After years of being inactive, So Cal finally got West Coast Warzone back on September 5th through 7th of 2014. Southern California definitely needed this tournament as it has provided some of the most hyped moments in the history of the FGC. Sure, there’s SCR, but So Cal is definitely a hot bed for fighting games which warrants another major. The venue was being held at the Double Tree Hotel in Orange, California.
I entered three tournaments that weekend. I entered Ultra Street Fighter IV, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Those were the only tournaments where I felt comfortable and put the most time in.
The venue itself was the best nicest venue for a major I have ever gone to, and that includes EVO. The hotel room was very homey and comfortable. The beds made you not want to get out. Everyone got cookies which were to die for. They offered shuttle bus rides to Disneyland which wasn’t too far away. Every guest was greeted with a smile and was made sure they were taken care of.
Most people at this event were expected to go 0-2. The good thing was that there was a redemption tournament for those that went 0-2. Unfortunately, I qualified for all three tournaments I entered. For Super Turbo, I actually won the “Continue? Tournament” which made me very happy and my biggest accomplishment in fighting games as it was streamed.
The most hyped moment was the first to 20 in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom with high stakes involved between Filipino Champ and Black Eye’s Nemo of Japan. It came down to the last match with each having only one character left. There were a lot of investments being exchanged. The environment was extremely electrified.
What made it special was that I felt like I did my part to represent Nor Cal at this tournament as Northern California did extremely well taking out many of Southern California’s best across multiple games. I got my salty runback against the same person that eliminated me in Super Turbo back at So Cal Regionals months prior. This time, I got to do the eliminating. I’d say outside of EVO, it’s my favorite major I’ve ever attended.
Written by: Mr. Timtastic
