But that game was my thing back in the eighties. And I wad good at it. Maybe not national best tier, and definitely not world tier, but it was not unusual for me to keep high scores on it that never got beat. The one actual arcade in town, I was never bumped off at all, nobody in town came close. I can’t recall the gap but it was enough higher that there was an extra digit between me and the next highest.
The arcade over in the nearest city, the gap was nowhere near as big, but it was there.
Even when I visited my cousin in Charlotte one summer, I took top spot on the machine there, though it did get beat later on. But I never went below third, at least at the time my cousin stopped going there.
There wasn’t much I was good at that was showy back then. I wrecked shit in spelling bees, and was a decent beatbox (though only decent). Nobody gave a shit about those. I’d play pacman and have a crowd watching. It was fucking awesome for my confidence at the time.
Wasn’t too bad at centipede either, but I would hover up and down in top ten at the two arcades I could visit regular, which isn’t that impressive if you know the game.
So, yeah, I’d go and watch pacman players if the event was close enough. I’d even try my hand at it if I didn’t have to go up against kids with their rassafrassin better reflexes lol.
My idea was to possibly have a tournament season of around 8 events, one every few weeks, with different games at each event and players separated into different age groups like <12, 12-20, 21-30, 30+ Make T-shirts for each event as “trophies” and a few special ones for season point winners. That way a game like pacman could be one week, while an fps could be another, etc.
I’m sure I suck NOW, but I remember the rule back in 1998 was “Golden Guns only, you’re Oddjob.”
I WANTED my opponent to be Oddjob. I turned auto-aim off, and let them keep it on. I did everything possible to give my opponent the advantage. There was still a long run where nobody could beat me. Like 2 years.
And now I’m sad that my biggest flex in life is so meaningless and happened when I was 14. Other then some random VHS tapes that I don’t know where they are, there’s not even any proof that this happened.
Part of me wishes it was the 90s again, because fuck the 2020s. But another part of me wishes it was the 90s again because I want to beat some punk ass kids at goldeneye again!
Back in 2016 I went to a barcade and these college aged kids were playing. They were acting all macho about video games. It was very weird. I was PLASTERED. So I joined in on the 3rd game I saw them play. After 2 games playing, they were like “Ok, lets call a truce, and do 3 on 1 until he’s eliminated.” Still won. They accused me of cheating. We were using original hardware, with OEM controllers, and nothing in the rumble pack slot (yes, it WAS a mockery of the hardware not having a rumble pak). How the fuck COULD I cheat??? That’s just called having skills, son! Get on my LEVEL!!!
Sometime around 2010, a coworker was telling me that he had brought his old N64 back from his mom’s house, we geeked out and started talking about how great we were back in the day. So, sure enough, I end up at his place to settle it once and for all.
He couldn’t touch me and I have to admit it felt pretty damn good.
Obviously! Why even specify? This should just go unsaid. Only a psychopath would invite you to play Goldeneye, and then pull out the Wii. Like you would think weird if you showed up to a friends house, and he was like “Hey, thanks for showing up! I got beer in the fridge. My wife isn’t tied up naked in the bedroom. We’ll throw the burgers on the grill at sunset.”
I mean. Why would your friend say something so odd? OBVIOUSLY you wait until sunset to throw those burgers on the grill! That’s prime grilling hours! Everybody knows that!
I didn’t even notice the sunset thing, I was hung up on why he mentioned beer in the fridge. Why wouldn’t there be? Did he get shitty beer? Very suspicious.
Rocket League, Smash Bros, Armored Core 6, Elden Ring…
I’ve actually done a local smash bros tourney before. Came in 4th. Pretty much anything I already play for fun, I would sign up for a tourney because I usually play competitive games (or at least games with a fun competitive aspect, as with Elden Ring duels and invasions) and I’m not too bad.
When I still played RL, I really wanted to find some good team mates and try out for RLCS. I was already regularly playing with pros I knew by name due to being in the highest ranking bracket.
I just won a five-man local bracket for I play a lot of Riichi Mahjong at the local club as well, but haven't been able to make it out to a proper tournament yet.
I also play Skullgirls and Them's Fightin' Herds online, and have been to a few tournaments in the past, but they don't have local scenes around here anymore. One trip a year traveling out to Combo Breaker is the extent of my offline play for those games.
To… participate or watch? Because these days I can’t say I’m competitive enough in any game to bother. Not that I’m all that interested in competing either, anymore. Ten years ago me and my then Dota-friends were toying with the idea of signing up for something for a period there when we were playing a lot and doing well
To watch, well… I’m not sure. I don’t really play any esports type games currently. It’s a cop-out, but it would depend on the organisers. After mainlining the Olympics for a month I think I could probably get into anything - provided the commentators are good.