I've been watching your videos since I started playing smash when I was a kid. My friends would watch your videos around the lunch table while waiting for our turn to 1v1 on the 3ds. I love you man, hope you're doing well
DK was only ever a low tier on paper. His potential revolves completely around his punish game. Players figured out how to maximize it, and take advantage of mistakes from those playing higher tiered characters. That honestly goes for a lot of low tiers; it's really difficult for them to win neutral, so they have to capitalize on every mistake their opponent makes. I think Aklo's Link is just as impressive a character arc, as he literally perfected new tech that helped Link win more neutral exchanges against better characters. I don't think that would have happened without Slippi.
Haven’t played competitive melee for like 20 years and haven’t followed it, but I always considered dk upper end of mid tier. Feel like people in our region had a healthy level of respect for dk seeing players like bum go toe to toe with world class players using dk
23:12 This alone is an amazing detail with the scoreboard being obscured by Hungrybox's arm. Your editing just keeps getting better and better every single video I do want to say, you got me into the Melee scene. I don't play Melee, but I enjoy watching tourneys and stumbling across videos like this time-to-time.
I think seeing PPMD fighting for his life and trying is best knowing all the shit he was going through at the time is the real hearthbreaking moment of battle of the five gods
Fighting for his life is an interesting term for an overweight, cis, white male who played videos games for 9 months of his life before getting OoOoOoOh So StrEsSeD oUt wahh
@@YeahImRose series of health problems that ultimately is why he's never truly come back to playing competitive melee on the level he used to. Don't know if he ever elaborated on what those health issues were exactly.
14:57 This is actually untrue, just last month there was a bowser who sometimes goes by “Loadspiller” or for this tournament “Heavenly bruised pelvis” beat rank number #57 fox main Billybopeep at tipped off 15!
0:00 Part I - Why the Big TV? 4:28 Part II - The Game Changes, the TVs Don't 10:35 Part III - The Myth of the Bad Character 17:05 Part IV - What is Melee? 20:55 Part V - The Last Battle of the Five Gods 25:15 Credits
all your videos feel like that melancholic feeling when you're looking at a really beautiful sunset and you know it will be impossible to look at that same sunset in just a few hours, but you just have to enjoy while its still there
It's amazing to me how strong Melee is still going. I remember how much it felt like the game might go under multiple times, and here it is chugging along better than so many big games to come after it. All the tournaments in someone's house, garage, back yard, bonus room upstairs where we had to keep quiet, a house of a friend-of-a-friend of the TO. It's wild.
Yup, and those are the actual thumbnails, not a video-editing trick. Very cool idea with the white border added except for the hand. Doesn't look good in dark-mode youtube though :(
Anyone who "refuses to play against low tiers" is afraid they're actually going to lose, and will get dunked on in UA-cam clips. If they really believed in their ability, they would be happy to show it.
Eh, in some fairness I've seen the same thing happen in other games where people don't like to play against the low tier picks since that's not terribly indicative of what you'll go against in tournament. Why practice against Pichu and G&W when you'll never see them in bracket? Of course, there's the chance you will see them in bracket but I hope I've delivered the mentality. Not to say I agree with it or do it myself, but I can see how a matchup like that can be "a waste of time".
I adore your "What is Melee?" segment. You captured so well the idea that there are so many aspects of this game to love even if you aren't an active competitive player. That's certainly what's kept me in the content creation game for so long, and why I keep trying to contribute to it. I happen to love the game itself, but there's something to be said for these additional aspects you mentioned that can bring in a whole community, even people who don't strictly play the game. Thanks for another stellar upload!
10:41 Great video; judging from the animation, I think you already know that クソゲ－ (kusoge-) actually means “sh*t game,” but just wanted to clarify the irony in case anyone accidentally misinterprets your joke. 笑笑
I would be over the moon if you had a behind the scenes channel or something. I'm dying to see how you do all those little details like the origianl music (especially), gameplay footage, animations and graphics, transitions, sound effects, voiceover, mixing... It's all on a whole other level from what's on UA-cam, honestly, and having a peek on how you do it would be a masterclass.
He does have one of the best up tilts in the game. Not the best(that's probably Fox) but definitely one of the best, he just doesn't have anything to take advantage of it lol
Sakurai himself admitted to nerfing kirby into uselessness on purpose so people don't think he is biased. Too bad he is obviously biased but in the opposite direction.
@@ghoulbuster1he disowned kirby as his franchise not even like 10 years in cuz he didnt want to make sequels all his life and now kirby (the video game franchise) is objectively in a better state than ever without him lmao
Kirbo is the strongest character in smash history. HE EATS GODS AND TURNS THEIR SOULS INTO FUNNY HATS&TOOLS. Kirbo itsself realized if he wasn't playing pretend fighting. Kirbo would kill everyone including destroying their very souls and being in reality&time within 5mins. Thus he acts all cute turning everyone into hats&brapping them out. Till master/crazy hand's shows up than *POYIMGOINGTOTURNYOURFUCKINGFINGERSTODUSTANDSNORTTHEMTOGETHIGHIKILLGODSFORFUNOPOYO* OO00ooo
20:12 I think this puts into words exactly how I've felt over the years when it comes to how I participate and engage with the community. I love playing but I don't consider myself a competitor by any means, and am for sure more interested in telling the stories of this game to people who may be interested in hearing them. It really means a lot to me to hear that sentiment from someone as legendary you, dude.
To me: People like asumsaus and you walt are pillars of the community. Its hard to truly grasp what happens in melee sometimes so seeing you two break down important moments and events to us truly does spread smash bros to those who have trouble grasping it. You two are some of the gods of smash youtube.
14:32 This is dumb nitpicking, but the yellow text you meant to highlight is the first sentence of the paragraph after the one you highlighted. Thank you for the fantastic video!
I played smash ultimate casually for some time with my friends, and like to watch youtube videos about it, and I just knew a bit about melee from hearing about it randomly from time to time, but never played it, and still never have. But I watch a lot of videos about it on youtube, and what made me begin consuming melee content was the “ there will never ever be another melee player like Hungrybox” which made me start watching Hungrybox from time to time. And then, on a random day I just thought “ what is it that makes Fox’s shine so good?”, I typed that on youtube, and found your video, and from that point was when is got really into melee as a whole, and not just Hungrybox. Keep up the amazing work.
