Name - Ryan DeDomenico aka OBS Big D (Twitter - OBS_BigD)
Age - 20
Fighting Out Of - Orlando, FL
Years Competitively Gaming - 1
Character(s) of Choice - Ermac, Kano and TBA
Major Accomplishments - Top 8 at Final Round 2012 and 3rd at CEO 2012
Greetings from the
NetherRealm, Big D. The last time we
spoke was after MLG Raleigh, what have you been up to since then?
Not much man. Been practicing hard as well
as working hard to save up for Dallas, which I am finally registered/booked
for. It feels good to know I will have my shot at redemption for the nightmare
that was MLG Raleigh…
How long did it take you to move past what you went
through at MLG Raleigh?
To be honest, it
still bothers me. It doesn’t bother as much as it did before, but it is still
in my head man…
How did your performance at Raleigh affect your
confidence?
It completely shattered my
confidence for the first month afterwards. I mean, Raleigh had a HUGE negative
impact on my competitive “career” as a whole. It was the first tourney that I
did not make top 8 in, let alone losing my first match. And, LBSH…MK_Is_Dead
(some random player) placed higher than me…lol not cool.
If there was one lesson that you learned from that
competition, what would you say that it was?
Honestly, after Raleigh I learned that ANY lack of practice will show.
It doesn’t matter if you only took a few days off. It will show in tourney
play, and you will regret it. On the other hand, I learned that my usual
training wasn’t enough anymore. This game has evolved to the point where anyone
can be beaten on any given day, so we players have no choice but to constantly
be on our game.
How hard have you been working on the Kenshi and
Kabal matchups?
I have been working
vigorously on these match ups. But I still believe there are certain “measures”
that have to be taken. After all, there are Kenshi players, and then there is
Pig of the Hut. Just like there are Kabal players, and then there is REO…
Who specifically have you been training with to
ensure that you’re prepared for when MLG Dallas rolls around?
The best training partner in the
world…ONLINE!!!!!! No its not a joke. (I mean, yes it’s a joke that online is
the best training partner, but that is my practice). Unfortunately the Florida
scene has been looking to take a turn for the worse. We all live so far apart
from each other, its hard for any of us to find the time to all get together
and practice. I’ve been too busy with school and work to travel. Regardless though, I am getting back to the
good old days like back at Final Round.
There has been some talk of you taking Kano
seriously; will we see you use Kano at MLG Dallas? Anything is possible.
Regardless of the Kano shenanigans, will we see
mostly Ermac out of you at Dallas?
You
will DEFINITELY see Ermac at Dallas.
Besides Kabal and Kenshi, are there any other
characters that have given you trouble?
There
is one other character that has been giving me problems later, but I would
rather not reveal it. Then again, it IS online…
Have you worked on any other characters beside
Ermac? Any characters that could potentially work better for you in the Kenshi
and Kabal matchups?
Yes I have. I have
been working on 3 characters since Raleigh. Whether they are ready for
tournament play remains to be seen.
Where do you expect to place at MLG Dallas?
I expect to at least place in the Top 16.
Of course, like I said before, anything can happen on any given day, but that
is my plan. If I place like I did at MLG Raleigh, I don’t know what I will do…
You have been participating in the ‘Weekly New Main
Tournaments’ on Test Your Might, which of your new mains has been your favorite
so far?
I loved Kabal the first week,
although I couldn’t make it to the actual tournament that time. Last week I got
Stryker, which actually got me in to 2nd place. It was a ton of fun
playing as someone as unknown as Stryker.
Is there anyone from the Mortal Kombat Community
that you are eager to go up against in competition at MLG Dallas?
I am eager to go up against ANY Kung Lao
player. There has been a lot of talk that Ermac gets blown up by him, but I do
not believe it AT ALL. I would love to have the best Kung Lao’s in my pool, and
that includes CDjr and PL, but I doubt they would use KL on me when they can
just use Kabal lol.
There have been a lot of news and developments since
we last spoke about ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’, do you like the direction that
the game is going in?
I am LOVING how
this game is turning out to be. From what I have read in the reviews from CDjr
and J360, the game sounds like it will be awesome! Not to mention it sounds
like it will be a balanced, tournament-viable fighting game. One thing that I am
not sure about is the Clash system…It seems really annoying and unnecessary as
of now, but who knows what will happen to it later, right?
Which character has impressed you the most from the
ones that have been revealed so far?
It’s
too soon to immediately pick my main/secondaries, but I like how the Green
Arrow was made. His gameplay looks interesting. From the video, his normals are
slow, but have a decent range, his specials look very good, and he can combo
after his super. What else could I want?? Also, Grundy is looking pretty cool.
