant Mook}}s from ''VideoGame/FinalFight''), former heir apparent to the Illuminati and Gill's [[CainAndAbel snubbed brother]] Urien, and ''II'''s BonusBoss-turned-BreakoutVillain Akuma.

A second update, ''3rd Strike: Fight for the Future'', has since become the definitive version. Chun-Li is back in the lineup where she belongs, four new characters are added including the EnsembleDarkhorse "Q", the game is rebalanced, and the spritework was praised as the best in any 2D fighter up to that point.

-->-- Main Theme of ''Street Fighter III 3rd Strike''

* From ''Street Fighter I'': Ryu, Ken Masters
* From ''Street Fighter II'': Chun-Li, Akuma
* Introduced in ''New Generation'': Alex, Dudley, Yun and Yang, Ibuki, Necro, Sean, Oro, Elena, Gill
* Introduced in ''2nd Impact'': Hugo, Urien
* Introduced in ''3rd Strike'': Remy, Q, Makoto, Twelve

* PostHistoricalTrauma: Thematically, the Illuminati/Secret Society. As to ''III's'' themes of to "Fight For The Future", they have basis in being inspired by religious cults and real world terrorist attacks and events by them throughout the early 1990s, specifically that of Aum Shinrikyo, who caused the infamous 1995 sarin gas attacks in Tokyo's subway system, and groups like them all over the world anticipating Y2k and the 2000s as the coming of the End of Days and the Apocalypse. This includes even outwest fringe groups like far right Christian fundamentalist and supremacist groups anticipating the year 2000 as the Second Coming of Jesus, providing the Secret Society's more Christian and even Nazi-like extremist and eugenics based undertones. As the world of popular media would show, Aum's attacks and the overall darker anticipation of the 2000s would lead Japan's entertainment world to highlight themes of beating back religious extremist and blind dogmatic activity, debunking and dismantling apocalyptic and cabalist cults, and facing off against powerful villains and antagonistic entities that threaten the world at large by their influence threatening to take mankind down another era of darkness and chaos by coveting command of the future of humanity for their own gains. In regards to ''Street Fighter'', this is evident by the Secret Society having overall themes of being a globally connected AncientConspiracy who have outlived ancient powerful civilizations and lived off of their spoils upon their downfalls, and brings to question the martial arts and the nature of fighting in relation to this aspect of the human condition and its progress, and as Gill would say to Elena, of the darker perspective that the martial arts are but a means that [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority "serve solely to assert one's dominance over another".]]

** This can be taken to the logical extreme by using Twelve's X.C.O.P.Y. Super Art in a mirror match. It allows Twelve to change into his opponent and gain their basic moveset and taunt stat boosts, but without the ability to use their EX moves or Super Arts. In a mirror match, that means Twelve will simply change colors, lose his voice, and be cut off from some best parts of his already mediocre moveset. He'll still go through that slow transformation animation that leaves him wide open, despite it being completely pointless. [[Pun The cherry on top]] is that it doesn't allow him to turn invisible, let alone get any stat boosts from taunting. Essentially, this is the weakest version of arguably the worst character in the game. It's highly unlikely, but still possible to win in this state.

** This can be taken to the logical extreme by using Twelve's X.C.O.P.Y. Super Art in a mirror match. It allows Twelve to change into his opponent and gain their basic moveset and taunt stat boosts, but without the ability to use their EX moves or Super Arts. In a mirror match, that means Twelve will simply change colors, lose his voice, and be cut off from some best parts of his already mediocre moveset. He'll still go through that slow transformation animation that leaves him wide open, despite it being completely pointless. [[AccidentalPun The cherry on top]] is that it doesn't allow him to turn invisible, let alone get any stat boosts from taunting. Essentially, this is the weakest version of arguably the worst character in the game. It's highly unlikely, but still possible to win in this state.

Given its high demand of mastery, the game is still popular for TournamentPlay, [[VindicatedByHistory giving it some recognition]] which was denied at time of release. Due to fervent fan requests, Capcom re-released this game on UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade and the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation Network}} in 2011 as ''3rd Strike Online Edition''; it features online play, enhanced visual settings, and other bonus content. The arcade version was later re-released in 2018 [[CompilationRerelease as part of the]] ''Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection'' on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.

The next numbered entry, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'', would release 8 years after ''3rd Strike'', but was set before the events of ''III'', as was its follow-up ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. It would take a whopping ''24 years'' for ''III'' to get a true chronological sequel with ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6''.

The next numbered entry, ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'', would release 8 years after ''3rd Strike'', but was set before the events of '''III''', as was its follow-up ''VideoGame/StreetFighterV''. It would take a whopping ''24 years'' for '''III''' to get a true chronological sequel with ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6''.

* GenreMashup: ''III''[='=]s soundtrack goes for a more hip hop, jazz, and overall 1990s influenced feel, while ''3rd Strike'' alone kicks this UpToEleven and upgrades all sorts of genres with a beat with drum and bass-styled remix backing. Elena's theme, for example, mixes up African drums with house music while throwing in some saxophone sounds, and Q's theme can only be described as funky ''[[Series/TheXFiles X-Files]]'' music. As many have said, ''III''[='=]s frontier into new sounds and keeping it up to date helped to put the "Street" in ''Street Fighter''.