Another perk of CRTs I don't see mentioned a lot is their incredible motion clarity. Their response times (distinct from input latency) are practically zero, so motion looks extremely clear and smooth compared to LCDs which take longer to clear the previous frame and draw a new one (causing a slight blurriness in motion that affects even high end monitors to varying degrees). Besides that, standard definition (480i) games just look way nicer on a CRT than upscaled on an LCD, especially if you have access to S-Video or component. They are definitely a pain in a lot of ways, though. With good maintenance and calibration you can dial in the geometry imperfections and reduce the area cut off by overscan, but that requires a non-trivial amount of expertise and work. Still love the bulky things though and really hope melee doesn't switch to monitors any time soon.
That's the actual advantage CRTs have over modern monitors, not input latency. If you understand how both systems work, you realize that there isn't just magically different input delay. The workaround is to have a higher refresh rate monitor that by necessity has better pixel response times and faster progressive scans.
CRTs also can display true black in dark environments, unlike LCD panels (though this isn't relevant to Melee because even if the black leveling was like poorly configured component they'd still use them for their motion reasons).
man, I need to get one of those ha-ha funny plastic screwdrivers, a life insurance policy, a day off, and adjust my PVM. in no particular order. flyback transformer scary 😢 you aren't going to get it "right" unless you do it with it on
mang0 looks so much happier competing in those modern clips you shared, which says everything I think. thanks for showing the positive light of the melee scene - I love to see that evolution, when I remember so distinctly the long era of "no item, fox only, final destination". to the future, cheers!
The "long era" you mentioned is a tired meme from lame - sorry I don't need to specify lame - Melee players. I assume he's happier now because he's realized his peak is playing an outdated childrens party game competitively as a grown alcoholic adult. Yikes! And you cheer for him? Yikes!
@@InstanenceI mean... He's enjoying himself. It's a competitive game that is his passion. Arguably, all pro sports players are just playing stuff they did as children as well, now to a professional and refined shine. He can enjoy himself, get paid while doing it, and be part of a great community. What's there not to like?
Best script writer, editor, and creator in general, and it’s getting out of hand recently. I never walk away from any of your videos without feeling something. I’ve watched your amsa video 3 times a cried at the end each time. Love you man. Keep up the amazing work.
To be fair, Captain Falcon's knee is considered the best Forward Air in the game because while the sweetspot is extremely strong, the sourspot is also broken. Late knee can set up into a lot of ridiculous things for him. Zelda's sweetspot might be better, but it has to be spaced to get comparable reward to Falcon's knee and a sourspot lightning kick is *really* bad.
Hey bro, I know you probably won't see this, but I gotta tell you that ur videos are super cool. Me and my little brother have been playing smash since forever, but actually just picked up Melee a month ago. I am in absolute awe at the skill pros achieve in this game, and the competitive scene has truly amazed me. And I never would have known any of it without you. Thanks brother.
Maybe if people didnt quit on lower tiers, more good characters could be discovered sooner. I wonder how much quicker these developments could've happened if it weren't for ignornace
The year is 2XXX, and today, player xDrzl made melee history, being the first person in over a decade to win a super major with Fox, the game's worst character.
The esports era of gaming. Players that have a competitive mindset will copy what the pros play. If those pros can't figure out how to make a strat/character work in a competitive setting, a lot of players will write it off as trash. It's present in any game with a competitive playerbase.
I mean, isn't this exactly what happened to Jigglypuff? If I recall correctly, Jigglypuff was considered to be low tier until Hungrybox popularized the character, after which the conversation switched to Jigglypuff being a high tier, and eventually with the conversation even shifting to the topic of whether or not Jigglypuff was so broken that it was unhealthy for the game.
I will never play Melee. I gain nothing from the grindset of figuring out how to play the game well. I don't like to compete in high-level play. I don't even watch games or tournaments. I derive no joy from playing the game, nor watching it being played. But boy howdy do I love the game, and I will gladly sit and learn so much about it, from you and others. The sheer amount of passion that surrounds this game, the way players put in so much time and effort to push what we ever considered to be possible, the way specific aspects of it get so mythologized, the way it takes this roster of all-star characters we all know and gives them all unique purpose and meaning so powerful that it has retroactively changed who they are and how we perceive them on the greater scale, it's all so very wonderful. Smash in general, but in large part Melee specifically, is such a unique cultural touchstone in these regards. Its appeal is so broad and multifaceted that even I, from three blocks down only hearing the thumping of the bass in the distance and seeing the lights on the horizon, can feel like I'm also at the party.
You can play yhe game without engaging in high level or competitive play. The game literally wasn't even designed around that in mind. I've been playing this game since it came out and I've never been interested in "competitive" - I just like the have fun with items, themed matches, epic 99 stock brawls, all the different stages, etc... plus, the event matches and trophy collecting is fun
This is probably the most eloquent and interesting opinion ive ever seen on youtube comments, if you ever did short essay videos I would watch the all in a heartbeat
I loved the bit about aspect ratios, because as someone who loves editing videos, your style is inspiring. I feel like there's an untapped potential in 4:3 that was immediately abandoned by the sweeping popularity of HDTVs, and now a lot of games have a complete disregard for screen real-estate. More importantly, the way you visualize and explain these topics feels like you are just as interested in what you are creating, and it shows because it just keeps getting better with each video. Keep it up!
awesome video!! its unfortunate that this was made before Tipped Off 15, where a Bowser player by the tag Loadspiller from Massachusetts beat billybopeep, a top 100 player! shoutouts New England Melee
i like how you listed all the potential reasons for why someone may like or love melee and have the side note of '... fun' in the corner. thank you for the representation of those of us who like melee cause its fun.
honestly that part near the end about being a melee fan despite not playing it kinda hit close to home for me. was obsessed with comp smash a few years ago but didn't really have anyone to play with due to being in an awkward region of australia and it being like the mid 2010s where no one really cared about the game lol, so i used to just watch heaps of clips from grsmash and play against cpus on my 3ds or in dolphin. it was a fun period of time despite being in my own little bubble, and even tho i don't play smash anymore, i still like to watch you and many other people's videos about the game, as well as see what's going on with the community since it is such an old and interesting scene that reminds me a lot of other games i still love and play. great video as always!!
