Expert player finds relief in video games

April 29, 2013 — by Megana Iyer

Most days after school, sophomore Gonzalo Palomino sits in front of the television, his eyes locked on the screen, his fingers madly pressing different buttons on the controller. He’s been practicing for hours, all in hopes of beating the game, Mortal Kombat.

Most days after school, sophomore Gonzalo Palomino sits in front of the television, his eyes locked on the screen, his fingers madly pressing different buttons on the controller. He’s been practicing for hours, all in hopes of beating the game, Mortal Kombat.
An expert Mortal Kombat player, Palomino spends up to six hours a day training. 
Palomino first gained interest in Mortal Kombat after seeing videos of it on YouTube. 
 “Even on days when I’m unable to play, I run all the moves of the game through my head and think of new combinations that will help me beat [the game],” Palomino said.
Palomino likes the game because it is a “good way to test [his] memory because [the game requires him to] remember all the different combinations.” 
According to Palomino, a player can memorize different combinations, or “Kombos” of the four buttons, which are “series of unique hits that vary from character to character.” For example, Palomino explained, the combination “Y, X, A” on the controller means to dash forward.
Palomino began playing video games at age 4,  starting with Mario Party and Pokemon. These days, Palomino normally plays Mortal Kombat on the XBOX.
When he first began playing Mortal Kombat, Palomino found that the game came naturally to him, and, with practice, he was able to become a skilled player.
“I got good at the game by playing hour after hour every day, constantly pushing myself by putting the difficulty at maximum and not stopping until I won,” Palomino said. “I also spent about a month beating all 300 challenges the game offered.”
Palomino said he prefers playing with friends rather than playing on his own. When with friends, Palomino finds that he can play for several hours.
“If I play alone, I usually get bored after awhile,” he said.
Although many other experienced players use cheats, where a player uses non standard methods to gain an advantage, to beat certain challenges,  Palomino explained that he does not like to use modified controllers, or controllers that are changed to allow easier gameplay.
“The closest I [have gotten] to cheating was watching people play at real competitions,” he said. “I also watch different tutorial videos to find any combos I might not know of.”
Sophomore Tony Holt, Palomino’s friend, said Palomino often practices nonstop, trying to find the best way to beat the game.
“His hard work and practice make him really hard to beat in almost everything,” Holt said.
Although Palomino specializes at Mortal Kombat, he also enjoys playing games such as Gears of War, Skyrim and Fallout.
“I use [games] as a way to let out any anger I have,” Palomino said. “I also use them as a way to relieve stress and just forget about any problems I have.”
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