I used to be a pretty big fan of pro BW (stayed up just to watch woongjin or sparkyz in proleague). I just can't get that into sc2 so I was looking for the best BW game I could find to try to satisfy my teary-eyed Nostalgia. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a thread or list of the best games ever (I can't believe this thread doesn't exist already, but I searched and couldn't find it,) and I don't want to have to rewatch a bunch of one-sided turtle-y Flash games or PvP build order losses to find/remember the good stuff.
So here's the challenge TL, lets put together a list of the best pro BW games of all time.
The criteria is completely up to you, but please try to explain why you think it warrants a spot.
Did it inspire you to fall in love with pro BW? Is it just one of those games that sticks with you that you always remember when you think BW? Was it the most brilliant cheese/rush of all time (maybe BoxeR's proxy vs Oov)? A fan favorite veteran showing a flash of brilliance (July's golden mouse)? Did Reach play the manliest game possible?Did it have brilliantly impossible micro? Did UpMaGiC, BoxeR, or NalRa do something astonishingly creative? Did it stand for the beginning or end of an era (BoxeR leaving for ACE, or Bisu vs sAviOr for MSL)? Did it help silverStork finally get his OSL win? Or your favorite team win the proleague? Was it the best 2v2 ever (I know there was an epic one with fast maelstrom)? Did a player snatch victory from the jaws of seemingly certain defeat?
Chameleon's nominees (I'm sure I've seen better games than these, at least the second one, but I'm having trouble remembering specific games/series, hence the thread)
I have a soft spot for this game because it was the first I watched that really got me hooked on pro BW (shortly after sc2 was announced). It's a classic rivalry game, between two legends (well, a legend and firebathero), in the MSL, and is an exciting, back and forth, hour long slugfest using darn close to every unit in the t and z arsenal.
Why? An hour long battle filled with constant harassment, unorthodox units and tactics. And I'm just a sucker for D-Web and dark archons. I have trouble putting it too high on the list though because 1) it didnt really count for much (just a random PL game) and 2) the end result seemed a little inevitable to me, the advantage didn't swing back and forth dramatically.
^The most comprehensive lists of great games you're going to find anywhere I think. Still barely scratches the surface of awesome games and moments of magic in BW.
My personal favourites are Stork vs Jaedong @ Matchpoint and Bisu vs Iris @ Byzantium III and Jaedong vs Flash @ Rush Hour III and probably a dozen others.
I couldn't be honest if I answer this topic, I would need to re-watch all bw matches since 1999. But I wouldn't be surprised if Boxer is in it, he is the pro-gamer that amazed me the most, from day one until the end, watching Boxer was like watching a new game almost every-time. I don't even know where he got all those ideas when you could play the game on a much simpler level like Flash did.
Boxer thought the game from an other dimension. On top of being extremely entertaining, he truly believed this was the best way to deal with the problem which makes him even more awesome.
I don't remember who the player was (july and casie?) on Lost Temple. Someone faked (casie.. at least a terran) that he had a quick expo by sending SVC long mining and then rushed the Zerg and won. Was pretty nice.
im searching for the flash vs jaedong rival highlight video, showcasing their head to head score while showing the games....... they played so many great tvz games.
Should be up here. The emotions in the videos (particulary the first one) is ... beautifull.
Also every VOD in the god of the battlefield article should be watched.
Especially Casy vs Savior (i think it's on Longinus. Maybe Reverse temple)
On July 02 2014 20:38 FaCE_1 wrote: I don't remember who the player was (july and casie?) on Lost Temple. Someone faked (casie.. at least a terran) that he had a quick expo by sending SVC long mining and then rushed the Zerg and won. Was pretty nice.
As someone who's watched at least over half the professional games played on Korean TV since 2003...
The screaming at the end of the game for me draws parallel to the ending of the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munchen... everyone was going nuts because nobody believed what they just saw.
Maybe I'm just a fantasy fanboy, but the Fantasy vs Jaedong SPL finals match on Outsider where Fantasy looks like he's gonna lose the lategame, but then parks like 24 siege tanks in front of jaedong's natural and wrecks his ultralisk army... SO fuckin sick.
On July 02 2014 23:06 GTR wrote: As someone who's watched at least over half the professional games played on Korean TV since 2003... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G4xGsbETKU
The screaming at the end of the game for me draws parallel to the ending of the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munchen... everyone was going nuts because nobody believed what they just saw.
wow back then the fans were sat so close :O
Must really suck to be forever remembered as "the one who lost to Boxer" hahaha.
