NEW GAMES ADDED TO THE TOURNAMENTS
There is still one fixture remaining of the Sixth Tournament and unless Lord Dilks beats Doc Shakib on Golden Axe 2, 9-0, then Mr Smith will be the Champion. But there are bigger things to concern ourselves with. The first leg of the Sixth Tournament was the darkest day in the history of the Mega Drive Championships and the entire tournaments were bought to the brink of collapse, but now there might just be a new idea that could save the tournaments from complete disaster. Predictability has been killing the tournaments and Captain Maltby's retirement was the first sign of how bad things have got. He was unhappy with never winning games and always finishing last and it seemed that this problem would pass on to Baron Von Hooton who wasn't good enough to challenge Doc Shakib, Lord Dilks or Mr Smith. When Baron Von Hooton comitted the ulitmate tournament crime of "turning your back on the tournament" we expected the old motto to be complete and "the tournament turning it's back on you" in this case Baron Von Hooton. With just Doc Shakib, Lord Dilks and Mr Smith continuing the tournaments just didn't seem worth it, but it is Baron Von Hooton, shamed after his actions, who has come up with the idea that might stop the tournaments dying.
Because of the amount of fixtures required it is almost impossible to add new games, however, Baron Von Hooton's simple suggestion to add new games to a game pool and each tournament use a draw system to determine the four games to be used. So, for the Seventh Mega Drive Championship, three new games have been added to the competition, making seven in total. They are:
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GOLDEN AXE 2
Introduced in the Second Tournament as a replacemenet to the original. Golden Axe 2 features more responsive battling as well as better B+C moves. The 1-player mode is poor when compared to the original, however, the 2-player duel is far superior. Games on Golden Axe 2 prove labourious, but, due to the style of the scoring, crunch matches on this one are very tense and passionate.
Who it favours: There is no clear cut dominate player on this classic arcade game. Doc Shakib, Lord Dilks and Mr Smith currently battle for supremacy, however, even Baron Von Hooton can pull off the occasional shock.
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NHLPA HOCKEY '93
This is one of the three new games that will be added to the Seventh Tournament draw. Skill isn't an important factor when playing this game and the sounds and graphics aren't anything special. Handling is challenging, however, such is to be expected with Ice Hockey. Fights are a particular highlight that should envoke a lot of passion.
Who it favours: Unknown, the unpredictablity of this game could make for some interesting results and it will be interesting to see which player gets to grips with it the best.
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PETE SAMPRAS TENNIS
Added in the Second Tournament. This fast paced tennis sim is a wonderful example of simple, but addictive gameplay. It has well animated graphics and fast response times, with the only annoyance when your players argue with the umpire, but in spite of this, this game is a worthy addition to the Championships and an old favourite among the tournament faithful.
Who it favours: With a powerful serve and skillful rallies, Lord Dilks holds the advantage on this game, although Mr Smith has improved a lot in recent tournaments.
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SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2
The classic 2-player platform game that the concept of the tournaments evolved from has been present since the First Tournament. The basic idea of running right is simple, however, to win in all five categories is much more difficult. The main element of Sonic 2, in both 1-player and 2-player, is based upon speed, however, quick reflexes are also pivotal.
Who it favours: Mr Smith is by far the best Championship player on Sonic 2. Currently boasting an undefeated run spanning 17 games.
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SUPER STREET FIGHTER 2
One of the three new games to be added in the Seventh Tournament. Super Street Fighter 2 is a more enhanced version of the Championship Edition. As well as four new characters to scrap with, Super Street Fighter 2 features new moves for the original twelve. This fast paced fighting game elevated itself above the others in this genre by just being better. Slick graphics, simple controls, a wide array of special moves (that don't switch the focus from the basic controls) and above all tactical fighting.
Who it favours: Unknown, but probably Lord Dilks and Mr Smith, although Doc Shakib has his own technique that scores him victories.
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VIRTUA RACING
Virtua Racing will be added in the Seventh Tournament. At the time, this game was a revolutionary design that, with the help of the SVP chip, featured actual 3-D landscapes to race around. It's wonderful when you think how far 3-D has evolved since. Racing your rectangular car around the course, without aid of physics, is an experience in itself.
Who it favours: Doc Shakib has shown he is the best player in practice sessions and will be looking to transfer this dominace into tournament games.
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WORLD CUP ITALIA '90
World Cup Italia '90 was the first game ever used in the Mega Drive Championships. The graphics and sounds are awful and the radar is a joke, but it is a very skillful game to play well. Attacking is not difficult, but defending in the final third is what makes this game so tricky. Combine this with slippery, automatic, goalkeepers; high scores are very commonplace.
Who it favours: Lord Dilks is the one to beat on this. He has only dropped points once and scores, on average, thirteen goals per game.
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The Sixth Tournament has not yet finished, but we are already excited about the Seventh Tournament, which promises to bring the passion back to the Mega Drive Championships.
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