Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is known among fighting game fans for its fast pace and frenetic action. But “fast” doesn’t even begin to describe a recent tournament match.
Over the weekend, Philadelphia played host to Summer Jam 8, one of the biggest fighting game events after Evo was held in July.
It was most notable for the sheer volume of games displayed: 20 different games during the three-day gathering. But it was a match in the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 tournament that stood out the most.
The contest was played between Brandon “Demon Hyo” Deshields and Noel Brown. Neither player is any stranger to the big stage of a tournament like Summer Jam 8, but spectators couldn’t be faulted for thinking that this might have been Brown’s first time after watching the match.
Deshields needed only seven in-game seconds to defeat Brown in the first game. While the second in the best-of-five series lasted a while longer, the third was much more similar to the first, taking only 11 in-game seconds.
How does something like this happen? It’s a combination of awareness, execution, and luck.
Each player in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is in control of three chosen fighters. But while only one fighter can be directly controlled at a time, the other two on the assembled team may be called onto the screen to execute a single move, called an “assist.”
These characters are, however, vulnerable to being attacked while on screen. And if a player is able to catch both his main opponent and an assisting character in a single attack, the results can be devastating.
So much so that in just seven seconds, the match can be over.
