VIDEO GAMES

Every Sunday at 2 AM Pacific, Nick “Tasteless” Plott and Superdanielman commentate professional Starcraft matches from the Intel-Averatec GOMTV tournament in Seoul, South Korea. Download the GOM player from http://www.gomtv.net/classics3/live/ and tune in by clicking the Live link at the appropriate time.

This week we begin the round of 8,  and of the 8 predictions I made at the beginning of the round of 16, 6 came true. Shuttle beat Hwasin in a close match I essentially guessed at, and Mensol was defeated by Tempest in a series that, personally, didn’t impress me all that much. It seemed more like Mensol beat himself, rather than Tempest besting him. In any case, the quarterfinal matches:

Flash(T) versus Shuttle(P): Flash may be in a shaky dimension between champ and chump, but he’s still got more skill than Hwasin, of all people, and Shuttle did not shut him down with enough breathing room left over for me to favor him against Flash. Shuttle’s history against Terran doesn’t even seem to break the 50% mark, meanwhile one of Flash’s primary claims to fame is shutting down Stork in two back-to-back championship matches. He is the reason Carrier strategies no longer dominate Protoss versus Terran, and I don’t know how Shuttle will answer that sort of challenge.
But this won’t be the first time I’ve underestimated him.
PREDICTION: FLASH
I WOULD PREFER: FLASH?

Skyhigh(T) versus July(Z): Now here is a classic story of new blood taking on the old guard. July is the god of war, a decorated champion having thrust himself back into the limelight after a lengthy slump, and Skyhigh is a fresh face beating down the door to the S class lounge. Regardless of the victor, this is sure to be a clash of titans, and perhaps a path directly to the finals after taking care of either Berserker or Tempest.
If you look at the tale of the tape, Skyhigh’s Zerg record beats out July’s Terran record, but with the paltry number of games Skyhigh as played and the sky-rendering abilities of these two, it’s not nearly enough of an advantage to properly consider. Maybe I’m just swaying with personal opinion, but I’ve got to think July’s experience will be the deciding factor here.
PREDICTION: JULY?
I WOULD PREFER: JULY

Jaedong(Z) versus Effort(Z): For once I will not preface a Jaedong match with “LOL”, though I am still tempted. Don’t get me wrong, Effort is easily the heir to the throne of top Zerg — right up there with Luxury — but Jaedong’s record against Zerg is over 80%. I’ll just let that sink in, throughought the entirety of Jaedong’s career, from his younger days through the hundreds of Starcraft games he has played, he has won 4 out of 5 Zerg matches where most people think 3 out of 5 is awe-inspiring.
What is Effort’s record? About 67% after 28 games, not Jaedong-level impressive, but impressive none the less. And what’s this? The last time Jaedong lost to a Zerg, it was Effort, but one of the last Zergs Effort lost to was Jaedong. It’s the sort of thing that gives you pause, and makes you wonder how invulnerable Jaedong ultimately is. There is a definite opening for him to fall in the one match-up he is the undeniable king of…
And then there’s 80%. LOL.
PREDICTION: JAEDONG
I WOULD PREFER: JAEDONG

Berserker(T) versus Tempest(P): Tempest, Tempest, Tempest. No matter how many times I write you off, you still manage to defy the odds and eliminate one of my favorites. Last season it was Jaedong, this season it was Zero, and neither time do I think you had that much to do with it. I would bring up the fact that his versus Terran record is below 50%, but his versus Zerg record was and that didn’t change a thing. This match is in Berserker’s overly aggressive hands; it is his game to win and his game to overextend himself in and become the latest victum to this fluke.
PREDICTION: BERSERKERRRRR
I WOULD PREFER: BERSERRRRKERRRRRR

Player records viewed at the Team Liquid Player Database: http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/players/