One of the world's best "Pokémon" players lives in Tucson.
Web designer Steve Wasserloos, 24, placed third in the senior division (those born in 1997 or before) Saturday at the Pokémon Video Game World Championships in San Diego. He was one of 16 Americans who competed against one another as well as 14 others from Europe and Japan. He won a custom Nintendo DSi game system and a "Pokémon" prize package worth $750.
Wasserloos said he very easily could have won it all.
"It was pretty close," Wasserloos said. "It basically came down to luck in the end. It really could have gone either way."
To get to the worlds, Wasserloos had to beat more than 3,000 competitors in a regional competition in Phoenix in May and the national tournament in St. Louis in July.
In tournament play — based on the Nintendo DS strategy game "Pokémon Platinum" — gamers compete in 20-minute matches, first selecting four virtual creatures to face on squads selected by the opponent, two creatures at a time. Players take turns attacking one another in a random, virtual-dice-based system.
People are also reading…
Wasserloos, who has a computer engineering degree from Rutgers University, moved to Tucson earlier this year and does Web design. He is considering entering the tournament again next year.
"There were a lot of people from all over the world," said Wasserloos, who plans on selling his prizes, which included trading cards and other paraphernalia. "It was a lot of fun meeting everyone and playing."
"It was pretty close. It basically came down to luck in the end. It really could have gone either way."
Steve Wasserloos, Web designer
As water lifeline evaporates, Arizona faces a cultural change over water use
