The Kid, The Box, and The King
Genesis 3 was an interesting start to 2016 for Melee's Five Gods. Out of the five, Mango, Hungrybox, and Mew2King will be eyeing first place at PAX Arena.
After a somewhat disappointing 2015, Mango managed to bounce back at Genesis 3 with his best performance in recent memory. Although he lost to Axe 3-1 in the Winner's Bracket, he managed to make another one of his legendary Losers runs. After convincingly beating Plup to make top 8, Mango brought back his fast and aggressive Fox in favor of his Falco. He led many to believe prior to Genesis that he may go solo Falco, but his Fox ended up dismantling PPMD, Axe, and Nintendude. He made it to Grand Finals after a very close set with Hungrybox. Mango's biggest challenge at PAX Arena will be Hungrybox, who nearly defeated a "peak Mango" at Genesis 3. If Mango can replicate his play from Genesis, a win at PAX Arena may be likely.
Photo by Rob Paul (@tempusrob)
Steady as always is Hungrybox, whose consistency will help at PAX Arena. At Genesis 3, the Jigglypuff main had a solid run through Winners before losing to Armada. In Loser’s Finals, he had to face his long-time rival Mango, a matchup that was traditionally in Mango’s favor before 2015. Although Mango did end up winning, Hungrybox nearly managed to beat a “peak Mango” – something that would have been unlikely in years prior. If Hungrybox can get past Mango, PAX Arena may be his tournament.
Photo by Thomas Tischio (@TischPhotos)
Mew2King will be a wild card coming into PAX Arena. 2015’s Smash @ PAX saw “The Return of the King” – as the Melee veteran beat Leffen 6-0 to win the tournament. However, with Mew2King’s disappointing result at Genesis 3 and his waning interest in Melee, the chance of another return may be unlikely. Additionally, he will have to get past Hungrybox and Mango at PAX Arena, two players who can give Mew2King trouble on a bad day. A fresh positive mindset and solid play is what Mew2King will need to win PAX Arena.
Rising Stars and Old Faces
Photo by Rob Paul (@tempusrob)
Hot off his Genesis 3 performance is Axe, looking to defend the Southwest at PAX Arena. Genesis was his best tournament in a while, as he managed to beat Mango’s Falco and place 4th overall. Axe will have to face many challenges to replicate his success at PAX. Mango, Hungrybox, and Mew2King are all players that have given Axe trouble in the past, and players such as Westballz, Shroomed, and SFAT have proven to be close competitors to Axe in the past.
Looking to bounce back from his Genesis 3 performance is Westballz. He ended up placing 17th at Genesis, losing to Nintendude and PewPewU. Last weekend, he managed to redeem himself by winning Frosty Faustings VIII and Super Smash Sundays over the likes of Lucky, S2J, MacD, and Duck. If Westballz can reach his high peaks, PAX Arena could be the tournament that will kick off another great year for the red Falco.
Photo by Thomas Tischio (@TischPhotos)
Two of NorCal’s finest will be bringing their all to PAX Arena – Shroomed and SFAT. Shroomed was a model of consistency in 2015, placing top 8 at nearly every big tournament he attended. Genesis 3 proved to be another outlier for Shroomed, as he lost to Nintendude and Plup for 17th place. However, with solid records against Axe, Westballz, Lucky, and SFAT, another top 8 may be likely for Shroomed at PAX Arena. Meanwhile, SFAT will be looking to repeat his performance from Genesis 3, arguably his best tournament ever. He convincingly beat Mew2King in the Winner’s Bracket, and after being sent to Losers by PPMD, he eliminated his good friend PPU to make top 8. He capped off the tournament by winning a close set over Ice, only to be eliminated by Axe for 5th place. If SFAT can duplicate his play from Genesis 3, he will be able to make it far at PAX Arena and give players such as Axe, Westballz, Shroomed, Lucky, and S2J a challenge.
Photo by Thomas Tischio (@TischPhotos)
Norwalk will be coming in full force at PAX Arena with Lucky and S2J in attendance in addition to Mango. Lucky was generally consistent in 2015, having some high peaks. After losing a close set with PPMD at Genesis 3, he went on to lose to Wizzrobe, ending up at 17th. With his flashy and aggressive play, Lucky can give the best a run for their money at his peak, and it will be his turn to show that at PAX Arena. Also known for his flashy and aggressive play is S2J, looking to show the improvements he has been making in his play. He placed 13th at Genesis 3, even managing to take a game from Armada. S2J has recently developed a secondary Falco, which has even had close games with Westballz recently. With his tight gameplay and his new Falco, S2J may just be set for success at PAX Arena.
Photo by Rob Paul (@tempusrob)
Photo by Rob Paul (@tempusrob)
Viewing Guide
With so many great players comes a great viewing experience. PAX Arena will be streamed this weekend (Jan 29th - Feb 1st) on http://www.twitch.tv/PAXArena by the VGBootCamp production team. Some notable commentators who will be on the mic include D1, The Crimson Blur, Webs, Wobbles, Tafokints, and more who will be revealed at the event. The full ruleset and other information can be found in the official Smashboards thread.