I haven't played smash in years, and this channel is one of those I'll come back to often to rewatch/listen to. Always a treat when we get another one.
This video makes me feel like Melee will truly never die as a concept. So much passion involved in every aspect in and out of the game. Despite playing way less than I used to, I feel even more connected with the scene as it changes and improves every year
the editting of this video is so engrossing. i'm not even very invested into Melee, but the editting of the video reads like an engrossing documentary that knows how to hook into the emotional power of storytelling.
As a 10 year veteran of the scene I would just like to say that I have heard more new players & casual fans cite your channel as their introduction to Melee than any other source. You’ve genuinely done so much for the scene and brought in countless new players by promoting the quirky and beautiful nature of Melee. Truly appreciate your effort so so much, things like this keep the fire going for the new generation. Much love 💛
I won't lie, this video has actually made me want to try going to/finding locals again after over half a decade away from local tournament play that I used to do weekly.
Your videos is one reason why I got back into melee after all these years! Being able to play online with a friend from college is timeless fun for us. Thank you for all your work!
As someone who’s been watching melee since around 2014/2015, the ending got me super emotional just thinking about how far the game has advanced since then. Great video
It was your channel that got me more into Melee than Ultimate in around 2018. You're so good at conveying the magic of Melee, it's no doubt that countless players have come to Melee because of your videos. Thank you for being an inspiration.
For me, your thumbnails have been something I look forward to the most. You weave a narrative in all of them, and they're genuinely funny to look at on their own ❤️
Dude, @AsumSauce, this is really good content. I don't EVER comment on videos, but I wanted to here to say that I find you to be an S-tier content creator. Funnily enough, despite wanting to, I don't play Melee. It just happens to be the game I enjoy *watching* the most. I am stuck on Ultimate due to not having a good Melee setup. Working on getting a modded Wii going. Anyway, just wanted to give you maximum interaction points and say thanks for making the content that you do!
Also,@AsumSauce, I humbly offer writing skills if that is reason that you don’t make Melee tournament recaps anymore. They made me a better player and happier. I just want writing credits for the scripts in some capacity. :))
i wasn't sure where the video was going for a bit, and then i found myself thoroughly enjoying how it all came together for your thesis in the latter half of the video (the "what is melee?" section). there really are a ton of moving and disparate parts that make up the idea of "melee", and i thought it was pretty clever how you used a bunch of seemingly unrelated discussions about melee (CRTs, recent DK performances, mods and training tools, the best moves belonging to some "bad" characters, melee video content, etc.) to demonstrate this notion. brilliant stuff! :) (also just a minor correction - in the japanese at 14:30, the yellow translation actually belongs to the japanese text two lines *below* the yellow highlight)
I wish other fighting games had people who could create as compelling of videos as yours, but Melee is extremely blessed to have you for them. Keep on making absolute killer videos!!!
I love Melee because the players, from all ranks, have a genuine love for the game too. It's not about money or fame or sponsors or anything like that. Sure, those things are part of the whole, but the love of the game comes first - and that despite Nintendo itself being an active antagonist to the Smash Bros communities. The people made Melee what it is today and are keeping it alive with nothing but passion, and that's beautiful. Also, competitive Melee has proven itself to be a very accessible game (ie. easy to understand mechanically and visually) while having insanely complex intricacies and infinite possible outcomes and upsets. Some sets are won or lost on a split second unexpected move. After 20 years, the skill level of the top players has reached a god tier level of technicality only seen in far less accessible games (Starcraft, DOTA, etc) that are virtually impossible to grasp unless you already have a deep understanding of their rules. But not Melee. Even at the highest levels, it always remains clear and consistently enjoyable. It's just fun to watch and the players constantly reinvent the meta of the game itself. It's so easy to catch a set at any point and immediately be on the edge of your seat. Melee is a community of underdogs keeping the game they love alive against all odds, and pushing it to a level never imagined by anyone alive in 2001. Thank you, Melee
as mango once said "me and cody will be competing in the back alley of a dennys for 5$ and dinner, but melee will never die" and i think thats fucking beautiful.
I feel the same as that one guy who messaged/commented. I also don’t keep up with Melee, nor do I play it outside of very few and far between casual occasions with my childhood best friend (with items), but I find the whole thing so incredibly interesting and nowadays it’s pretty much just thanks to you.
To me, Melee is 2 games. The one I played back in the mid-2000s, where I'd get a bunch of my friends over and we'd just pick whatever random characters we didn't know the games they came from were and played with full items, Brinstar, Port Town, as well as trying out the extra rules. No one was "good" at the game, whoever would win would always be a complete toss-up and a lot of the times it came down to sudden death (timed mode being the default was often the most played). Single-player, it was the game that kept on giving. The adventure mode was just a string of stages that remained relatively constant, but the game tracked each character you completed it with, across all its difficulties. Each character being unlocked only after certain esoteric conditions were met. There was a lot to do. And no matter how long you played, you would always have a trophy to unlock, all made to a high quality (for the time, compared to other games) and filled with love by the developers. Then Melee is also the game were I would sit down on my couch after a long day of work to see two of the world's best players construct its mechanics and battle it out live on stage. Pushing each other to the human limit, performing incredible feats with the same amount of effort it takes them to walk. Seeing the victories, popping off, the memes, the crowd, the upsets, the reactions, the mutual respect and love for a game older than they are. This Melee is a competitive sport, a field of the elite just as I would any other sport on the TV. The progression of the tools and means with which we play and understand the game, the techniques being passed down and the ease of on-boarding being much better than having to analyse and record the frame-data yourself by mashing the start button. This game is continually evolving, and nothing will stop it. In my head, these exist as two separate games, helped by the fact I focused on them at different stages in my life. A while ago I brought out my Wii and booted up Melee, I hadn't touched it myself in decades and the friends I used to play with have moved on and have their own families to look after. Just set up some vs. CPU games and had my ass kicked by even the low level difficulties, and I still loved every second of it. It would be a disservice to call it just a game. Thank you for understanding it, and helping others understand too.
i don't think i'll ever play melee extremely seriously, only watch (mainly because no local scene, slippi just isn't the same as getting up close and personal and gaming it out) but videos like these are always fucking awesome to watch. there's just so much passion in the melee community in all aspects that is just inspirational to see. god bless you asumsaus
I just got slippi set up after feeling similarly for a long time. It was like riding a bike, after 3 or 4 games I was doing shine OoS combos. Slippi used to be pretty sweaty, but yesterday and today the few hours I played had a pretty wide range of skill levels. If you are lucky enough to have a good internet connection (pretty much anything but a CG/NAT, then you'll need a VPN) it's a nice way to revisit it. You're right that it's not the same, but they've added nice chat phrases between games that make it wholesome.
the editing seems but every little tiny detail/piece (even the subtle ones or ones just for a second) show how much thought and love is put into production especially for informational things or like the dk backair color for one missing being different or the cutoff area from goml crts I keep rewinding just to check some of them, this is truly gold and the best content about melee out there
What makes me sad is that era is likely not going to understand why and how they earned that title in the first place, since it's comparatively easier to hit what we'll say "their level" at this point. The time, effort, focus and sheer natural ability they have and *had* makes the amount of work they put in feel far less significant.
