History YMMV / StreetFighterIII

* ContestedSequel: When first released, ''III'' was criticized for ditching the majority of the cast from the previous games, for its steep learning curve, and for its [[VideoGame3DLeap "dated graphics"]]. As [[VindicatedByHistory described below]], the years have been far kinder.

** The game was more complex and difficult to master than the previous ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' games, alienating casual players even further. While ''III'' did later gain a major following among {{tournament play}}ers and in the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity, to this day it has a reputation for [[ItsHardSoItSucks being very unfriendly to newbies]].

** '''Low Tier:''' Hugo[[labelnote:Details]]Pretty much the default strengths and weaknesses for a grappler. Hugo has absurd damage from his grabs and good pressure thanks to his claps, but he struggles to get in due to his size and poor mobility.[[/labelnote]], Alex[[labelnote:Details]]Alex is a SkillGateCharacter who struggles to get in on players who know his options, has little use for his supers, and few combos to work with.[[/labelnote]],Q[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** Shaomei, Houmei's little sister who has a crush on Yang.

** '''Top Tier:''' The most generally fixed in terms of character order. The best character in the game is Chun-Li[[labelnote:Details]]Chun-Li has amazing neutral thanks to pokes that box out most characters and the best Kara-throw in the game. [[Pun The real kicker]] is her ''Hoyoku Sen'' Super Art; it's insanely fast to start up and launches her across the screen in an instant, which makes it usable in just about any situation. And not only does it shave off about 30% of their lifebar if it lands, it launches the victim such that Chun-Li can follow up and carry the opponent across the entire stage. While this should make her reliant on meter to deal damage or transition from defense to offense, stronger attacks in this game build a bit of meter even if they're whiffed; Chun-Li is able to throw out buttons in neutral without much fear of retaliation, so she's often got a super ready before other characters can mount a response.[[/labelnote]], with the only other S-tier and close second being Yun.[[labelnote:Details]]Yun boasts some of the best mobility in the game: he's got a great walk speed and super jump, and his divekicks give him a degree of unpredictability in the air that most characters can't challenge. He's also got a ton of mix-ups, including a command grab and the aforementioned divekick. His biggest selling point, however, is his ''Genei Jin'' Super Art, which gives him several seconds of improved frame data and combo routes that make his offense virtually airtight; it also has a short enough meter that Yun can reliably activate it two or three times ''a round''.[[/labelnote]] A not-insignificant gap exists between these two and 3rd and 4th place, those being Ken[[labelnote:Details]]Ken in ''3rd Strike'' is the epitome of MasterOfAll; he has good movement speed, EX Tatsu allows him to escape corner pressure more easily, he's got moves that allow him to be successful in neutral or apply pressure when he's at an advantage, he can easily make himself safe by ending his combos with a Hadoken, and his ''Shippu Jinrai Kyaku'' Super Art gives him a damaging hit-confirm alongside a ton of meter to work with. While he doesn't have anything truly outstanding like the other top tiers, he has no major weaknesses for the opponent to exploit.[[/labelnote]] and Makoto[[labelnote:Details]]Makoto and sports an offense that is riskier than Yun's but far more explosive. Her Hayate dash punch leaves the opponent standing and is easily comboed into, which can force the opponent into a very quick series of mixups. She also has excellent uses of meter: her EX Oroshi chop is a ridiculously quick overhead that covers most options that her command grab doesn't and knocks down to ensure that the offense doesn't stop, EX Hayate allows for extra damage in the corner, her ''Seichusen Godanzuki'' Super Art offers a consistent source of burst damage, and her ''Abare Tosanami'' Super Art leads into massive damage and stun if with a well-placed command grab. If this wasn't enough, Makoto doesn't struggle to get into this position thanks to the fastest forward dash in the game and a set of long-reaching pokes that either score a knockdown or a combo.[[/labelnote]] respectively, though some place Makoto higher.

* ContestedSequel: When first released, ''III'' was criticized for ditching majority of the cast from the previous games, its steep learning curve, and its [[VideoGame3DLeap "dated graphics"]]. As [[VindicatedByHistory described below]], the years have been far kinder.

