thatdemoguy
FINAL ROUND 19!
Can you feel that?
There's electricity in the air. A nearly tangible energy that's giving me goosebumps and causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up from the mere thought of what’s coming. This building anticipation that's got me crossing days off my calendar like a kid counting down days til' Christmas.
That feeling, my friends, is called HYPE. And when it comes to that real HYPE, only one thing comes to mind.
No folks....this time I’m NOT talking about Street Fighter V, which should be in everyone's hands by now. This time I’m looking ahead about one month to March 18th-20th. What's special about that weekend you ask. Well your boy is getting ready to make his way down to the ATL because its time once again for the Southeast's largest and longest running fighting game tournament. Its time for FINAL ROUND!!!!
OK, I feel I need to get this out of the way before you read any further, just to make sure the air is totally clear. I, the one and only thatdemoguy, I am in no way sponsored by or directly affiliated with Final Round. I am not being paid to write this. I get nothing for these words. I’m doing this right now because I love this event. It's one of the few events that I do everything in my power to make every year. As soon as one ends, I’m already ready for the next. And this particular year is shaping up to be monumental. Trust me you are not going to want to miss this one. And here's why....
I already mentioned Street Fighter V, but what you need to pay attention to when it comes to that game is that Final Round is the FIRST PREMIERE TOURNAMENT OF THE CAPCOM PRO TOUR 2016. So essentially this tournament is the big coming out party for Capcom's flagship fighter. It’s the belle of the ball, the homecoming queen, the one you came to see, the main event. With the game only being in the community's hands officially for a little over a month, everything will be fresh. All the tech (gameplay strategy, tricks, and gimmicks) will be new. And I’m not here to drop names, but I can all but guarantee that all the killers will be out. All the names you already know, and quite possibly a re-emergence of quite a few names from the pre-SF4 era. Every single one of them wants to get that first guaranteed spot for Capcom Cup 2016. With this being a clean slate for a new season, this is virtually anybody's tournament to win. Meaning we could also see some new blood injected into the scene. So I expect plenty of crazy matches, creative gameplay, and upsets everywhere. It's gonna be good, bottom line.
And that’s just ONE game....
I can't really talk on every game that’s going to be played, though trust me your game will likely be there, but I can and will tell you about a few of the things I am personally excited about.
Mortal Kombat XL drops at the beginning of March, and for those that don't know....the YOMI crew plays out of ATL. And they play themselves some MKX. I don't know if the new characters will be playable, but I am ready to see what the YOMI has cooked up for everyone. I want to see if they can take down the current king of the hill, cR_SonicFox, who's been on nothing short of a complete and utter tear in everything NRS for at least a solid 2 years now.
Hot off the heels of its exclusive championship event, the KI Cup, the Killer Instinct community will be coming strong to prove that their game is here to stay. This tournament could also quite possibly be the swan song of the current build, seeing as how the Killer Instinct Season 3 content will be dropping soon afterwards.
Now here's something I will probably gush about just a bit more than I should, but if you've ever been there and seen this you will no doubt understand what I am talking about....AND THAT’S ATLANTA TEKKEN!!!! They are on a whole other level down in the ATL, and it’s something that has to be experienced rather than simply talked about. What makes it so great is that it’s not just that they play well, but they put on an amazing show while doing it. The amount of energy they give off is infectious. They can turn a basic opening round pools encounter into a grand finals level match. When I say that these guys bring every single bit of the HYPE, I mean it. I can personally tell you that I don’t feel my trip is complete unless I personally witness a PokChop pop off. But an amazing aspect of ATL Tekken is that if you play one....you play all. They move as a unit and support each other the same. So if you just so happen to be that person that has to play one of them, I hope you’re ready. I know I’ve got my popcorn ready and I can’t wait to see it. I have always viewed Final Round as THE tournament to attend if you're a Tekken player. Its the Super Bowl or the WrestleMania of American Tekken, with competition that stands equal to or even above that of EVO, and that seems to be a sentiment shared by the community.
Speaking of Tekken at Final Round, as you can see from the pic above, this event will be the first time that we in America get our chance to play the latest version of Tekken 7, Fated Retribution. This is a HUGE DEAL. Thanks to the folks at Namco Bandai, and a special shout out to Mark "MarkMan" Julio for making this happen. This is a privilege that I feel they specifically wanted to save for this event, seeing as how TTT2 was also tested at Final Round a few years ago prior to its console release. The powers that be know FINAL ROUND is a hotbed for Tekken players, and the community has to do its duty to show its appreciation for this. So Tekken FR is going down at FR? Hmmmmm, coincidence....I THINK NOT!!
Even if you aren't there to play, there's still so much there to engage you. Be it going to play some games in the arcade room, visiting the various vendors who are on hand, just watching the matches in the ballrooms (if you're brave, you should get in "the pit" just once on finals day), or participating in my personal favorite, THE RAFFLES!!!! I have a title to defend, so if you're there (and you should be) please drop a few dollars into the raffle. No you aren’t GUARANTEED to win, but if you do, the prizes are well worth it. Also you have to think that this raffle money pretty much goes right back to into taking care of all of US at future events. And it also goes to help take care of all the staff and volunteers, who do a pretty much selfless and thankless job.
(yeah, I'm coming to win all the things....again)
But even outside all of the gaming and all of the HYPE, most importantly I have to say that coming to Final Round makes you a part of a family. I have been coming to these for almost 10 years now, meaning that Larry, Eric, and company have been doing this for nearly twenty years now!!!! You don't get that far without building a positive reputation and forming lasting bonds with those who come to your events. And in my time coming, I have been made to feel like I’m not just another guy with a badge there simply to be at the event. As long as you’re personable and consistent, they will learn your face, and maybe even your name if you keep on coming and engaging them. Yes its a busy weekend for everyone involved, especially the Tournament Organizers themselves, but as long as you respect them, the staff, the venue, yourself, and the rest of the Final Round attendees, you are a part of the family.
Oh, and if you truly want the whole experience, you could just make sure to have your butt at Spondivits after the event. If you know....you know. If not....well, maybe you can learn.
Please understand I’m not trying to sell you on anything here, I’m just a guy that's telling you about what I feel is one of the "must attend" tournaments on the annual FGC calendar. Its without a doubt one of (if not THE) longest running tournaments/events in the FGC, and for very good reason. So come that weekend, I hope to see quite a few of you there. As of this moment, this event has blown up and the event venue and one of the closest hotels near it have been filled. But the organizers are diligently doing all they can to make sure that if you want to be there, that accommodations are available. Don’t keep sleeping on this. Go ahead and go HERE to register and to get your trip planned. Time is almost up, and you don’t want to miss out.
Trust me....THE HYPE IS REAL!!!!
So will I see YOU there personally? If so, feel free to drop a comment below or hit me with a tweet at thatdemoguy.