Get hype: EVO 2012 results and Grand Finals videos

Another EVO Championship Series has come and gone, taking with it the hopes, dreams and aspirations of a community. EVO is the Super Bowl of fighting games, but also a cultural mecca for those who share the genre as their life's passion.

This year's proceedings were punctuated by surprises, upsets and incredible displays of skill and technical prowess, perhaps more so than any EVO in recent memory. Last year's Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition champion, Fuudo, tied with three others for ninth place at this year's tournament, for instance. Conversely, Perfect Legend successfully defended his throne as Mortal Kombat champion, becoming the first person to retain their title since Daigo Umehara's SSF4 victory in 2010.

Head on past the break for results of the seven major tournaments that took place over the weekend, along with videos of the Grand Finals for each game, courtesy of IGN. If you're pressed for time, allow us to make some recommendations: Watch the first rounds of the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and SSF4:AE Ver. 2012 Grand Finals for two of the most exciting KOs of the weekend, and peep the King of Fighters XIII Grand Finals for the most excitable stream commentators in the entire world.

Key: Sponsor - Fighter: Character(s)

Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition Ver. 2012

Grand Finals: AVerMedia - Gamerbee: Adon vs. WW.MCZ - Infiltration: Akuma

Top Three:

1. WW.MCZ - Infiltration: Akuma

2. AVerMedia - Gamerbee: Adon

3. CVPR - PR Balrog: Balrog

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Grand Finals: coL.CC - Filipino Champ: Magneto, Dormammu, Doctor Doom vs. LXG - Infrit: Nova, Spencer, Sentinel

Top Three:

1. coL.CC - Filipino Champ: Magneto, Doctor Doom, Phoenix / Magneto, Dormammu, Doctor Doom

2. LXG - Infrit: Nova, Spencer, Sentinel

3. FC - NYChrisG: Morrigan, Doctor Doom, Hawkeye / Wesker, Hawkeye, Ryu / Doctor Doom, Akuma, Morrigan

SoulCalibur 5

Grand Finals: Shining Decopon: Tira vs. Shen Chan: Cervantes

Top Three:

1. Shining Decopon: Tira

2. Shen Chan: Cervantes

3. Something-Unique: Pyrrha

King of Fighters XIII

Grand Finals: CafeID - Mad KOF: Duo Lon, Chin, Kim vs. IGL - BALA: Billy, Takuma, Shen / Benimaru, Shen, Takuma

Top Three:

1. CafeID - Mad KOF: Duo Lon, Chin, Kim

2. IGL - BALA: Billy, Takuma, Shen / Ralf, Takuma, Shen / Clark, Takuma, Shen / Benimaru, Shen, Takuma

3. CafeID - Verna: EX Iori, Duo Lon, Kim / King, Duo Lon, Kim

Mortal Kombat

Grand Finals: KN.EMP - Perfect Legend: Kung Lao vs. vVv.NOS - CDjr: Rain, Kabal

Top Three:

1. KN.EMP - Perfect Legend: Kung Lao

2. vVv.NOS - CDjr: Jax, Kabal, Rain

3. Pig of the Hut: Kenshi, Mileena

Street Fighter X Tekken (Teams)

Grand Finals: EG - Ricky Ortiz, CVPR - PR Balrog: Rufus, Ryu vs. WW.MCZ - Infiltration, Laugh: Rolento, Ryu

Top Three:

1. WW.MCZ - Infiltration, Laugh: Rolento, Ryu

2. EG - Ricky Ortiz, CVPR - PR Balrog: Rufus, Ryu

3. RZR - Fuudo, MCZ - Tokido: Ryu, Chun-Li

Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown

Grand Finals: RZR - Fuudo: Shun vs. Shironuko: El Blaze

Top Three:

1. RZR - Fuudo: Shun

2. Shironuko: El Blaze

3. RZR - Itabashi Zangief: Shun