For those of you familiar with Wii Sports Resort, you may have played the table tennis game they have on there. I also know that if you are like most people in my family other than me, you may not have obsessed over it like I have and thus, may not be familiar with an opponent named Lucia. Let me enlighten you. As you play and win, your Mii character goes up in level depending on how well he/she does. Once you reach about level 1500 and are getting so excited that you are about to get to level 2000, you are brought up against an opponent named Lucia. Lucia is a small freckle faced pony-tailed little cutie. But don't let her appearance fool you. If the devil can manifest himself as an angel of light then he can certainly also manifest as a CG Mii on your Wii Resort game. And when he does, he goes by the name Lucia.
This evil vixen seems impossible to beat. Many an opponent has cursed her god-like table tennis skills. She always is in the exact right spot for returns and always knows exactly what you are thinking so that she can trip you up. Gonna use your right hand to return from the right side of the table? Might want to watch your left shoulder there buddy! Lucia knows! She KNOWS! For at least the first 30-40 times I played her each match ended in a clean sweep of my pride and self confidence, not to mention points. I was convinced that she was invincible. So I decided to lose and take the level lowering penalty and hopefully not have to play her the next time I got to 1500. Yeah right. She lives right there at 1500. She has a special little title above her name that says "Champion". So I resigned myself to my fate. For weeks I spent at least a few hours playing her. Trying to figure out the right strategy to beat her. I looked online for help and found nothing but other despairing fools caught in her hell's grip of the ping pong paddle. I did however find some confidence in watching a few YouTube videos of people beating her and also seeing a number of screenshots of people's score after finally kicking her off her throne. And from there I knew that I would beat her.
For those of you who are in the shoes I once wore know this: Lucia is not perfect. I have seen her make mistakes. I have smashed the ball in her face. I have seen her bounce the ball over the net. I have seen her return before the second bounce. And I have seen her dive and miss. For weeks, the highest I scored against her was 2 points in a match. But finally near the end I had a match where I was above her by one point until the very end when she scored three in a row. I had several matches where I came from behind to tie up the game at 5-5 before losing. And I have beaten her soundly.
It was a Tuesday evening. I had been playing her for about two hours. This same day I had already gotten close to winning three or four times. And then a match started. Lucia scored the first point. I paused the game to meditate and calm down my muscles. I reassured my body to let my brain and instincts take control. I started the game again. After a minute of back and forth, Lucia's return misses the table. 1-1.
Lucia's serve. I am able to spin the ball enough to get smash power. After a number of smash returns I am able to smash the ball out of reach. 2-1.
Lucia serves again. Similar scenario as the previous. 3-1.
My serve. After a minute of back and forth, Lucia's return bounces on the net and misses the table. 4-1.
My serve again. More smashing and now it's 5-1!
Lucia's serve. She scores. 5-2. She serves again and scores again. 5-3. I pause the game. Meditation and prayer. Supplication to the almighty god of table tennis for strength and power.
My serve.
The ball bounces off an edge. Lucia dives for the return. It lands on my side of the table too far over for me to smash it off the opposite edge. In an instant that seemed like minutes my decision is made. I smash the ball directly at her. It bounces. It's headed straight for her. As I brace myself for her return I hear the slap. I see the freckled-face demon squint her eyes in fury. I hear the whistle blow and I see the red 'Miss' sign show up above her head. I fall to my knees in amazement as I see those heavenly floating music notes above my own Mii's head and I see the score update. 6-3.
