Believe it or not, Evo 2016 is only a few days away. In preparation for what is bound to be another hype-filled weekend for the fighting game community (FGC), here are a few FGC-related documentaries to watch at home or on your way to Las Vegas to help kill the time until the first matches get going. Do note that some of the footage featured in these documentaries contains NSFW language.
“FGC: Rise of the Fighting Game Community” (2016)
This recently released documentary by Esteban Martinez of Hold Back to Block sits down with prominent FGC members like James Chen and Seth Killian to discuss the origins of the FGC, its competitive scene, and how it continues to grow. It also takes a look at the storied East Coast Throwdown tournament series and follows D-Link’s Steve “LordKnight” Barthelemy as he talks about his competitive and Evo goals.
The documentary can be found here. It is available for free on YouTube, or you can download copies with bonus content by paying $9.99 through the link.
“King of Chinatown” (2011)
This documentary follows Evil Genuises’ Justin Wong during his early years as a competitive fighting game player in New York with Empire Arcadia. Filmed around the time Street Fighter IV was being promoted prior to its release, this documentary also provides an interesting look into the the FGC at a time when it was in need of a new game.
Directed by Calvin Theobald, the documentary can be found on iTunes here for purchase.
“I Am Street Fighter – 25th Anniversary Documentary” (2013)
Produced by Capcom, this documentary was released as part of the company’s 25th Street Fighter anniversary promotions and contains interviews with producers Yoshinori Ono and Namco’s Katsuhiro Harada on the influence Street Fighter has had on all aspects of the FGC since its first release in 1987. It is available on YouTube here.
“Focus” (2011)
Directed by Steve Hwang of Excellent Adventures, this documentary follows Mike Ross (of current Capcom Pro Tour fame) around the California FGC during the summer of 2010 as he prepares for Evo. It also features interviews from other Southern California FGC members, and includes some pretty funny stories from family members, as well as childhood footage of Mike Ross.
“Focus” is available for purchase and download from the Excellent Adventures website here.
“The Smash Brothers” (2013)
Of all of the FGC documentaries listed here so far, this one is definitely the most thorough and detailed historical account of a game and its competitive history in the FGC. Comprised of nine episodes with a running time of anywhere between twenty and thirty minutes each, viewers are definitely in this one for the long haul if they choose to watch. Interestingly, parts of this documentary show how the Smash scene was revitalized with help from Evo, and how the scene continues to grow as a result. This great series was directed by Samox of East Point Pictures.
It is available on YouTube for free. Below is a link to the first episode.
“Road to Evolution” (Unreleased)
Although only a preview as of now, Jonathan Rouzier has released a trailer for his Evo-centric documentary with some great footage on what goes down on the Evo floor.
“Evo Moments 2014” (2014)
Although not a documentary, this short video by Richard Li really sums up the Evo experience in a five minute video. If you are attending Evo this year, Li’s video gives you the perfect idea of what is in store:
Safe travels to everyone attending EVO this year. If you know of any other Evo or FGC-related documentaries or videos like the ones above that also deserve a shout out or watch, comment below.