It’s Not Always About Winning Blast to the Past and games were about having fun.
I’m an avid competitive gamer, my daily driver is Apex Legends. I push myself to evolve and stack those dubs. My limited success in eSports or games hasn’t garnered me any material wealth. The joy rests in the action itself. Gaming is a part of my life. Renowned authors like Malcolm Gladwell in “Outliers” and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in “The Flow of Creativity” touch on individuals who pour their heart and soul into perfecting their craft, sometimes at the expense of worldly achievements.
There have been moments where I felt trapped in the loop of mediocrity. I lack that spark that makes the best players different. but I do what I can from where I am in life. I’ve leaned into every experience, allowing my passion to guide my self-improvement. Oddly enough wanting to win so badly can also hamper your improvement. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s insights suggest pushing to the razor’s edge and taking risks. Getting uncomfortable from time to time will enhance your performance. That uncomfortable area puts your brain in the space where the only thing that matters is that singular moment.
While David Sirlin’s “Play to Win” remains a guidebook for excelling in video games, I’ve come to a profound realization: the journey is sometimes more meaningful than the destination.
A Blast to The Past
Tucked away in the bustling streets of Shinjuku is Mikado, an arcade gem. Although its name might not resonate universally, it holds a special place in the Japanese fighting game community. My friend in the FGC who’s been living in Tokyo for almost 15 years informed me that Mikado is a Tokyo FGC Staple. To this day Mikado still holds tournaments for some of these games Street Fighter 3rd Strike, Guilty Gear, and older Tekken Games.
Stepping into Mikaido was like stepping into a time capsule. It felt like stepping into the room where we held Super Smash Melee tournaments in college. Going to Mikado was like seeing different epochs of my life laid before me. The universe seemed to whisper a message of hope, urging me not to abandon my cherished childhood dreams. The buzzing arcade machines, reminiscent of a time before modern gaming consoles, reignited a spark within me.
Seeing the dated cabinets of Time Crisis, Racing Games, and of course fighting games awakened that little kid in me. Gaming wasn’t about winning, it was about having fun.
Part of Gaming’s Fun is Learning
My good friend and I played various games and instead of worrying about winning I just had fun. The first game we played was Guilty Gear where for my own reasons I chose Bridget. My philosophy is to choose a character that you think is cool and just play them. Don’t worry about what’s META or winning. My friend and I both were pretty clueless about how to play the game at a higher level and it was fun to discover what was safe on block, what moves had good range, and the moves with laggy startups or endings.
After laughing it up and having a good time we jumped onto Street Fighter 3rd Strike where I played Chun-Li. With a change of genre, we jumped onto a racing game with the wonkiest physics. The physics were so bad they made the game more enjoyable. I chose the Renault R5 because of my love of F1.
Finally, we went to play some rounds of Tekken 7 and I chose Lucky Chloe because of reasons. It was an amazing time going to an arcade and being reminded of the exceptional joy that comes with playing video games. I hope to keep that little dreaming kid alive for as long as I can.
Much Love 
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