Small Update to My Sakura Guide

I just now tweaked some things to the guide. I edited some things that I feel were wrong or unnecessary. Mainly, I stopped bad mouthing her normals. They are decent, but still we aren't talking Chun-Li or Vega. On the other hand I have come to realize that characters like Dudley and T. Hawk would love to have normals as good as Sakura's.

I also cleaned it up with my usual writer's sense that nothing is perfect. I am starting to use Sakura Super more because it does do a lot of damage, sends the opponent to the corner, and you still get decent oki after.

Here is the updated guide: http://ngamer3k-stocktank.blogspot.com/2011/02/sakura-ssf4-guide.html

On a side note, I'm thinking about writing a more advanced guide to Sakura as well as a very beginner level guide to Rose. What do you think?

NGamer4k

Full Results: Pixel's Charity Tournament - Ames, IA 11/15/12

This tournament was hosted to benefit the Child's Play charity.

UMvC3

1. Joker490Frozen
2. BoLo
3. NGamer3k
4. Kuares
5. haydenplz
5. GQDang
7. StarSaber
7. JinxU
9. Figgy
9. D+Raw
9. Aphasia
9. KDotLo
13. KithKat
13. K070
13. MILLICON
13. Jacob Imming

SSF4 AE

1. Figgy
2. NGamer3k
3. Aphasia
4. Connor
5. BoLo
5. Jacob Imming
7. MILLCON
7. K070

Persona 4 Arena (RR)

1. BlankM
2. Figgy
3. KDotLo
4. D+Raw
5. JinxU

Videos from Maxout - Kansas City - 11/17/12

A few weeks ago, myself and Joker490Frozen went down to KC for their monthly tournament, Maxout. How did we do? See below and find out.

Full Results: Middle of Knowhere II, Cedar Rapids, IA - 10/20/2012

This is a suuuper late update. Middle of Knowhere which was formerly Extravaganza has become an annual event here in Iowa run by Scott "Xiang." This year was very interesting-- complete with a bracket controversy! (See below) I even came away with a new ASUS monitor courtesy of one of the raffles. 

TTT2 (You'll notice that the placements are displaced by one spot. There was a bracket error that I explain at the end.)

1) YJShin (DJ/Hei)
2) Sluch (Zafina/Christie)
3) Mateo (Jack/Feng)
4) The Hammer (Craig/Ganny)
5) Antonio
5) Mr Napkins aka (chi) holli
5) jimmypikachu
8) Tick
8) Sammy
10) JannaKazama
10) NoAmbition
10) Seth Rivers
10) YouHeDad
14) Pitch Black
14) PSC Naranja
14) Esom
14) ProDigital
18) Eric
18) Tizight
18) The Nameless Master
18) Mr Mister
18) Dr Tom
18) Tasty PP Juice
18) marcp20
18) MysticBill
26) FOK
26) Dani
26) Flex Buff Chest
26) MKL
26) Victor Garcia
26) Spam Guy
26) PBJ Mixxa
26) Krispy
34) gamegenie
34) AtomicPif
34) Fuzion
34) Xiang

[NOTE ON THE BRACKET ERROR (From Xiang): So, it was a simple thing that caused the whole mess. Some late entries got there literally at 1 o'clock that took us over the 32-man threshold. Rather than delay the tourny by rewriting the brackets with an additional 32-man bracket, as should have been done, I made a TERRIBLE decision to make a small appendix bracket and realized too late how much that fucked up the whole process. The result was an extra person at 5th place that displaced all other places by one, i.e. tied for 7th because tied for 8th, tied for 9th becomes tied for 10th, and so on.

I took responsibility at the time, I take it now, and I'll never give it away. For those that were disappointed or upset (and rightfully so), I apologize. And, although I know it doesn't make up for the mistake on my part, because there was an additional person at the 5 spot, I paid out to all of top 7.]

