it's interesting to observe how 2D fighting games started out ugly, got really beautiful over time, but then had to "self-disrupt" and become ugly in 3D before climbing a new gradient of beautiful

it's not so obvious from the screenshots, but Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike was and still is a really beautiful game. Peak 2d animation – incredibly fluid and "alive". The hits connect hard and feel right

I grew up playing Street Fighter II with my brothers – it was great for its time, the controls felt nice and tight and responsive for its time. We had a great time

SF3:3S though... gave us this. I don't think it would've been possible to have had this moment in SF2. And I'm not sure I've heard of any such moment in SF4 or 5. It feels like Third Strike hit a peak in what was possible in 2D fighting games https://twitter.com/visakanv/status/1084072016456515584

(... this twitter thread should really be a youtube video, but I am very good at making twitter threads, and not yet very good at making youtube videos. FML)

trying street fighter 4 after having played third strike was kinda disappointing. but I understand why it had to be that way – it's growing pains. they're changing the whole medium. it's the same reason my video essays currently suck compared to my twitter threads

but I think you can kinda feel that there's some progress from 4 to 5. it's very subtle little things – the feel of the hits and so on. and also the new medium lets them do some cool new things that weren't quite possible in 2d. it's exctiing to watch them get better at this