STREET FIGHTER III 3rd STRIKE : THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE-
v 1.00
04-23-00
by J. Smith [email protected]


This original, unofficial FAQ was made by me, John Smith. It is
Copyrighted 2000 J. Smith. The author is not affiliated with Capcom.
You may read this FAQ and print it FOR YOURSELF but you may not:

1)      Make copies and sell them
2)      Put this FAQ on your website without MY permission
3)      Print any part of this FAQ in a game magazine without MY permission
4)      Make copies and distribute them as part of a prize or promotion to
buy something
5)      Associate this FAQ with any organization
6)      Plagiarize (I know strategies are sometimes similar)
7)      Display publicly the printed copy which you may have for yourself
(as in posting it up in an arcade)
8)      Take this FAQ and use it as your own work
9)      Use it to make almost any kind of profit for yourself or an
affiliate

I will update this FAQ as soon as I figure just what is going on.

STREET FIGHTER III 3rd STRIKE : THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE-   v 1.00

CONTENTS

1)      Controls
2)      Directions
3)      Player Mechanics
4)      Command Attacks
5)      Special Moves
6)      Super Arts
7)      How to kill [other] people
8)      How to use the Shungokusatsu
9)      How to use the Kongou Kokuretsuzan
10)     Combos
11)     Akuma's Ending
12)     Credits


<<<1>>>
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CONTROLLER LEGEND AND SF JARGON


QCF: Quarter-circle Forward
HCB: Half-circle Backward
HCF: Half-circle Forward
QCB: Quarter-circle Backward
PP: Two Punches
PPP: Three Punches
KKK: Three Kicks
F: Forward
B: Backward
D: Down
U: Up
OTG: Off the Ground
DF or DB: Down Forward or Down Backward
UF or UB: Up Forward or Up Backward
JP: Jab Punch
SP: Strong Punch
FP: Fierce Punch
SK: Short Kick
FK: Forward Kick
RK: Roundhouse Kick

<<<2>>>
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COMMON LIST AND DIRECTIONS
These are special move commands. Universal to all characters. Moves may
have two names, in which case the second name will be in parenthesis.

F,F or B,B (Dash)
Pressing Forward or Backward twice in rapid succession will make the
character (from this point forward listed as "Akuma") do a quick dash
in that direction.


D, UF or D, UB (Super Jump)
This will cause Akuma to jump forward or backward a much greater
distance and height than by jumping forward or backward normally.

FP+RK (Taunt)
This will cause Akuma to taunt. Akuma cannot do anything until the
taunt has finished. His taunt does not hit the opponent. This will add
a bit of power to his Super Meter. If you taunt several times the
amount of damage Akuma does to his opponent will increase, as well as
Stun Meter damage. Try to sneak in a few of these per round.


SP+FK
This causes Akuma to hop off the ground at a very low height and
distance to attack his opponent. It behaves as a jump attack in most
ways- the opponent must stand to block it.

JP+SK when close
Akuma will throw his opponent. Standard throws cannot be blocked but
can be parried. Don't be afraid to throw.

Parry
Introduced in Street Fighter III, parrying allows you to block an
attack and receive no damage. In addition, if you parry, you have the
initiative to attack or parry again. This is done by pressing Forward
the MOMENT the attack reaches you. You must press Forward for every hit
of the opponent's attack you want to parry. While on the ground, press
Forward to parry high attacks and press Down to parry Low attacks.
While in the air, press Forward to parry. Since there is no air
blocking, you must parry to stifle attacks in mid-air. A serious player
will take the time to learn parrying. Akuma needs to learn to parry,
even though he's offensively-oriented.

Super Art Gauge and Super Arts
This is the bar at the bottom of the screen. When any part of it
flashes, that is a signal that you can perform an EX move (see below).
When the gauge fills up or completes a circuit, it will make a sound.
This is the signal that you can perform a super art. Each character has
at least three of these at his disposal. You can select them each time
at the character select screen, but not in between rounds. Some Super
Arts store more energy than others.

EX ing
EX moves add power to your special moves, making them faster, or
stronger, or hit more. They take off some of the Super Art gauge, and
can only be done when the gauge flashes. When executing a command, use
two buttons instead of one. For example, if you wanted to do Ryu's EX
Hadoken, the command would be :QCF+PP. Some Super Arts can even be
EXed. It should be noted that Akuma CANNOT EX any of his moves.