Just because a match goes hive level zvz or is played for 2 hours doesn't make it epic. I can pick out like 10 games that were around 20 minutes and way better than some of the 'most epic' long games just because wild shit happened. (Generally this is due to the game being so drawn out that players apms drop to 100-200 and they play more on tactics than constant attacks). i.e: Flash v Jaedong @ Rush hour was a very good match, it also was to block Flash's all kill (so the intensity of knowing what is happening at the time influences it's epicness)
oh god can you guys please link your youtube vods in URL tags, like this
[url=insertyoutubelinkhere]xxx vs xxx, league, map, set number, whatever you want[/url]
simply posting the youtube link leads to embedding the VOD, which leads to dozens of embedded videos per page and makes it total hell to load (see page 2 .......).
That being said, Bisu vs Stork, GOMTV MSL Season 2 Grand Finals, Game 5, Loki 2. IMO, the greatest PvP ever played. I have watched an insane amount of Starcraft since then, and I can say that I haven't seen any other PvPs that could claim otherwise.
Other matchups, it's a bit more difficult to say which are the best. Perhaps I'll think about it some more.
On July 03 2014 14:34 ArvickHero wrote: oh god can you guys please link your youtube vods in URL tags, like this
[url=insertyoutubelinkhere]xxx vs xxx, league, map, set number, whatever you want[/url]
simply posting the youtube link leads to embedding the VOD, which leads to dozens of embedded videos per page and makes it total hell to load (see page 2 .......).
That being said, Bisu vs Stork, GOMTV MSL Season 2 Grand Finals, Game 5, Loki 2. IMO, the greatest PvP ever played. I have watched an insane amount of Starcraft since then, and I can say that I haven't seen any other PvPs that could claim otherwise.
Other matchups, it's a bit more difficult to say which are the best. Perhaps I'll think about it some more.
I got into starcraft bw post savior era, so never watched past bonjwa past shifts in the meta or spectacular play, but the game that really got me into bw was Flash vs Type-b (that Flash's pinnacle dominance in TvZ at the time 90% winrate I think? and one of the scariest pushes I have ever seen, I mean sure the tank surround by flash vs fbh was great, but an armies, literally armies of marines converge onto the enemy base with a single objective? I'd gg out if i ever scanned that. at 23 minutes into the game.
On July 03 2014 14:34 ArvickHero wrote: oh god can you guys please link your youtube vods in URL tags, like this
[url=insertyoutubelinkhere]xxx vs xxx, league, map, set number, whatever you want[/url]
simply posting the youtube link leads to embedding the VOD, which leads to dozens of embedded videos per page and makes it total hell to load (see page 2 .......).
That being said, Bisu vs Stork, GOMTV MSL Season 2 Grand Finals, Game 5, Loki 2. IMO, the greatest PvP ever played. I have watched an insane amount of Starcraft since then, and I can say that I haven't seen any other PvPs that could claim otherwise.
Other matchups, it's a bit more difficult to say which are the best. Perhaps I'll think about it some more.
Do you want to spoiler the huge video block i made in page 2 ?
On July 03 2014 18:13 ninazerg wrote: At first I was kind of curious to see what this thread was, but now I'm afraid if I read it, I'm gonna rage at some people's choices.
There ain't no best. You should appreciate every single pro-game you watch, because they are packed with good stuff if you know what to look for.
Pure vs Jaedong 2010-08-11 @ Grand Line SE, Korean Air OSL S2 The most one-sided game I can recall off-hand. It's 15 minutes of soul-crushing despair where the loser finally nods his head in resignation to his fate and taps out before any actual army engagement. If "best" games evoke elation, then to me this is the equally powerful antithesis.
On July 03 2014 09:46 n.DieJokes wrote: Best single moment in Starcraft. Jaedong vs. Fantasy, Batoo OSL Game 5 on Medusa: http://youtu.be/_UklufjYljg?t=6m
yo you said best single moment in Starcraft but Fantasy didn't win that game. o_O
Fanta vs Flash, MSL semifinal and SPL final for TvT. for ZvT - FBH vs Jeadong with hillarious BC humilation. for ZvZ, i guess its any hive ZvZ for ZvP Zero vs Bisu with queens XD for PvP...I dont know. for TvP there were too many good games to choose the best.
Also, the most hillarious rivalry: Fantasy vs Calm.
