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Evo Moment 37: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Evo Moment 37
Daigo Umehara stood on the precipice of defeat with a single pixel of health remaining, facing a move that would end his tournament run if it connected. The year was 2004, and the setting was the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, where the Evolution Championship Series had gathered the world's best fighting game players. Justin Wong, playing as Chun-Li, unleashed a Super Art II move that struck fifteen times in rapid succession. Any single hit would have knocked Umehara's character, Ken, out of the match. Instead of blocking or dodging, Umehara executed a technique known as a parry, moving his character forward to meet the attack within a six-frame window, which translates to roughly 0.1 seconds at 60 frames per second. He had to predict the start of the move before it even began and then time the same split-second input for every subsequent hit. The crowd erupted as he successfully countered the entire sequence, leaving Wong stunned and Umehara with enough life to launch a 12-hit combo and win the round. This moment, later dubbed Evo Moment 37, would become the most iconic sequence in competitive video game history, transcending the game itself to become a symbol of human reflex and determination.
Rivals Without History
Despite the intensity of their encounter, Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong had never played against one another before the loser's finals of Evo 2004. Their rivalry was built not on past matches but on contrasting philosophies that defined their approach to Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Umehara, known as The Beast, was an aggressive player who thrived on pressure and close-quarters combat, while Wong was the antithesis of that style, favoring a conservative turtle strategy that chipped away at opponents slowly. This clash of ideologies created a psychological tension that commentators noted was rare to see in Umehara, who appeared visibly angry as Wong's defensive play wore him down. Seth Killian, a Capcom employee and match commentator, observed that the footage showed Daigo actually angry, with Justin's turtle-style on the verge of putting Daigo down. The match took place on the 1st of August 2004, and the atmosphere was thick with anticipation because Street Fighter was the only game still being played on traditional arcade cabinets, while all other titles were shifted to home consoles. This choice of hardware added a layer of authenticity and nostalgia to the event, grounding the competition in the physical reality of the arcade era.
The Clock and The Choice
With 26 seconds remaining in the final round of match one, Justin Wong held a decisive advantage and the option to run out the clock to secure the victory. Instead of playing it safe, Wong chose to end the match quickly, eager to close out the game and move forward. This decision proved to be a fatal error, as it gave Umehara the opening he needed to attempt the impossible. Special attacks in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike deal a slight amount of damage even when blocked, meaning that any hit from Wong's Super Art II would have knocked Umehara's character out of the match. The pressure was immense, as Umehara had to predict when his opponent would start his Super Art Move and then perform the same split-second timing on all 14 of the remaining hits. The crowd's reaction was euphoric, with cheers and shouts filling the arena as Umehara parried Wong's moves and turned the game around. This moment of high-stakes decision-making highlighted the psychological warfare inherent in competitive gaming, where the choice to take a risk can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Evo Moment 37 took place on the 1st of August 2004 at the California State Polytechnic University in Pomona during the Evolution Championship Series.
Who performed the famous parry in Evo Moment 37?
Daigo Umehara performed the famous parry while playing as Ken against Justin Wong who was playing as Chun-Li.
What game was played during Evo Moment 37?
The match was played in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike on traditional arcade cabinets.
How many hits did Daigo Umehara parry in the sequence?
Daigo Umehara parried 14 hits from Justin Wong's Super Art II move within a six-frame window.
Who named the moment Evo Moment 37?
Tournament organizer and ring announcer Ben Cureton named the moment Evo Moment 37 when he uploaded a highlight video of the parry after the tournament.
How many times has Evo Moment 37 been viewed as of 2016?
By 2016 Evo Moment 37 had been viewed more than 10 million times.
