Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Full Comparison CPS3 V.S. DC

[stellarola]

I've been rocking the DC version of 3rd strike on my cab for awhile. I decided it was time to get the legit hardware. I got my CPS3 3rd Strike kit in the mail today. All I can say is, I paided a lot of money for the DC version. It looks exactly the same in non-interlaced mode. Check out my site for the article I wrote up. Tell me what you all think.

http://candycabinetcity.tz4.com/

[TalkingOctopus]

All I can say is, I paided a lot of money for the DC version.

Nice comparison.  You paid a lot for the DC version?!  Do you mean the CPS3 kit?  They both look the same to me too.  I guess I don't have a bionic eye.  I've heard the experts complain about the DC port for gameplay reasons.  Although I can't say it's affected my games...  Sadly, I have a hard time finding 2d fighter opponents.  Everyone wants to play something 3D like soul calibur or tekken .

[stellarola]

All I can say is, I paided a lot of money for the DC version.

Nice comparison.  You paid a lot for the DC version?!  Do you mean the CPS3 kit?  They both look the same to me too.  I guess I don't have a bionic eye.  I've heard the experts complain about the DC port for gameplay reasons.  Although I can't say it's affected my games...  Sadly, I have a hard time finding 2d fighter opponents.  Everyone wants to play something 3D like soul calibur or tekken .

I meant to say DC version. I was meaning that I paid a lot for the same game. 

[TalkingOctopus]

All I can say is, I paided a lot of money for the DC version.

Nice comparison.  You paid a lot for the DC version?!  Do you mean the CPS3 kit?  They both look the same to me too.  I guess I don't have a bionic eye.  I've heard the experts complain about the DC port for gameplay reasons.  Although I can't say it's affected my games...  Sadly, I have a hard time finding 2d fighter opponents.  Everyone wants to play something 3D like soul calibur or tekken .

I meant to say DC version. I was meaning that I paid a lot for the same game. 

Doh!  I get it now.   I shouldn't post late at night!

[walls83]

The Arcade version is better(not visual but just in general).  Some times the dreamcast buttons have a delay on them.  I know its not much but its something.

and on a side note.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike kicks ass,  I have the DC hooked up to my machine also and I rock the hell out of that game. 

[stellarola]

All I can say is, I paided a lot of money for the DC version.

Nice comparison.  You paid a lot for the DC version?!  Do you mean the CPS3 kit?  They both look the same to me too.  I guess I don't have a bionic eye.  I've heard the experts complain about the DC port for gameplay reasons.  Although I can't say it's affected my games...  Sadly, I have a hard time finding 2d fighter opponents.  Everyone wants to play something 3D like soul calibur or tekken .

I meant to say DC version. I was meaning that I paid a lot for the same game. 

Doh!  I get it now.   I shouldn't post late at night!

I wrote that article last night. There are so many errors in my grammer, it's terrible. I shouldn't write when I'm tired. Like right now.

[Scott84]

Is it hooked up to an arcade monitor?

[spottydog]

Hi, I have both too, cps3 and dreamcast. I don't have a dc to jamma adaptor so I haven't seen the dc version running on my cab.
Here are some differences I've noticed: music - the rap is different, character selection screen music. Hugo's eye enlarges and he looks at Poison before a match. This animation is absent in the dc version.
I ran both versions on my old Sony tv which is excellent for sfc/sat/dc/supergun. The cps3 version was much sharper graphically.
Dreamcast 3rd Strike is a little blurry. The W Impact games are sharper.
What are you using with your dreamcast?

[stellarola]

Hi, I have both too, cps3 and dreamcast. I don't have a dc to jamma adaptor so I haven't seen the dc version running on my cab.
Here are some differences I've noticed: music - the rap is different, character selection screen music. Hugo's eye enlarges and he looks at Poison before a match. This animation is absent in the dc version.
I ran both versions on my old Sony tv which is excellent for sfc/sat/dc/supergun. The cps3 version was much sharper graphically.
Dreamcast 3rd Strike is a little blurry. The W Impact games are sharper.
What are you using with your dreamcast?

Those animations are in the Dreamcast version. He looks at Poison before matches. The rap could be different because included in the Dreamcast version is a remix, you can choose original soundtrack. 3rd Strike is not blurry, your running it in interlaced mode. Run it in de-interlaced mode by holding L+Start at the Capcom logo. People think the colors are washed out. I'll change the think to thought. It's apparent that this is false. The colors are just as vivid. The people comparing were more or less running the dreamcast via composite or s-video, which doesn't give the colors an arcade (rgb) monitor does. Check the pictures, the results are in.

This is just a visual comparison. Gameplay may vary, depending on how skilled you are.

[elvis]

Visually speaking I find the DC and PS2 versions of 3S spot on.   I've got no complaints with either.  Gone are the days of console versions being grossly inferior in visual quality to arcade versions (SNES SF2 anyone?).

Basically all the developers can stuff up these days is either forcing the game into 480i mode instead of 240p mode, or removing the user-selectable filter in the graphics options.

