Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

One perfectly timed press and the whole situation flips — the parry system in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike from 1999 is proof that a fighting game can be both brutally demanding and beautifully elegant. With this game Capcom took the 2D Street Fighter to its absolute peak: masterfully crafted action where deflecting an opponent's attack at the exact moment can turn around even a seemingly lost exchange.

The parry is a mechanic that changed the perception of the genre. Instead of blocking, which drains energy, you can „deflect" a blow with a precise motion at the right split second — and open a path to a counterattack. It takes nerves of steel and a deep reading of your opponent, but the reward is intoxicating. It is precisely this depth that made 3rd Strike a sacred title among competitive players.

Proof of this is the legendary „EVO Moment 37", when Daigo Umehara parried an entire super combo on his last sliver of health and the crowd literally exploded. It is the most famous moment in competitive gaming ever, a clip that circled the globe and became a symbol of why fighting games are such thrilling spectacle.

Beyond the depth of its system, the game dazzles with its animation. The characters move with a fluidity and personality few could match at the time — every blow, dodge and victory pose is hand-tuned down to the smallest detail. It is the visual peak of Street Fighter's 2D era and a spectacle that has not aged a day.

The difficulty will deter anyone looking for casual fun, but for anyone who longs to dig beneath the surface and master true skill, 3rd Strike is one of the deepest and most rewarding fighting games ever made.

Why play: A masterful 2D fighter with a legendary parry system and timeless animation — the pinnacle of Street Fighter and the cradle of e-sports' most famous moment.