Smasher:Ken
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Ken Hoang (born October 10, 1985) is an American professional electronic sports player who plays Super Smash Bros. Melee and has earned over $40,000 USD doing so. He is the two-time national champion of Major League Gaming and is officially ranked as the best Super Smash Bros. Melee player in America.[1] He is also widely regarded as the best player in the world, having defeated reputable players from around the globe, including top Japanese players such as Captain Jack, Masashi, Bombsoldier, Korius, and Mikael in the summer of 2005. In the competitive gaming community, he is known simply as "Ken" or by his gamer tag "sephirothken."
Ken is considered the most consistent player, having won nearly every tournament he has ever attended. His impressive three year dominance earned him the nickname "The King of Smash" within the community. He received minor television coverage in MTV's "True Life: I'm a Professional Gamer", and will receive further coverage this fall after MLG arrives on cable television.[2]
Biography
Ken started playing Super Smash Bros. when it was released for the Nintendo 64. He made his gamer tag "sephirothken" from his interest in Final Fantasy VII. He was naturally talented at the game and became fluent in the gameplay and style of Smash. However, he was never able to compete in major tournaments for the Nintendo 64 version of Super Smash Bros. due to the lack of a competitive scene. When Super Smash Bros. Melee was released for the Nintendo GameCube, Ken initially did not enjoy it, but the game grew on him after a period of a few months. By the time he attended his first tournament, he had already built up an impressive reputation in his town as the best Smash player. This tournament was hosted at a local gaming store known as Game Square and was nothing like the tournaments hosted today (which are 1v1, 4 stock/lives, 8 minute time limit). It was a free-for-all tournament, which means that anybody could win by luck. Everyone teamed against Ken because he was considered the best.[3]
In 2002 a moderator on Smash World Forums by the handle of Mattdeezie hosted Tournament Go (TG series), which was one of the first major tournaments.[4] There were six installments in the TG series, with each new incarnation being more popular than the last. TG4, in early 2003, was the first major tournament Ken attended. Even with the lack of a strong competitive scene, Ken managed to defeat players who had attended previous TGs and take first out of a record 89 players at that time.[5]
Seven months later, in August 2003, Ken attended and won TG5. This was the first tournament where he teamed with Isai Alvarado for doubles (otherwise known as "Malva00") who is currently ranked as the 7th best Melee player in the nation. Their victory in the doubles tournament started a two-and-a-half year winning streak. They won every doubles tournament they entered until MLG Chicago in July 2006, where they were defeated by Azen and Chillindude829 in the finals and received second place. However, they reclaimed their title later that year in August at MLG Orlando where they defeated Azen and Chillindude829 6-3 in the finals.[6]
For the next two years, Ken continued to win nearly every competition he entered. The worst loss he ever garnered in his competitive career was in August 2004 at TG6 where he placed 9th out of approximately 128 competitors. He has not placed below 2nd until MLG Orlando in August 2006 where he placed 5th and then MLG New York (Season Playoffs) where he placed 7th, and in teams he got 3rd teaming with Isai making it his all-time low in singles and doubles at MLG events.
Today, Ken still places consistently high getting first at almost every tournament he attends. Ken thanks his parents and his sisters for supporting him throughout his entire career.[1] In September 2006, Ken was nominated in "The Dangerous Five" by EGM, in which he was called "The Duper".
Notable Tournament placings
Note: These are only major tournaments which include professional and amateur tournaments with 60 or more players. This list does not represent the number of tournaments Ken has attended in total.
2003
- 1st - Tournament Go 4 (TG4) ($900)
- 1st - SoCal Inland Empire SSB:M
- 1st - Tournament Go 5 (TG5) ($1000)
2004
- 1st - Game Over ($650)
- 1st - The 0-C (Zero Challenge) ($650)
- 1st - MELEE-FC ($500)
- 9th - Tournament Go 6 (TG6)
- 1st - Major League Gaming (MLG) 2004 Season Finals New York ($2000)
- 1st - MLG 2004 Season points
2005
- 2nd - MOAST 3 ($400)
- 1st - MLG 2005 (Season OpenerTournament) DC ($1000)
- 1st - MLG 2005 (Season Tournament) San Francisco ($500)
- 2nd - MLG 2005 (West Coast Regionals) Los Angeles ($1000)
- 1st - MLG 2005 (East Coast Regionals) Atlanta ($2000)
- 1st - MLG 2005 (Central Regionals) Chicago ($2000)
- 1st - MLG 2005 Season Finals New York ($5000)
- 1st - MLG 2005 Season points leader($1337)
- 1st - Jack Garden Tournament (JGT) (Japan)
- 1st - Getting Schooled 2 ($800)
- 1st - MELEE-FC3 ($800)
2006
- 1st - Champ Combo: NorCal Edition ($400)
- 1st - Champ Combo: Yayuhzzz Edition ($400)
- 1st - 0-C2 (Zero Challenge 2) ($1200)
- 2nd - MLG 2006 (Season Tournament) New York ($1200)
- 1st - MLG 2006 (Season Tournament) Dallas ($2000)
- 1st - MLG 2006 (Season Tournament) Anaheim ($2000)
- 1st - MLG 2006 (Season Tournament) Chicago ($2000)
- 5th - MLG 2006 (Season Tournament) Orlando ($300)
- 7th - MLG 2006 (Season Playoffs) New York ($375)
- 1st - NCT2: The Big One ($1080)
- 3rd - MLG 2006 (National Championships Singles) Las Vegas ($3000)
- 1st - MLG 2006 (National Championships Doubles) Las Vegas ($5000) per team member
- 1st - MLG 2006 Season points leader ($4000)
