A half-full hall, a glut of coffee and pizza, rapidly amended fixtures and a late start. The Twenty-Fourth Mega Drive Championship may have struggled, but ulitmately succeeded in providing the purity and passion its contestants have come to expect.

The 24th Mega Drive Championship was the latest instalment of the 16-bit legacy which started in 2001. In regards to the organisation and structure of the competition, nothing had changed; the games used would be the same well-worn titles, the core of which has remained unaltered for countless years. Indeed, the only notable difference was the 'donations' cup had been replaced by a Sonic the Hedgehog moneybox and The Plumb took it upon himself to become the tournament’s first amateur journalist and, pen in hand, he proceeded to jot down the salient issues of the 24th Mega Drive Championship, surprising everybody by returning with more than a blank sheet of paper.

English Mega Drive Championships have the remarkable ability to start late every single time, often either because of organisational tardiness, core members being late or both. This year the later start time of 1pm filled nobody with confidence that the event would begin at the appointed time and, true to form, it didn't. The codes to the Memorial Hall door had changed and the benevolent administration were unaware of the alteration. By 1.30pm the participants had (legally) gained access to the hall and tables and chairs were rapidly being organised while the cables of ancient consoles were being placed into even older 12-inch television screens in the usual process of trial and error to determine which technological relics were still functioning.

The turn-out was low, very low and the compassionate administration held off starting the event in the hope that a few stragglers might wander in from the cruel and harsh world into the warm and loving embrace of 16-bit gaming. The late start was compounded by Earl Holbrook who, upon seeing that the 24th Championship buffet was comprised mainly of pizza and biscuits, stormed off to fetch himself some Jaffa Cakes - clearly the global recession isn't affecting the Holbrook household. Regrettably numerous faces from the previous few tournaments were absent: Fireman Sam, Meena Newsum, Lieutenant Gareth, Field Marshall Hayward, Goatman and Pablo Mortez. Prospective new members did the usual promises of attending, vowing the Mega Drive Championships sound like the most awesome thing ever and then never show up. Prior to the Tournament Don Derek had contacted the administrators to announce his retirement:

	"Dear All, I have recently started a new and demanding high pressure job and sadly I would like to announce that I will take no part in the 24th Championship, or in any further tournaments, domestic or international. I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the Glorious Administration without whom my glittering career in 16-bit gaming would not have reached the pinnacle of English Magadrivemanship, but I have to consider my family and Pokemon tournaments in reaching my decision. I wish you all the best for the future."

From the discussion of a third division to doubt over whether there would be enough people in attendance to successfully host two divisions. Fortunately Mega Drive lifestyle guru, The Plumb, had with him his brother-in-law who, for some reason known only to him, had the desire to spectate. He was drafted into the Division Two line up with the alias Flint Stone, although confessed to having never played the Mega Drive before.

COMMANDER GRAHAM
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: Eight Inaugural Tournament: 15th Championship Total Games Played: Eighty-Seven (66% win record) Last Finish: 3rd, Division One (23rd) Expectation: Champion Rival: Doc Shakib Challenge Partner: Captain Maltby		GAME RANK WIN % Ball Jacks 1/26 100 Columns 1/27 100 Golden Axe 2 9/15 20 Mega Bomberman 2/17 100 Micro Machines: Military 1/9 100 Pete Sampras Tennis 4/17 50 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 6/28 25 Streets of Rage 3 10/12 25 Super Street Fighter 2 3/22 78 Virtua Racing 4/17 60 World Cup Italia '90 5/24 63

DOC SHAKIB
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: Twenty-Three Inaugural Tournament: 1st Championship Total Games Played: 249 (50% win record) Last Finish: 1st, Division One (23rd) Expectation: Runner-Up Rival: Commander Graham Challenge Partner: Big Al		GAME RANK WIN % Ball Jacks 17/26 0 Columns 11/27 14 Golden Axe 2 1/15 73 Mega Bomberman 9/17 13 Micro Machines: Military 7/9 17 Pete Sampras Tennis 5/17 54 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 2/28 58 Streets of Rage 3 7/12 38 Super Street Fighter 2 4/22 67 Virtua Racing 1/17 86 World Cup Italia '90 6/24 41

