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SECOND-PLACE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH! |
There is something approaching on the breeze... Soon summer shall emerge and the clad green lushness of spring will dry and yellow beneath the heat and with it the Twenty-Third Mega Drive Championship shall arrive on a wave of passion and awesome the magnitude of which, if channelled correctly, could bring hope to the downhearted, heal the sick and cure the Eurozone debt crisis. |
Baron Von Hooton is set to battle in Division One for the first time since a Ball Jacks defeat at the hands of Captain Maltby at the Fifteenth Tournament, cast him into the lower tier. Commander Graham, Champion at the Twentieth Tournament, absent at the Twenty-First, crushed his Division Two opposition at the Twenty-Second and arrives back in Division One with a title to re-claim. These two, replacing Emperor Tebbs and Fireman Sam, give us the strongest Division One line-up since the Eighteenth Mega Drive Championship and it will not only be the title, but the battle to avoid the two relegation places will be hotly contested. |
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Tournaments Entered: | Seventeen |
Last Finish: | 2nd, Division Two |
Highest Finish: | 3rd, Division One |
Main Rival: | Earl Holbrook |
Strongest Game: | Micro Machines: Military |
Weakest Game: | Pete Sampras Tennis |
Prediction: | Relegation |
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Baron Von Hooton has a long history with the Mega Drive Championships and returns to Division One for the first time since relegation at the Fifteenth Tournament. In spite of many years in the wilderness, Baron Von Hooton possesses a wealth of knowledge on an array of games, of which he willl need to take full advantage if he is to avoid an immediate return to the lower league.
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Tournaments Entered: | Fourteen |
Last Finish: | 2nd, Division One |
Highest Finish: | 2nd, Division One |
Main Rival: | Earl Holbrook |
Strongest Game: | Virtua Racing |
Weakest Game: | Super Street Fighter 2 |
Prediction: | Third |
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Captain Maltby is a vetran of the Mega Drive Championships and has transformed from a whipping boy from early tournaments to a serious contender. Although it is believed Captain Maltby lacks the all-round ability to be crowned Champion, he came close to victory at the 22nd Tournament and has put in some very strong performances in recent years.
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Tournaments Entered: | Six |
Last Finish: | 1st, Division Two |
Highest Finish: | Champion |
Main Rival: | Don Derek |
Strongest Game: | Mega Bomberman |
Weakest Game: | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 |
Prediction: | Champion |
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Commander Graham is one of the most skilled Mega Drive athletes within the English game. Crowned Champion at the 20th, his absence from the 21st Tournament caused him to slip into Division Two, however, he waltzed through the lower league at the 22nd Championship and is the favourite for the title now he is back among the elite.
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Tournaments Entered: | Twenty-Two |
Last Finish: | 5th, Division One |
Highest Finish: | Champion |
Main Rival: | Baron Von Hooton |
Strongest Game: | Virtua Racing |
Weakest Game: | Columns |
Prediction: | Fifth |
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Doc Shakib is the longest serving member of the Mega Drive Championships and the only person to have participated in every competition. His form is either hot or cold and some tournaments he produces Mega Drive poetry sweeping away his competition, contrasted with those tournaments that have seen Doc Shakib entrenched in the relegation battle. He will survive this time, if only just!
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Tournaments Entered: | Two |
Last Finish: | Champion |
Highest Finish: | Champion |
Main Rival: | Commander Graham |
Strongest Game: | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 |
Weakest Game: | Ball Jacks |
Prediction: | Second |
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Don Derek has the highest rating of any current member, however, he will have a fight on his hands if he is to retain the title he won at the 22nd Championship. Don Derek has a near perfect tournament record, having been promoted from Division Two at his first event and winning the title in his second. Against Commander Graham, he might find his phenomenal record under threat.
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Tournaments Entered: | Nine |
Last Finish: | 3rd, Division One |
Highest Finish: | 3rd, Division One |
Main Rival: | Captain Maltby |
Strongest Game: | Streets of Rage 3 |
Weakest Game: | Columns |
Prediction: | Fourth |
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It has only recently dawned upon us that Earl Holbrook is a better Mega Drive athlete than we have ever given him credit for. Although his default position is 'button mashing' he has been part of the Division One setup for five tournaments. Still not considered a title contender, Earl Holbrook is not likely to face the spectre of relegation either. Mid-table comfortableness awaits!
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Tournaments Entered: | Four |
Last Finish: | 4th, Division One |
Highest Finish: | 4th, Division One |
Main Rival: | Baron Von Hooton |
Strongest Game: | Sensible Soccer |
Weakest Game: | Sonic the Hedgehog 2 |
Prediction: | Relegation |
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Website writer and Mega Drive Lifestyle Guru, The Plumb, will find his back against the wall as he fights to retain his Division One status. In spite of an improved performance at the 22nd Tournament, The Plumb seems set to struggle against more experience opponents. Should relegation occur then The Plumb can look forward to playing his favourite tournament game again: Sensible Soccer.