@@paz8723 No one is perfect homie. The God title is something done to commemorate their dominance in the game which is something commendable in a game as difficult to compete in as Melee.
@@InsanityReborn I've felt the same for newer fighting games that are practically designed from the ground up to be as accessible as possible *cough* Strive *cough* and it makes me pretty sad. Like yeah, you can reach their level "skill" wise and win, but people will forget the time, effort, and most importantly passion that the pioneers had to put in in order to be well, pioneers in a less clear environment. And then call themselves way better since they're the new generation. I don't know.
I don't think any youtube video has actually made me truly invested and gripped all the way through like your videos do. You are a blessing on the melee community
I want to second that message you got. You make Melee very fun to learn about even if I have no interest in it beyond its legacy. Your videos do such a great job of weaving the narrative into a very fun format and your editing has always been one of the best I've seen. Keep up the amazing work!
I love you man. We're lucky to have you
Sounds like he was lucky to have you. Which in turn makes is lucky to have you through him.
Melee was lucky to have you, GR
I love u GR
Hey GR, I hope you're doing well.
I've been watching your videos since I started playing smash when I was a kid. My friends would watch your videos around the lunch table while waiting for our turn to 1v1 on the 3ds. I love you man, hope you're doing well
"A video about Melee"
"Do you have the slightest idea how little that narrows it down?"
you see AsumSaus, you click
Blight was a cool villain.
Nobody ever makes videos on Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube
@@Linty_Deluxe
That’s because they’re cowards!
Quite a lot, considering all the topics a video could potentially be about.
You're seriously one of the best to ever do this whole video making thing man
One of the video makers of all time 🔥
Melee
Make melee shorts on the amsa video
Man shut up bro ain't no one wanna hear u
learn to animate videos.
Donkey Kong slowly climbing from a low tier to a high tier because of dedicated players has to be one of the greatest character arcs in history.
takes his song to a whole new level
"he is finnaly back, to kick some tail"
DK was only ever a low tier on paper. His potential revolves completely around his punish game. Players figured out how to maximize it, and take advantage of mistakes from those playing higher tiered characters. That honestly goes for a lot of low tiers; it's really difficult for them to win neutral, so they have to capitalize on every mistake their opponent makes.
I think Aklo's Link is just as impressive a character arc, as he literally perfected new tech that helped Link win more neutral exchanges against better characters. I don't think that would have happened without Slippi.
Haven’t played competitive melee for like 20 years and haven’t followed it, but I always considered dk upper end of mid tier. Feel like people in our region had a healthy level of respect for dk seeing players like bum go toe to toe with world class players using dk
"slowly"
Yoshi
23:12 This alone is an amazing detail with the scoreboard being obscured by Hungrybox's arm. Your editing just keeps getting better and better every single video
I do want to say, you got me into the Melee scene. I don't play Melee, but I enjoy watching tourneys and stumbling across videos like this time-to-time.
So glad somebody else noticed this!
IT'S CRAZY. How does one do this?
also some thumbnails like "marth's huge grab and why its ok" looks like they're out of the thumbnail (also the thumbnail in this video)
wow
wow fanaticalight
I can't belive Asumsaus would upload a video about Melee how could anybody have seen this coming.
I mean with how frequently he uploads i cant believe it either
seeing the crossovers recently has been a breath of fresh air. both communities coming together to save smash as a whole.
I really wasn't expecting him to get his Melee content all over me, but he really came.
Ah yes, "glock in my toyota", classic gamertag...
Wild that I read this commentnat the *exact* moment that part played
A true inspiration to all gnw mains
Fun fact, glock is actually the best Super Monkey Ball 2 speedrunner in the world.
He's damn good too
@@Its_Koalahe’s not the best is he?
When we needed him most, he came back (I literally started rewatching your videos last night)
I literally rewatch his videos every month
Same tho, how did he know this was the time I was rewatching?
welcome to the club
Lmao saaame literally fell asleep with the amsa video 😂
So it wasn’t just me doing that
I think seeing PPMD fighting for his life and trying is best knowing all the shit he was going through at the time is the real hearthbreaking moment of battle of the five gods
Fighting for his life is an interesting term for an overweight, cis, white male who played videos games for 9 months of his life before getting OoOoOoOh So StrEsSeD oUt wahh
wait what happened back then? I'm out of the loop
@@YeahImRose series of health problems that ultimately is why he's never truly come back to playing competitive melee on the level he used to. Don't know if he ever elaborated on what those health issues were exactly.
@@Phosphor66 dang, that's a bummer
14:57 This is actually untrue, just last month there was a bowser who sometimes goes by “Loadspiller” or for this tournament “Heavenly bruised pelvis” beat rank number #57 fox main Billybopeep at tipped off 15!
_…Ofc._
..I'm just sayin they ain't wrong for it....
Those names are… something
When I read that second nickname, all I can think of is Bowser's Down B.
Playing the worst character in the game kind of obligates you to get a tag like loadspiller
25:19 "3 rats using a gamecube controller" followed by "George Bush" is an insane combo
S tier names no one can tell me otherwise
also “Shep I Have Tried Meditation” is also a wild one 😂
I love the internet sometimes
"glock in my toyota" melee always has so many gems
a jojo character followed by a baki character
Literally read this at that point in the video lmao
It’s funny how Ness is so bad he wasn’t even included in the low tier section of the vid.
You're so bad, you can't even be good at being bad!
I *want* those glitches to become viable...