Stun Bar
This is the bar just under your life bar. When it is filled, you are
dizzy. Blows to the face inflict more stun damage than to the body.
Some characters (Oro, Hugo, Alex, Dudley, Gill, Q) have very long stun
meters. Akuma has the shortest Stun Meter in the game.

<<<3>>>
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_AKUMA'S MECHANICS_

He's in the top tier of players. Stay close for the big win.


Unlike in previous Street Fighter games, Akuma is no longer invincible.
You must remember that this is simply _not_ the Alpha series, where you
could walk up to a fallen opponent and do Fierce Dragons over and over
again as they got up. This game has a different style all its own. The
Dragon Fist no longer out-prioritizes everything. Hadokens do very
little damage, and are extremely easy to parry or counter. Akuma has a
very short stun meter, so he's easy to dizzy. He also has about the
lowest defense in the game. In a war of attrition, Akuma will loose.
Proportionately, his Super Arts are not the game's best. He can't EX
anything. Thanks, Capcom. (This is probably operating off the tradition
that in Akuma's 1st appearance, he had no super bar. Now he can't EX
anything. Or it might be a handicap.) With him, what you see is what
you get. There are no real surprises in his arsenal. Fortunately, he's
still Akuma, and that means he still has Speed, Priority, and Power.
Play offensively, parry like a jerk, and never show mercy to anyone.
Remember that Akuma is the biggest grouch of all.

<<<4>>>
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COMMAND MOVES AND  SPECIAL NORMAL ATTACKS

Two-Hit Roundhouse (Axe Kick)- when close FK
Akuma does a roundhouse that hits two times. It must be blocked high.
These have a startup lag, so it cannot be in the middle of a combo.
This one seems to come out when you don't want it to.

Strong Punch ver.2- when close SP
Akuma throws a body blow instead of the palm thrust. _Unlike_ Ken, you
cannot go SP,FP, Goshoryuken, etc. At least, you can't do it easily.
I've never been able to do it. You can do this followed by a fierce,
but that's it.

Forward Kick ver.2- when close FK
Akuma uses his knee instead of that poking kick. Does not cancel into a
FP or RK.

Fierce Punch ver.2 (Uppercut)- when close FP
Akuma does an uppercut instead of that lunging punch. Can be canceled
into other moves.

Zugai Hasatsu- F+MP
Akuma does a two-hit punch that must be blocked high. Mix this up with
MP+MK and crouching Shorts as an opponent rises from the ground. There
is a pause before a move, so you can't use it in the middle of a combo.


<<<5>>>
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SPECIAL MOVES

Gou Hadoken-QCF+P
Akuma's standard projectile attack. The punch button used determines
how fast the projectile moves. Jab is the slowest, Strong is in the
middle, and Fierce as the fastest. This move is almost worthless now.
It does a very small amount of damage (6%) and is so easy to parry it's
like just giving your opponent some energy in his super meter. It does
have it's place in combos, where it can be canceled into any of his
Normal Super Arts. This move really has some uses in the air, where it
becomes…

Zankuu Hadoken-in air, QCF+P
Akuma's air projectile. The punch button used determines speed, in the
same way as the Gohadoken. It travels downward at roughly a 30 degree
angle from where you release it. This is one of the best tactical moves
in the game. Either of his air supers can be canceled from it. This
does around the same amount the same amount of damage in the air as on
the ground, and although it's as easy to parry, you'll see less of that
because it comes out quickly. Using the Zankuu Hadoken _as_ you ascend
will cause the it to come out earlier (of course), so you would use it
to discourage ground opponents from jumping or tagging them in the air.
Using it as you fall sometimes causes you to land  about the same time
it hits the opponent. _Ignore_ people who tell you not to use this
move; that's a lot of garbage. It isn't cheap and it doesn't make Akuma
all-powerful. Of course you don't want to jump around and sling them
all over the place like a nut, but don't hesitate to use it if you
think you need to. Otherwise, it is going to be virtually impossible to
land a combo from the air against a person with an anti-air super
(Ken's Shinryuken).

