It’s been over a decade since Third Strike graced consoles, Capcom’s third entry in the Street Fighter III series. Each of the SFIII titles seemed like an intentional step away from the familiarity of their predecessor. After all, it’s next to impossible to release any game post Super Street Fighter II (which was fighting perfection) and expect it to be as good. Deliberate steps were taken to make this a different fighting game altogether.

If this is your first time playing a SFIII title, you’re going to be turned off by the lack of SFII challengers. Ken, Ryu, Akuma, and Chun-Li. That’s all you get. There are quite a few likable new characters however, many of which became fan favorites like Hugo, Twelve, and Yun and Yang — the latter two were added to SSFIV’s recent Arcade Edition.  After spending some time with the new crew, you’ll quickly note that several characters are seemingly hybrids of familiar players. Dudley for example plays like a cross between Balrog and Sagat. Sean plays much like Ken and Ryu. If you’re capable of swallowing that bitter pill, and accepting a change in roster, there’s a chance you may like what SFIII offers.

Thursday afternoon, Capcom hosted another Fight Club event, this time taking over New York City’s Eyebeam Art and Technology Center to show off some upcoming titles. On hand were next week’s Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition, November’s Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and next year’s much anticipated Street Fighter X Tekken.

You really have to hand it to Capcom for putting together these community events. In an age of online multiplayer, Capcom can rally together hundreds of fans on short notice, all for a chance to play some of their games in development.  I was able to play all three titles for a fair amount of time, and grabbed some pictures of the event. Check out the full gallery below, and my game impressions below the break!

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