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Sure, response times may reduce with age, but theres more to competition than simply pure responses. There are a multitude of intangible battling game abilities that cant be taught, just honed over years and years of play, and Umehara has just about everyone else beat in that regard.
Umeharas earliest known competition win came at a 1997 Vampire Savior event hosted by Japanese video game magazine Gamest. From there, Umeharas prize case would grow with wins in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Guilty Gear XX, Street Fighter IV, and now Street Fighter V. He is second just to Justin Wong in Evolution Championship Series titles and even managed to protect 2 success at the now-defunct Super Battle Opera, which in its time was the most distinguished fighting video game competition in the world. And while Umehara may not be winning a competition every weekend– particularly while the world is still in the throes of a pandemic– his Street Fighter V profession has actually corresponded enough to make him entry into every Capcom Cup considering that the games release in 2016.
The esports markets fixation on youth– and, generally, how best to exploit it– makes for rough intersections with the fighting game community. Umehara is just the most noticeable example of this phenomenon.
Umehara dealt with down several incredible Street Fighter V players, including fellow Street Fighter god Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi and Korean powerhouse Hyung-suk “Verloren” Gong in his march to the Capcom Cup qualifying match. He didnt suffer a single loss throughout the online occasion except for when his last challenger, Keita “Fuudo” Ai, managed to force a second set in grand finals. The title bout was an ideal example of Umeharas perseverance, even in the face of impending defeat.
Im not going to mince words: Daigo Umehara is the best combating video game gamer of all time. His legacy added a new footnote over the weekend when he dominated a stacked Street Fighter V competition. And its unusual that folks still managed to be stunned by the results.
Social media virtually blew up with really odd takes after the event, many concentrated on Umehara being 39 years old. Esports people were absolutely gobsmacked that an old guy like Daigo Umehara might win a Street Fighter tournament in 2020. The level of shock and wonder, in turn, surprised me. Were they not mindful of Umeharas legacy? How hes achieved success for over 20 years? I presume lots of were highlighting their reactions to garner Twitter likes from uninformed fans, however it felt almost ill-mannered.
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Umehara dealt with down numerous extraordinary Street Fighter V gamers, consisting of fellow Street Fighter god Hajime “Tokido” Taniguchi and Korean powerhouse Hyung-suk “Verloren” Gong in his march to the Capcom Cup qualifying match. Esports individuals were absolutely gobsmacked that an old guy like Daigo Umehara could win a Street Fighter competition in 2020. Umeharas earliest known tournament win came at a 1997 Vampire Savior occasion hosted by Japanese video game magazine Gamest. From there, Umeharas trophy case would grow with wins in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Guilty Gear XX, Street Fighter IV, and now Street Fighter V. And while Umehara might not be winning a tournament every weekend– especially while the world is still in the throes of a pandemic– his Street Fighter V profession has been consistent enough to earn him entry into every Capcom Cup given that the games release in 2016.
This is all to say that, yeah, Umeharas win over the weekend was fantastic but wasnt in any way unusual for a gamer of his caliber. To put it simply: Put some regard on Daigos name.
