When people talk about EVO, most people recall the big names inStreet FighterorMarvel vs. Capcom 3, such as Daigo Umehara and Justin Wong. However, Capcom games aren’t the only ones getting representation at this fighting event. One of my favorite fighting games when it came out,BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2, was also present this year in a competitive format.
While at EVO though, it was noticeable that most eyes were on the big Capcom fighters. Wanting to get a sense of theBlazBluecommunity that existed here, I sat down withBlazBluecompetitive gamer DacidBro to talk briefly about his love of this game and the tournament scene.
When I asked him about why he lovedBlazBlue, he mentioned that he really enjoyed the variety of the characters. According to him, whereas the other games tend to deal with balance issues, inBlazBlue, once a character gains an offense, every one of them has the opportunity to continue that aggression and be competitive.
As to his thoughts on whyBlazBluedoesn’t get as much attention at EVO, he believed it was because of the fact thatStreet Fighteris a game marketed towards Americans, whereBlazBluehas an anime feel that leads to a more niche following. It’s not all bad, however, since this community is very tight knit and seems to avoid the harsh level of competition that can be exhibited by the other more popular fighters. There is hope that the two communities can come together, as evidenced by the level of interaction that he’s had with the Capcom players.
While sitting in the audience during theBlazBlueGrand finals, and watching Spark fight his way back from Losers match to win it all, there was no doubt that this crowd was just as electric as theStreet Fighterscene. So whether you are a fan of the higher-profile fighting games, or even the more niche ones, attending EVO to feel the hype is definitely worth your while.