PROFESSOR KING
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: Seven Inaugural Tournament: 16th Championship Total Games Played: Seventy-Four (53% win record) Last Finish: 1st, Division Two (23rd) Expectation: Fourth Rival: The Plumb Challenge Partner: Flint Stone		GAME RANK WIN % Ball Jacks 11/26 29 Columns 17/27 40 Golden Axe 2 - - Mega Bomberman 12/17 100 Micro Machines: Military - - Pete Sampras Tennis 13/17 25 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 7/28 25 Streets of Rage 3 11/12 0 Super Street Fighter 2 11/22 33 Virtua Racing 6/17 50 World Cup Italia '90 19/24 0

THE PLUMB
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: Five Inaugural Tournament: 19th Championship Total Games Played: Sixty-Four (50% win record) Last Finish: 4th, Division One (23rd) Expectation: Third Rival: Professor King Challenge Partner: Earl Holbrook		GAME RANK WIN % Ball Jacks 12/26 33 Columns 8/27 40 Golden Axe 2 12/15 0 Mega Bomberman 1/17 100 Micro Machines: Military 5/9 25 Pete Sampras Tennis 3/17 50 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 15/28 14 Streets of Rage 3 8/12 33 Super Street Fighter 2 10/22 60 Virtua Racing 16/17 0 World Cup Italia '90 3/24 75

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BIG AL
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: None Inaugural Tournament: 24th Championship Total Games Played: None (0% win record) Last Finish: None Expectation: Third Rival: Flint Stone Challenge Partner: Doc Shakib		GAME RANK WIN % 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 - - Streets of Rage 2 - -

CAPTAIN MALTBY
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: Fourteen Inaugural Tournament: 2nd Championship Total Games Played: 171 (32% win record) Last Finish: 2nd, Division One (22nd) Expectation: First Rival: Earl Holbrook Challenge Partner: Commander Graham		GAME RANK WIN % Alien Storm 4/24 100 Ball Jacks 5/26 71 Columns 6/27 67 Eternal Champions 17/29 40 Marble Madness - - Mega Bomberman 10/17 0 Micro Machines '96 2/26 73 NHL '97 14/25 50 Road Rash 3 12/25 33 Sensible Soccer 9/24 33 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 11/28 11 Sonic 3 - - Streets of Rage 2 16/28 33

EARL HOLBROOK
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: Ten Inaugural Tournament: 14th Championship Total Games Played: 114 (42% win record) Last Finish: 5th, Division One (23rd) Expectation: Second Rival: Captain Maltby Challenge Partner: The Plumb		GAME RANK WIN % Alien Storm 11/24 66 Ball Jacks 3/26 64 Columns 21/27 0 Eternal Champions 21/29 45 Marble Madness - - Mega Bomberman 5/17 50 Micro Machines '96 9/26 22 NHL '97 7/25 66 Road Rash 3 18/25 25 Sensible Soccer 14/24 0 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 8/28 40 Sonic 3 10/23 50 Streets of Rage 2 1/28 100

FLINT STONE
		Rating: Tournaments Entered: None Inaugural Tournament: 24th Championship Total Games Played: None (0% win record) Last Finish: None Expectation: Fourth Rival: Big Al Challenge Partner: Professor King		GAME RANK WIN % 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 - - Streets of Rage 2 - -

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Excellent

Good

Average

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Unplayed

This was the lowest turnout since the 14th Championship in July 2005, however, it was touted that quality is always more important than quantity, regrettably the 24th Tournament possessed neither. Nonetheless the competition limped to a start with the promise of pizza being the only ray of sunshine looming.

The sound of blowing into cartridges and consoles indicated that the 24th Championship had begun. As tradition dictates, the players would first have the opportunity to test themselves with Round 1 of the Tournament Knockout. Instead of Division Two players eagerly anticipating a draw that could see them lined up against Division One legends, new competitors often stand around bemused and seasoned warriors dread the array of crap this is usually thrown up in Round 1 of the Knockout. 2012 proved to be different, avoiding monstrosities such as European Club Soccer, Primal Rage and Marble Madness, the line-up of World Cup Italia '90, Sonic 3, Pete Sampras Tennis and Micro Machines: Military seemed respectable, perhaps even welcome. Each tie had its own sense of intrigue - except newcomer Flint Stone being drawn against Doc Shakib on World Cup Italia '90 (the 12-3 thrashing was no surprise) - hotshot Commander Graham was drawn on a Sonic game, which is a bit like driving an F1 car in the fog, against Professor King who is ranked highly. The Plumb and Earl Holbrook were set to play on the unpredictable Micro Machines: Military. The line-up was completed with Big Al and Captain Maltby on Pete Sampras Tennis, which, on paper, seemed like a comfortable victory for the vetran, who has a habit of losing comfortable paper victories. The Round 1 scores were: Flint Stone 3-12 Doc Shakib, Commander Graham 2-3 Professor King, Captain Maltby 6-7 Big Al, The Plumb 5-3 Earl Holbrook.