Gameplay wise I much prefer the PS2 version.  I played the DC version for ages until some very strong prompting from folks in this very forum convinced me to shell out for the PS2 version, and I can say now it was good advice.

[Dave_K.]

Nice writeup Ben.  Graphically speaking, they are identical.  The now legendary "DC controller lag" is nothing more than the using the analog shoulder buttons on an original DC pad.  If you hack a madcatz that has the Y and Z buttons (all 6 buttons on the face) there is no input lag.  If you use an mgcd, no input lag. The only other difference as mentioned here, are the gameplay mechanics/options, some special moves are disabled, and some timing is supposed to be off (basically the port is on the latest version of 3S which people dont like, they like one of the first versions of the PCB which had some cheese in it which you can wipe newbies asses with.    Well documented on neo-geo forums.

[stellarola]

Rewrote article to put a lot of issues to rest. Check it out at my site. http://candycabinetcity.tz4.com/

If you read it --BINGO! Either that, or I was attempting to say "before" but it was too many letters to type--, be sure to reload the page. 

[Goz]

Come on Ben, you of all people should know by now that the DC is the console with the most arcade perfect ports. Kind of shocked you didnt just track down the CPS III version in a local arcade and go and play it. What are your plans for the CPS III?

-Goz

[SukkaFoo]

A MAJOR difference between the DC and arcade versions is the number of inputs that can be buffered. Your average players won't notice this one bit, but high level play riles on something called "Just Frames."

"Just Frames" are moves that will only execute when a commant input is entered during a small window of time (usually just 1-3 frames of animation, hence, just frame). In the arcade version, if I remember correctly, the game can handle up to 1/2 of 254 moves (that is, each player can input 127 commands before the buffer is full, when including null commands to make the full 256).

What difference does it make? Lets assume your opponent is going to juggle you in a match, and one of his commands requires a just frame: mash all your buttons! If you can input 127 commands, it will stop him from getting the just frame. That's really hard, if not impossible, to do... until you try it on a DC.

The DC only allows 62 moves (null + 2 sets of 31). It is a LOT easier to mash out 32 commands.

All that being said, the only time it really matters is in a tournament, and most tournaments use the PS2 version anyhow.

The same problem exists with the DC vs Arcade versions of MVC2 (and, I would assume, all Capcom fighting games).

[stellarola]

Come on Ben, you of all people should know by now that the DC is the console with the most arcade perfect ports. Kind of shocked you didnt just track down the CPS III version in a local arcade and go and play it. What are your plans for the CPS III?

-Goz

I have 2 3rd Strike CPS3 kits right now. I plan on selling one of them. I do want to keep the other just cause. I like to insert the coin, heh. I actually did play it in an arcade, but they had the screen squashed, so you couldn't tell the difference. Now seeing the two versions at my home, on the the same Astro City, they look the same.

-Ben

[stellarola]

A MAJOR difference between the DC and arcade versions is the number of inputs that can be buffered. Your average players won't notice this one bit, but high level play riles on something called "Just Frames."

"Just Frames" are moves that will only execute when a commant input is entered during a small window of time (usually just 1-3 frames of animation, hence, just frame). In the arcade version, if I remember correctly, the game can handle up to 1/2 of 254 moves (that is, each player can input 127 commands before the buffer is full, when including null commands to make the full 256).

What difference does it make? Lets assume your opponent is going to juggle you in a match, and one of his commands requires a just frame: mash all your buttons! If you can input 127 commands, it will stop him from getting the just frame. That's really hard, if not impossible, to do... until you try it on a DC.

The DC only allows 62 moves (null + 2 sets of 31). It is a LOT easier to mash out 32 commands.

All that being said, the only time it really matters is in a tournament, and most tournaments use the PS2 version anyhow.

The same problem exists with the DC vs Arcade versions of MVC2 (and, I would assume, all Capcom fighting games).

I'll add that stuff to my site sometime. I've heard everyone talking about MVC2 on DC is the most perfect port of the game. Better than PS2 and Xbox. The all just frame stuff, I wouldn't notice.

[elvis]

I'll add that stuff to my site sometime. I've heard everyone talking about MVC2 on DC is the most perfect port of the game. Better than PS2 and Xbox. The all just frame stuff, I wouldn't notice.

MvC2 and SvC2 are both Naomi games.  "Translating" them to Dreamcast was a non-issue .  The dreamcast is hardware identical to the Naomi, with the exception of half the work RAM and half the video RAM.  Translating Naomi titles to DC usually involves changing a few "insert coin" graphics (some games like Soul Calibur II even leave this in!!!) and dropping the textures in 3D games down to half-res (and for MvC2 and SvC2, this means only the backgrounds are affected).

I know for a fact SvC2 has shorter load times on DC than any other console port, despite having the slowest CDROM out of the lot.  I've played SvC2 for a year now on DC, and recently went to a mate's to play it on his PS2.  The load times were shocking!

