With Nadas retirement from progaming today I found myself taking a trip down memory lane. Even though he hasn't been playing broodwar it still felt like the chapter officially closed today and spurned me on to enjoy some of my favorite moments from Nada's broodwar career.
In my book NaDa is still the the "statistically" most accomplished Terran player to have ever played Broodwar. 31 top 3 finishes in major tournaments vs Flash's 13. 656 overall wins in recorded league/tournament wins vs Flash's 491. Nobody else really comes close to Nada when it comes to some of these stats. Of course Nada has been around since 2001 compared to Flash ~2007 so theoretically Flash would obviously pass him eventually but until then Nada is king. Regardless, Nada is unquestionably one of the top 5 best Terran players to have ever played Broodwar, he is one of the 4 Terran bonjwas. When you go back and make a list of the 5 best Terran players your list is going to look something like (in no particular order): Boxer, Oov, Nada, Flash, insert 5th guy here.
The impact Nada made on Broodwar was immense. He was by far one of my favorite players to watch and when I was going back this evening revisiting some of my favorite moments I realized there are quite a few Nada moments which I can remember as if the game was played yesterday. The legacy he left behind in broodwar is really amazing. Most of these games I watched live or remember extremely well for one reason or another. None of the series are even series or games Nada won but the games made such an impact on me and my bw following I felt like sharing them.
Nada vs Gorush YATGK MSL - Feburary 6th 2005
One of the more famous broodwar games including two of the most famous broodwar moments ever, the epic "PLAGYUUUUU" moment which probably most Starcraft 2 fans even know about and Nadas "medic wall" move to defend against a maxed ultra/ling + dark swarm attack attempt into his natural. By far one of the coolest oldschool tvz's you'll find anywhere.
ShinHan Bank OSL 2006 - Season 3 Finals February 24, 2007
This OSL finals played between Nada and Savior was actually the first OSL finals I was able to watch live. I had been following broodwar for some time before but never managed to get a livestream working until this event. All 4 games of this series I remember so well, especially Nadas bunker rush attempt on Hitchhiker in game 4 when Nada was down 1-2. Was so ridiculously close it was insane. Every game is worth watching of this series. Nada and Savior actually met a bunch of times in a really short period of time in major events around this time, I believe shortly after this OSL finals they met again in a bo5 in another special tournament of some sort.
Nada vs Jangbi Lost Saga MSL - March 5th 2009
Nada had a pretty rough 2008 for whatever reason but made a pretty crazy comeback in early 2009 and found himself in a series here in MSL vs Jangbi. this was game 1 and honestly Nada plays a perfect game. TvP is probably the hardest matchup for terran in broodwar and this game was on a slightly protoss favored map. Nada would eventually go on to lose the series 2-3 and never really go deep in another MSL or OSL so in some ways this is one of the last great games Nada ever showed in an individual league. It's a game I used to watch whenever I needed inspiration.
might add to this list later. in the meantime feel free to share games or moments or just enjoy some of these amazing broodwar games.
He gave us so much, unfortunately I was not there through all his history, but since the first time I started watching BW he was, still is, and always will be my favorite player. Guess all I can say is thank you NaDa, for all your hard work and contributions.
On June 20 2012 09:05 endy wrote: I hated Jangbi for over a year after he made NaDa cry.
If I was asked to pick 3 games of NaDa during the modern BW era, I would have picked those three too !
Nada's had such a freakishly long BW career lol... and him coming back in 2009? that was only 3 years ago, shortly before he switched to SC2. It's amazing how good he was for such a long time. If only he didn't have to go to the military, he might have [continued to be] a top SC2 player despite his age.
The entire Nada vs Jangbi series is amazing. I don't think I cheered for another player as much as I did for Nada in that game 5. I have to rewatch the GoRush game, it's to good.
Only news like this could ruin my birthday :'( Thank you NaDa, you got me into Starcraft, and thus changed my life <3 I'll take the memories you gave me to my grave. <3
Haha you choose only games where he lost and the other players destroyed him... So cruel.
Nada was always the trooper who stuck it through even when the games looked unfavourable. He had perhaps the strongest spirit of any progamer I've watched, including Flash. Nada overcame not just the game, but massive personal tragedies which would have sent many other players into retirement never to return.