Thankfully for the Division Two competitors, an Administrative error had cause NHL '97 to be left behind, so the usual ten-minutes of confusion to try and produce any result other than a draw was avoided. The league fixtures started with gusto. Flint Stone impressed the few people in attendance by starting his league capaign with a victory against Captain Maltby on WWF Super Wrestlemania - a result he described as "sweet". Big Al would taste victory in his second tournament game (his first a defeat to Earl Holbrook on Streets of Rage 2) claiming two-points against Captain Maltby on Marble Madness. Captain Maltby scored his first points of the tournament in fixture five where he and Earl Holbrook scrapped out a 1-1 draw on Sensible Soccer, leaving him bottom of the pile with just a single-point. Flint Stone, in spite of having never battled upon a Mega Drive prior to today, lead the race to Division One with three-wins from three-games, three-points ahead of second placed Earl Holbrook.

The early stage of Division One threw up some interesting results. On paper it might have been safe to say Doc Shakib would be leading with six-points from six, the fixtures giving him generous ties on Golden Axe 2, Super Street Fighter 2 and Virtua Racing, however, the Doc would slip up on the most unexpected of those ties; defeat on Virtua Racing, in which eleven of his thirteen prior games have been victories, would place the Doc second on goal-difference. It was Commander Graham who topped the table; a compelling 8-0 victory on Micro Machines: Military giving him the advantage. Professor King and The Plumb were third and fourth respectively with one win each and goal-difference separating them and a relegation battle looming for both men.

It was around this time that the hall suddenly erupted into a cacophony, of course the Mega Drive played no part in this sudden good cheer, instead it was the discovery of a large pink natal ball and the beginnings of natal football. This was bought to an abrupt end when the former-chairman of the Memorial Hall checked in on his way back from his allotment to see how we were doing. Blushes aside, this set everything up nicely for the Challenge, which was scheduled to be Space Harrier II, however, owing to a technical fault (the copies of Space Harrier II were lying a number of counties away) the Glorious Administration blagged the Challenge with a FIFA '95 team game.

Team Atomic… oh yes! – Professor King & Flint Stone Surfer Dudes – Big Al & Doc Shakib Norfolk-in-Chance – Commander Graham & Captain Maltby Team Super Awsome Ninja Wank – The Plumb & Earl Holbrook.

First up, team Norfolk-in-Chance got to grips with the Sufer Dudes, a name chosen owing to the design on Big Al's t-shirt - a big zero on the creativity front to Doc Shakib and Big Al. The cartridges were blown, the sight of old Wembley appeared to warm the hearts of English football supporters, however, the game was elloquently described as "a huge pile of arse." Surfer Dudes claimed the first victory and awaited the outcome of the Team Super Awesome Ninja Wank Vs Team Atomic... oh yes! duel to see who their opponents in the final would be. The difference in the second challenge tie was Devor Francis a renowned Manchester United forward who scored the decisive goal for Team Super Awesome Ninja Wank. The final was a thrilling encounter in which the outcome was unclear for a long time, however, it was the Surfer Dudes who proved the better and claimed the deciding goal to win the match and the Challenge 3-2. Doc Shakib briefly summarized the Twenty-Fourth tournament thus far: “The big hitters are here, so there have been some entertaining matches, but I'm disappointed in my own display. I enjoyed the Challenge and Prof King's passion, while great, was of no help to him. I am pleased, however, with my header in the game, which I delightfully slammed in. Good stuff!” Meanwhile The Plumb reflected upon the profound depths of his team's name and mused over how a wank might evolve into a ninja wank - perhaps we have discovered the content for the next article for our Pearls from the The Plumb series.

With the 'excitement' of the Challenge competition now over, grim faces returned to the long league slog. In Division Two, Captain Maltby was able to place his first victory on the board with a 2-0 over Flint Stone on Streets of Rage 2. The middle phase of the tournament saw the Second Division really open up, with league leader, Flint Stone, losing all his games and his rivals each winning two of their three fixtures. Captain Maltby still languished in last with five-points, however, he was just one-point behind Big Al and Flint Stone. Earl Holbrook, relegated from Division One at the Twenty-Third Tournament, now took control of the promotion place with an insecure tally of seven-points. With just two-points separating first from fourth, the final phase of the competition was setup for some passionate console play, as one of the four would win the wide open race to battle in Division One at the Twenty-Fifth Championship!