3S on DC is well known in it's brokenness.  Ask any high-level player, and they all unanimously agree.  For myself as a casual player, I can't pinpoint the differences, but the DC version just feels wrong.  There are plenty of moves that are just slightly different in enough places to change the rhythm of the game and throw me off.  The PS2 version is much better in that respect.  Jump on the SRK forums and ask the same sort of question, and you'll get a thread full of replies telling you every fault on the DC version down to the frame it occurs.  Those guys take their fighters seriously, and will give you all the juicey details you need.

Another thing to mention is 3S's load times on PS2.  They are nearly non-existent.  Full credit to whoever put this port together for making it one of the best arcade->PS2 ports of any game I've ever played (a close second is Cave's ESP Galuda ported by Arika).

[jimjim]

I'll add that stuff to my site sometime. I've heard everyone talking about MVC2 on DC is the most perfect port of the game. Better than PS2 and Xbox. The all just frame stuff, I wouldn't notice.

MvC2 and SvC2 are both Naomi games.  "Translating" them to Dreamcast was a non-issue .  The dreamcast is hardware identical to the Naomi, with the exception of half the work RAM and half the video RAM.  Translating Naomi titles to DC usually involves changing a few "insert coin" graphics (some games like Soul Calibur II even leave this in!!!) and dropping the textures in 3D games down to half-res (and for MvC2 and SvC2, this means only the backgrounds are affected).

I know for a fact SvC2 has shorter load times on DC than any other console port, despite having the slowest CDROM out of the lot.  I've played SvC2 for a year now on DC, and recently went to a mate's to play it on his PS2.  The load times were shocking!

3S on DC is well known in it's brokenness.  Ask any high-level player, and they all unanimously agree.  For myself as a casual player, I can't pinpoint the differences, but the DC version just feels wrong.  There are plenty of moves that are just slightly different in enough places to change the rhythm of the game and throw me off.  The PS2 version is much better in that respect.  Jump on the SRK forums and ask the same sort of question, and you'll get a thread full of replies telling you every fault on the DC version down to the frame it occurs.  Those guys take their fighters seriously, and will give you all the juicey details you need.

Another thing to mention is 3S's load times on PS2.  They are nearly non-existent.  Full credit to whoever put this port together for making it one of the best arcade->PS2 ports of any game I've ever played (a close second is Cave's ESP Galuda ported by Arika).

Just curious about how well MVC2 and 3rd Strike transfered to the xbox.  I have MVC2 for both the xbox and DC and I'm not an expert and just play it every once in a while, so they seem the same.  I plan on getting 3rd strike for the xbox, would the load times be shorter because of the hard drive?  Is the xbox version pretty good?

Thanks

[stellarola]

I'll add that stuff to my site sometime. I've heard everyone talking about MVC2 on DC is the most perfect port of the game. Better than PS2 and Xbox. The all just frame stuff, I wouldn't notice.

MvC2 and SvC2 are both Naomi games.  "Translating" them to Dreamcast was a non-issue .  The dreamcast is hardware identical to the Naomi, with the exception of half the work RAM and half the video RAM.  Translating Naomi titles to DC usually involves changing a few "insert coin" graphics (some games like Soul Calibur II even leave this in!!!) and dropping the textures in 3D games down to half-res (and for MvC2 and SvC2, this means only the backgrounds are affected).

I know for a fact SvC2 has shorter load times on DC than any other console port, despite having the slowest CDROM out of the lot.  I've played SvC2 for a year now on DC, and recently went to a mate's to play it on his PS2.  The load times were shocking!

3S on DC is well known in it's brokenness.  Ask any high-level player, and they all unanimously agree.  For myself as a casual player, I can't pinpoint the differences, but the DC version just feels wrong.  There are plenty of moves that are just slightly different in enough places to change the rhythm of the game and throw me off.  The PS2 version is much better in that respect.  Jump on the SRK forums and ask the same sort of question, and you'll get a thread full of replies telling you every fault on the DC version down to the frame it occurs.  Those guys take their fighters seriously, and will give you all the juicey details you need.

Another thing to mention is 3S's load times on PS2.  They are nearly non-existent.  Full credit to whoever put this port together for making it one of the best arcade->PS2 ports of any game I've ever played (a close second is Cave's ESP Galuda ported by Arika).

Just curious about how well MVC2 and 3rd Strike transfered to the xbox.  I have MVC2 for both the xbox and DC and I'm not an expert and just play it every once in a while, so they seem the same.  I plan on getting 3rd strike for the xbox, would the load times be shorter because of the hard drive?  Is the xbox version pretty good?

Thanks

I've heard MVC2 on the xbox is the worst translation out of all the versions. 3rd Strike, mechanically is arcade perfect. I'm referring to gameplay. 

[SukkaFoo]

Well, you do get the online play feature with Xbox, but real head-to-head online fighting games are a long way away. The lag is simply too great, no matter what sort of connection you use. You can't do anything on reaction, you can't juggle (bye-bye Genni-Jin) and it is a headache breaking throws.