Anyone who is a member of the competitive fighting game community knows that the Evolution Championship Series, or Evo for short, is the Super Bowl for gamers. It brings together people from all over the world to compete in their favorite games for a chance at money and glory.
I've been competing in Super Smash Bros. Melee tournaments for the past two years. After participating in tournaments in the North West and hearing the different stories about Evo, I decided to attend Evo 2015. The tournament was one of the best weekends of my life and the overall experience was one that I'll be telling my grandchildren about.
The thing about Evo is that it's in Las Vegas, and I live in Oregon. So my friends and I had to decide how we were going to get there. Most people chose to fly, which in hindsight was probably the better decision. Me and six of my friends decided to make the 15 hour drive down to Vegas in my van. the trip was all right, except for when we got a flat tire at 3 a.m. That wasn't very fun. Driving was a great experience, but I think I'll fly next year.
The actual tournament was Friday, July 17 through Sunday, July 19. The tournament was held at the Bally's Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, and our room was also at the Bally's. We got there a day before the tournament and had fun playing Melee with friends and exploring the Vegas Strip.
A tournament the size of Evo is double elimination. The first day is pools up to top 32, the second day is top 32 up to top eight, and the third and final day of the tournament is when top eight is played out and a winner is crowned.
My goal was to make it out of my pool, which was going to be difficult because there were some very good players in it. I got a bye round one, meaning that the person I was supposed to play didn't show up and I advanced automatically.
I won my next match, and after that I lost to this guy named Darrell. He is an extremely good player, having been ranked in the top 100 in the world two years in a row. He demolished me, but i wasn't out of the tournament yet.
I went into loser bracket and lost immediately. I was out of the tournament going 2-2, or 1-2 if you don't count the bye. I was upset because I felt that I could perform better than I did, but there's always next year.
I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with friends and watching the rest of the tournament.
Having been a sports fan my entire life, I can say without a doubt that watching top 32 and top eight of Evo was one of the most intense and exhilarating experiences of my life. And I was just watching. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the players actually competing.
On the last night before we drove back, my fiends and I went to a party in the pent house of the hotel that the Arizona players were hosting. It was amazing. Everyone was there, including Evo 2015 champ Adam "Armada" Lindgren. Getting to meet some of my favorite players at that party was the icing on the cake.
Evo 2015 was amazing. There was great people, great competition, and great games. I may not have told the whole story here, but that's because what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
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