** Take a closer look at Ryu's ''New Generation'' hot springs stage. Linn Kurosawa from ''Alien vs. Predator'' is sharing the pool with Chun-Li, who would later return as a playable character in ''3rd Strike''.

* CliffhangerWall: For over two decades, this game was the furthest down the franchise timeline, as the two sequels following it are {{interquel}}s between ''II'' and this game. It wouldn't be until 2023's ''VideoGame/StreetFighter6'' that there would an installment taking place after ''III''.

* PantyShot: There are three cases; in Ibuki's win pose from the first two games -- where she cuts off her outer ''dogi'' top with her kunai -- and in her Time Over loss animation when she falls down, the woman in the blue dress who runs away from Q in his main intro, and Effie when she jumps in out of nowhere during the Time Over judging. For those who are curious, all of them are briefly seen wearing white panties.

* FragileSpeedster: Ibuki is the fastest character in the game. She relies on quick mixup combos that are hard to parry and counter, and has solid ground and aerial strategies. She has a high learning curve, but she's nearly unstoppable in the right hands... as long as she doesn't get hit. She has the 4th worst health in the game, and can have trouble rebuilding lost momentum. A heavy hitter or anyone with anti-air options can crush her in seconds.

* GenreMashup: ''III's'' soundtrack goes for a more hip hop, jazz, and overall 1990s influenced feel, while ''Third Strike'' alone kicks this UpToEleven and upgrades all sorts of genres with a beat with drum and bass-styled remix backing. Elena's theme, for example, mixes up African drums with house music while throwing in some saxophone sounds, and Q's theme can only be described as funky ''[[Series/TheXFiles X-Files]]'' music. As many have said, ''III's'' frontier into new sounds and keeping it up to date helped to put the "Street" in ''Street Fighter''.

* GenreMashup: ''III's'' soundtrack goes for a more hip hop, jazz, and overall 1990s influenced feel, while ''Third Strike'' alone kicks this UpToEleven and turns all sorts of genres with a beat with Drum & Bass styled remix backing. Elena's theme, for example, mixes up African drums with house music with some saxophone thrown in, and Q's theme can only be described as funky ''[[Series/TheXFiles X-Files]]'' music. As many have said, ''III's'' frontier into new sounds and keeping in up to date helped to put the Street in Street Fighter.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: ''III's'' soundtrack goes for a more hip hop, jazz, and overall 1990s influenced feel, while ''Third Strike'' alone kicks this UpToEleven and turns all sorts of genres with a beat with Drum & Bass styled remix backing. Elena's theme, for example, mixes up African drums with house music with some saxophone thrown in, and Q's theme can only be described as funky ''[[Series/TheXFiles X-Files]]'' music. As many have said, ''III's'' frontier into new sounds and keeping in up to date helped to put the Street in Street Fighter.

* AscendedMeme: ''3rd Strike Online Edition'' has a trial where you have to replicate [[Awesome/VideoGames Daigo's famous parry and finish]].

* LocomotiveLevel: Necro's stage in ''Street Fighter 3: New Generation'' and ''2nd Impact'', and also [[MadScientistLaboratory the place where he was made]], it's inside a train.

* LocomotiveLevel: Necro's stage in Street Fighter 3: New Generation and 2nd Impact, and also the place where he was made, it's inside a train. An genuine MadScientistLaboratory.

In 1997, Creator/{{Capcom}} finally released the long-awaited true sequel to ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'', ''Street Fighter III: New Generation''. It cut the roster of familiar characters down to Ryu and ([[ComplacentGamingSyndrome more infamously]]) Ken Masters; Akuma and Chun-Li were added to the ''2nd Impact'' and ''3rd Strike'' [[UpdatedRerelease updates]], respectively, and quickly became upper/top-[[CharacterTiers tier]]. In their place is a slew of oddball fighters, plus the [[FashionVictimVillain weirdly-painted]] tournament organizer and [[TheIlluminati Illuminati]] leader, Gill.

Given its high demand of mastery, the game is still popular for TournamentPlay, [[VindicatedByHistory giving it some recognition]] which was denied at time of release. Due to fervent fan requests, Capcom re-released this game on UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade and the UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation Network}} in 2011 as ''3rd Strike Online Edition''; it features online play, enhanced visual settings, and other bonus content. The arcade version was later re-released in 2018 as part of the ''[[CompilationRerelease Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection]]'' on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch, UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, and UsefulNotes/XboxOne.

* Introduced in ''Street Fighter III: New Generation'': Alex, Dudley, Yun and Yang, Ibuki, Necro, Sean, Oro, Elena, Gill
* Introduced in ''Street Fighter III 2nd Impact'': Hugo, Urien
* Introduced in ''Street Fighter III 3rd Strike'': Remy, Q, Makoto, Twelve

** Oro's stage, as explained above in OldMaster. In that subtle context, it wouldn't be far off to rightfully call him ''Street Fighter's'' own [[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam Master Asia]].