Nada is a name we all looked for in replays back in the day. Something like "BlueEyes" on WGT one season gave replays for us to salivate over. He played with Grrr... and he played with Flash. He played with Yellow and he played with Anytime. You just have to love this guy who has been around for so long, was relevent for so long that even the top players of today owe a lot to him.
He's a special person you don't see often, in progaming or in any aspect of life.
In terms of absolute skill, it's Flash. He's the best StarCraft player of all time. That's not the same as being the greatest, though.
When it comes to the greatest of all time, it's Nada. The only other player that could be said to be similarly good career over such a long period of time would be Stork, but even then he never dominated the way Nada did back in the day.
The game I remember best outside of the ones mentioned is the game vs foru where foru had 55 gates vs Nada's 8 fac and Nada tornado terraned the FUCK outta him.
Yeah kinda weird how all my favorite/most memorable Nada games are ones where he loses...didn't really realize that.
I guess they were just super epic games or series in general. Jealous you should link to that game, I searched for a bit but couldn't find it. I watched so many old bw vods today. I miss the glory days of bw man. >_>
Here are some of my most memorable games with Nada in them (that haven't been posted yet)
Xellos had a perfect record on Bifrost at the time (hence his nickname 'Perfect Terran'). Nada was the first player to defeat him on it.
Until Flash's comeback vs firebathero, this was probably in my books, the greatest comeback in the history of progaming. Shame it hasn't been talked about as much as it should had.
Nada had been on an insane TvZ rampage at the time, showcasing his new SK terran style to perfection. It would not be until this game against Savior that exposed the weaknesses of his build.
On June 20 2012 11:32 Jealous wrote: The game I remember best outside of the ones mentioned is the game vs foru where foru had 55 gates vs Nada's 8 fac and Nada tornado terraned the FUCK outta him.
I remembered that too man, NaDa be ballin'! His consistency over such a long career is unparalleled... Stork comes close to that but his lack of gold medals is the main difference.
Oh Nada, you have left a wonderful and exciting legacy. You will never be forgotten, thanks for all the memories and awesome dedication. You have inspired millions!
On June 20 2012 18:20 craz3d wrote: I recall a game against forU where the toss had the map and something like 30 gates. Nada managed to win the game on 2 bases with 10 factories.
Ahhh, good times. All we can do is wish the man good luck in his future endeavors and thank him for the memories.
I hated Nada for coming back from 0-2 against Yellow in KPGA 2nd tour. Then i hated him even more when he did the same against Gorush in IOPS OSL semi final. But it's true he's an all time great and his play had a huge impact on bw. As BW is dying, it feels strange to see all these pro who played when i started watching the pro scene retire. I think they're all retired now, except Boxer, but is he still really playing? It looks like my bw-time is over too, i feel a little blue.
Nada completely changed the way I looked at Starcraft and video games in general. In 2000 I played through the campaign as a child and was far too young to understand the depth and complexity of the game (and pre-BW was also shitty, but that's kind of irrelevant) I was playing.
It wasn't until late 2003/early 2004 that my friend showed me a video from the Stout MSL between Nada and Boxer where Nada won that I realized "There are screaming fan girls? They're THIS good at Starcraft? I have no idea what's going on strategically, but I'm still at the edge of my seat? What the fuck is going on!?" and from then on I've watched Starcraft, and from then on NaDa has been my favorite player.
Yes, Flash is the most dominant player of all time; Boxer the most influential, but what NaDa did, in my opinion, is the most impressive. It didn't matter how many times he got knocked down in-game or in real life, he always came back. It could take a week, a month, or even longer, but you always knew that NaDa wasn't going anywhere. He was the one constant that lasted for basically the entirety of professional BW. He was the one player you could never count out, he was the one player that adapted to every change in the game with seeming ease, he was the one player who could continue a ridiculous practice regime for years and years, and that's why I respect him and his play so much.
