Editor’s Note:

The following article was written by Juggleguy and has been re-published as a mirror copy on the Melee It On Me website. You can find the article in its original entirety here on Smashboards.

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Melee in 2012: Year in Review
The fifth annual Smash tournament industry report

Previous Editions
[2007]
[2008] (none)
[2009]
[2010]
[2011]

Overview of 2012

The Melee community in 2012 generated a collection of powerful storylines and memorable performances as usual, from the explosive American debut of Javi to the surprise return appearance by SephirothKen. There were showdowns both domestically and overseas, with Mango and Hungrybox doing battle in three major U.S. tournament finals and an intercontinental clash between Armada and Dr. PeePee going down to the wire in Norway. There were bright moments, including the development of online Melee through Dolphin Netplay, the meteoric rise of Project M tournaments, and an upgrade in production standards through the streaming of national events by VGBootCamp. And there were dark moments, including the controversial ending to Revival of Melee 5 and disillusion at NEC XIII in the shadows of the FGC. All in all, it’s difficult to argue against the fact that the Melee community took major steps forward during the year, showing once again that the game will be relevant for years to come.

[…]

Editor’s Note:

The following article was written by Juggleguy and has been re-published as a mirror copy on the Melee It On Me website. You can find the article in its original entirety here on Smashboards.

–

Melee in 2010: Year in Review
The third annual Smash tournament industry report

Previous Editions
[2007]
[2008] (none)
[2009]

Overview of 2010

Coming off one of its best years ever, the rejuvenated Melee community looked to take further strides in 2010. Questions surrounding the tournament scene were bold and full of optimism; How far could the game and its tournament scene really expand? What bits and pieces of metagame potential were still yet to be fulfilled? Would anyone dethrone Mango and take over the dominance at the highest levels? Melee in 2010 provided these answers and many more as it re-affirmed the game’s tremendous post-Brawl comeback.

[…]

Editor’s Note:

The following article was written by AlphaZealot and has been re-published as a mirror copy on the Melee It On Me website. You can find the article in its original entirety here on Smashboards.

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Smash in 2007: Year in Review
The first annual Smash tournament industry report

Overview of 2007

Many wondered what 2007 could bring after Major League Gaming announced it would be pulling Smash from its Professional Circuit in March. MLG powered much of the Smash’s success in 2006, including record turnout levels (MLG New York: Playoffs – 204 entrants) and the biggest prize checks ever awarded (MLG Las Vegas: Championship – 1st place $10,000). With the company seemingly out of the picture early, Smash’s future in 2007 seemed bleak. The feelings of despair didn’t last for long though, as an unlikely source decided to finally step into the action.

[…]