Earlier this year, I found out that a newly opened arcade would start hosting tournaments for one of my favorite video games of all time: Super Puzzle Fighter !! I heard good things about the venue from other friends in the scene, so I was excited to see it for myself. I told my gamer rival about the tournament and they signed up right away. I felt skeptical of my own skill level and postponed my registration initially, so I thought to just spectate games. Then on the day of the competition, I showed up and they graciously offered me the last spot in the 8-person bracket. Great incentive to get players to show up!
My match was the first of that event and I felt so nervous playing! I ended up taking the win, going 2-0 in my first set. Later on, I made many mistakes during my follow-up games, honestly trying to understand my opponents. I got caught up trying to read their moves, so I told myself I wouldn’t do that during my own matches anymore, haha. I got wiped out 0-2 in the losers bracket (ugh!) but everyone played well overall. Even though I felt defeated that night, my boyfriend encouraged me to come back and keep trying. It felt stressful, but the excitement motivated me to continue.
The following tournament that I attended had half the attendance, with only 4 out of possible 8 players. There were just enough of us present to keep the game active. I have to admit, those were some of the more challenging games, because I ended up facing nearly all of my opponents back to back. In the 4-person bracket, I took 3rd place! Supporting this tournament has taught me the importance of consistency. So I kept my goal to a minimum: even if I didn’t rank, I would keep competing as often as possible, so the game would stay in rotation. Making every match count.
At the most recent tournament, we had a full 8-person bracket and I dueled a handful of skilled players. My first game was a Lei-Lei mirror-match. Our battle gained lots of momentum and received big applause from the crowd, we both put up a good fight! I suspected my opponent would take the win, as she got 2nd place in a previous tournament; so kudos to her. In Losers bracket, I took my first set 2-0 and ended up going head to head with my Rival shortly thereafter. Even though I didn’t make it out of the bracket, I’m happy with the rounds I claimed and gave screen time to characters who don’t normally get picked.
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Regularly competing at the arcade has reawakened my love for this game. Last month during my summer break, I decided to purchase an arcade port on the Switch for skill building and practice at home. I started putting time into relearning techniques and found strength within characters that I previously underestimated. I felt so excited to return to the arcade and play with everyone! The energy gets intense during high level game play, but everyone is welcome to compete and have fun. What I value about the experience is that everyone in this community is friendly and civil. I don’t sense any unspoken tension among players and everyone is a good sport, whether they win or lose.
Arcades presented differently some (15~) years ago, during the time that I worked in them and socialized with the Fighting Game Community (FGC). In some situations, I felt self conscious about competing and often felt discouraged from playing, because I couldn’t win in casual matches. The younger version of me got psyched into believing I wasn’t good enough, or my attempts would only result in failure. Existing within the former spaces often felt like having to prove my worth or value to my peers. It was exhausting back then and it speaks volumes to my self esteem. I don’t know that I ever fully understood that dynamic, but I say all of this because I'm thankful I’m not in that position anymore.
Pouring back into one of my favorite games while maintaining a loving and supportive relationship has revealed the ways in which my partner shows up. After experiencing some of my enthusiasm and trying out the game, my boyfriend felt inspired to play, so he’s learning now, too! He asked me to help coach him and connecting in this way warmed my nerdy little heart. I hope he gains the confidence to compete with us someday. I think one of the nice things about getting back into this scene is seeing everyone improve and progress through the games. It brings me happiness knowing that this community and the people I love continue learning new skills and share this joy together.
~ GG's, Thanks for Playing!
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