SCV

1) Mateo (Mitsu)
2) jimmypikachu (Leixei)
3) Fuzion (Pat)
4) Sluch
5) Ken 
5) MKL
7) Mystic
7) Ora
9) gamegenie
9) Esom
9) Xiang

Persona 4

1) Blank Mauser (Mitsuru)
2) B1argh (Naoto)
3) Ether Lord (Kanji)
4) Jeremy Yon
5) Top Hat
5) Figgy
7) Latino Link
7) PSC Naranja
9) D-Raw
9) gamegenie
9) KCs Notorious
9) kDotLo
13) Austin Oltmans

VF (Done in round robin format, so placings will reflect that)

1) Chris Yungbluth
2) Austin Oltmans
3) Flex Buff Chest
4) Murphagator
4) MKL
6) Dr Tom
6) Grog
8) Curtis

KoF

1) Evil Joe (Belaul) (Team Japan)
2) Prod1gy (Duo Lon/Yuri/Shen)
3) KC Notorious (Claw Iori/Hwa/Karate)
4) Jeremy Yon
5) Murphagator
5) Top Hat
7) Sniper Elite
7) NGamer
9) Etherlord
9) Latino Link
9) Blank
9) Grog
13) Uli

SF4

1) NGamer3k (Sakura, Ryu)
2) Figgy (Honda)
3) Cities (Guile)
4) Grog
5) Sniper Elite
5) Latino Link
7) Uli
7) DGB
9) Monster Blaze
9) Schizm
9) Eric Taylor
9) AtomicPif

MvC

1) Dekline (DMC)
2) NG Joker (Task/Vergil/Strider) (Task/Trish/Wesker)
3) Kuares (Dante/Dorm/Raccoon)
4) Belaul
5) KCs Notorious
5) Hogosha
7) Bolo
7) kDotLo
9) NGamer
9) Latino Link
9) Zooz
9) D-Raw
13) GQDang
13) Flex Buff Chest
13) Monster Blaze
13) White Fury
17) Sammy
17) kint
17) Figgy
17) DBG
17) Matt Vanq

Mystery

1) Esom
2) Flex Buff Chest
3) Kuares
4) MKL
5) Ngamer
5) kDotLo
7) Top Hat
7) Ether Lord
9) Latino Link
9) D-Raw
9) Blank M
9) kint
13) Eric
13) Jeremy Yon
13) PBJ Mixxa
13) GQDang
17) Grog
17) White Fury
17) YouHeDad
17) Figgy
17) NoAmbition
17) Zooz
17) Schizm
17) Sniper Elite

Kansas City Maxout Tournament Quick Entries

I was waiting until more videos were uploaded to post about my trip to Kansas City last month for their monthly tournament series, Maxout, but I have since been back for this month's edition of the tournament so I am now compelled to post something. I fully intend on going into more detail later, but for now here are two quick summarizations of both tournament experiences with what everyone wants to know about, results.

Last month I placed a respectable 9th in Marvel losing to PJ "DatBoiSTL" twice. My fellow "NerdGamer" Joker placed 4th. Disappointingly in KOF, I went 0-2 losing close matches to "Focra" and Omaha's KOF junkie, "Kenshiro." Blank finished 7th and Curtis "TopHat" finished 4th. In SSF4 AE, I finished 2nd, losing to KC's best player, Samson twice. I was extremely proud of myself and satisfied with my performance. I bested myself once again from my previous 5th place finish and reached my goal to finish in the money.

This month and this past weekend, myself, Joker, and Blank returned intent to win the tournaments that we all felt we were capable of. I did manage to win the SSF4 AE tournament. A win that is a great step for me as a player. With confidence, I can say "Yes, I am one of the best in the midwest." The conclusion of this story will be told at the upcoming UFGT8 tournament in May-- an official Major and part of the Evo Tournament Season. Joker, perhaps disappointedly finished 5th in Marvel, and Blank and I both went 0-2 in KOF-- losing to the same two people in fact. We managed to scrap out a 2nd place finish in SFxT pair play though.

Videos from Marvelous Street Kombat - 3/16/12 - Omaha, NE

I finally uploaded the last of the videos I recorded from March's MSK (Shoutouts to KOF for its long sets). Also, for your information since the TO Yulai does not post the full results, here are the top three for each game as I remember. See the videos on my youtube channel.

