One fighting game to rule them all...
The difficulty of the game is variable. It is easy enough to learn that you can be competitive against the computer even as a fighting game newbie like myself. If you play multiplayer against friends be warned: button-mashers can and will take veterans down. The beauty of SC III is that if two veterans are playing each other, knowing a character inside and out can be a huge advantage. But get that rookie player involved and they could disrupt your well-thought out plans by acting completely unexpectedly. It is truly a game for all players, regardless of skill. There's something for everyone here.
The storyline modes (one for each character) and strategy game are cheesy, but fun to play through and offer good practice. They also are the way to unlock playable characters, items, new weapons and other cool stuff. The character creation is outstanding and building your own fighter is great fun. However, it's easy to fall back to the wonderful SC III characters. Almost all of them are unique and challenging in their own ways. You'll have a hard time picking just one favorite.
Some will say that SC III should have had online connectivity. But those who understand fighting games (or have done some research) understand that this is practically impossible right now. The framerate just wouldn't hold up to make online play a feasible. Believe me, though, you don't need it. The motions are fluid and smooth for all characters. The gameplay is top-notch and the backgrounds are beautiful. Small touches like the sound of a character hitting the water and a splash being seen are excellent visual additions.
In short, if you even are mildly interested in fighting games and/or have friends to play games with, you owe it to yourself to at least try SC III. Don't be ashamed when you rush to the store to buy it and find yourself picking up the strategy guide as well. Learning the moves takes time and practice, and having a reference for them is a great help in mastering these awesome characters.