Low tier hero for life I guess…lol
Do you think Injustice could have a bigger following
that Mortal Kombat had in its lifespan?
Once
again, it is a bit too soon to tell, but I think it has the potential to be very
big. But, as with any other fighting game, a certain aspect of the game can
make or break someone’s interest. We will just have to wait and see. I will be
playing it seriously, regardless of its following.
How have you been enjoying Tekken Tag Tournament 2?
I haven’t played it in a while. I have been
focusing A LOT on MK. After Dallas, I will start getting in to Tag 2 more
seriously. But the game is a blast and there is a very solid scene for it here
in Florida.
Is it a game that you will be playing in
tournaments? Or did you pick it up to just play causally?
I would like to be solid enough to do well in tournaments, but as for
now I am just not ready. Knowing combos is only half the battle, my movement is
total ASS right now. But its all in due time.
Do you think Mortal Kombat has a chance to make the
EVO 2013 lineup?
EVO 2013 is a quick
minute away, and a lot can happen between now and then. To be honest, I don’t
really know if MK will be there, but I hope it does!
What tournaments do you plan on attending after MLG
Dallas?
Well, since I dumped a decent
amount of my money in to Dallas, I will be short on funds. I am hoping to go to
NEC this year since I missed out last year. And from all the hype that NEC is
getting, I’d be kicking myself if I didn’t at least try to make it out there
this year. I am going to talk to some friends in the community about possibly
starting a donation drive later on if funds seem a little bit low. I am hoping
the community pulls through for me!
I’m going to list a few characters, tell me who you
believe is the best with each:
Kung Lao – It
is really hard to say because most tournament Kung Lao’s are very good (and in
my opinion, very similar). I’m gonna go ahead and say PerfectLegend on this one
because of his tournament placings as Kung Lao, but I think CDjr is right there
with him.
Kabal – Is
that a serious question? KN_VSM_EMP_OBS_88_DZG_FOREVER_REO
Kenshi – Pig
of the Hut, easily. As much hate as I have for this character, there is no
doubt that Pig is the best Kenshi player out there.
Sonya – Now
this is a tough one…There are so many good Sonya players out there. However, I
think I am going to have to give the title to KH_Showtime. Clint the Beast and
Death are right behind him, but Showtime is the best.
Reptile – Showtime
(again), for sure; although I do not know his plans for using Reptile now that
he has mastered Sonya.
Ermac – Comon,
really? I am the best Ermac player in the world!
Cyrax – For a
character like Cyrax, I absolutely HAVE to make a decision based on who I
played against, and that includes casuals. I think J360 has the best Cyrax in
the business. Those who have not played him have no idea what screwed up setups
he has at his disposal. He gives the phrase “one net, one dream” a whole new
meaning. But I’ll let you all find it out for yourselves… However, if I were to
make the decision based on tournament placings, it would be Maxter. He
overcomes Cyrax’s more difficult matches with ease.
Johnny Cage – GGA
Dizzy without-a-doubt. I had the privilege to play him personally at Raleigh,
and his Cage is nothing short of flawless. His reads are incredible, and his
reactions are on a whole other level.
What is your primary goal going into MLG Dallas?
My goal is to have a great time, and play
the best there is; whether it be tournament play or casuals. Obviously I would
love to place high (and I think I can), but it won’t kill me to rely on casuals
and ft5’s for fun. This is going to be a big level-up experience for me, and I
will make the most of it.
If you could fix just ONE aspect of Mortal Kombat,
what would it be?
If you asked me at
Raleigh, I would have said Kenshi. But now, I’d rather have a perfect netcode
with a few “imbalances” than a better-balanced version with this netcode that
we have now. I want to be able to have the ability to be able to sit down, log
on, and get the experience I get from playing others offline without the
constant traveling. Is it so much to ask?? =(
What are your top 8 predictions for MLG Dallas?
- REO
- CD Jr
- Maxter
- Perfect Legend
- Pig of the Hut
- KH Showtime
- GGA 16 Bit
- GGA Dizzy
Finally, is there anything that I left out that you
would like to add? Any final words of hype or shout-outs?
All I can say is that I am hyped as hell for MLG Dallas, and that I
will be coming for blood! I am going back to the Final Round days where I
caused upsets. Oh yes, there will be hoodies…
Thanks once again for the time Ryan, best of luck at
Dallas and I hope to do this again after the event. Thanks for sending the questions, bud! I love doing these interviews!
I’m always up for them.
Follow me on Twitter @NRC_CRUM for more MLG Dallas coverage.
Also check out the Test Your Might website for constant updates at MLG Dallas and to familiarize yourself with Mortal Kombat.
Video credit to Team Spooky
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