2-6 Teen

I think there needs to be, mmmmmm...... maybe a Halo tournament thrown in for good measure.

Ok, so I went today (October 13) and entered the Mario Kart tournament.  First of all, I would like to thank the Library for hosting this.  I had a great time overall, and have a few suggestions for making it better.  First suggestion is that Super Smash Bros. Melee become a tournament event.  I personally think it is a much more competative game.  Second... the Mario Kart setup needs some help.  My suggestion is that instead of having 8 people playing at once, that you have 2 sets of 4.  The problem with the LAN game is that each person gets a random car, with random characters, on a random level.  This messes some people up because they are not used to a car with a different driving feel, weight, and characters.  What I suggest is that each person, when they register, fill in a slot with a character preference.  If they have no preference, they can choose from what is left.  Players may not always get their choice.  For instance, 2 people request Baby Mario.  Well, baby Mario and Luigi are the same, so they each can have one of those, and 1 other character.  Anyone can use any car, based on what characters they are using.  Every car and character combo has a very different feel as well as different abilities and sizes.  For instance, today, I lost horribly in the semifinals because I got stuck with a team that I NEVER use, on a car with horrible stearing abilites.  I was also completely unable to make use of drifting because of the car.  But there was nothing I could do.  My friend got stuck with the exact same team in an earlier race and lost.  Now, I am not being a sore loser here, I just think it is a bit unfair.  I practiced a bit for this tournament in hopes of using a team similar to the one I was practicing with.  The whole random thing kinda threw me off.

Anyhow, this was still a great event, and I hope some of my suggestions help out!

Candy:

My main opposition to Mario Kart: Double Dash is in the fact that anyone, regardless of skill level, can go from first place, to last within a matter of seconds, just by bad luck.  For instance, I was playing a race once, and I was far in first place. It was almost at the end of the last lap. First I get hit with a blue winged shell, I get moving, then I am hit with a red shell, which causes me to hit a fake item.  By that point in time, I am down to 3rd place.  I am hit with another red shell, and 2 more people pass me.  As I am trying to get up to speed, I am hit by a heavy car with bowser in it, which made me fly off the level.  By the time I get back on the track, I am now in 7th place.  In the end, I managed to get back to 5th place.  But there was no way that I could have played any better and gotten 1st.  This is why I personally think Mario Kart: Double Dash is a bit of an unfair game at times.

A few concerns that I have for Super Smash Bros Melee becoming a tournament event:

First off, just like with Mario Kart, the items in the game can make it so that even a skilled player can lose.  For instance, the hammer.  Some characters can avoid someone with a hammer easily because of their speed, or because they have ranged attacks.  But a lot of people use characters like Roy, Marth, C. Falcon, etc... who have NO ranged attacks.  This can make for an unfair game.  So, what I am trying to say, is that Items should be either turned off, Or extremely limited.  Also, I think levels should be somewhat limited.  Levels like Big Blue (level where you play on the cars while they move down the tracks) should be banned.  I never have any problems with them, but I know a lot of people do.  My other big concern is fights with 4 people.  I personally think by the semifinals, that the fights should be 1 on 1.  

Also, I have heard rumors about being able to play Super Smash Bros. Melee with more than 4 people.  If I find out anything else, I will post something about it.