** '''Top Tier:''' The most generally fixed in terms of character order. The best character in the game is Chun-Li[[labelnote:Details]]Chun-Li has amazing neutral thanks to pokes that box out most characters and the best Kara-throw in the game. [[StealthPun The real kicker]] is her ''Hoyoku Sen'' Super Art; it's insanely fast to start up and launches her across the screen in an instant, which makes it usable in just about any situation. And not only does it shave off about 30% of their lifebar if it lands, it launches the victim such that Chun-Li can follow up and carry the opponent across the entire stage. While this should make her reliant on meter to deal damage or transition from defense to offense, stronger attacks in this game build a bit of meter even if they're whiffed; Chun-Li is able to throw out buttons in neutral without much fear of retaliation, so she's often got a super ready before other characters can mount a response.[[/labelnote]], with the only other S-tier and close second being Yun.[[labelnote:Details]]Yun boasts some of the best mobility in the game: he's got a great walk speed and super jump, and his divekicks give him a degree of unpredictability in the air that most characters can't challenge. He's also got a ton of mix-ups, including a command grab and the aforementioned divekick. His biggest selling point, however, is his ''Genei Jin'' Super Art, which gives him several seconds of improved frame data and combo routes that make his offense virtually airtight; it also has a short enough meter that Yun can reliably activate it two or three times ''a round''.[[/labelnote]] A not-insignificant gap exists between these two and 3rd and 4th place, those being Ken[[labelnote:Details]]Ken in ''3rd Strike'' is the epitome of MasterOfAll; he has good movement speed, EX Tatsu allows him to escape corner pressure more easily, he's got moves that allow him to be successful in neutral or apply pressure when he's at an advantage, he can easily make himself safe by ending his combos with a Hadoken, and his ''Shippu Jinrai Kyaku'' Super Art gives him a damaging hit-confirm alongside a ton of meter to work with. While he doesn't have anything truly outstanding like the other top tiers, he has no major weaknesses for the opponent to exploit.[[/labelnote]] and Makoto[[labelnote:Details]]Makoto and sports an offense that is riskier than Yun's but far more explosive. Her Hayate dash punch leaves the opponent standing and is easily comboed into, which can force the opponent into a very quick series of mixups. She also has excellent uses of meter: her EX Oroshi chop is a ridiculously quick overhead that covers most options that her command grab doesn't and knocks down to ensure that the offense doesn't stop, EX Hayate allows for extra damage in the corner, her ''Seichusen Godanzuki'' Super Art offers a consistent source of burst damage, and her ''Abare Tosanami'' Super Art leads into massive damage and stun if with a well-placed command grab. If this wasn't enough, Makoto doesn't struggle to get into this position thanks to the fastest forward dash in the game and a set of long-reaching pokes that either score a knockdown or a combo.[[/labelnote]] respectively, though some place Makoto higher.

** '''Bottom Tier:''' Remy[[labelnote:Details]]Essentially in the wrong game for him to succeed. Remy is a traditional zoner in the vein of Guile, but because other players can parry his projectiles with minimal effort to build meter, he struggles to create space and it becomes easy for other characters to rush him down. He then suffers the classic zoner issues, having poor close range options and needing charge to really do anything. While he does have some solid supers for damage and reversal, ''Blue Nocturne'' is possibly ''the single worst super in Street Fighter'', being a counter with low damage and a super flash before the initial startup, making it easy to react to. He does, however, possess some very good anti-airs and has some strong corner offence thanks to being able to combo from his grab.[[/labelnote]], Sean[[labelnote:Details]]After being top-tier in the previous versions, they addressed the GameplayAndStorySegregation problem by nerfing him into the ground. This would leave him with similar but subtly worse normals from other shotos and his special moveset being changed to be barely usable and mostly unsafe and has very few good special cancel opportunities. Most notably, his particularly strong Hyper Tornado super got gutted by being only able to stock one bar. Thus, he fits the JokeCharacter the writing clearly intends him to be[[/labelnote]], Twelve[[labelnote:Details]]His only strength is some great keep away normals and airdash mixups, which may be invalidated by parries. But what dooms him is that his damage output is the worst in the game with pratically zero useful special confirms from his normals, thus requiring a super to do what many characters can do with a special cancel. Most of all of his problem is that he suffers from having the worst frame data in the game, with some of his moves having -15 recovery ''unblocked''.[[/labelnote]]

* HypeBacklash: ''3rd Strike'' is largely considered a CultClassic amongst the competitive community, but there are also vocal detractors who resent the acclaim of it being considered the "Best Street Fighter Game" let alone one of the greatest fighting games of all time. Detractors critiquing the balance and the parry system undermine both footsie and zoning playstyles.