Shakunetsu Hadoken-HCB+P
A powered up Gohadoken. Punch button used determines the speed and the
number of hits. Jab is fast and hits once. Strong is slower and hits
twice. Fierce is the slowest and hits three times. There is a huge
delay before and after the lag, so if you're using it closer than full
screen, you are begging to eat a Super Art. The Fierce is the best
version, since it actually damages the opponent and does chip away at
them. Most people can parry all three hits, so be sure to Dash up to
them if they do and nail them with a low Roundhouse for being cruel.
You can only use this in a combo if you catch the opponent while they
are falling. Also, you can set up the Hyakki Gousai or Hyakki Goutsui
with it (both of those rely on surprise). It's bad etiquette to use
this on people as they get up from the ground.

Tatsumaki Zankuu Kyaku-QCB+K (air)
Also called the Hurricane Kick. The stronger the kick button, the more
range and damage. This move is damaging and difficult to parry. It's
most common use is in the middle of a combo canceled from a low Short
or Forward. If you hit the opponent in mid air, they fall down close to
you so you can begin juggling.

Tenma Kuujin Kyaku-  Down+ MK in air  (as you ascend or at the peak of
the jump)
Akuma stops his jump and flies downward at a 45 degree angle toward the
opponent. It can be parried without too much difficulty (since it hits
once), but it's so quick, they need to be looking for it. Good priority
and speed.  Try doing this _before_ your jump peaks. If this move is
blocked, you should be OK depending on how close you are to the
opponent. Don't use this move every time you jump, since an experienced
opponent will parry it and kill you. For combos.

Gou Shoryuken-F,DF,D,DF+P
A three-hit dragon punch. The punch button used determines strength and
range, with Jab as the lowest and Fierce as highest. Despite the fact
you are no longer invincible, it has amazing priority. It also does a
great deal of damage. This move is very easy to combo off of most low
moves. Use it whenever possible. The jab version will leave you safe
more than the other versions, but it is easier to parry since it only
hits once.
His normal Super Arts can be canceled from this move. When you are on
the ground, and your opponent rushes up to you and starts throwing
crouching Jabs or Shorts, do this move. You will go through his attacks
and hit him. You can also run up to a downed opponent and wait till he
gets up, then do the dragon punch. Most people will try to counter
instead of block when they get up. Mix this with crouching Shorts and
the MP+MK.

Hyakki Shuu- F,DF,D,DF+K
Akuma flips in the air toward his opponent. The kick button used
determines how far he goes. This attack branches off into…

Hyakki Gouzan- During Hyakki Shuu, do nothing
When Akuma hits the ground he will do a sort of slide. Hits low. It's
good to confuse people once in awhile.

Hyakki Goushou- During Hyakki Shuu, press P
Akuma throws a punch in a similar frame of animation as the Zankuu
Hadoken. Not many uses.

Hyakki Gousen- During Hyakki Shuu, press K
Akuma does a Tenma Kuujin Kyaku, but his back is to you. Has the same
properties(?).

Hyakki Gousai- During Hyakki Shuu, press Jab + Short when close
This move is a throw. Does it really exist? Embarrassingly, I have
never used it, so I can't say how much damage it does. You have to be
so close to the enemy in order to do this they have to be asleep for
you to hit them with it. However you _can_ do this while they are
parrying your 3 hit Shakunetsu Hadoken. I'm not sure if you can use the
Short version to grab people when juggling rules apply.

Hyakki Goutsui- During Hyakki Shuu, press F or B +Jab+Short
This move is a throw (different than the one above). Does it really
exist? Embarrassingly, I have never used it, so I can't say how much
damage it does. You have to be so close to the enemy in order to do
this they have to be asleep for you to hit them with it. However you
_can_ do this while they are parrying your 3 hit Shakunetsu Hadoken.
I'm not sure if you can use the Short version to grab people when
juggling rules apply.

Ashura Senkuu- to go forward-F,DF,D,DF +PPP or +KKK to go backward-
B,DB,D,DB +PPP or +KKK
Akuma glides across the screen. Using punch will take him a full
screen's distance, and using kick will take him halfway. You are
invincible during this move, but you will be vulnerable while you are
coming out of it. Most players know this and will smack you when you
are finished. When the opponent is in the corner, use this to go
_behind_ him. He might not expect this. Useful for getting out of
corner traps.

