Funen1
Smash Journeyman
Link to original post: [drupal=1546]Climbing Up Smash Mountain - Overcoming the First Plateau[/drupal]
From the depths of the Mississippi River Valley, I have returned! Amidst a combination of ever-growing (and soon to be ending) difficulties in college academics and a slight addiction to Pokemon Platinum, I finally remembered to create a new blog post. I must have a lot to catch up on - guess I better get started.
For those of you who may vaguely recall my previous blog, FBT6 has come and gone. In a weird twist of fate, I didn't get to go, but not in the way I expected. I couldn't find a ride, but that was because every driver from Minnesota backed out of the tournament. They didn't feel like traveling out to Wisconsin just for Brawl, they said. Naturally, eighteenspikes was unhappy with us. So basically, I couldn't have gone even if I wanted to. But that's all in the past now.
Though fewer people in Minnesota play Brawl on a regular basis nowadays, things started shifting around early last month. For the first time since before Brawl's release, I tried out Melee. Obviously it has taken me a while to get somewhat used to the game's different physics (especially considering I only play it once a week), but branching out in the Smash community has given me a whole new outlet to involve myself in. Since I've yet to become consistent with wavedashing, I think I'll stay away from the Ice Climbers for a while. In the meantime, I plan on maining Jigglypuff (I like her great aerial mobility) and seconding Falcon (he's just too much fun).
That's not to say I'm forgoing Brawl in favor of Melee. Hell no. Both games are great fun in their own ways, and I plan on becoming a better Smasher in general by playing both of them. In fact, I feel that I've finally overcome what some would refer to as a "plateau" (relating to the growth of a Smasher) because I now play both. After Smashing for more than a semester, I feel legitimately comfortable in a tournament environment. Here's what happened recently to solidify that.
Someone from the U of M by the name of daoneenonly hosted a Brawl tournament last weekend, bringing together most of Minnesota's best with a bunch of others from the area. It was loads of fun, to be sure, and for the first time in my life I didn't get last in a Brawl Singles tournament - granted, I only got as far as the second round of the loser's bracket (note: there were no pools matches, just double-elimination from the start). Still, it was my best performance yet, and I feel like I finally have the confidence to enter a tournament with a winning mentality.
Now, summer will be starting in less than two weeks for me, with periodic visits back home to Manhattan in between random traveling. I will be participating in a trip sponsored by the U's geology department to Mammoth Lakes, CA in the last week of May, and I will return to Minnesota in July for my second summer field course, lasting until August. Sounds hectic, but I'll tell you that last summer was much worse. In addition, my brother will be starting college this fall, and if we can't negotiate a reasonable price drop for our rent, we may move out to Hoboken or somewhere else in NJ to ease the financial burden. So who knows how well I'll be able to maintain connections with the local Smash community this summer? At least I'll be home for a long enough time to possibly attend the Road to Viridian City monthlies. Possibly.
Until next time, see you later.
From the depths of the Mississippi River Valley, I have returned! Amidst a combination of ever-growing (and soon to be ending) difficulties in college academics and a slight addiction to Pokemon Platinum, I finally remembered to create a new blog post. I must have a lot to catch up on - guess I better get started.
For those of you who may vaguely recall my previous blog, FBT6 has come and gone. In a weird twist of fate, I didn't get to go, but not in the way I expected. I couldn't find a ride, but that was because every driver from Minnesota backed out of the tournament. They didn't feel like traveling out to Wisconsin just for Brawl, they said. Naturally, eighteenspikes was unhappy with us. So basically, I couldn't have gone even if I wanted to. But that's all in the past now.
Though fewer people in Minnesota play Brawl on a regular basis nowadays, things started shifting around early last month. For the first time since before Brawl's release, I tried out Melee. Obviously it has taken me a while to get somewhat used to the game's different physics (especially considering I only play it once a week), but branching out in the Smash community has given me a whole new outlet to involve myself in. Since I've yet to become consistent with wavedashing, I think I'll stay away from the Ice Climbers for a while. In the meantime, I plan on maining Jigglypuff (I like her great aerial mobility) and seconding Falcon (he's just too much fun).
That's not to say I'm forgoing Brawl in favor of Melee. Hell no. Both games are great fun in their own ways, and I plan on becoming a better Smasher in general by playing both of them. In fact, I feel that I've finally overcome what some would refer to as a "plateau" (relating to the growth of a Smasher) because I now play both. After Smashing for more than a semester, I feel legitimately comfortable in a tournament environment. Here's what happened recently to solidify that.
Someone from the U of M by the name of daoneenonly hosted a Brawl tournament last weekend, bringing together most of Minnesota's best with a bunch of others from the area. It was loads of fun, to be sure, and for the first time in my life I didn't get last in a Brawl Singles tournament - granted, I only got as far as the second round of the loser's bracket (note: there were no pools matches, just double-elimination from the start). Still, it was my best performance yet, and I feel like I finally have the confidence to enter a tournament with a winning mentality.
Now, summer will be starting in less than two weeks for me, with periodic visits back home to Manhattan in between random traveling. I will be participating in a trip sponsored by the U's geology department to Mammoth Lakes, CA in the last week of May, and I will return to Minnesota in July for my second summer field course, lasting until August. Sounds hectic, but I'll tell you that last summer was much worse. In addition, my brother will be starting college this fall, and if we can't negotiate a reasonable price drop for our rent, we may move out to Hoboken or somewhere else in NJ to ease the financial burden. So who knows how well I'll be able to maintain connections with the local Smash community this summer? At least I'll be home for a long enough time to possibly attend the Road to Viridian City monthlies. Possibly.
Until next time, see you later.