EVO 2013 has been one of the biggest gaming events of the year. Even if you're not into fighting games at all you can easily catch up by checking out the top five moments out of this year's EVO that didn't include the Xbox One getting booed out.
The video comes courtesy of pro-player Maximilian, with his long flowing locks and hipster face forest. It's 15 minutes of pure unadulterated video game goodness. The skills on display are impeccable and the competitors are in it to win it, playing through several grueling days of non-stop foes to make it to the top eight grand finales.
The top moments are all pretty good and I can't really argue with them, there were a few things that did sort of irk me. I wish a bit more context had been given to the Balrog segment, especially considering that originally P.Balrog was getting smoked when we was playing as other characters, but then eventually started cleaning house as the boxer, which is what made that fight with Infiltration unbelievably intense. Also, I kind of wish Mango had been given a bit more time and a proper narrative context, so viewers would understand why it was so thrilling and important for him to win.
Without delving into a lengthy recap, I'll simply say that Mango had an uphill climb to the finale and it wasn't originally looking so great, especially given the dominant and thorough performance put on display by Wobblez. It was basically the typical movie-marathon showdown between the fan-favorite underdog and the indomitable champ. Mango managed to defeat some vicious opponents in a matter of close-calls with too much hype to put into words.
Heading into the finales, Mango put on an absolute show of force and a technical display of Smash Bros. prowess that was previously rivaled by no one. It was a clinic for the ages. His massive comeback against Wobblez had everyone on the edge of their seats and at the end of the bout the crowd broke out into a chant for Nintendo because without them giving their blessings more than $90,000 wouldn't have been raised for breast cancer awareness and more than 130,000 people wouldn't have tuned in to see one of the greatest displays of competitive fighting game technique in Smash Bros. Melee. Maybe now the win will make a little more sense when viewing it in context with the video.
I have nothing much to say about King of Fighters XIII in the video... the entire top eight was a tour de force and, in my opinion, it is the epitome of fighting game excellence. SNK knows their craft and just about every one of those bouts were my favorite. I simply cannot describe in words how technically achieved those guys were and I have to tip my hat off to them for putting on bouts worthy of their own pay-per-view.
Now, the real big kicker was the Justin Wong saga. Oh. My. Gosh. Justin Wong.
Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 wasn't so much about the display of skill and technique so much as it was the drama surrounding one of the biggest potential comeback upsets in the history of eSports.
So get this, Justin Wong was six games down but this boy brought the heat to the grill, a juicy steak, some pepper and plenty of salt.
From the losers bracket to the the grand finals, Justin Wong picked up so much hype for his performance and near-close-calls that I knew his matches would end up being the number one pick. Again, though, it's difficult to have his bouts framed within a few minutes because each fight told a unique and compelling story of a kid vying to win at all costs. I loved each of his matches and it kept viewers and the live-audience on the edge of their seats all the way to the final K.O. It was brilliant television... if it were on TV.
Anyway, Justin didn't win the championship title, but he came in a very close second place and did so in such an engaging fashion that many gamers, fans and eSports aficionados alike, probably can't wait to see how it all unfolds next year.
Now, if what you've seen at the top of the article and what you've read above has enticed you to consider getting serious about eSports or the FGC (Fighting Game Community), then don't hesitate to get real. Don't hesitate to start training now and maybe, just maybe you'll end up in a decent position just like former American idol winner, Taylor Hicks.
You might also get a bit of a boost using a real fightstick pad, and not the cheap $20 MadCatz kind either. I'm talking something legit, like Foehammer Customs legit. These are like the Harley Davidsons of fightsticks and Foehammer let loose a small sample pic of their latest custom pad, which you can check out below.
You can also learn more about custom fighting sticks over on the official Foehammer Customs website, or get more details about the FGC by visiting the official Shoryoken website.
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