<<<6>>>
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SUPER ARTS


I. Messatsu Gou Hado (x2) – QCF, QCF + P
Akuma throws a large Gohadoken that hits 5 times. This is his weakest
Super Art, (20%?, less in combos) but it is the most versatile and
leaves you pretty safe. It has high priority due to the fact that it's
a projectile. This isn't a Shinkuu Hadoken; it can be jumped over and
it's not that fast.  Most Akuma players pick this one. Unfortunately,
when placed in a combo, the already unimpressive amount of damage it
does is shortened even more. If you're going to use this in a combo,
make sure you hit a bunch of times. For example, there isn't any point
in doing this: Gohadoken <Cancel> MsG. The damage it does is less than
the SA alone (even though it looks way cool). You might as well do it
by itself. But this SA does have a truckload of uses in combos, and it
can be done in the air. Save up for a Kongou or  Shungokusatsu.

I. Tenma Gou Zankuu (x2 long) – QCF, QCF +P (air)
Hits the same number of times and does the same amount of damage as the
MsG. This one is great for punishing mistakes on the ground. Feel free
to cancel from a Zankuu Hadoken (even though it does less damage). The
ground version has more uses in combos.

II. Messatsu Gou Shoryuu (x2 long) – QCF, QCF + P
Akuma does three Goshoryukens, the last one hitting the hardest. This
is his most powerful normal Super Art and fills up the stun meter the
best. It actually does impressive damage and stands well on its own.
Not all of the hits may connect if you juggle an airborne opponent, but
all you really need are those last three. It's easy to get most of the
hits and damage in ground combos. It's got weird priority; a tatsumaki
can knock you out of it, but it beats a dragon punch. This is the super
I like the most.

III. Messatsu Gou Rasen (x2 long) – QCF,QCF, +K (air)
Akuma does a Tatsumaki Zankuu Kyaku straight up in the air similar to a
Shinryuken. This SA does a moderate amount of damage. You can cancel it
while in the air, but you'll get way less damage since Akuma always
goes a certain height X no matter where he is. Better for punishing
people who are jump happy.

Shun Goku Satsu (MAX) – Jab, Jab, F, Short, Fierce
Akuma glides across the screen and grabs the opponent, hitting him/her
for about 60% of their life. His trademark Super Art. Unblockable 15
hits. It's easy to knock Akuma out of this, and a good player can hit
you out of it if you do it to him while he's getting up. Use it when
the opponent leaves himself open (of course). This move is discussed in
depth later in this FAQ.

Kongou Kokuretsuzan (MAX) – D,D,D +PPP
Akuma raises his arm to the sky, then slams his fist down making a
purple spire of energy come out of the ground. Hits 8(?) times at
maximum. Does about the same damage as the Shun Goku Satsu. This move
would be great except for the _horrible_ delay before/after the game
pauses (like it does during every SA) that actually lets your opponent
HIT YOU OUT OF IT! If you can see a jump a mile off, use this and
you'll knock the hell out of him. Mastering the motion to do this move
is absolutely imperative if you ever want to use it on purpose. This
move is discussed in depth later in this FAQ.

<<<7>>>
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HOW TO KILL [OTHER] PEOPLE

As I stated earlier, Akuma is an in-close fighter. You wouldn't
normally think so since (even barring SAs) he's got three projectiles.
Half of the fight is psychological. Your goal as Akuma is to get the
other sap in the corner and kill him. When in the corner, most people
want to GET OUT. They'll jump, or do an uppercut, or something stupid.
When in the corner and you knock them down, go up close. You can:

A) Use crouching SKs or JPs so they'll have to block low
B) Use MP+MK so they'll have to block high
C) Use a Goushoryuken (Jab) so they have to block
D) Use the Zugai Hasatsu so they'll have to block high.
E) Cancel A into C (for your own safety)
F) Use a Tenma Kujin Kyaku
G) Use a Tatsumaki Zanku Kyaku over them as they get up so they block
in the wrong direction
H) Use A then throw (not recommended)
I) Use a Shun Goku Satsu (not recommended)

You get the idea. Use anything that will make the other guy sweat. I
don't know how many times I've seen Akuma players get someone in the
corner and then back way away and throw a projectile. Ugh. Don't do
that. A good way to back them in there is to jump. Akuma has a lot of
jumping options. Use the Fierce for high priority, Roundhouse for
range, or a Zankuu Hadoken to keep them on the ground. If you want to
juggle them when both of you are in the air, hit them with a Tatsumaki.
As they fall you can hit them once. You can cancel a Fierce into a
Goshoryuken, but the uppercut will not hit them. Of course, if you
can't get him in the corner, the next best thing to do is get them to
come to you. Please learn to parry jump-ins. If you can parry a Dragon
Punch as you jump in, good job, that's tough.

