For the past 20 years, the fighting game community has had an outlet in which it could be its true competitive self. Whether it was at a university campus, an arcade or a Las Vegas ballroom, there was always a place to be the greatest. Even through its evolution over the years, the concept of Evo remained untouched: an open double-elimination tournament, regardless of the number of entrants, to crown the year's best.
This year is its biggest iteration ever. It will be in two venues, the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Mandalay Bay Events Center, with more than 9,000 participants and three days of fighting game bliss. Over the years, there's been so many memorable Evo moments that could be described only as legendary. Here are a few highlights.
"King of Fighters XIII": Reynald wins one for the U.S.
Evo 2013 was the second year the game "King of Fighters XIII" appeared at the tournament, and Arcade Shock's Reynald "Reynald" Tacsuan was faced with a chance at redemption. He was not only fighting for himself, but also for the United States to take down the King of Fighters' powerhouse country: South Korea. With seemingly entire nation at his back, Reynald made history by triumphantly beating South Korea's Hee San Woo in a grand finals that arguably stole the entire show.
The setup was that of an underdog against an absolutely stacked deck, With hard reads and incredibly fast changes to his offensive pattern, he confused and shattered his opponent's resolve. He needed to reset the grand finals, negate the advantage of Woo's coach's corner, and take down a talented combatant, all with a smile on his face under his trademark sunglasses. The confidence oozed from the stage out to the entire ballroom as the crowd erupted for every one of Reynald's correct reads. In the end, he took it all to the finish line and established the U.S.as a threat for any King of Fighters' tournament.
"Marvel vs. Capcom 2": Justin Wong doesn't give up
It was 2007 and Justin "JWong" Wong was a four-time Evo "Marvel vs. Capcom 2" champion and the best to play the game. There was no equal to the prodigy from New York's Chinatown Fair arcade. Every player fought to take second place, and chief among them was Michael "IFC Yipes" Mendoza. JWong and IFC Yipes would meet in winner's bracket finals with JWong sporting his signature team, called "Matrix," composed of Storm, Sentinel, and Cyclops; IFC Yipes's own team, "MSP," fielded Magneto, Storm, and Psylocke. MvC2 as a game was notorious for run-on combos and infinites, while being short on comeback potential. You're allowed three characters and that's it; lose one and it's gone.
When Wong looked to be on the ropes in game two after IFC Yipes struck first blood, the unthinkable happened. Wong was left with Cyclops, a rather weak character when not used as an assist, against the entire team of IFC Yipes. He dodged, built up Cyclops' hyper combo meter, and ultimately stayed patient and chose his battles. The now legendary call of "It's never over until it's over!" roared from the crowd as Wong picked IFC Yipes apart with one hit-confirm after another.
While IFC Yipes would end up winning the MvC2 tournament for his first Evo title, Wong's comeback to win that game was an indelibly memorable moment for the whole crowd.
"Street Fighter IV": Daigo Umehara cements Japan as the top threat
Daigo "The Beast" Umehara could be described as the definition of Street Fighter: a world warrior who travels for the love of competition and community. His humility made him a fan favorite and his skill made him a legitimate threat in whichever game he chose to compete. In 2009, "Street Fighter IV" was the biggest fighting game in the world. It sparked a complete renaissance to an otherwise dying scene. To win "Street Fighter IV" in its inaugural and, ultimately, last year at Evo was a message louder than just a trophy's declaration. It meant that the winner was essentially the best in the world.
Justin "JWong" Wong was the entire Western world's hope. If he won, he would legitimize the U.S. as the top dog in "Street Fighter IV" and debunk any notion that Asia was the center of the world's fighting game elite. Unfortunately, the roadblock was Daigo. What came out of their faceoff was a meaty fighting game match for the ages. Their set in grand finals was a nail-biter that required both hands. It had character switches, last-minute adjustments, stoppage time for sheer excitement and coaching, and Daigo's clutch and magic. In the end, Japan won, but Daigo and JWong provided a show that no one could ever forget.
"Street Fighter III": Moment 37
Also called the "Daigo parry," there's so much written about this particular moment that it's fighting game canon. It's a rite of passage and your introduction video to the entire community. It sparked an entire generation of believers and players and continues to do so 12 years later.
The roughly 30 seconds of key footage starts with JWong as Chun-Li and Daigo as Ken. Daigo is in trouble, as his health meter is almost zero after JWong has baited him into aggression with an ultra-safe, "turtle" style of play. JWong jumps in with a Super Combo, which is a flurry of 15 kicks, any one of which could have knocked Daigo out instantly. Instead of blocking the kicks, which would have caused him to take a small amount of damage and lose the round, Daigo opts to parry each one of the hits, which is an unbelievably difficult technical feat. He parries the final hit while jumping into the air -- even harder than a normal parry -- in order to respond with a Super Combo of his own, turning the tables on JWong and finishing the round.
This moment, though, is about more than the prediction of the Super from Daigo. It's the nervous button presses from Wong, the increasing crowd noise from the audience at Cal State Pomona, the legendary call from Seth Killian. It's nothing more than just the entirety of the video. It distills, in no small way, the soul of the fighting game community.