That's how bad only having two jumps is
Female and male wireframe were neglected too, but no one points them out.
He's pretty fun when you aren't some Melee competitive sweaty
0:00 Part I - Why the Big TV?
4:28 Part II - The Game Changes, the TVs Don't
10:35 Part III - The Myth of the Bad Character
17:05 Part IV - What is Melee?
20:55 Part V - The Last Battle of the Five Gods
25:15 Credits
Breathtaking.
all your videos feel like that melancholic feeling when you're looking at a really beautiful sunset and you know it will be impossible to look at that same sunset in just a few hours, but you just have to enjoy while its still there
It's amazing to me how strong Melee is still going. I remember how much it felt like the game might go under multiple times, and here it is chugging along better than so many big games to come after it.
All the tournaments in someone's house, garage, back yard, bonus room upstairs where we had to keep quiet, a house of a friend-of-a-friend of the TO. It's wild.
11:13-11:14. Marth's grab sticks out of the thumbnail, a true testament to how Marth's grab can't be escaped, no matter what realm you inhabit.
Yup, and those are the actual thumbnails, not a video-editing trick. Very cool idea with the white border added except for the hand. Doesn't look good in dark-mode youtube though :(
This dude is genuinely a master of his craft
Unless you're Roy at 13:55.
"Almost half the cast is unusable"
"I refuse to play against low tiers"
The same people....
Anyone who "refuses to play against low tiers" is afraid they're actually going to lose, and will get dunked on in UA-cam clips. If they really believed in their ability, they would be happy to show it.
Honestly such an archaic mindset that I blocked out of my memory until this video re-surfaced it.
@@bluedistortions sometimes you just don't want to play against a GnW, man. depends on one's mood.
Eh, in some fairness I've seen the same thing happen in other games where people don't like to play against the low tier picks since that's not terribly indicative of what you'll go against in tournament.
Why practice against Pichu and G&W when you'll never see them in bracket? Of course, there's the chance you will see them in bracket but I hope I've delivered the mentality. Not to say I agree with it or do it myself, but I can see how a matchup like that can be "a waste of time".
Not me, I refuse to play against Falco
I adore your "What is Melee?" segment. You captured so well the idea that there are so many aspects of this game to love even if you aren't an active competitive player. That's certainly what's kept me in the content creation game for so long, and why I keep trying to contribute to it. I happen to love the game itself, but there's something to be said for these additional aspects you mentioned that can bring in a whole community, even people who don't strictly play the game.
Thanks for another stellar upload!
10:41 Great video; judging from the animation, I think you already know that クソゲ－ (kusoge-) actually means “sh*t game,” but just wanted to clarify the irony in case anyone accidentally misinterprets your joke. 笑笑
To add to this, he closes the video by saying "and that, is Melee as shit", which only works if he knows the actual meaning of kusoge 24:48
isnt the way the term is used like a bad game but in an endearing way, like it has plenty of problems but its still fun?
@@an_annoying_catCorrect!
@@an_annoying_cat depends more on if you like the game and play it even knowing it's bad, or don't play the game and think it sucks.
@@an_annoying_cat Sometimes that’s the case; sometimes, the game is funny overall but not fun to play in the slightest, like Stargazers for the NES.
I would be over the moon if you had a behind the scenes channel or something. I'm dying to see how you do all those little details like the origianl music (especially), gameplay footage, animations and graphics, transitions, sound effects, voiceover, mixing... It's all on a whole other level from what's on UA-cam, honestly, and having a peek on how you do it would be a masterclass.
The GOAT returns missed you AsumSaus
THE KING!
14:20 wow kirby got shafted in melee, from the escapable throws to weird hitboxes, at least hes cute
i heard some people want to shaft kirby themselves
He does have one of the best up tilts in the game. Not the best(that's probably Fox) but definitely one of the best, he just doesn't have anything to take advantage of it lol
Sakurai himself admitted to nerfing kirby into uselessness on purpose so people don't think he is biased.
Too bad he is obviously biased but in the opposite direction.
@@ghoulbuster1he disowned kirby as his franchise not even like 10 years in cuz he didnt want to make sequels all his life and now kirby (the video game franchise) is objectively in a better state than ever without him lmao
Kirbo is the strongest character in smash history. HE EATS GODS AND TURNS THEIR SOULS INTO FUNNY HATS&TOOLS. Kirbo itsself realized if he wasn't playing pretend fighting. Kirbo would kill everyone including destroying their very souls and being in reality&time within 5mins. Thus he acts all cute turning everyone into hats&brapping them out. Till master/crazy hand's shows up than *POYIMGOINGTOTURNYOURFUCKINGFINGERSTODUSTANDSNORTTHEMTOGETHIGHIKILLGODSFORFUNOPOYO* OO00ooo
20:12 I think this puts into words exactly how I've felt over the years when it comes to how I participate and engage with the community. I love playing but I don't consider myself a competitor by any means, and am for sure more interested in telling the stories of this game to people who may be interested in hearing them.
It really means a lot to me to hear that sentiment from someone as legendary you, dude.
To me: People like asumsaus and you walt are pillars of the community. Its hard to truly grasp what happens in melee sometimes so seeing you two break down important moments and events to us truly does spread smash bros to those who have trouble grasping it. You two are some of the gods of smash youtube.
14:32
This is dumb nitpicking, but the yellow text you meant to highlight is the first sentence of the paragraph after the one you highlighted. Thank you for the fantastic video!
I played smash ultimate casually for some time with my friends, and like to watch youtube videos about it, and I just knew a bit about melee from hearing about it randomly from time to time, but never played it, and still never have. But I watch a lot of videos about it on youtube, and what made me begin consuming melee content was the “ there will never ever be another melee player like Hungrybox” which made me start watching Hungrybox from time to time. And then, on a random day I just thought “ what is it that makes Fox’s shine so good?”, I typed that on youtube, and found your video, and from that point was when is got really into melee as a whole, and not just Hungrybox.
Keep up the amazing work.
20:55 I may not be the one who wrote that message, but I feel the exact same way. Dope vid
Same here
same here
same here
same here
I think it describes a lot of us here
Another perk of CRTs I don't see mentioned a lot is their incredible motion clarity. Their response times (distinct from input latency) are practically zero, so motion looks extremely clear and smooth compared to LCDs which take longer to clear the previous frame and draw a new one (causing a slight blurriness in motion that affects even high end monitors to varying degrees).
