Tipped Off 4

Tipped Off 4!
By Robert Pless

On January 16th and 17th, Waba Game hosted the 4th Tipped Off Super Smash Brothers: Melee tournament. With a record setting attendance from all over the U.S. and Canada, top-ranked player and much talked about veteran David “Dark Rain” John, of Kansas City, drenched the competition, and took the singles title, and over $650 in a cash prize, while the NC based team of Adam “LoZr” Jones and Kevin “Dr. PeePee” Nanney took the doubles title, and just under $500 in cash.

Tournament Turnout
For those not in the know, “tipped off” is one of many terms in the Smash Bros. lexicon that explains certain actions and maneuvers for all or certain characters. “:info about what tipped off means:”
After their thrilling doubles victory, (2-3 in the first, 3-1 in the second, two sets are played in the Championship Match if the winner(s) of the loser’s bracket takes the first set from the winner’s bracket winner(s), which means that winner’s bracket champ needs to win 3 matches in one set of 5, while the loser’s bracket winner needs to win two 5 match sets to take the title.) Jones and Nanney, who have been competitively been playing Melee for a combined 5 ½ years, were asked about what made them want to travel the nation playing Smash, and they both said that once they became the best in their home state of North Carolina, they wanted to branch out their skills and experience, and also get the opportunity to meet new individuals who share the same interests as they do. Their strategy for victory is basically to play aggressively and look at playing styles of the competitors, and try to adapt. Both said that they love the GA scene, and would gladly attend any other tournament that Waba Game hosts in the near future if possible.
Super Sub-Culture
While the Smash community is a pretty popular sub-culture in the gaming community, the female population was quite slim, but according to Kelli Gose of Atlanta, this isn’t a surprise. “While there aren’t many girls here, the girl gaming community is pretty good, and continues to grow each day, be it Smash or any other game.” Another female player, Jesi, who also happens to be the fiancée of “Dark Rain”, says that the girl gamer community is growing, mostly in part to forum posts from girl gamers, and more girls supporting one another in the male-dominated field.

Dark Rain Drenches the Competition
Easily the most talked about player in the competition, David “Dark Rain” John, 21, of Kansas City took away the singles title and over $650.00 on the 2nd and final day of the Tipped Off event. A favorite to win, and somewhat idolized by the masses of younger players, John looks at his gamer celebrity status very modestly, and appreciates the support and admiration from other players. John says he has been playing Smash competitively for about 5 years, and what made him get into the competitive play was watching videos from a Canadian team called “The Punch Group”, and their style of play really engaged him, and made him want to practice more and more each day. Much like the team final, the winner of the loser’s bracket, Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma, 15, took the first set, 1 - 3, before John closed out the 2nd set 3 – 1.
“I felt the first set was a trial run, and it made me focus on how to approach [Hungrybox] and defeat him.” John says about his eventual victory to the 15 year old player, 6 years his junior. “The Florida players are very young,” he comments on 2nd and 3rd place finishers, both from Florida, both 15 years of age. He says that even though Melee was released in 2001, the ever-growing community 8 years later is a testament to the game’s replay capability and speed. John also enjoyed Waba’s setting, and the chill, unrushed feeling that the tournament gave, with live music, and the ability to play more friendlies, and would gladly consider returning, provided it fit with his schedule.