Future Games Network -- Competition Fever!

After my recent trip to the North East Championships, an event held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, not only did I gain a deeper, personal appreciation for the entire gaming community, but I also had a great time. The two day event was hosted at University Pinball, in which players predominantly from the East Coast region, (with a small presence from the California area) assembled to compete in several popular titles. On hand for competitive play were Capcom vs. SNK, Marvel vs. Capcom, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike, Street Fighter Alpha 3, and Tekken Tag Tournament). Overall, the event went smoothly and many in the community hope that future tournaments can return here.

While many are unfamiliar to the tournament scene, you may recognize some of the titles in one form or another such as the Street Fighter 2 series. For the past decade, these titles remain one of the most competitive, diverse and challenging series played by gamers predominantly throughout North America and Japan. Since its debut, over two dozen titles have evolved from the original series, establishing a new demographic for the vs. series (XMen vs. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. SF, Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom 2). The most recent crossover uniting two of the most popular 2D fighting corporations is Capcom vs. SNK.

Ever flexed your skills in a tourney? While many can claim they’re the best on the block, their borough, or even the entire state, talk is cheap and no one hands out recognition and respect without one’s skills being proven. Many, like myself, in the early years were quite green as to all the nuances behind the tournament scene. The following offers insight into my personal growth and maturing in the realm of tournaments.

Regardless of the criteria for any form of competitive play, the basis of the competition remains the same: there are winners and losers. As the years passed, and I continued to navigate throughout the gates of ignorance, my personal comprehension of this fact began to gain focus. For you see, everyone always aspires to achieve success as opposed to failure.

In the beginning...

My personal passion for Street Fighter 2, one of the most popular franchises to date, began to take on a higher meaning once I experienced my first national tournament, the East Coast Championships, which was the fourth time the event was hosted in Dunellen, New Jersey. I was quite excited to finally have the opportunity to test my gaming aptitude against the various players that assembled from throughout the states, including California, Chicago, Virginia, New York, and Texas. It was also during this era when The Next Level (TNL) was still in its infancy and I was covering the event for GameFan Magazine. My excitement can be sensed in the excerpt from this article:

Ever since the dawn of fighting games for as long as I could remember, I always wanted to believe that I was among the best between my peers. I can recall sitting up with a lot of them all hours of the night unleashing unspeakable damage as we welcomed the sun for the new day. They were definitely enjoyable times. When it came time to venture into the arcade scene, I came to realize that my potential was incredibly lacking. Sure I took down my friends easily, but it didn't work that way at the arcade. More practice I thought...sure, that could help, but even that wasn't inadequate. Well, long story short and 8 years later, I came to see that there was definitely a lot more than realizing that skill went hand in hand with fun, and sportsmanship.

ECC4 was quite the reality check for me. During an era where I was stubborn and arrogant in terms of my own potential, the results proved the fact at hand — I wasn’t as good as I thought I was.

Throws, Lies and "Ego–mobiles"

After my first visit to ECC4, many of my friends remarked that they wouldn’t have a good time because of the fact that their skills weren’t good enough to compete. While it’s true that you’ll encounter a diverse mix of personalities, don’t necessarily assume that these players possess greater experience and skills than you, and that everyone in attendance will have a chip on their shoulder. As for being ridiculed, unless you’ve brought attention to yourself, (i.e. bragging through shoryuken.com forums or agsf2 newsgroup), proclaiming you’re going to make an example of one of the top players like John Choi and Alex Valle, only to be eliminated in two matches, you shouldn’t assume you’ll be humiliated. First off, the biggest mistake you can make before even stepping up to face your opponent is harboring any form of doubt or self–depreciation. Attitude is the key and negative emotions of any sort will prove to work against you. Next, don’t be concerned with your placement or with whom you’re matched.

There are many misconceptions, half–truths, rumors and doubts in the mind of an individual who’s unfamiliar with the elements that comprise the tournament atmosphere. My personal background was based upon the influential circle I associated with, where the mindset revolved around the nuances of fair play, honor, and superficial elements that truly wouldn't aid in the successful development of a competitive player.

In the early 90’s, I frequented a local venue known as Broadway Arcade. At the time, this was the only place where I knew all the elements of competition. It was during an era where Super SF2/Turbo was one of the most popular games and the house rule of the arcade was "no throwing". Anyone that violated this rule was obligated to return their invalid attack by allowing the opponent to throw them back in recognition of fair play and honor. I, for one, am glad to see that we’ve evolved past this frustrating topic.

But winning is everything

The next point that is evident to me involves a fact I’ve noticed all too often: casual play vs. tournament play. Very skilled players can fool around in a casual situation, since there’s nothing at stake, short of losing a quarter. However, in the case of tournaments where cash and rankings are on the line, you’ll discover the playing style will be substantially different, causing many players to become disillusioned with the tactics others use. While many are quick to brag about how frequently they defeat so–and–so in the casual atmosphere of the arcade, when they compete in the tourney they end up the loser. Therefore, casual play should be viewed as such. You’re playing for fun, not status. Players all have their peaks as well as bad days, and unless you're consistently defeating the competition on a daily basis, never over estimate your gaming caliber.

Winning is a great feeling, but there are other factors that add to your growth. If you won every challenge and never encountered a loss, would you improve? The most difficult element to face is defeat. I never wanted to lose, and way before I engaged in tournaments, I had my own niche and winnings. It wasn’t until I met more competitive players and realized that further growth and maturity was needed on my part in order to excel. You must be open–minded if you ever expect to improve. Tactics that have been proven to work against you, or even characters you’ve become fond of, may require re–evaluation and adjustment.

Final Round — face it straight!

With ECC6 on the horizon, I am eagerly awaiting this event as I endeavor to continue my growth as a better player. My past experiences from previous tourneys up until NEC have helped me a great deal, further backed by the support and training with other players in my area. It is my hope that ECC6 will also bring new faces into the community circle, and hopefully these shared insights will enable some heretofore skeptical gamers to participate in tournaments. Always remember that we're all united by a common goal, and that by coming together, we help to enrich each another with our diverse skills and personalities. While tournaments have been designed with the primary goal that players compete first for prizes, they’re also a great source for community association, discussing tactics, improving your game play, and, most importantly, they’re engineered for all to have a good time.

Don’t give up . . .challenge again.

All screen shots were photographed by Todd Dwyer, Tournament Director of 8 on the Break. Stay tuned for upcoming details on ECC6 coming soon at The Break ECC6 section!