If it wasn't for NaDa I probably would have never watched professional BW, nor would I have accepted that "e-Sports" really existed. It's strange thinking that the one constant in Starcraft is going to finally leave, but I'm glad to have been able to watch him for as many years as I was able to. It makes me regret not being old enough to go to a finals he was in and get to meet him, but if his health is declining I suppose it's for the best. It's times like these that make me hate SK's mandatory military service :\
On June 20 2012 18:20 craz3d wrote: I recall a game against forU where the toss had the map and something like 30 gates. Nada managed to win the game on 2 bases with 10 factories.
Ahhh, good times. All we can do is wish the man good luck in his future endeavors and thank him for the memories.
God I miss those days. Some of the guys here are too young for that, but the era when they dressed with garbage-cleaner style spacesuits and LT was standard in tournaments was so glorious.
What a legendary player. It's almost astounding to think about how good he was for such a long period of time. I remember even in his Wemadefox days being surprised that he could still keep up in Proleague whenever he was sent out. He has been and will continue to be missed.
Thanks for posting this. I mainly know Nada as a SC2 player and have only seen a few of his BW matches. This gives me a greater understanding of his abilities. I enjoyed Nada's play alot in SC2 but it was clear he was in his twilight. It is exciting to see him in his prime in these games.
I remember devouring his WGTour replay pack when he was called Skyinthsea. I tried so hard to copy his builds and his style and felt on top of the world when I pulled off his then trademark well-positioned 4 tank drop in the part of the main overlooking the minonly on Lost Temple.
He's just such a huge part of what made Starcraft what it is.
a bit unfortunate that in the OP 2/3 videos are losses and the 3rd video is a win but out of a series he lost in the most heartbreaking way ^^ thanks anyways, nice thread, this can become the nada worshipping thread where people actually talk about his skill and his games, not just his body =)
I believe the medic wall game was the 1st game of the MSL finals. Back then MSL was double elimination and NaDa had already faced Gorush in the Winner's Bracket finals and won 3-2. Then he faced Gorush in the Finals and lost 4-2 in games (so effectively 4-3 in score because he was WB champ). The next games NaDa would play would also be against Gorush, this time in the IOPS OSL semifinals where Gorush started the series up 2-0 and initially had the advantage in the third game, but NaDa turned things around for a reverse sweep before sweeping July in the finals. In a very short period of only about a month these two faced each other 16 times.
Regarding Savior: the first time I noticed Savior was when he defeated NaDa on Luna in the group stage of MSL, I think Uzoo MSL. It was a one-sided curb stomp, but most people still considered Savior a one match wonder at the time (ZvP), which in hindsight is one of the most ludicrous things I have ever heard. As Savior rose to complete dominance, CJ started featuring him as the main star of their Superfight events, which featured Savior demolishing players like Boxer, Oov and NaDa. Ultimately, NaDa became the first Terran to defeat Savior in a Bo5 when they met in OGN Masters. So lots of history there.
You can almost identify top players by the rivalries they had with NaDa. He was that much of a staple of elite Starcraft play over such a long time.
Nada....the first child prodigy to walk the Royal Road. Too many SC2 fans have no idea just how successful he was and how long he has been in the scene. I hope he comes back to esports after the military even if it's just to be a coach or commentator.
NaDa... cant express myself with words. You played a huge role in my life! You made me dream and want to become something big. Wish you best of luck mate! Farewell...
The first time I saw Nada play was a game vs. Reach from the Panasonic OSL on NFZ. Reach was the man back then (defending starleague champion) but Nada crushed him with a vulture drop that blew up ALL of reach's probes via spider mine splash. I still have the old .asf video of that game on a CD-ROM somewhere. Reach gave one of those "Did that really just happen!?" faces right after.
I was never a fan, but it's impossible not to respect Nada for his achievements. No one else played at such a high level for so long a period of time. What a legend.
NaDa was like one of those godlike entities on the BW scene in Korea. whenever he would play, i would sense all of his confidence and charisma; nothing ever came down to just his play. i'm sure that most people would see how he would hold his mouse and want to copy his very existence in the world of BW--all while feeling his achievements.
it honestly is hard for a word to take a large hold in your life, but when NaDa went into GSL it instantly became nail-biting because it was nada. that word became a tag for him, and a term for greatness since the earliest days.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/dKt1F.jpg)
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