The Street Fighter franchise has been around since 1987, and has steadily expanding with hit fighting games ever since. Many argue that it’s the best fighting franchise of all time, and it’s the weapon of choice for fighting tournaments. So, when Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition was announced for the PS3, fans were ecstatic. But how does the old title stack up when compared to other, newer fighters offered on the PlayStation Network?
Many of the characters within the series have become iconic over the years, but when the original Street Fighter III released it offered many new characters for players to play as – needless to say it took some adjusting by fans of the series. Third Strike Online Edition offers all characters found within the original Street Fighter III plus eight additional characters to master.
Not much has changed since the initial release of Street Fighter III; just minor stuff, such as the filters to affect the graphics within the game, and even a tutorial system for those of you that need to brush up on your fighting mechanics. While they don’t necessarily make the game better, it is nice having more options available for a game that was released many years ago.
The game itself is difficult, there is no way around it. To master this game you will have to invest your time and pay attention to what character you are using, as well as who you are facing. People that are new to the game/series should be prepared to be beaten, a lot. This ties into the depth of the controls that the game has. Definitely one of the more difficult Street Fighter games made, and that may turn off some.
Graphically the game looks great for a 2D fighter. It is always good to see when developers decide not to completely overhaul everything so it doesn’t lose its original charm. The audio in the game is also great, perfectly fitting the game’s menus and style. It is up to you which presentation you would like to see the game in. It is available in its default 4:3 ratio, but for those looking for a different look there is widescreen, stretched, and even arcade cabinet (which has the curved screen look and everything).
Overall the game is much like its original release, a great fighting game with little room for error. For those new to the Street Fighter series this is a great game to try out, but don’t expect to just go in and dominate, especially online. Spend time finding out which character fits your style, and actually learn their moves and you will find yourself having a ton of fun. The game is easily one of the best downloadable fighting games off of the store, so pick it up if you have never gotten the chance to try it out.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
+ Great looking graphics, even though they are essentially the same graphics as the original. – May turn some off with the high learning curve and difficulty. |
 |
–