One of the tournament organizers and the primary ring announcer, Ben Cureton, was asked to create a highlight video of the Daigo Parry after the tournament was completed. Cureton uploaded the video under the title Evo Moment 37, picking an arbitrary two-digit number to represent the highlight. The number 37 was chosen without any deeper meaning, yet it became synonymous with the moment itself. In 2019, a previously unnoticed recording of the match was discovered by Evo business developer and Tekken brand and community advisor Mark Julio, lying amid a stack of old tapes and discs. Recorded by Ace R., this video was filmed from a different viewpoint and included distinct live reactions of the people in the crowd. MarkMan uploaded this video on YouTube in April 2019, offering a new perspective on the event that had already become legendary. The discovery of this alternate recording added depth to the story, revealing the raw emotions and reactions of the crowd that were not captured in the original broadcast. This rediscovery underscored the enduring impact of the moment, as it continued to generate interest and discussion years after the fact.
The Community's Lifeline
Evo Moment 37 is frequently described as the most iconic and memorable moment in the history of competitive video gaming, and it was at one point the most-watched competitive gaming moment of all time. Kotaku compared it to sports moments such as Babe Ruth's called shot and the Miracle on Ice, highlighting its cultural significance beyond the gaming community. In an interview with John Guerrero of EventHubs, Justin Wong stated that he believed Evo Moment 37 may have helped save the fighting game community, which was becoming less active at the time. Umehara gave a more in-depth account of the match in his 2016 autobiography, in which he explains how he briefly departed from the fighting game community afterwards. The moment served as a beacon of hope and inspiration, drawing new players into the scene and reinvigorating those who had lost interest. It became a shared reference point for the community, a story that was told and retold to illustrate the potential for greatness in the face of overwhelming odds.
Echoes Across Generations
The legacy of Evo Moment 37 extended far beyond the original match, influencing the development of future games and the culture of competitive gaming. The downloadable online version of 3rd Strike, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition, features a challenge where players need to pull off the Daigo Parry, allowing a new generation to experience the difficulty of the move. A parody of Evo Moment 37 was presented in the 2012 anime adaptation of Acchi Kocchi, bringing the moment into the realm of animation and further cementing its place in pop culture. In 2014, Umehara and Wong held a rematch as a celebration of Evo Moment 37 ten years prior, in which Wong once again attempted to chip Umehara out with Chun-Li's special move. Umehara successfully parried Chun-Li's special move again, but Wong had enough vitality left to win the round a few seconds later. This rematch served as a tribute to the original moment, allowing the two players to revisit the history they had made together.
The Parry That Never Ends
By 2016, Evo Moment 37 had been viewed more than 10 million times, making it one of the most-watched tournament highlights of all time. In a friendly match during 2016, British Street Fighter player Ryan Hart notably pulled off Daigo's parry while not looking at the TV screen, demonstrating the move's influence on the skill level of the community. 2018's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features Ken as a playable character, with the Shippu Jinraikyaku available as one of his Final Smashes. In his reveal trailer, Ken parries an attack from Punch-Out!!s Little Mac before immediately countering with his Final Smash, referencing the iconic moment. These references and homages ensured that the story of Evo Moment 37 continued to evolve, reaching audiences who had never played Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. The moment became a touchstone for the community, a symbol of the skill and dedication required to excel in competitive gaming.
The Next Chapter
In 2024, 20 years after Evo Moment 37, a 3rd Strike tournament was confirmed for that year's EVO. To promote the event, a short skit was made featuring Wong and Umehara. Wong, at a Chipotle Mexican Grill location, asks Umehara over the phone if he wants extra guacamole on his order, to which Umehara responds that he can handle something with a little more kick. A clip of the moment then plays, followed by an unamused Wong hanging up and leaving the restaurant. During the 3rd Strike tournament, a match between Hayao as Hugo and Franklin FrankieBFG Nunez as Ken ended with Hayao, down to his last pixel of health, midair-parrying Ken's multi-hitting Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and using Hugo's dropkick to dodge Ken's Shippuu Jinraikyaku, allowing him an opening to attack and win the match. The moment was similarly hailed, with some commentators nicknaming it Evo Moment 38. This new chapter in the story demonstrated that the spirit of Evo Moment 37 lived on, inspiring new players to attempt the impossible and create their own moments of greatness.