Just got back from tbg 31 and have had a cracking time. Was awesome to get lots of the THN lot there as we do like to LAN en masse.
Was also awesome to be able to actually LAN with some of the mpuk lot. Being absolutely schooled in 2k4 by shed and kharne as a highlight . Having not been to a stratlan was good to see them in their natural environment. Everyone will be pleased to hear as well that the big game trophy the golden joystick saw a dramatic semi-final situation. thatbloke and paddy from THN were to face Shed and Kharne in a serious business game of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters. Bloke lined up against Kharne and paddy stepped up to face Shed in what can only be described as a small group of gamers playing an old console fighter on a projector.
Kharne playing as April had scratched his way into the finals. He was shown the true meaning of how one woman can be hit in the gut and face repeatedly by a mutant teenager with a stick. With thatbloke taking his spot in the final it was up to Paddy to demonstrate that even at his very first LAN event he had what it takes. Shed had in the earlier rounds demonstrated some finesse working out a few grab moves and finding a move by which Leonardo rams both swords into the ground a good foot away somehow dealing a good amount of damage. They stood on the grandest stage of them all, a LAN final, well actually they were just in front of the stage but that doesn't sound nearly as dramatic. Shed appeared to have the upper hand early on but with a last ditch effort to not be out done by bloke, Paddy pulled out some mastery with the nunchucks that left Leonardo wishing he'd just stabbed him rather than getting the swords stuck in the ground. The crowd (a bunch of rowdy THNers) went wild, as it had a become an all THN final.
The final itself was over in a heart beat as thatbloke having realised he had a long stick merely used it as something between a stabbing device and a bat to secure himself the GOLDEN JOYSTICK. He had forgotten however that Paddy was not just another competitor but was also his lift home. Last we saw of thatbloke he was walking in the Chichester direction, if anyone sees a confused looking gentleman carrying a bunch of computer gear between Southampton and Chichester do not approach him directly as he will scare easily.
A massive thank you to the Big Game crew who did a cracking job. I highly recommend anyone who can get down Southampton way for the next TBG to do so as it is a lot of fun. I very much look forward to the next one, makes the perfect interim event to get me through the long cold winter until the next i-series.
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