What you’re going to immediately notice about I Got Next, the independent documentary about the fighting video game scene, is that everyone can watch and enjoy it. Even the most dedicated of gamers see the world of fighting games and the real life tournaments that surround them as an endless pit of quarter circles, seemingly ancient Egyptian terminology, and athletic-like dedication that would make pre-ear gnawing Mike Tyson astounded. The documentary even shows how gamers like Ryan “Gootecks” Gutierrez make an actual living out of the fighting game scene. But for me, the exploration of this subculture in a coherent and relatable format is long overdue. Ever since the Daigo Umehara versus Justin Wong EVO 2004 video, where a mob of over enthused geeks fly their hands and voices across the screen in some uncontrollable rabble, I have wanted to understand the fighting game scene better. Researching and reading about the world itself from the comfort of one’s own home never seemed to be enough; the videos and stories presented always making it seem like you need to be there to truly understand these people’s obsessive dedication with this one particular genre of video games.

Ian Cofino’s documentary does the next best thing and simulates what it’s like to be there. It primarily follows the rivalry between East Coast and West Coast players at a tournament called SinSation. With not too many kind words to say about each other, the viewer immediately can tell that the East versus West Coast rivalry runs as deep as any old conflict you would see in an professional sports team. Always respectable, the two sides often compliment what good traits they can about the other, and then quickly move on to saying with absolute certainty that their own side (and often themselves) is the best. This is what sets up the tension in the documentary itself, and what makes it an exciting viewing experience.

What allows it to be that exciting, though, is that anyone can understand it. Cofino wisely pulled himself far away from trying to implement too much of the convoluted terminology involved with the fighting game scene. More than likely he realized it just was not practical to try and explain every avenue of it to a commonplace viewer. Instead, he focuses on the people, the history, and the culture.

Like 2007’s King of Kong we’re surrounded by characters that are deeply entrenched in the competitive video game world, and as a result we see how the whole scene has shaped their personality. Justin Wong, the famous East Coast player from New York, is constantly attributed to some sort of Jesus Christ of the video game scene. Most people make it seem as if he was birthed from an unnatural conception of human seed and an original Street Fighter II arcade cabinet. But he often comes off as cocky and a bit brash, a trait that is apparently the result of overzealous and fraudulent supporters getting in his good graces for their own selfish reasons. Nonetheless, Wong is all about playing the game, focusing whatever mental and physical faculties he has within himself to perfect his ability.

On the other side of the spectrum you have people like Joe “iloveu” Ciaramelli who is the fighting game scene’s every man. You can’t help but relate to Joe when you see his modest life and a proud smiling father recollecting his son’s talents and achievements. All of his reasons for playing the game are on the side of passion, practicality, and good old competition. We see this when he plays against others during the tournament, but also in little moments, like when some of the top players show their excitement for an official professional league that will pay them consistently for what they already love to do. Wong and Gutierrez are thrilled while Ciaramelli is cautious, professing his comfort for where he is right now.

It’s these and other little moments that make the documentary so entertaining. Like the absolute eruption of the spectators as they watch winners and losers stand in the center of the room with complete concentration. Ian Cofino definitely simulated that emotional tension people feel when playing fighting games. The screaming crowds and trash talking rivalries is infectious, and if you’ve ever played a fighting game in an arcade or even in the same room with friends, then you can’t help but smile at it all. The film even mentions the fighting game scene’s diversity and how it was built up from arcades where anyone from anywhere could come and play. For the most part the film is right about that, and one can’t help but feel refreshed when they see all the different types of people, from all different backgrounds, sharing the same room, and cheering for all the same reasons. Where as something like King of Kong featured some of the worst of the video game world, this documentary certainly tries to explain and feature the best, showing the viewer why these people love what they do so much.

That’s what makes the documentary such a fun piece of filmmaking. All the small problems, like the short length (though admittedly the most recent cut has been advertised as “The Short Cut” and Cofino plans to film more, such as EVO), kind of wash away when you sit and watch these professionals going head to head to prove their skills. One has to also realize that Ian Cofino did this all on his own, with little more than a college student’s dedication to tell a story that isn’t told very often. If anything Cofino has opened the door to a world that proves that competitive gaming isn’t all overweight ne’r do well’s and hyperactive adolescents urinating in empty Mountain Dew two liters. It’s a world that can have a history and culture to it, and one that can even sometimes be a positive effect on those who watch and compete in it.

You can watch the trailer for I Got Next embedded above or at the official site. You can watch an early cut of the film at Ufrag TV complete with a question and answer session after the movie.