Part 1

Dive into Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike! Learn basic controls, button layouts, and essential notation for moves like qcf, hcf, and charges. Get ready to fight!

Hey there! Welcome to the wild world of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of characters and combos, let's make sure you've got the fundamentals down. Think of this as your quick-start guide to understanding how to actually play the game.

First off, let's talk about how you move your character around. You've got your standard directions:

• ub, u, uf: These are your jump directions – Up-Back, straight Up, and Up-Forward. Essential for getting around attacks or closing the distance.
• b, n, f: Back, Neutral, and Forward. 'b' is also how you block standing attacks, and 'n' is just standing still. 'f' is walking forward.
• db, d, df: Down-Back, Down, and Down-Forward. 'db' is your low block, and 'd' is crouching. Crouching can help you dodge high attacks and set up your own offense.

Remember, if you're on the other side of the screen, these directions are reversed! It's a common thing to forget when you're starting out.

Now, for the buttons. You've got six main attack buttons:

• LP, MP, HP: Light, Medium, and Hard Punch. Each has a different range and speed.
• LK, MK, HK: Light, Medium, and Hard Kick. Similar to punches, these vary in speed and reach.

On the Dreamcast controller, the left trigger is mapped to Hard Kick (HK) and the right trigger is Hard Punch (HP). It's good to get used to using these triggers, as they can be really useful for certain moves and combos.

You'll also see some special notation in move lists, and it's super important to understand:

• qcf / hcf: These mean 'quarter-circle forward' (down, down-forward, forward) and 'half-circle forward' (back, down-back, down, down-forward, forward). You'll be doing these motions a LOT.
• qcb / hcb: Same idea, but backwards – 'quarter-circle back' and 'half-circle back'.
• Rotate 360 / 720: This means spinning the joystick in a full circle (360) or two full circles (720). There's a specific way to input it: (forward, down-forward, down, down-back, back) or the reverse. A 720 is just doing that twice.
• Charge b,f / d,u: This means you hold a direction (like Back or Down) for about two seconds, then quickly move to the opposite direction (Forward or Up) and press the attack button.
• MP~HK: This just means you can use Medium Punch, Hard Punch, Medium Kick, or Hard Kick for that particular move.
• EX: If you see 'EX', it means the special move can be 'EX'ed, usually by spending a stock of Super Art meter for a more powerful version.
• PA / SA: Personal Action / Super Art. These are your big, flashy moves!
• I / II / III: These refer to Super Art I, II, or III. You'll choose one before a match.
• x#: This indicates how many stocks of that Super Art you can hold.
• ?: If you see a question mark, it means the author wasn't sure if a specific trick or move actually worked.

Just a heads-up, this guide uses US terms like 'blocking' and 'parrying' even though it covers the Japanese version. It's just for consistency!

Finally, let's cover the absolute basics of defense:

• Standing Block: Hold 'b' (back) when an attack is coming.
• Crouching Block: Hold 'db' (down-back) when an attack is coming. This blocks low attacks.
• Mid-Air Block: You can actually block in the air by holding 'b', but it has some specific conditions (check the full guide for details!).
• Parry: This is a super important technique! Tap forward just as an attack hits you. It's tricky but incredibly rewarding.

Getting these basics down will make a huge difference. Practice them, and you'll be ready for anything 3rd Strike throws at you!