Third's Top Three - Evo Moments!
Hey guys, it's your boy EmCee3rd again. Withe EVO 2013 less than a week away, I've decided to list down my top 3 moments from previous EVO's.
Now for those of you who don't know, EVO or Evolution Championship Series, is THE event to go to for competitive fighting games. Players from all over the world travel to Las Vegas to compete in tournaments for several of the biggest fighting game franchises such as King of Fighters, Marvel vs. Capcom, and Tekken, withe Street Fighter usually headlining the main event.
Now, I've been to a number of FGC (again, that's Fighting Game Community for those still learning the lingo!) events here in the Philippines, and the experience is something else. The good kind of "something else" mind you. From interacting with fellow players to the competitions themselves, tournaments and casuals are always something to look forward to. I can only imagine how that sort of rush and adrenaline will be magnified on the biggest FGC event in the world. So let's get down to it. My 3 favorite EVO moments.
3. Poongko Blows up the Beast! (EVO 2011, Super Street Fighter IV)
Daigo Umehara. One of, if not the best Street Fighter players out there. He's been given the nickname "the Beast" for crying out loud. At EVO 2011, he decided to use Yun as his character for Super Street Fighter IV, a character who was very strong at the time. So given his track record along with his character of choice, Daigo Umehara was any betting man's pick to go all the way. Enter Poongko of Korea. Poongko had been making a splash on the online scene coming into EVO 2011 with a somewhat underutilized character. Being the underdog, the crowd was clearly on Poongko's side. And he did not disappoint.
2. EG Floe Wants to be the Guy (Pre-EVO 2012 Special Event)
"I Wanna be the Guy" is a game that puts everything you love (and hate) about old school platform games and rolls them into one. This game is known for being extremely hard, and then some. At the Pre-EVO 2012 Special Event, a new version of the game called "I Wanna be the Guy Gaiden" was played by Evil Genius' Floe on stream, and what goes down was pretty awesomely hilarious. Or hilariously awesome. Take your pick. If you are a fan of insanely hard games, trolling people, or both, then this video is for you. You may even end up watching the whole hour and forty minutes! (Actual footage of the game starts at around the 13 minute mark)
1. The Daigo Parry (EVO 2004)
Chances are, anyone who has had anything to do with any FGC anywhere saw this coming a mile away. But since I aim to reach new people with this blog, then I just have to show this video to you.
First off, remember that Daigo guy I was talking about earlier? Yep, it's the same person. Now, watch any other video of him playing Street Fighter other than the one I posted at #3, and you will very likely see him dominate his opponent. At EVO 2004, Daigo Umehara pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in the history of comebacks.
Now, since I am aiming at people who are rather unfamiliar with the FGC or fighting games in general, let me break it down for you. In almost any fighting game you play, you can block an opponent's attack by pressing and holding the direction your character is not facing, or simply put, pressing back. What this does is mitigate or sometimes even nullify damage dealt to your character. Street Fighter 3 introduced a mechanic where instead of blocking an attack, you can opt to parry it. Instead of pressing and holding back, to parry an attack, you must time pressing forward (the direction your character is facing) with the incoming attack. A successful parry means you do not receive any damage to your health and have an opportunity to counter. It's more difficult to pull off, but much more rewarding when done right, as Mr. Umehara will show us.
So there you have my three favorite EVO moments. That number spot, I did not actually see unfold as it happened, but it is what pushed me to go attend these sort of events. So hopefully, it has had the same effect on you. If you do you decide to come to a tournament or casual session and see me there, don't hesitate to holler at me. I don't bite (unless you're a cute girl and is into that sort of stuff). Remember to send any questions you may have my way. I'm outtie. Peace!