On July 03 2014 09:08 ghrur wrote: Has nobody linked Iris vs GGPlay yet? The whole series was amazing, and game 5 was my favorite game, like, ever. I love GGPlay <3.
Great swarms from GGPlay and exellent marine micro from Iris, yet this game is painfull reminder that Terrans didnt know how to play late TvZ back in 2007.
On July 02 2014 21:57 Kare wrote: July vs BeSt 3 set @ Andromeda
On July 02 2014 22:40 GolemMadness wrote: I got into pro BW from Boxer highlight videos, but I think the first game that I remember thinking was truly great was July vs Best OSL finals 2 set.
I've always known pro BW existed in Korea since the early 2000s, but I played BW only for playing fastest maps.(backstabbing allies were pretty fun ) Once youtube started coming around, I came across some pro vods here and there, but I didn't really follow it enough to know who the strong player is or anything about the structure of Korean BW scene with regards to how many tournaments there were, how many teams there were, etc. I just watched to see a game of starcraft.
I would just go to youtube, go to wifebeat222 and jon747's channel, and randomly click any vid and enjoy the game. That all changed with July vs Best OSL final.
I always got excited whenever Zerg 4 or 5 pool'ed, so game 1 hooked me, but game 2...oh man... drone drilling, something I've never seen (didn't even know it was possible), into destroying the starting nexus? I was like "THIS ZERG... what a player!". And then game 3. Seeing 20~25 ultras into a dominating victory won me over.
I did some research into pro Korean BW, found out about who July was, who Best is, and how Best was supposed to manhandle July, the hype behind the final, found the triple commentary of the final by Klazart, Moletrap, and Cholera, and most importantly, Teamliquid and desire to play 1v1 BW.
On July 03 2014 09:08 ghrur wrote: Has nobody linked Iris vs GGPlay yet? The whole series was amazing, and game 5 was my favorite game, like, ever. I love GGPlay <3.
Great swarms from GGPlay and exellent marine micro from Iris, yet this game is painfull reminder that Terrans didnt know how to play late TvZ back in 2007.
Transitioning to Late mechanic in python is pretty hard considering the open layout of the map. GGPlay had superb late game zvt at that time, and Iris, well... his skterran was not as good.
On July 02 2014 23:06 GTR wrote: As someone who's watched at least over half the professional games played on Korean TV since 2003... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G4xGsbETKU
The screaming at the end of the game for me draws parallel to the ending of the 1999 Champions League final between Manchester United and Bayern Munchen... everyone was going nuts because nobody believed what they just saw.
Yes this game is one of my favorites as well.
Also the Boxer TvT with 7 Battlecruiser Lockdown. This move made me pick Terran but I think it was an online match and not televised.
Also a game with Anytime where for the first time I saw a recall into a minefield. I think it was in the finals vs Boxer or NaDa but I can't remember =D
I think I saw a few replays that were more impresive than progames. Boxer zvp vs intotherain with burrow tricks. W_Paul_II or something like that in zvz win with 4 lings vs 1 muta. Some guys from 7-color team had amazing games also beating pros.
But from actual Proleague... Bufff. Still cant think of anything that totally rolls over the great games we had.
It's difficult to narrow them down, but the 3 best games I've ever seen (in no particular order) are probably:
1) Stork vs. Gorush @ Requiem (2005 Proleague final) - Begins with a no rush 20 situation where both players split the map and tech up. From there it becomes an insane strategic battle featuring just about every protoss and zerg unit. I'm fairly sure Gorush mined out at least 9 bases in this game.
2) Ra vs. Savior @ Peaks - Normally I hate using the word "epic" but this was an epic game befitting two legends.
3) Oov vs. Yellow @ U-Boat - A low-econ game for the ages with everything on the line.
These games might not be "best game ever" material, but I want to mention them anyway due to their uniqueness: Rainbow vs. Goodfriend @ Ride of Valkyries and R-Point. Goodfriend was no stranger to excruciating losses, but nothing can quite match this series. Harass, harass, harass...the only word in Rainbow's vocabulary.
Also, I think consideration should be given to the best series ever, not just the best games.
Not sure if mentioned, but two games that I remember made me emotional are:
1) That "one time timing" game with jaedongs mutas vs some toss (bisu?). Dont remember the map, but Jaedong was top against a toss on the left, and he attacked with mutas just before he got too many corsairs etc. I'm a lot of you know which one I am talking about! Epic!