UMvC3

1. Joe
2. [NG]Joker490Frozen
3. Dekline

SSF4 AE

1. NGamer3k
2. Jamarrvelous
3. GoodSpeed

SFxT

1. Jamarrvelous
2. NGamer3k
3. Joe

KOFXIII

1. Jamarrvelous
2. MagicTopHat
3. Kenshiro

3/24/12 - Iowa Monthly Series- Full Results - Cedar Rapids, IA

UMvC3

1. [NG]Joker490Frozen (Vergil/Task/Wesker)
2. Hogosha (Captain/Thor/Ryu)
3. NGamer3k (Wesker/Storm/Chun)
4. Kuares
5. Aphasia
5. Figgy
7. D-Raw
7. Bo Lo
9. Name v5.0
9. KDotLo
9. Kint
9. Pan Dabber
13. Jake
13. Latino Link

KOFXIII

1. Murphagator (Ralph/Yuri/Beni)
2. Klaige (EX Kyo/Saiki/Shen)
3. Hogosha (Kyo/Mai/King)
4. NGamer3k
5. D-Raw
5. Grog
7. Kint
7. Vamperial
9. Latino Link

Soul Calibur V

1. Ken (Natsu, Various)
2. Funked (Pyrra)
3. Xiang (???)
4. Name v5.0
5. KDotLo
5. Kokain
7. D-Raw
7. Hogosha
9. Vamperial

SSF4 AE

1. NGamer3k (Sakura, Ken, Ryu)
2. Figgy (Honda, Guile)
3. Hogosha (Claw)
4. Kemps
5. Vamperial
5. Grog
7. BoLo
7. Latino Link

Wish us luck in Kansas City

This weekend, Kansas City is holding their monthly tournament "Maxout." I am making my fourth trip down there and I'm bringing Joker, our best Marvel player, along with me. This is a great event put on by John "Axiom" and Le "Radian" that has served as a good measuring stick for my tournament ability, and this time I anticipate it will be no different.

My first trip to Kansas City a couple of years ago was one of my first tournaments that I went to and I fell flat on my face and went 0-2. The next time I did a little better, then the last time I finished 5th. This time I'm aiming for the top, and so will Joker-- who I expect to do well after also failing to meet expectations when he first went to KC with me on my last trip.

Also populating our party will be Blank and Curtis "TopHat," who be both entering KOF as their main game. I expect a good performance from both but traveling and tourney nerves seem to take their toll on them more than other players. Regardless of performance, it should be a fun trip and a great experience. Curtis put it best when he said today, "If I go down there and get bodied hard in KOF-- I'll be happy."

~Wish us luck!

Iowa Monthly Series Full Results

This is kind of late, but these monthlies have started up again. In fact, Iowa has quite the lively tournament scene nowadays. Stay tuned for more tourney results.

UMvC3

1. [NG]Joker490Frozen (Trish/Task/Wesker)
2. Figgy (Wesker/Hawkeye/Sent)
3. NGamer3k (Wesker/Storm/Chun)
4. Hogosha
5. Ray Robins
5. Blank
7. Olli
7. Latino Link
9. Kuares
9. EtherLord
9. Ken
9. TopHat
13. Kint
13. Nugen
13. Name v5.0

KOFXIII

1. Murphagator! (Ralf/Beni/Yuri)
2. Klaige (EX Kyo/Saiki/Shen)
3. TopHat (Kensou/King/Andy)
4. BlankM
5. Latino Link
5. NGamer3k
7. Hogosha
7. Kemps
9. Vamperial
9. Kint
9. EtherLord
9. Nugen
13. Figgy
13. Olli

SCV

1. Ken (Natsu)
2. Funked (Natsu, Pyrhaa)
3. Kokain (?)
4. Xiang
5. Fafnir
5. Hogosha
7. Austin
7. Travis Lucten
9. NGamer3k
9. Vamperial
9. Bryan
9. Taylor Terry

SSF4 AE

1. NGamer3k (Sakura, Ryu, Ken)
2. Hogosha (Claw)
3. Figgy
4. Latino Link
5. Kemps
5. Nugen

Videos and Winning Tournaments

Well a lot has actually been going on in the past few months but I have neglected to give any sort of update. Out of laziness and knowledge that no one really cares too much about individual tournament results, I can say Iowa has been performing well at events recently.

I have won a few AE tournaments including the last Marvelous Street Kombat that took place in Omaha, and my good friend, Christian "Joker490Frozen" has taken the last 3 UMvC3 tournaments he has entered. I have also been able to catalogue many tournament matches with my new Flip camera that I received for Christmas and those are available to watch on my youtube channel. Although I was unable to record the last MSK.

In short, I'm back and done lamenting my time in the fighting game community as of right now. Iowa has a healthy amount of events coming up and I'll be sure to update you on our exploits.