Besides that, standard definition (480i) games just look way nicer on a CRT than upscaled on an LCD, especially if you have access to S-Video or component.
They are definitely a pain in a lot of ways, though. With good maintenance and calibration you can dial in the geometry imperfections and reduce the area cut off by overscan, but that requires a non-trivial amount of expertise and work.
Still love the bulky things though and really hope melee doesn't switch to monitors any time soon.
That's the actual advantage CRTs have over modern monitors, not input latency. If you understand how both systems work, you realize that there isn't just magically different input delay. The workaround is to have a higher refresh rate monitor that by necessity has better pixel response times and faster progressive scans.
I've speculated that rtc is better on crt cuz of the frame clarity. I've yet to hear a good tech chaser confirm this tho.
CRTs also can display true black in dark environments, unlike LCD panels (though this isn't relevant to Melee because even if the black leveling was like poorly configured component they'd still use them for their motion reasons).
No one makes CRT anymore so its a slowly dying tech.
man, I need to get one of those ha-ha funny plastic screwdrivers, a life insurance policy, a day off, and adjust my PVM. in no particular order. flyback transformer scary 😢 you aren't going to get it "right" unless you do it with it on
mang0 looks so much happier competing in those modern clips you shared, which says everything I think. thanks for showing the positive light of the melee scene - I love to see that evolution, when I remember so distinctly the long era of "no item, fox only, final destination". to the future, cheers!
The "long era" you mentioned is a tired meme from lame - sorry I don't need to specify lame - Melee players.
I assume he's happier now because he's realized his peak is playing an outdated childrens party game competitively as a grown alcoholic adult.
Yikes! And you cheer for him? Yikes!
@@Instanencemaking money doing that is better than a dead end job kid
@@InstanenceI mean... He's enjoying himself. It's a competitive game that is his passion.
Arguably, all pro sports players are just playing stuff they did as children as well, now to a professional and refined shine.
He can enjoy himself, get paid while doing it, and be part of a great community.
What's there not to like?
@@Instanence You seem like a very unhappy person, projecting your sadness onto others
Best script writer, editor, and creator in general, and it’s getting out of hand recently. I never walk away from any of your videos without feeling something. I’ve watched your amsa video 3 times a cried at the end each time. Love you man. Keep up the amazing work.
Its amazing that the songs in this video are original, you are seriously talented
I was not expecting "glock in my toyota" at all to be the name of the game and watch player who won lol
G&W would be the one with a 9
@@nicostein9875 yo thats cold
He's a man with great taste in reliability. Except his main.
G&W? More like S&W!
This is truely a "ideas from my Smorgasbord notes" type video
To be fair, Captain Falcon's knee is considered the best Forward Air in the game because while the sweetspot is extremely strong, the sourspot is also broken. Late knee can set up into a lot of ridiculous things for him. Zelda's sweetspot might be better, but it has to be spaced to get comparable reward to Falcon's knee and a sourspot lightning kick is *really* bad.
cringe furry
hehe. nerd.
@@not2mportant.797 we're watching a video and channel about a 20+ years old game, nobody here is not a nerd
@@not2mportant.797 anime pfp.
@@woomynationI’ll have you know that I’m no nerd. I just can’t help clicking on a video that has Mr game and watch on the thumbnail
As always, I love your videos. The editing, narration, storytelling... it's everything you could ever ask for and more.
Hey bro, I know you probably won't see this, but I gotta tell you that ur videos are super cool. Me and my little brother have been playing smash since forever, but actually just picked up Melee a month ago. I am in absolute awe at the skill pros achieve in this game, and the competitive scene has truly amazed me. And I never would have known any of it without you. Thanks brother.
The DK part shows that more characters are viable in Melee than most people think
Maybe if people didnt quit on lower tiers, more good characters could be discovered sooner. I wonder how much quicker these developments could've happened if it weren't for ignornace
The year is 2XXX, and today, player xDrzl made melee history, being the first person in over a decade to win a super major with Fox, the game's worst character.
The esports era of gaming. Players that have a competitive mindset will copy what the pros play. If those pros can't figure out how to make a strat/character work in a competitive setting, a lot of players will write it off as trash. It's present in any game with a competitive playerbase.
@@NTelling DK was written off eons before the "esports era" made its way to smash or the larger FGC
I mean, isn't this exactly what happened to Jigglypuff? If I recall correctly, Jigglypuff was considered to be low tier until Hungrybox popularized the character, after which the conversation switched to Jigglypuff being a high tier, and eventually with the conversation even shifting to the topic of whether or not Jigglypuff was so broken that it was unhealthy for the game.
Oh boy, it’s about that time of year when I watch a dude make an awesomely crafted video of a game I’ve played less than 5 times as a kid
I will never play Melee. I gain nothing from the grindset of figuring out how to play the game well. I don't like to compete in high-level play. I don't even watch games or tournaments. I derive no joy from playing the game, nor watching it being played. But boy howdy do I love the game, and I will gladly sit and learn so much about it, from you and others.
The sheer amount of passion that surrounds this game, the way players put in so much time and effort to push what we ever considered to be possible, the way specific aspects of it get so mythologized, the way it takes this roster of all-star characters we all know and gives them all unique purpose and meaning so powerful that it has retroactively changed who they are and how we perceive them on the greater scale, it's all so very wonderful. Smash in general, but in large part Melee specifically, is such a unique cultural touchstone in these regards. Its appeal is so broad and multifaceted that even I, from three blocks down only hearing the thumping of the bass in the distance and seeing the lights on the horizon, can feel like I'm also at the party.