2) That game with savior against some up and comming terran (fantasy I think), where savior had him beat, but he went to an island and started builing BCs, and then won with the BCs, finally sending savior into the final slump... Made me so sad... (I hope that was not one of the fixed games!!! :o :o That would be... umm.. crappy? )
On July 04 2014 16:26 Cascade wrote: Not sure if mentioned, but two games that I remember made me emotional are:
1) That "one time timing" game with jaedongs mutas vs some toss (bisu?). Dont remember the map, but Jaedong was top against a toss on the left, and he attacked with mutas just before he got too many corsairs etc. I'm a lot of you know which one I am talking about! Epic!
Jaedong vs Stork, EVER 2007 OSL finals game 2 on I think Katrina
2) That game with savior against some up and comming terran (fantasy I think), where savior had him beat, but he went to an island and started builing BCs, and then won with the BCs, finally sending savior into the final slump... Made me so sad... (I hope that was not one of the fixed games!!! :o :o That would be... umm.. crappy? )
Sounds like sAviOr vs firebathero game 1 on Python in their MSL series, though FBH didn't turtle on an island, he turtled in another main.
On July 04 2014 05:01 iloveav wrote: I think I saw a few replays that were more impresive than progames. Boxer zvp vs intotherain with burrow tricks. W_Paul_II or something like that in zvz win with 4 lings vs 1 muta. Some guys from 7-color team had amazing games also beating pros.
But from actual Proleague... Bufff. Still cant think of anything that totally rolls over the great games we had.
On July 04 2014 05:01 iloveav wrote: I think I saw a few replays that were more impresive than progames. Boxer zvp vs intotherain with burrow tricks. W_Paul_II or something like that in zvz win with 4 lings vs 1 muta. Some guys from 7-color team had amazing games also beating pros.
But from actual Proleague... Bufff. Still cant think of anything that totally rolls over the great games we had.
In the pimpest play there is a non korean game with the guy that save one drone with DS and ovies to get gaz to build a scourge to kill the last unit of a terran. A wraith. The Z have ONE drone and nothing that shoots up. (oh and the wraith pop out of the starport one hit before the ultra kills the starport).
Bisu and Stork had some sick mirror match-ups versus one another, such as their battle during Incruit OGN StarLeague. July's games during his prime is always worth watching whether it is his nail biting mirror match-up versus SaferZerg, or his utter annihilation of Reach that makes Jaedong's "Turn of the Tide" nothing more than a worthy homage. BoxeR always had magic in his games, and his game against BlueK is stuff of legends. Nal_rA was my favourite protoss player to watch, and his game versus GoodFriend is a must watch if you haven't already. GoRush had some really good games circa 2004~2005, and his series versus NaDa remains a classic. Reach has some really heartwrenching games if that tickles your fancy. There's just too many to list.
My personal favourite is July's epic series versus iloveoov.
ahh the nostalgia... So many gems in this thread Boxer the pioneer of micro, it's kinda funny how all those old tricks are so common these days. brood war has come a long road.
This game in particular is my favourite. It was the dawn of the Bisu era after he destroyed Savior 3-0 at that MSL and every single protoss knew the direct counter to the mutalisk problem, which was the corsairs. However, Jaedong with impeccable timing and micro is able to swamp a protoss with 6 mutas and 4 pairs of scourge when he has 5 corsairs and 3 cannons in the main. Sick.
Wow I forgot how Flash moved his marines towards 6 o'clock when his nat was under guardians fire because he anticipated the scourge coming there. Had he not done that, wraith would have died and he would have lost the game. Pimpest plays material.
Wow I forgot how Flash moved his marines towards 6 o'clock when his nat was under guardians fire because he anticipated the scourge coming there. Had he not done that, wraith would have died and he would have lost the game. Pimpest plays material.
This game was more exiting than good. Just watch one of a few Calm's blunders- the one with dark swarm. He casts the DS and than doing what? He burrows his lurker OUTSIDE of it within bunker range.
Obviously new games are better in terms of mechanic but we all know that much more comes together for a perfect game.
I "remember" a game .. I think it was TvP (maybe TvT but far less likely) on a really big map with a great center for epic battles where the terran locks down a hugh part of the protoss army with ghosts ... its a rather old game though
best game for me would be... bisu vs yellow... the crowd was awesome as yellow penetrated bisu's base and won... that game was so entertaining and mirco ablility to the finest by yellow
On July 05 2014 22:49 SnowFantasy wrote: We need a thread for the worst games of pro bw.