** Those advanced graphics meant that ''III'' could not be ported to most of the then-current consoles without [[PortingDisaster sacrificing animations and features]]; the only console which could have handled the game without major difficulty was the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn--which was not only the least successful console of its generation, but had Sega pull the plug on it less than six months after the game was released to arcades. Consequently, the ''Street Fighter III'' series was initially ported exclusively for the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast, which barely sold better than the Saturn did! It wasn't until 2004 when ''3rd Strike'' was re-released as part of ''Street Fighter Anniversary Collection''.[[note]]In Japan, it was re-released exclusively as a standalone game for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2.[[/note]] Because of the failure of the CPS-3, Capcom's future 2D fighters, such as the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' and ''VideoGame/SNKVsCapcom'' series, were developed from assets used in ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}'' and the ''Street Fighter Alpha'' series and on the CPS-2 and later Creator/{{Sega}}'s new NAOMI system board. ''Street Fighter Alpha 3'' was released the following year on the CPS-2, and while the sprites weren't as good as the ones used in ''III'', it was significantly more affordable for most arcade owners. The less-refined graphics also meant it could be more easily ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, where it sold a million copies.

** '''Mid Tier:''' Ryu[[labelnote:Details]]Ryu, like Ken, is [[JackOfAllStats a jack of all trades]], but gets a lot less reward out of any given situation compared to Ken. Ryu has two serviceable Super Arts in ''Shinku Hadoken'' and ''Denjin Hadoken''; the former augments Ryu's basic gameplan by giving more meter to use EX specials and hitting consistently in combos; the latter is unblockable, builds a bunch of stun meter, and can be held to throw off the opponent's parry timing and build even more stun, making it an inconsistent yet powerful offensive tool. He also has great moves for neutral and can hit-confirm into a wide variety of specials. Unfortunately, compared to the higher tiers Ryu's offense is inconsistent and he can struggle to keep up offensively without spending meter. He's also forced to choose between an offensive Super Art or a versatile one whereas most characters have access a single Super that satisfies all their needs.[[/labelnote]], Ibuki[[labelnote:Details]]Ibuki has highly unpredictable pressure and excels at baiting out her opponent's defensive options. This is thanks to the fastest walk speed in the game, a great jump that can be altered with her kunai, and amazing frame data that generally lets her stay advantageous at best and safe at worst. This attack speed is offset by having poor range, so she struggles to poke and hit-confirm in neutral and is thus forced to rely on risky movement to get in--while she has the movement to make this work, her low health means that any mistake will hurt. Ibuki often relies on using EX moves for damage and her general gameplan, and generally poor Super Arts means she has less overall tools than other characters.[[/labelnote]], Oro[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Elena[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Necro[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** Twelve is thought by many to be the hardest character in the game to learn. He's been described as a character intended as a rushdown GlassCannon, with a lot of fast melee moves, strong normals, and high mobility counterbalancing his low stamina and health, but with the crucial missing step in a Glass Cannon of actually having good damage (his damage is some of the worst in the game), and the crucial missing step in a rushdown character of being able to combo an opponent for any length of time (several of his moves have such little hitstun and long recovery that he can be ''unsafe on hit''). Usually, the most he can do with his intended gameplan is to swoop in and poke the opponent for minimal damage before either getting punished or running away, such that most Twelve players give up on rushdown altogether and focus on getting a small life lead and stalling out--and even there, he's still far from good. He's so bad that fans jokingly say Twelve's best move is X.C.O.P.Y., since it lets him temporarily become a different character and gives the poor sap who picked him a break from having to actually ''play'' Twelve.
** Sean was easily one of the best characters in ''Second Impact''; as a result, Capcom nerfed him going into ''3rd Strike''. Unfortunately, it also rendered Sean as easily the worst character in ''3rd Strike''. To briefly explain, he has similar normals as Ryu and Ken, but Sean's frame data is slightly worse. The thing that really launches him into bottom tier is his terrible special moves, as it's really hard to get a knockdown or apply pressure, as you can't combo into his tackle and his [[{{Shoryuken}} Dragon Smash]] has really crap range. Most infamously, his [[HurricaneKick Tornado]] is ''unsafe on hit'' (the EX version is safe, however)--meaning his best combo ender leaves Sean open to get punished. Other than some decent normal and anti air attacks, Sean has virtually nothing going for him. Even in same-character team tournaments in Japan, where you'll see one or two all-Twelve or Hugo teams, it's rare to see an all-Sean team.

