The Zen of Fighting Games

The weekend has passed. On this dreary, colorless Monday, I am reliving the constant awesomeness that took place over the last 48 hours.

The USA has EVO, one of the biggest fighting games tournaments in the world, attracting over a thousand participants and 2 million viewers each year. We in Canada have the Toronto Fighting Game Championships, known as the T Series, with T12 being this year’s iteration.

There were over 300 people packed into a crowded hotel banquet hall this weekend. We laughed, we cried, we cheered, we screamed, we played games and watched others play, we wished we had done better, we succeeded and did our best… we had fun.

The important thing to remember is this: whatever we did, we did together. There is no prouder moment in a gamer’s life than attending a giant event surrounded by like-minded people. It’s hard to explain to unGeeks just how alive gamers feel when we all congregate in one space at the same time.

The Magic Moment

You’ve been watching games all day. You’ve seen the downfall of greats, and the rise of new champions. You’ve been checking the brackets to see who you’re fighting, and trying to keep calm and not worry.

All of a sudden, it’s your turn. You have the controller in your hand. You pick your character, your opponent picks his. The level is chosen randomly. You shake hands, exchange a nervous look, and wish each other good luck. You wipe your sweaty palms on your pants, and mentally prepare yourself for the match.

The game begins. You’re feeling each other out. He maneuvers, you counter maneuver. He throws a couple of moves out, you do as well. Bam! You launch him, and combo out a large chunk of his lifebar. He’s feeling the pressure, and you’re confident, excited that you’re on the offensive. The combo ends, and you rush him some more. He’s blocking, trying to find a way out. You anticipate his strategy, and take him down. KO!

You’ve just won.

It was a 15 second round, but it felt like infinity. Each moment was extended as you lived it on the edge, riding a fine line between panic, tension, fear, exhilaration, excitement, and fun.

You were experiencing each moment as it happened, with no regard to past or future.

You were living in the now.

Then There Is Zen

People often say that geeks use games as an escape from reality. We’re losers in real life, so we play games to feel better about ourselves.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Gamers, especially when playing fighting games, live completely in the present. Like pro athletes, we focus and get into a zone where nothing else exists or matters. The only difference is that our battlegrounds are virtual.

When you’re playing against another player, you don’t have time to think about the future. One moment of hesitation could cost you the game.

You don’t have time to dwell on the past. The rounds you’ve lost are over, so learn from them and use that knowledge to win right now. The rounds you’ve won are also over, don’t let them make you cocky.

All that matters is the current round, the current movements of your opponent, your current strategy. All that matters is the present.

It’s almost like a meditative state. A state of Zen.

Get Hype!

Of course, the Zen can quickly fade as the crowd roars and chants for a victory. Because like any sporting event, competitive fighting games attract a huge following.

Famous players have fans on Twitter and Facebook, and their matches are often watched thousands of times on Youtube and JustinTV.

It’s often said that Wrestling is the young man’s soap opera. Similarly, Fighting Games Tournaments are the young geek’s soap opera. It’s no wonder that one of Japan’s biggest annual tournaments is actually called Super Battle Opera.

Think on this: your favorite player is Peter Rosas, aka Combofiend. He plays Marvel vs Capcom 3, and uses the team of She-Hulk/Taskmaster/Spencer. He is amazing, consistently placing in the top 8 of 100+man tournaments. He’s also a crowd favorite, wowing us with his technique, style, and smily demeanor.

When Combofiend shows up at a tournament, people expect him to do good. And when he doesn’t, especially if he gets beaten by an unknown, it’s a HUGE upset. When he got beaten in the MVC3 team tournament by RDK, a local Toronto player, the crowd went wild.

Similarly, MarlinPie is a MvC3 and Street Fighter player. He also places highly in tournaments, and is extremely well known in gaming circles. Yet Saturday, amidst the roar of the crowd, he got beat down at Street Fighter by my best friend Renato, aka Howling, in an insanely dramatic fashion.

Just like that, Renato went from a relative unknown to a pseudo-celebrity for the remainder of the event. In the annals of videogame history, he will forever be known as the guy that took out MarlinPie at T12.

From zero to hero, from underdog to top dog. How cool is that?

(NOTE: MarlinPie and Combofiend still took 1st and 2nd place respectively at MVC3, showing us yet again why they’re known as top players).

But fate is fickle, and the Gaming Gods can take fame away just as quickly as they bestow it. I was ranked #1 in Canada at Tekken for the last year. Yet I choked hard at T12, and on Sunday, in the space of 20 minutes, I lost to NYCFab and my friend Trevor back to back, putting me in 3rd place.

Rather than be bitter though, I’m proud of my friend for playing a kick ass game, and beating me soundly with his great skills. I’m also excited that Fab came all the way from New York to play us (and take our money), and is a very cool guy to boot.

Tournaments are nerve-wracking, palm-sweating, incredibly stressful events, and veritable rollercoasters of emotion. So why do we keep playing? Why do we go through all the stress, the hours of practice, the insane wait times, and the possible heartbreak associated with loss?

It’s simple.

For that one brief moment, when we’re in the spotlight, competing with someone for the right to continue in the tournament, we are gods.

And no one can ever take that away from us.

Special thanks to my friends NeoRussell, AzureFighting, Dafleks, DarkDeath, RXS, TorontoTopTiers, and whoever else I’ve missed, for running a goddamn fantastic event, and making T12 the most memorable Canadian tournament to date.