<<<8>>>
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HOW TO USE THE SHUN GOKU SATSU (JP,JP, F, SK, FP)

If you've ever tried to use this move, then you know it's difficult to
land. You get knocked out of it, or they jump over you.  The ideal time
to use this is when the opponent is coming down from a jump and has
already attacked. But that doesn't happen very much, so you will need
something else. This move has a few good properties. You can go through
(normal) projectiles if you time it right. That's usually when I hit
people with it. And you can even go through some SAs. I used this on a
Ken player. He saw it coming and used his Shippu Jinrai Kyaku. My
attack went through his first kick and killed him. Of course, I was
very close to him when he did it, but his leg clearly hit me. Once you
master the motion to this move, try doing it at sweep distance. You can
go through some normal attacks. Don't misunderstand me too fast,
though. If you do this from across the screen and your opponent
attacks, you will probably loose. Doing this to people as they get up
might seem good at first, but you'll probably get beaten by a few Jabs,
so avoid that. Using this one just depends on if you're willing to take
the risk.

<<<9>>>
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HOW TO USE THE KNOGOU KOKURETSUZAN (D,D,D, +PPP)
Akuma learns this move in his ending at SFIII Second Impact. He
destroys Ayer's Rock with it. I was pleased when it showed up in 3rd
Strike, but it turned out to be not that great. He seems to have a
short lag before it and a great lag after the game is finished pausing,
giving the opponent plenty of time to hit you or get out of the way.
There are at least two ways to use this effectively. If you can see
someone jumping in, immediately use this. You will probably hit them
for over half of their life. This works better on the higher jumping
characters, like Chun-Li. The other use is using it when someone is
falling down after you've hit them in the air with a Tatsumaki Zankuu
Kyaku. When this happens, you get the opportunity to hit them with one
move. You can gamble and try the Kongou. Timing is _very_ hard (due to
that stupid pause). I have personally never done this, but I am sure it
works. By the time I hit the punch buttons they were on the ground.
That's too slow. You probably have to be hitting the Down part in the
air, saving the last one as you land. Try this out and let me know if
it works. I have heard that you only need to use two punch buttons, but
using three helps me do it.

<<<10>>>
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COMBOS

I'll keep this short because you can make your own combos. Just
remember the chains. Also, you can interchange Jump with Super Jump,
and air FPs with RKs if you like (or anything else).

1) Jump +RK, FP, Goshoryuken, <cancel> SA

2) Jump +FP, crouching FK, SK Tatsumaki Zankuu Kyaku, FP Goushoryuken,
<cancel> SA

3) Tenma Kujin Kyaku, crouching SKx2, crouching FK, RK Tatsumaki Zankuu
Kyaku

4)Crouching FK, Gohadoken, SA

5)Jump + FP, MP, Goshoryuken, <cancel> SA

6)Juggle with air Tatsumaki, Kongou Kokuretsuzan (unconfirmed)

7)Jump + FP, crouching FP, Goshoryuken, <cancel> SA

8) Jump + RK, crouching FK, Gohadoken, <cancel> SA (instead of
Gohadoken you could go LK Tatsumaki, Goshoryuken, but you will not get
all the SA hits in if you use the Messatsu Gou Shoryu)

<<<11>>>
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Akuma's Ending

A deep sea exploration team is looking around on the ocean. Nothing
interesting is happening until they notice a man with glowing eyes
standing on the bow of a sunken ship. They are surprised, because no
one could survive at this depth. Their panicy report reaches their
mother ship, a big ocean liner, just as they are destroyed. Suddenly,
their huge ocean liner is ripped in half by this man as he skyrockets
out of the water, screaming the name of his new technique.
Akuma: Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! Tenshou Kareki Jin!

According to Mr. Megura, Tenshou Kareki Jin  might mean something
along the lines of "Deadly Chopping Blade"

<<<12>>>
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CREDITS

Kao Megura [email protected]
for letting me use the official names of the moves from his page and
translating that wicked move at the end

"T" [email protected]
for inspiring me to write this, suggesting some solid ideas, and the
titles for each section

Ma Junior
Who said , "Akuma is the biggest grouch of all. Why are you writing
about him?"

Deus
eeeeeee

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