This Week in Smash #4
The weekend before last was one of disappointment for traditional sports fans (nice low-energy Super Bowl, NFL), but it was nothing but excitement for fans of eSports, as Smash Bros. Ultimate and Smash Bros. Melee brought the action at Genesis 6. Kicking Fortnite to the curb to take the most-viewed game spot on Twitch for hours during both Melee and Ultimate’s respective Top 8 finales, Genesis lived up to the name “Super-Major” tournament. So, with Genesis being the very first Super-Major for the new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there was a lot of anticipation to see what peak performance looks like in this new title.
Big moments in Smash Bros. Melee tournaments are no stranger to drawing in chart-topping numbers of viewers on Twitch, with Melee’s Genesis 6 Top 8 peaking at a staggering 151+ thousand viewers. However, Ultimate’s narrow trailing of that viewer count by a rough 10k viewers still put the Genesis 6 livestream well above Fortnite in viewership, and asserted just how close Ultimate is to rivaling the classic hype present around competitive Smash Melee.
So, with an entrant pool of over 2,000 players, there was a slew of incredible Smash Ultimate played in Genesis 6’s massive tournament bracket. From Pools all the way to Top 8, the best of the best and the most entertaining matches of all are right here in This Week in Smash..!
With this tournament being a Super-Major, and Ultimate’s first, this feature will be on the long side. As such, summaries of the featured sets here will be short (or not present) this week. (Future Majors/Super-Majors will be handled the same way)
And finally, a bit of an apology here, as wading through so many matches from this tournament to find the best to feature for you made this edition of This Week in Smash a bit late. Expect another usual-length one at the end of this week..!
MVD (Snake) vs. IDK (Donkey Kong); [Winner’s Side] Pools – Round of 512:
“…This is like Normandy…” – Game 1 commentary by Panda Global’s “Suar,” 2019
Magister (Incineroar) vs. Lyric (Zelda); Pools:
Zackray (Wolf) vs. K9SBruce (Wolf); Winner’s Top 64, Bo5:
A Wolf ditto, (a match where both players use the same character) where one player is a 15 year old from Japan, “Zackray,” and the other is a Smash 4 veteran. Oh, and the first stock lost in Game 1 of the set is dropped in under twenty seconds.
dB l Yeti (Mega Man) vs. TSM l Leffen (Pokémon Trainer); Winner’s Top 32, Bo5:
Two of the most exciting players to watch in these early days of Smash Ultimate— with Leffen being a very successful Melee veteran— going head-to-head at Ultimate’s first Super-Major, make this set immediately valuable to watch if you want to see what peak performance and gameplay look like from highly skilled players.
GW | Zackray (Wolf) vs. CLG | VoiD (Pichu); Winner’s Semi-Finals, Bo5:
This set has a real name, but basically, you can just call it “VoiD goes sicko mode.” I mean, just look at those eyes… My guy looks like he just snapped…
After the set was over, he took to Twitter to have a laugh at all the screenshots people were sending him of his face on the player-cam mid-set. Now that’s what I call wholesome.
CLG | VoiD (Pichu) vs. eUnited | Samsora (Peach); Winner’s Finals, Bo5:
[A] | Armada (Inkling) vs. Pandarian (Pokémon Trainer); Round 2 Pools:
The “Gods of Melee” was the community term for the best players in the highly-competitive Smash Bros. Melee scene. Armada was one of these Gods, and the best player in the world from Summer 2015 to Summer 2017, sitting now at the #2 ranked spot.
That same accomplished competitor was decidedly challenged by a young Washington state Smash 4 veteran, “Pandarian,” in this Pools set. Since just about no one saw that coming, the surprise factor alone made this set riveting to watch, but how it ended..? You have to see it.
I hope you enjoyed this Genesis 6 Special Feature, and check back this Friday for the newest This Week in Smash..!
