The fighting game genre is full of classics like street fighter iii; however, an interview with one of the developers who worked on the title states that it didn’t start out that way. SF3 broke the mold of Street Fighter in some areas, such as the introduction of a whole new cast of characters, except for Ryu and his rival, Ken. Along with this new cast of characters came new abilities that players could use to their advantage, such as Super Arts. As the popularity of 3D games increased, Capcom decided not to branch out because the company claimed that it was not suitable for hand-to-hand fighting.
These new mechanics they made SF3 It took a worthwhile title from some of Capcom’s underrated fighting games and fit the franchise as a whole. Added a parry system to the standard block, allowing players to use precise timing to avoid damage altogether. The Super Arts skill was a powerful special move similar to the Super Combos from before. Street Fighter games, while other mechanics like Dash and Retreat abilities were taken from games like darkstalkers. Although these new additions were a welcome change for fans and critics alike, the title was seen by many as a precursor to the next. Street Fighter game rather than a proper sequel.
In an interview with developer Akira Yasuda on the Japanese website Akiba Souken (with relevant Street Fighter information summarized in English by Twitter user VGDensetsu), revealed that SF3 was not originally a Street Fighter game with the classic characters of the series. The game was originally a passion project for Yasuda that gained renown in the Capcom office. The company then asked him to divide his team among several others so that they could make games like his project, hoping that he would fill in the gaps in each team. This culmination of events finally gave birth to the title in 1997, seen by many as a game called Street Fighterit looked like Street Fighter, but really, it was just a bridge to the next title. Although his time at Capcom was short, Yasuda helped promote the franchise with what was originally just something he was doing on the side.
Street Fighter 3 is a major game in the series
With the differences with most of the Street Fighter list, including mechanics taken from other series under the Capcom banner, one could have theorized that the game never started out as part of the Street Fighter franchise, but this interview with Yasuda confirms it. Subtle gameplay changes to make the game more dynamic and stunning graphics were good decisions at the time, but they didn’t try to set themselves apart. The title would have been better suited for another spin-off rather than being part of the main series, but Capcom decided that Yasuda and the team he had were equipped to turn their project into a game that didn’t see the same success as street fighter 2.
SF3 never reached the pinnacle of the franchise’s potential, nor did it nearly ruin the games industry as street fighter 2but the two revisions, 2nd Impact Y third blow, added more characters and further changed the direction of the mechanics. Regardless of its reception, the game is widely considered a classic and received a prominent place in the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection. While not everyone will remember Yasuda’s work in street fighter iii, the game was an important addition to the franchise, allowing subsequent titles to capitalize on and refine what was introduced.
Sources: Akiba Souken, VGDensetsu/Twitter
