Melee in 2013: Year in Review
The sixth annual Smash tournament industry report

Previous Editions
[2007]
[2008] (none)
[2009]
[2010]
[2011]
[2012]

Overview of 2013

2013… where do we begin.

As the year draws to a close, many members of the Melee community can’t help but look back at the past twelve months and ask: What happened this year? How did we get here? How is it that the scene is arguably stronger now than at any other point in history? The answers to these questions outline some of the most exciting, grueling, and heart-stopping moments the Melee community has ever seen. Resilience was tested with the “Spirit Bomb” donation drive, and vindication was achieved with the return of Melee to the Evolution Championship Series. Adversity was conquered through the Nintendo Stream Crisis, and antiquity was celebrated with the release of “The Smash Brothers” documentary. 2013 will likely be remembered as the year of EVO, but it should also go down as a truly remarkable twelve months to be relished by a community that rose to the challenge to make it all happen.

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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 2011: Year in Review
The fourth annual Smash tournament industry report

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

Overview of 2011

It was another memorable year for the Melee community, which again produced a collection of intriguing storylines even in the game’s remarkable 10th year of existence. There were impressive performances, from the resurgence of Mango to the North American first-place breakthrough of Armada. There was a collective upgrade in tournament standards, including a rising trend in professional-style streaming and a never-before-done grassroots Apex qualifier series. Aside from the positive moments, there was controversy. The payout situation at Pound V and the prize pot near-disaster at Genesis 2 rank as some of the darkest moments in Melee tournament history, but they also shed light on some business realities of the community and brought key people closer together in times of adversity. 2011 showed what the Melee community is capable of, both the good and the bad.

[…]

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 2009: Year in Review
The second annual Smash tournament industry report

Previous Editions
[2007]
[2008] (none)

Overview of 2009

After years of being carried by MLG at the national level and following an entire 2008 muddled in the shadows of Brawl, there were many questions regarding the Melee community. Could it make a legitimate strong comeback in the wake of a severe drop-off in tourney attendance? Did the metagame have any more improvement left in it? Was there even any incentive for new players to get better? Looking back at the exciting year that was 2009, it’s safe to say the answer to all three of these questions was a definite and resounding yes.

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