Friday, May 14, 2010

Happy Birthday to the Man Who Started It All

I just wanted to take some to wish our founder a happy birthday. Walter Day turns 61 years young today.

Walter, you are competitive gaming's true pioneer. You have inspired me to take my favorite modern system (Wii) and some of it's games to levels not known to the "hardcore" crowd. You have paved the way for anyone who ever wanted to play for a World Record. Even if today's modern tournament crowd doesn't realize it, what you did for the last three decades opened the door for those players today.

Let us take this day to honor competitive gaming's first world champion. Happy Birthday, Walter.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Anime Castle Tournament

I went to Anime Castle in Flushing to compete in my first Super Street Fighter IV tournament. Didn't do well. I felt there were some things that I should have done differently.

My mistakes:

1: Assuming my opponent play will they the rest of you competition does

While waiting for my match I was watching the other matches play through. I saw some not-so-spectacular players. When it was time for me to play I automatically thought my oppenent would be easy to be. Actually he played a better Zangief that I gave him credit for. Caught me off guard.


2: Not switching my character when I should have

During when I lost my first fight Zangief I stuck with Sakura, only to get knocked into losers. I think I could have saved myself by picking somebody with more tools against Zangief.

3: Not playing with my own arcade stick, or one like it.

The tournament was on a PlayStation 3, a system I don't have (I play on Xbpx 360). I played my matches on a loaner stick, a Hori Real Arcade Pro 3. In my second match against Juri I played pretty well on the first fight. Just when I was about to win it...accidental pause on my side. That took away my win and killed my well-needed momentum. I still fought hard to the end but my tournament life ended early.

The stick I use is the TE FightStick from Mad Catz. The Mad Catz sticks have their Start and Back buttons on the front side where the wire comes out while the HARPs have their Start and Back buttons on the face with the other buttons. I should have asked to borrow a Mad Catz stick. I highly doubt the pause would have happened if I played on one.

I have certainly learned from the errors I have made in Flushing tournament. Next tournament I will certainly come in more focused and better prepared.