Well put
You can play yhe game without engaging in high level or competitive play. The game literally wasn't even designed around that in mind. I've been playing this game since it came out and I've never been interested in "competitive" - I just like the have fun with items, themed matches, epic 99 stock brawls, all the different stages, etc... plus, the event matches and trophy collecting is fun
This is probably the most eloquent and interesting opinion ive ever seen on youtube comments, if you ever did short essay videos I would watch the all in a heartbeat
PREACH
I don't try that hard, right?
the music in the five gods segment is so good, awesome that its original! the amount of effort you put into your videos is unmatched
I loved the bit about aspect ratios, because as someone who loves editing videos, your style is inspiring. I feel like there's an untapped potential in 4:3 that was immediately abandoned by the sweeping popularity of HDTVs, and now a lot of games have a complete disregard for screen real-estate. More importantly, the way you visualize and explain these topics feels like you are just as interested in what you are creating, and it shows because it just keeps getting better with each video. Keep it up!
holy crap that outro music was so good I stayed for the credits
Asum has to drop that
He said it was the single happiest moment of his entire life, but I don't think I've ever seen hbox so calm
He ascended into a moment of perfect mental clarity.
then the drugs startee soon after
he has to pop off nowadays to keep up his energy because hes old
awesome video!! its unfortunate that this was made before Tipped Off 15, where a Bowser player by the tag Loadspiller from Massachusetts beat billybopeep, a top 100 player! shoutouts New England Melee
Peak is back on the menu. Great video
Your aMSa video is unironically the best sports documentary I've ever seen
This feels like an hour long video essay in a good way
AsumSaus video about Melee? No way!
A vid about melee for melee players
4:26 "Anyway." *Two frames of an explosion immediately followed by an ad*
Saw that too lol
Silly
That was so good
i like how you listed all the potential reasons for why someone may like or love melee and have the side note of '... fun' in the corner. thank you for the representation of those of us who like melee cause its fun.
honestly that part near the end about being a melee fan despite not playing it kinda hit close to home for me. was obsessed with comp smash a few years ago but didn't really have anyone to play with due to being in an awkward region of australia and it being like the mid 2010s where no one really cared about the game lol, so i used to just watch heaps of clips from grsmash and play against cpus on my 3ds or in dolphin. it was a fun period of time despite being in my own little bubble, and even tho i don't play smash anymore, i still like to watch you and many other people's videos about the game, as well as see what's going on with the community since it is such an old and interesting scene that reminds me a lot of other games i still love and play.
great video as always!!
this is honestly a beautiful video and an incredible watch
I haven't played smash in years, and this channel is one of those I'll come back to often to rewatch/listen to.
Always a treat when we get another one.
This video makes me feel like Melee will truly never die as a concept. So much passion involved in every aspect in and out of the game. Despite playing way less than I used to, I feel even more connected with the scene as it changes and improves every year
sometimes when im bored i binge-watch ur entire channel because ur content is so insanely good
the editting of this video is so engrossing. i'm not even very invested into Melee, but the editting of the video reads like an engrossing documentary that knows how to hook into the emotional power of storytelling.
He knows we’ll watch anything about melee
I can confirm, this is a Video about Melee. For the Gamecube. That aside, hell yea New upload! This is gonna be a fun one!
As a 10 year veteran of the scene I would just like to say that I have heard more new players & casual fans cite your channel as their introduction to Melee than any other source. You’ve genuinely done so much for the scene and brought in countless new players by promoting the quirky and beautiful nature of Melee.
Truly appreciate your effort so so much, things like this keep the fire going for the new generation. Much love 💛
I won't lie, this video has actually made me want to try going to/finding locals again after over half a decade away from local tournament play that I used to do weekly.
@@EnergyBurst2 you absolutely should! It’s good for your soul
Your videos is one reason why I got back into melee after all these years! Being able to play online with a friend from college is timeless fun for us. Thank you for all your work!
Beautiful video as always
As someone who’s been watching melee since around 2014/2015, the ending got me super emotional just thinking about how far the game has advanced since then. Great video
"Shatter the grass ceiling" is an instant add to my vocabulary.
It was your channel that got me more into Melee than Ultimate in around 2018. You're so good at conveying the magic of Melee, it's no doubt that countless players have come to Melee because of your videos.
Thank you for being an inspiration.
I haven’t played Melee in yeaaaars, but videos like this have gotten me extremely invested in tournament outcomes.
How does he never miss
For me, your thumbnails have been something I look forward to the most. You weave a narrative in all of them, and they're genuinely funny to look at on their own ❤️
Seeing you post again genuinely made me happy
Dude, @AsumSauce, this is really good content. I don't EVER comment on videos, but I wanted to here to say that I find you to be an S-tier content creator.
Funnily enough, despite wanting to, I don't play Melee. It just happens to be the game I enjoy *watching* the most. I am stuck on Ultimate due to not having a good Melee setup. Working on getting a modded Wii going.
Anyway, just wanted to give you maximum interaction points and say thanks for making the content that you do!
Also,@AsumSauce, I humbly offer writing skills if that is reason that you don’t make Melee tournament recaps anymore. They made me a better player and happier.
I just want writing credits for the scripts in some capacity. :))
hey wait that pea pod looked a little suspicious
i wasn't sure where the video was going for a bit, and then i found myself thoroughly enjoying how it all came together for your thesis in the latter half of the video (the "what is melee?" section). there really are a ton of moving and disparate parts that make up the idea of "melee", and i thought it was pretty clever how you used a bunch of seemingly unrelated discussions about melee (CRTs, recent DK performances, mods and training tools, the best moves belonging to some "bad" characters, melee video content, etc.) to demonstrate this notion. brilliant stuff! :)
(also just a minor correction - in the japanese at 14:30, the yellow translation actually belongs to the japanese text two lines *below* the yellow highlight)
This is a spectacular video, you are such a talented storyteller. Please keep sharing your art, I love it so much.
i just looked for a new asumsaus vid yesterday and now its here
Now wonder this video took 11 months, this is probably like Top 100 best edited video on the platform
Love that we can still hear Waff and co. during the aspect ratio part ❤
It's days like today I remember just how beautiful and amazing a youtube video can be
I wish other fighting games had people who could create as compelling of videos as yours, but Melee is extremely blessed to have you for them. Keep on making absolute killer videos!!!
16:02 what an absolutely WILD name for a gamertag
4:58 Actually had hope here…
I love Melee because the players, from all ranks, have a genuine love for the game too. It's not about money or fame or sponsors or anything like that. Sure, those things are part of the whole, but the love of the game comes first - and that despite Nintendo itself being an active antagonist to the Smash Bros communities. The people made Melee what it is today and are keeping it alive with nothing but passion, and that's beautiful.
Also, competitive Melee has proven itself to be a very accessible game (ie. easy to understand mechanically and visually) while having insanely complex intricacies and infinite possible outcomes and upsets. Some sets are won or lost on a split second unexpected move. After 20 years, the skill level of the top players has reached a god tier level of technicality only seen in far less accessible games (Starcraft, DOTA, etc) that are virtually impossible to grasp unless you already have a deep understanding of their rules.
