SoCal Regionals 2013 20 January 2013 UC Irvine Student Center Irvine, California
Overview
Fighting game tournaments continue to deliver. SCR has been conveniently placed during the ESPORTS off-season for the past two years, and I find that attending and covering it helps me get back into the groove of taking photos at events by delivering a dose of pure, unadulterated hype.
I was only able to attend the final day of this three day event, but I was able to be there in time to experience perhaps the most significant story line that came out of this tournament. ApologyMan absolutely rampaged through the Marvel 3 tournament, taking out a number of notable fighting game names along the way, through the use of an interesting team composition built around utilizing Frank West supers to great effect. That he managed to pull it off against players who use characters like Morrigan (who takes Marvel and turns it into a bullet hell game) made him a definite crowd favorite, as demonstrated by the ESFI video in the spoiler tag below.
There was this one guy in the crowd during Marvel, whenever someone beat ChrisG in a round he'd hold up an iPad with "#STAGED" all over it. For some reason it was so fucking funny. So was the white people poster.
Ohh snap, I heard of this specific tournament, I think!! I have a friend who's really into all kinds of games though he mainly plays lol, watched part of this tourney with him. Good stuff.
I knew the counterargument was going to be the Daigo tech video, but hear me out. Infiltration, unlike Daigo, doesn't just win tournaments, he annihilates the field. He 6-0s people like its nothing. Don't get me wrong, Daigo is amazing and has won a lot, but almost all of his victories were by very close margins (the video you posted being one).
On January 23 2013 14:42 Dubzex wrote: I knew the counterargument was going to be the Daigo tech video, but hear me out. Infiltration, unlike Daigo, doesn't just win tournaments, he annihilates the field. He 6-0s people like its nothing. Don't get me wrong, Daigo is amazing and has won a lot, but almost all of his victories were by very close margins (the video you posted being one).
I just think it is too soon to be making that sort of statement regarding Infiltration's play, that's all.
On January 23 2013 14:55 Sigrun wrote: Awesome stuff. I wanted to go but that ten dollar spectator fee really turned me off, so I just ended up watching at home lol.
it was 10 dollars for 3 whole days + raffle tickets. while I would prefer that my ESPORTS price point remain at $8.95, ten doesn't seem that much to me. I'd pay for it anytime with SCR. Hell, I paid for it even though I was only there for the last day.
On January 23 2013 14:42 Dubzex wrote: I knew the counterargument was going to be the Daigo tech video, but hear me out. Infiltration, unlike Daigo, doesn't just win tournaments, he annihilates the field. He 6-0s people like its nothing. Don't get me wrong, Daigo is amazing and has won a lot, but almost all of his victories were by very close margins (the video you posted being one).
for 3s, MOV was probably more dominant than Umehara anyways.
Umehara's was probably most dominant at Vampire Savior (when he was still in junior high or smth), with SSFT being a second perhaps?
P.S. kind of ironic actually, since MOV stands for "Master of Vampire Hunter" apparently.
On January 23 2013 14:42 Dubzex wrote: I knew the counterargument was going to be the Daigo tech video, but hear me out. Infiltration, unlike Daigo, doesn't just win tournaments, he annihilates the field. He 6-0s people like its nothing. Don't get me wrong, Daigo is amazing and has won a lot, but almost all of his victories were by very close margins (the video you posted being one).
for 3s, MOV was probably more dominant than Umehara anyways.
Umehara's was probably most dominant at Vampire Savior (when he was still in junior high or smth), with SSFT being a second perhaps?
P.S. kind of ironic actually, since MOV stands for "Master of Vampire Hunter" apparently.
Daigo was not that good in Super Turbo either. At least, not in the same level as the dedicated ST players (Otochun, Aniken, Muteki, Yuu, etc.)
3S was MOV or Kuroda. Kuroda would smash anybody with most characters.
On January 23 2013 14:42 Dubzex wrote: I knew the counterargument was going to be the Daigo tech video, but hear me out. Infiltration, unlike Daigo, doesn't just win tournaments, he annihilates the field. He 6-0s people like its nothing. Don't get me wrong, Daigo is amazing and has won a lot, but almost all of his victories were by very close margins (the video you posted being one).
Not to mention everyone forgets or doesn't realize he loses the Grand Finals match right after. That's right, that Evo moment wasn't even a Grand Finals match.
I find it amusing that you use that video as evidence, considering Daigo shouldn't even have won that. Justin Wong had a GIGANTIC life lead. Any move, even a jab, would have knocked Daigo out. But he lazily threw out a super trying to chip Daigo to death. It was a huge blunder. He should have won that.
If Justin Wong had just played normally, it is unlikely that Daigo would have won. And even if he would have, it would have been a close game and set, unlike the one sided stomps that Infiltration keeps performing.
I'm not saying he is the most dominant player of any fighting game ever, but that video is unfitting for your argument.
On January 23 2013 14:37 Dubzex wrote: Infiltration most dominant player in a fighting game (ever)?
Nobody has ever been more dominant than Justin Wong was in Marvel 2. Won Evo 7 times and never lost a tournament period for a period of over two years.
