For the second straight year, MeleeItOnMe is ranking every SSBM Player and counting them down on Twitter (#SSBMRank2014 @Meleeitonme), from No. 100 to No. 1 .

We asked a panel of ~30 players/commentators/figureheads from all across the world to rate the overall level of play for each player in 2014 (From January 2014 –> The Big House 4). This includes evaluating perceived skill in tandem with the tournament results.

MacD

Rank
McCain “MacD” LaVelle | @MacDsmash
 Score
25 Up_Arrow(32)
 Main(s) Peach Region: SoCal 8.027
Tourney Results
Apex 2014 MLG Anaheim CEO 2014 Evo 2014 The Big House 4
9th 29th – 25th 13th
Summary:
Once, after a legendary string of top 12 national finishes that no one seems to remember, MacD was the undisputed #2 peach in the world. A short hiatus and a longer period of being fairly bad have been left behind now, and he seems to have found his spot: a high-tier SoCal player and respected TO who can maybe make one big-time upset on any given Super Sunday, a guy who might get 17th or 25th at any national with the right bracket. Is this plateau the new normal for Mccain? Or are the flashes of brilliance that he shows to his fans indicative of still greater things to come?

 

Nintendude

Rank
Apex | Michael “Nintendude” Brancato | @NintendudeSSB
 Score
24 (48)
 Main(s) Ice Climbers Region: MD/VA 8.178
Tourney Results
Apex 2014 MLG Anaheim CEO 2014 Evo 2014 The Big House 4
33rd – – 17th 17th
Summary:
 After years as a high-level 64 player, Nintendude made the jump that few have made since Isai and became a national threat in Melee. Consistent wobbling has become his trademark, but he has also shown (unsurprisingly) that he can achieve good results without it. He has too many good wins to list, but Mew2king–whom Fly Amanita and Wobbles have struggled against in recent years–is among them, and consistently “surprising” performances mean that the community is (gradually) using him as a mattress less and less.

 

KirbyKaze

Rank
David “KirbyKaze” MacDonald | @kirbykaze_
 Score
23 (9)
 Main(s) Sheik Region: Ontario 8.250
Tourney Results
Apex 2014 MLG Anaheim CEO 2014 Evo 2014 The Big House 4
– 25th – – 17th
Summary:
 Many were confident that a year-long hiatus couldn’t do anything to stop Kirbykaze, once an undisputed top 10 player, but he proved them all wrong with an amazingly underwhelming performance at The Next Episode and local losses to Weon-X. A return to the innovative training methods and cerebral play that facilitated his incredible rise in the first place seems to be paying off, however, and while he has yet to make waves since his return his sheik still has uncanny punish game that gave it a reputation for “the death touch.”

 

aMSa

Rank
VGbootcamp | Masaya “aMSa” Chikamoto | @aMSaRedyoshi
 Score
22 Up_Arrow(77)
 Main(s) Yoshi Region: Japan 8.333
Tourney Results
Apex 2014 MLG Anaheim CEO 2014 Evo 2014 The Big House 4
9th 17th 33rd 17th –
Summary:
Hailing from Japan, aMSa combines strong combos, a terrific egg game and an unparalleled mastery of shield-dropping and parrying. The fan-favorite Yoshi main broke out at Apex 2014, toppling Chu Dat, Silent Wolf and Fly Amanita to place 9th. He placed 17th at both EVO and MLG Anaheim. At KoC4, aMSa earned 5th and picked up his most notable win to date, defeating M2K 3-1 in winner’s quarters. The rising star’s VGBC sponsorship should provide him with more experience to further hone his craft. aMSa’s accomplishments have proven that his Yoshi play is anything but a gimmick.

 

Zhu

Rank
Julian “Zhu” Zhu | @Poor_Zhu
 Score
21 (18)
 Main(s) Falco Region: Pennsylvania 8.438
Tourney Results
Apex 2014 MLG Anaheim CEO 2014 Evo 2014 The Big House 4
17th 21st – 49th 25th
Summary:
Zhu, the founder of the Team Poor, has been the victim of several unfortunate incidences that so happened to be caught on camera. These moments include the infamous Wombo Combo and also getting JV 4 stocked by Mango. In recent years, Zhu’s been rather quiet, living in the rather desolate area of Philadelphia (for Smash) near Cactuar. However, he still manages to come to regionals in the East Coast and perform amazingly well, taking sets over players such as Axe and high level spacies.

 

SSBMRank 2014: 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71|70-61 |60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-26 |25-21 | 20-16 |15-11
10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1