But not Melee. Even at the highest levels, it always remains clear and consistently enjoyable. It's just fun to watch and the players constantly reinvent the meta of the game itself. It's so easy to catch a set at any point and immediately be on the edge of your seat.
Melee is a community of underdogs keeping the game they love alive against all odds, and pushing it to a level never imagined by anyone alive in 2001.
Thank you, Melee
as mango once said "me and cody will be competing in the back alley of a dennys for 5$ and dinner, but melee will never die" and i think thats fucking beautiful.
I feel the same as that one guy who messaged/commented. I also don’t keep up with Melee, nor do I play it outside of very few and far between casual occasions with my childhood best friend (with items), but I find the whole thing so incredibly interesting and nowadays it’s pretty much just thanks to you.
To me, Melee is 2 games. The one I played back in the mid-2000s, where I'd get a bunch of my friends over and we'd just pick whatever random characters we didn't know the games they came from were and played with full items, Brinstar, Port Town, as well as trying out the extra rules. No one was "good" at the game, whoever would win would always be a complete toss-up and a lot of the times it came down to sudden death (timed mode being the default was often the most played). Single-player, it was the game that kept on giving. The adventure mode was just a string of stages that remained relatively constant, but the game tracked each character you completed it with, across all its difficulties. Each character being unlocked only after certain esoteric conditions were met. There was a lot to do. And no matter how long you played, you would always have a trophy to unlock, all made to a high quality (for the time, compared to other games) and filled with love by the developers.
Then Melee is also the game were I would sit down on my couch after a long day of work to see two of the world's best players construct its mechanics and battle it out live on stage. Pushing each other to the human limit, performing incredible feats with the same amount of effort it takes them to walk. Seeing the victories, popping off, the memes, the crowd, the upsets, the reactions, the mutual respect and love for a game older than they are. This Melee is a competitive sport, a field of the elite just as I would any other sport on the TV. The progression of the tools and means with which we play and understand the game, the techniques being passed down and the ease of on-boarding being much better than having to analyse and record the frame-data yourself by mashing the start button. This game is continually evolving, and nothing will stop it.
In my head, these exist as two separate games, helped by the fact I focused on them at different stages in my life. A while ago I brought out my Wii and booted up Melee, I hadn't touched it myself in decades and the friends I used to play with have moved on and have their own families to look after. Just set up some vs. CPU games and had my ass kicked by even the low level difficulties, and I still loved every second of it. It would be a disservice to call it just a game. Thank you for understanding it, and helping others understand too.
i don't think i'll ever play melee extremely seriously, only watch (mainly because no local scene, slippi just isn't the same as getting up close and personal and gaming it out) but videos like these are always fucking awesome to watch. there's just so much passion in the melee community in all aspects that is just inspirational to see. god bless you asumsaus
let's fuckin go joey claire
I just got slippi set up after feeling similarly for a long time. It was like riding a bike, after 3 or 4 games I was doing shine OoS combos. Slippi used to be pretty sweaty, but yesterday and today the few hours I played had a pretty wide range of skill levels. If you are lucky enough to have a good internet connection (pretty much anything but a CG/NAT, then you'll need a VPN) it's a nice way to revisit it. You're right that it's not the same, but they've added nice chat phrases between games that make it wholesome.
looks like ive got something to look forward to after work
0:09 please no
Lol
Lol
Lol
Lol
Lol
your editing and storytelling is just absolutely genius. i love this game and these videos sm
Contributing to a community takes many forms, I'm so thankful for your videos! Thank you
He finally made a video about melee
I'm damn glad I put notifications on when I subbed
What the... I was just rewatching all your videos yesterday!
the editing seems but every little tiny detail/piece (even the subtle ones or ones just for a second) show how much thought and love is put into production
especially for informational things or like the dk backair color for one missing being different or the cutoff area from goml crts
I keep rewinding just to check some of them, this is truly gold and the best content about melee out there
Love you, Asum. You're the 🐐
What makes me feel sad is that someday, the five gods will all be retired from melee, ushering a new era of melee.
Maybe we shouldnt give random, usually pretty bad people the title of "God"
So cringe
What makes me sad is that era is likely not going to understand why and how they earned that title in the first place, since it's comparatively easier to hit what we'll say "their level" at this point. The time, effort, focus and sheer natural ability they have and *had* makes the amount of work they put in feel far less significant.
As the wind turns stone into sand, even Gods may die. Only Melee will endure.
@@paz8723 No one is perfect homie. The God title is something done to commemorate their dominance in the game which is something commendable in a game as difficult to compete in as Melee.
@@InsanityReborn I've felt the same for newer fighting games that are practically designed from the ground up to be as accessible as possible *cough* Strive *cough* and it makes me pretty sad.
Like yeah, you can reach their level "skill" wise and win, but people will forget the time, effort, and most importantly passion that the pioneers had to put in in order to be well, pioneers in a less clear environment. And then call themselves way better since they're the new generation. I don't know.
I actually said “oh my god” like a giddy little girl when I saw this lmao
8:33 "Diamond dozen" is either an inside joke I'm missing or a very funny bone apple tea situation
i think it was just said weirdly
"Dime-a-dozen", isn't it?
"bone apple tea"
>XD
I think it's on purpose. He also says "two peas and a pot" right at the start of the video and it sounds deliberate.
He also says "blessing in the skies" instead of "blessing in disguise". It's definitely all an intentional joke 🤣
I don't think any youtube video has actually made me truly invested and gripped all the way through like your videos do. You are a blessing on the melee community
that closing song is just gorgeous please upload it somewhere itll instantly go on my coffehouse playlist
26:26 Glad to see Shep try their own advice after years of listening to the patron outtakes.
A month after this Junebug placed 3rd at a major with over 800 entrants, Supernova 2024. The apes really do move quickly.
and when we needed him most, the saus returned
You always know how to make me feel something.. even though I don’t play or watch melee at all. Thank you, truly.
I want to second that message you got. You make Melee very fun to learn about even if I have no interest in it beyond its legacy. Your videos do such a great job of weaving the narrative into a very fun format and your editing has always been one of the best I've seen. Keep up the amazing work!