On January 23 2013 14:37 Dubzex wrote: Infiltration most dominant player in a fighting game (ever)?
Justin Wong went 2 years without ever losing a single Marvel 2 tournament. He then continued to dominate the scene even after the streak was broken with countless 1st place and runner-up finishes.
then 2k1-2k4 justin (and pretty much all the other majors in between. This was his absolute prime)
2k5 went to duc 2k6 to Justin 2k7 to yipes 2k8 justin 2k9 Sanford 2010 Justin
So I guess a case can be made for most dominant player in a FG ever for justin in MvC2. His results only started to drop off a bit (but still top 8) when SFIV came out.
Also, if there were any mid-tier mvc2 side tournaments, he still took it.
I find it amusing that you use that video as evidence, considering Daigo shouldn't even have won that. Justin Wong had a GIGANTIC life lead. Any move, even a jab, would have knocked Daigo out. But he lazily threw out a super trying to chip Daigo to death. It was a huge blunder. He should have won that.
If Justin Wong had just played normally, it is unlikely that Daigo would have won. And even if he would have, it would have been a close game and set, unlike the one sided stomps that Infiltration keeps performing.
I'm not saying he is the most dominant player of any fighting game ever, but that video is unfitting for your argument.
I wasn't necessarily pointing to Daigo Umehara as the best player ever. Just merely using it as a very visible example of there being other players other than Infiltration over the years that make blanket statements as to "who is the best (most dominant)" fruitless at this point.
Edit: Such discussions can only devolve into infinitely regressive bickering.
Man that was so sick watching the stream, my friend recently got me more into fighting games and Apology Man winning w/ Frank West and Super Skrull was sick to watch!
You can't say Infiltration is the most dominant FGC player of all time, but with his performances in 2012 and 2013 so far you could make a case for the most dominant player of that time period, for sure. Guy is a total beast, but some players (Daigo, Valle) have been at the top of the game for well over a decade... closing in on two decades.
On January 23 2013 14:42 Dubzex wrote: I knew the counterargument was going to be the Daigo tech video, but hear me out. Infiltration, unlike Daigo, doesn't just win tournaments, he annihilates the field. He 6-0s people like its nothing. Don't get me wrong, Daigo is amazing and has won a lot, but almost all of his victories were by very close margins (the video you posted being one).
for 3s, MOV was probably more dominant than Umehara anyways.
Umehara's was probably most dominant at Vampire Savior (when he was still in junior high or smth), with SSFT being a second perhaps?
P.S. kind of ironic actually, since MOV stands for "Master of Vampire Hunter" apparently.
Daigo was not that good in Super Turbo either. At least, not in the same level as the dedicated ST players (Otochun, Aniken, Muteki, Yuu, etc.)
3S was MOV or Kuroda. Kuroda would smash anybody with most characters.
Man, I loved SCR this year. The stream was solid, the production was easily the best in the FGC, and post interviews are pretty cool, but still needs to be ironed out more.
Also, we need more MAHVEL. Everyone needs more MAHVEL!
Don't care for arguments to best player and such, but when i see Uryo pull off sakura links I can't help but feel i will never do them consistently lol
that kingasaurus guy (or whatever his name is) made the stream almost unbearable. what a goddamn attention whore.
that being said the games were amazing. marlinpie vs combofiend ft10 had me laughing the entire set. watching latif get stomped was interesting, too.
btw speaking of infiltration, did anybody watch him play UMVC at justin's house the night after? he watched justin do the magneto TAC infinite twice and was able to replicate it. seemed like he had down wolverine bnbs by the end of the night. koreans man...
On January 26 2013 09:14 redtooth wrote: that kingasaurus guy (or whatever his name is) made the stream almost unbearable. what a goddamn attention whore.
that being said the games were amazing. marlinpie vs combofiend ft10 had me laughing the entire set. watching latif get stomped was interesting, too.
btw speaking of infiltration, did anybody watch him play UMVC at justin's house the night after? he watched justin do the magneto TAC infinite twice and was able to replicate it. seemed like he had down wolverine bnbs by the end of the night. koreans man...
To be fair, it's not like it was his first time playing Marvel 3. He played vanilla and probably has spent some time in the game, just hasn't gone too deep. It's still impressive that he picks up on things so quickly, though.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8403628737_7f3d19e0e2_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8404722408_f8f14bdbe7_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8221/8404721428_a3cd15f52f_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8404721110_1f3f4c8e5d_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8331/8403627891_4e2676125c_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8079/8404720494_20c77b8612_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8193/8404720266_321a11cfb3_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8403626709_e0afde95f7_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8514/8404722892_28f82eb414_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8404722054_e631f3eb7d_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8219/8404723228_67bbe3f765_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8190/8403630445_b28ae69ba4_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8403630733_ebf243656e_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8403631203_4acda08c73_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8234/8404724572_5f50b51374_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8511/8404725050_763a244899_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8404725164_c9899f658b_m.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i2.minus.com/j4M1ObYUuds9I.jpg)
