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SF3's game play will still be familiar to veterans of the series, but the game is a somewhat of an acquired taste. The timing mechanics and hit priorities are much different than they are in other SF games and the gameplay may feel slightly slower than the gameplay in other games. This, however, doesn't actually mean SF3 is slow or sluggish. It merely has a different feel to it. Even with 20 different fighters to choose from, the gameplay mechanics are incredibly deep and balanced no matter which character you choose, and the game feels like it is the most balanced of the series.

The most important part of the gameplay that distinguishes the game from its predecessors is the parry move, which allows you to counter someone's move and conversely, leave him open for a counter attack. The move itself follows the clichйd rule "easy to learn (parrying a fireball) but difficult to master (parrying a multiple hit super move)." Parrying requires a quick movement press towards the direction of the incoming hit. You have to time the parry so that you do it right as the opponent's move is about to hit you. For example, if the player punches you, you press forward into the hit just as it's about to hit you. Also new in SF3 is the dash move, which is performed by two quick forward or backward presses. Both moves are especially helpful for slower characters because now they are able to do more defensively (and conversely, offensively) to avoid getting into problems that they would have had trouble dealing with in previous games because of their slow speed. The moves do a lot for all the characters, however, in that you have a lot more options in choosing how you want to fight. Parry play is encouraged with the addition of a stun meter. Every time you get hit or block a hit, your stun meter goes up. If the stun meter fills up completely, you will find yourself stunned and vulnerable for a few seconds.

The SF3 controls work well with the PS2 Dual Shock Controller, though you may want to buy an arcade-style joystick if you're looking for the most authentic experience. There are advantages to both types of controller. I find that it is much easier to pull off super and special moves and do so more quickly on a Dual Shock directional pad, but performing moves that require more than 1 button press (EX moves) simultaneously or that require a 360 degree rotation on the directional pad will be much easier with a joystick. Of course, if you're accustomed to playing in the arcades, you will likely prefer going the joystick route as well.

Unfortunately, Capcom has done very little to SF3 for its PS2 release other than make a good arcade port. There are three gameplay modes: arcade, versus, and practice. In the practice mode, you can either choose to fight against a dummy or you can choose parry practice, in which you program a dummy to do certain moves, and then you switch to your character and try to parry the dummy's program. Disappointingly, there is no online option, which means multiplayer will have to come from a friend playing with you in the same room. There isn't even a tournament mode, which would have been useful for times when you have a lot of friends over who want to challenge each other. I also didn't find any meaningful unlockables or an engaging storyline for the characters. While the fighting aspect of the game is well refined and very enjoyable, you may find yourself tiring of single player after you've defeated a certain difficulty level.

If you take a look at the screenshots that accompany this review, you won't find them visually arresting. From screenshots, you'll notice the game features low-resolution, albeit large, sprites on a low resolution background. It's one of the rare games that will not look much better no matter how good the television display is. In fact, it will actually look worse on a HDTV. Yet, this game undeniably looks impressive. It's a game that must be seen in motion to be fully appreciated. The animation in SF3 is unquestionably the best in the genre, incredibly fluid and cartoon-like, and the character sprites are well detailed. Together, these two aspects create the sense that you're looking at 3D characters fight, only you happen to be watching them from a side perspective. With other 2D fighting games, you know that you're simply looking at flat characters. The artistic style of the game is very beautiful despite the game's technical flaws, in the same way that a painting of a sunset can look as good as a photograph of one, even though the painting is obviously inferior to the photo in detail and clarity.

SF3's sound is a lot like the game itself. It's solid, with few frills. The sound effects are clear and the voices are distinct among the different characters. The effects chosen to represent a specific move or the amount of damage the move creates sound like they should. The music is more of a mixed bag. There is the normal background music during the actual fights that sounds fine, if not particularly memorable. When you're not fighting, you'll hear a few songs that feature vocal tracks. They may sound cheesy at first, and there's even a rap song that's a theme-of-sorts for the game, but with time I actually grew to like them.

If you're a 2D fighting game fan or a Street Fighter fan, this collection warrants purchase. At $30, Third Strike by itself is a good deal, and with the inclusion of Hyper, the Anniversary Collection is an excellent value. For everyone else, though, you're better off renting it first. If you don't have any friends to play the game with, you may tire of it quickly and its gameplay may not suit you. It's not easy to learn to play if you're a beginner and with SF3's not having an engaging single player mode, you may become frustrated with the gameplay and quit early before you really get a feel for the nuances of the game. If you have an XBox, you may want to wait for the Xbox version that is due out early next year. It will be priced at $30 as well but also feature online.