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Division One Game Pool: Ball Jacks, Columns, Golden Axe 2, Mega Bomberman, Micro Machines: Military, Pete Sampras Tennis, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage 3, Super Street Fighter 2, Virtua Racing and World Cup Italia '90 |
With seven members taking part in Division One, everybody else attending will be battling in Division Two. The Second Division is essentially a melting pot of Division One stars of yesteryear, members destined for Division One who are building up their experience, inept button bashers who enjoy the social aspects of the tournaments and fresh newcomers eager to show their 16-bit worth. At the Twenty-Second Championship there was some confusion as to how the structure of the league among the eight players battling in the lower division, the 'Division Two split' first causing confusion and then excitment. |
Five members: |
Each member plays the others twice. Two-points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. The two players with the most points are promoted to Division One. |
Six members: |
Each member plays the others three times. Two-points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. The two players with the most points are promoted to Division One. |
Seven members: |
Each member plays the others twice. Two-points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. The two players with the most points are promoted to Division One. |
Eight members: |
Each member plays the others once. Two-points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. Following this the league is split into an upper and lower section and members play those in their bracket once more, the same points system applies. The top two of the upper tier are promoted. |
Nine members: |
Each member plays the others once. Two-points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. The two players with the most points are promoted to Division One. |
Ten members: |
The members are divided into two groups of five. Niether group has superior ranking. Each member plays the others once. Two-points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. The top two in both pools and the third ranked player with the most points form an upper tier, while the remainder form the lower tier. Each member plays those in their bracket once. The top two of the upper tier are promoted. |
11 - 20 members: |
The members are entered into a series of knockouts on specific games. Each victory earns one-point, with bonuses awarded for reaching the semi-finals (one-point), the final (two-points) and winning (four-points), a defeat causes a player to be eliminated and draws are not permitted. The points are added to a leaderboard and the top two overall will be promoted to Division One, the next best six will form a new Second Division, while the remaining members will be invited to form a Third Division. |
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Tournaments Entered: | Four |
Last Finish: | 6th, Division Two |
Highest Finish: | 2nd, Division One |
Main Rival: | Doc Shakib |
Strongest Game: | Virtua Racing |
Weakest Game: | World Cup Italia '90 |
Promotion: | Certainty |
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Fireman Sam's relegation came as something of an anomoly, after three teriffic tournaments that saw him promoted from Division Two and travel to Portugal to represent England at the 2009 European Mega Drive Championship. Anything other than an immediate return to Division One will be a failure for a man who has the skills to challenge in the higher league.
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Tournaments Entered: | One |
Last Finish: | 3rd, Division Two |
Highest Finish: | 3rd, Division Two |
Main Rival: | F.M. Hayward |
Strongest Game: | Eternal Champions |
Weakest Game: | Marble Madness |
Promotion: | Possibility |
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Goatman was the best performing newcomer at the 22nd Championship, where he missed out on promotion by four-points. He has the highest ranking player never to have played in Division One and with a slightly weakened Division Two competition the Goatman will be looking to take advantage and looking to equal, if not better, his impressive third-placed finish.
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Tournaments Entered: | Ten |
Last Finish: | 4th, Division One |
Highest Finish: | 3rd, Division One |
Main Rival: | Professor King |
Strongest Game: | Columns |
Weakest Game: | Micro Machines '96 |
Promotion: | Likely |
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Absence from the 22nd Tournament has cast Lieutenant Gareth into the lower league for the first time since 2008. Having entered ten previous tournaments and winning Division Two on two previous occasions, Lieutenant Gareth has to be a favourite for an immediate return to Division One. The desire to finish above Professor King should compell him to perform even better!
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Tournaments Entered: | Six |
Last Finish: | 5th, Division Two |
Highest Finish: | 5th, Division Two |
Main Rival: | Earl Holbrook |
Strongest Game: | Sonic 3 |
Weakest Game: | Pete Sampras Tennis |
Promotion: | Desperately Desired |
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Having tasted Division One at the 19th Championship, Professor King, the most passionate of Mega Drive athletes, has been desperately fighting to return to the higher league. Results have not gone in his favour since his relegation and Division One might seem like a fading dream, but his ability combined with the incentive of finishing above Lieutenant Gareth will fuel his fire.
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Division Two Game Pool: Alien Storm, Ball Jacks, Columns, Eternal Champions, Marble Madness, Mega Bomberman, Micro Machines '96, NHL '97, Road Rash 3, Sensible Soccer, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 and Streets of Rage 2. |
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