An amazing weekend.

Last weekend was probably the best three days I have had in quite awhile.

Names changed to nicknames for privacy reasons.

Last Friday, a friend of mine was heading to one of the few arcades left in our state because a mass music game tournament was being held there for the weekend. I used to go there when I was a DDR fiend and could actually compete, but my competitive days are pretty much over. I asked my friend if I could come along, since it has been months since I stepped foot on a dance machine, and it rather depressed me.

I got a lot of those dance game urges out of the way that night, and even ran into an old friend, Cucumber, from back when I used to compete in these tournaments. He asked if I would be coming the next day saying it would be nice if I could come since there really wasn't anyone from our generation. I originally wasn't planning on it unless my friend was going to go (I seriously have nothing to do while unemployed), but figured why not and went again the next night, rooting for Cucumber as he had entered all of the tournaments.

That Saturday is when I ran into even more old friends from the past! One girl whom I called my "DDR best friend," Butterfly, was there and I pretty much talked her friggin ears off, haha! Because I generally have been stuck inside my home with not much to do, I've been missing this sort of socialization. It felt like a mix of being at a sports stadium rooting for your team, having dinner with old friends, and just hanging out with people you like! I had so much fun that night, I figured I'd go the final day just to see things through.

Sunday ended up with even more friends from the past, including an old best friend that I just had grown apart from, Lex. She made some drastic changes in her life that did sort of made me nervous to approach her at first. When i used to hang out with Lex, she would talk about feeling like a woman stuck inside a man's body, so it shouldn't have been THAT much of a shock to me when she showed up in a dress and sweater. I think because it had been so long since I saw her is what did the shock to me moreso though. Still I had to get confidence from Butterfly to start the talk with her, but after that I realized my nervousness was retarded; Lex was still the same friend, just doing what she needs to in order to find happiness in her life.

I went back to rooting for Cucumber in the tournaments he had left. I barely paid attention to the In The Groove tournament going, and mainly rooted for him with the Dance Dance Revolution Extreme Doubles tournament. That was a hilariously awesome tournament with so many close matches. There ended up being a lot of AAAs (meaning got everything absolutely perfect), and a few upsets. Okay, actually it's kind of hard to describe what the hell happened without being boring, so let's just say Cucumber won that!

After all the tournaments were over, they announced the winners of each individual one, and made the announcement of the winner of them all. The way they determined the overall winner was based on how many tournaments they entered and how well they did in them, then making some sort of average. I don't know the exact formula, but doing more tournaments could only help your score. And who won? Cucumber! Made me glad I came this weekend to see him win! He did say, though, that he was maybe barely breaking even for all the entry fees, but it was worth it for all the fun he had.

After the weekend, i ended up sick until now. The over-exertion with shouting, playing dance games, and being in a germy environment probably did it. I think it's a small price to pay for a damn great weekend, though!

I did take pictures at the tournament, but they were take on the 3DS camera, so the quality is UNBELIEVABLY SHITTY. So... enjoy! :D

I apparently messed with the kind of shot I wanted this to be, thus the black outline. Just an example of the crowd. To the left WAS a Pop 'N' Music machine, but I suck and failed capture that.

The crowd watching the "In The Groove" Tournament. Can't see it, but where the gray shirt guy is standing is where the In The Groove Machine is.

Failing again to get the Pop 'N' Music machine, but a better picture of the crowd. Also worth noting is a shitload of fighting games.

A somewhat decent picture of the Dance Dance Revolution Extreme Singles tournament going.

The winners of the tournament posing for the camera, with some other people. The winners are the ones wearing the bronze, silver, and gold helmets. No, I don't know the significance these helmets have to do with music games.

If it's possible to believe, there WAS shittier pictures! These somehow came out the best. On a sidenote, if someone has a 3DS, see if you can see these in 3D if you put them on there. All of these were takein in 3D originally.