Those aren't memorable though, they would be things like this one time I was watching a PvP and one guy went DTs and the other guy went 4gate and lost.
On July 02 2014 20:02 ZeroChrome wrote: Bisu vs Iris @ Byzantium III
I love that one as well. Too bad that the Korean vod of it is not on YouTube anymore. Nothing against the English casters but a game like that is just more exciting for me with the Korean ones, even if I don't understand them.
On July 02 2014 20:02 ZeroChrome wrote: Bisu vs Iris @ Byzantium III
I love that one as well. Too bad that the Korean vod of it is not on YouTube anymore. Nothing against the English casters but a game like that is just more exciting for me with the Korean ones, even if I don't understand them.
iloveoov vs Reach ro4 in OSL, the series was awesome but especially the game on that space map where it looked like oov had Reach dead. Manliest comeback ever in any game ever.
On July 06 2014 02:03 Artosis wrote: Dunno if it's in here but,
iloveoov vs Reach ro4 in OSL, the series was awesome but especially the game on that space map where it looked like oov had Reach dead. Manliest comeback ever in any game ever.
Naw mate, If you went through the Razer TSL1 and 2 replays Idra Vs. Machine were the best matches played, Hands down.
On July 06 2014 02:03 Artosis wrote: Dunno if it's in here but,
iloveoov vs Reach ro4 in OSL, the series was awesome but especially the game on that space map where it looked like oov had Reach dead. Manliest comeback ever in any game ever.
Naw mate, If you went through the Razer TSL1 and 2 replays Idra Vs. Machine were the best matches played, Hands down.
On July 06 2014 02:03 Artosis wrote: Dunno if it's in here but,
iloveoov vs Reach ro4 in OSL, the series was awesome but especially the game on that space map where it looked like oov had Reach dead. Manliest comeback ever in any game ever.
hooray for fuckury, but personally i think the finals series between boxer and oov was much better. honestly to this date, i still think the ever 2004 osl was the greatest individual league of all time.
On July 05 2014 22:49 SnowFantasy wrote: We need a thread for the worst games of pro bw.
Those aren't memorable though, they would be things like this one time I was watching a PvP and one guy went DTs and the other guy went 4gate and lost.
Nice watch for sure, showing characteristics of both players; Calm the brain zerg showing nice decision making and strategies, and Flash being... well Flash the excellent.
oh my god this is the most rage-inducing game ever
Had to login just to confirm, but is this where Reality did that punishing, slowly-kill-Jaedong-with-valkyries-killing-ovies build? I still have issues with that game. o.o
A good candidate for best game is imo GoRush vs NaDa on Luna 2004 YatGK finals. The whole finals itself was pretty intense.
oh my god this is the most rage-inducing game ever
Had to login just to confirm, but is this where Reality did that punishing, slowly-kill-Jaedong-with-valkyries-killing-ovies build? I still have issues with that game. o.o
Unless there were 2 such games (which I very much doubt), I think you're confusing Reality with Canata:
3/3 mass Valkyries plus mech play after jumping into an early lead. Uncharacteristic failure by The Tyrant.
I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best game of pro BroodWar, but I think this is my personal favorite VOD. Boxer displaying once more his magic when the game was thought to be figured out, lovely!
On July 16 2014 00:02 jambonkingcool wrote: I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best game of pro BroodWar, but I think this is my personal favorite VOD. Boxer displaying once more his magic when the game was thought to be figured out, lovely!
I'm trying to find a match that has somehow escaped my YouTube playlist, with Bisu (not Bisu vs Flash from 2012). From all the details I do remember only really bad quality of the video and enormous outside-sitting audience show. I think Bisu was also shouting that he loves his mother or something like that, but I am not certain. Maybe you guys have an idea of what I am looking for?
On August 09 2014 22:18 kalstrams wrote: I'm trying to find a match that has somehow escaped my YouTube playlist, with Bisu (not Bisu vs Flash from 2012). From all the details I do remember only really bad quality of the video and enormous outside-sitting audience show. I think Bisu was also shouting that he loves his mother or something like that, but I am not certain. Maybe you guys have an idea of what I am looking for?
I think you are thinking of Xellos, a better looking Korean than Bisu.
EPT
Flash games or PvP build order losses to find/remember the good stuff.
July's golden mouse)? Did 
Reach play the manliest game possible?Did it have brilliantly impossible micro? Did 
Pimpest Plays
![[image loading]](http://www.picshare.ru/uploads/130310/t91Bg55t98.jpg)