* VindicatedByHistory: The ''Street Fighter III'' series was ignored upon release because it was a complete departure from the considerably more user-friendly ''Alpha'' series, and some professional reviewers even went so far as to dock it for looking "like an SNES game." Eventually, tournament-level players latched onto the series as most mainstream fighting games began to resemble ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' more and more and they desired something a little more grounded and footsies-based, and casual fans discovered the game through emulation and a UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} re-release of ''3rd Strike''. And then the infamous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzS96auqau0 Daigo Parry]] occured at EVO 2004, boosting the game's popularity to newfound heights and turning it into a competitive mainstay. This came full circle with ''[[PolishedPort 3rd Strike Online Edition]]'', which ended up being better received by the fanbase than the more casual-friendly ''Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix''. Nowadays, it's not entirely uncommon for most fighting game fans to declare ''3rd Strike'' to be the greatest fighting game of all time, albeit not without the resulting HypeBacklash as seen above.

** '''Low Tier:''' Hugo[[labelnote:Details]]Pretty much the default strengths and weaknesses for a grappler. Hugo has absurd damage from his grabs and good pressure thanks to his claps, but he struggles to get in due to his size and poor mobility.[[/labelnote]], Alex[[labelnote:Details]Alex is a SkillGateCharacter who struggles to get in on players who know his options, has little use for his supers, and few combos to work with.[[/labelnote]],
Q[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** '''Low Tier:''' Hugo[[labelnote:Details]]Pretty much the default strengths and weaknesses for a grappler. Hugo has absurd damage from his grabs and good pressure thanks to his claps, but he struggles to get in due to his size and poor mobility.[[/labelnote]], Alex[[labelnote:Details]Alex is a SkillGateCharacter who struggles to get in on players who know his options, has little use for his supers, and few combos to work with.[[/labelnote]], Q[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** '''Low Tier:''' Hugo[[labelnote:Details]]Pretty much the default strengths and weaknesses for a grappler. Hugo has absurd damage from his grabs and good pressure thanks to his claps, but he struggles to get in due to his size and poor mobility.[[/labelnote]], Alex[[labelnote:Details]Alex is a SkillGateCharacter who struggles to get in on players who know his options, has little use for his supers, and few combos to work with. [[/labelnote]], Q[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** '''Low Tier:''' Hugo[[labelnote:Details]]Pretty much the default strengths and weaknesses for a grappler. Hugo has absurd damage from his grabs and good pressure thanks to his claps, but he struggles to get in due to his size and poor mobility.[[/labelnote]], Alex[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]], Q[[labelnote:Details]]WIP[[/labelnote]]

** Right off the bat, the decision to [[PutOnABus replace most of the cast]] from ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' proved disastrous. While Creator/{{Capcom}} had previously been able to successfully pull off a near complete cast changeover from ''[[VideoGame/StreetFighterI SFI]]'' to ''II'', that was largely because the first ''Street Fighter'' game wasn't particularly successful, meaning few fans cared about those characters. Conversely, the characters from ''II'' [[IconicSequelCharacter had proven to be extremely popular]] and had subsequently reappeared in the ''VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha'' games and the various adaptations based on the ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' franchise. This meant there was far more backlash to their omission than there had ever been over the cast of ''I'' not returning for ''II''. Ryu, Ken, Akuma, and Chun-Li were the only veterans from either ''II'' or ''Alpha'' to return in this sub-series. And this is before getting into the fact that many of the new generation had decidedly [[{{Gonk}} offputting]] or unusual designs, such as Oro, Hugo, Necro, and Twelve, which caused the game's roster to earn a reputation as being full of weird freaks.

** Minor one for Revision B of ''3rd Strike'', which hit arcades in June 1999 (and was later used for the Dreamcast port). Majority of the playerbase did not like the balance changes, especially the removal of Urien's unblockables. The result is that every release of ''3rd Strike'' since (excluding the Dreamcast port) has used the earlier Revision A.