Late at night, and I've put off getting into work early just to get this off my chest. Forgive any sloppiness if you can, please.
I loved Melee. It was easily in my top 5 favourite Gamecube games. It's probably #2, right after Wind Waker. I loved Melee back in the day of the Gamecube: I rewiped my memory clean on it at least five times just to have more excuses to play the game some more. I kept practising L-cancelling and the like without even realising people had classified and discovered what I had and more. I went out of my way to learn and understand every character there
except Jigglypuff and Peach. I didn't have anyone to play it with very often, and those friends who I did bring over I tended to crush, but it didn't stop me from practising against three players at once. Those times were great; if I had only one game to play for the rest of my life, I'd have picked Melee.
When Brawl was released, I felt it to be a perfect continuation of the franchise, and it delivered just like that. Just as with Melee before, the game only became deeper the more I played it, whether it was trying to perfect my character's techniques and tactics, or simply trying out sticker combinations in the Adventure mode and trying to clear the Fire Emblem levels with only Ike on Very Hard.
When I looked back on Melee back in that time, I found that the two could be enjoyed separately of each other. Brawl played very differently to Melee, and both featured different tactics: neither of which I considered superior to the other. I simply considered it a testament to the quality of both games, and simply admired the series Nintendo had established.
Then I found Smashboards, and heard a little bit more of everyone else here. My superiors, their views, and the heated Brawl vs. Melee flame fests.
Now my opinion is that
I absolutely hate Melee. And through no fault of the game itself - rather, the people I have come to associate with it.
Forgive me if this sounds inflammatory, but I'm not attempting any personal attacks. I can't enjoy it any more, and I have the Melee 'hardcore' to blame. It's not a perspective I'm happy with, yet each attempt to change it to something positive is met with defeat. I try to look back in awe at fun on Hyrule Temple or Final Destination, at all my attempts to improve, but every time there's some 15-19 year old laughing like a clichéd bully at how it should be done instead. I find combos boring and I don't appreciate wavedashing: I'd take strings or zoning any day. But what does my opinion mean against someone else who disagrees with it? Oh yeah: nothing. It's also perfectly fine to bash on Brawl, but it seems to be unforgivable to consider Melee inferior. Please, even though people don't say anything about it, the arrogant Melee supporters would be doing themselves so many more favours if they held some politeness and remembered what they are talking about
is very subjective. I don't give a **** about whatever Brawltard or Meleetard you've had to deal with: all I'm seeing is you, and your hateful, reckless overreaction.
The thing I hate most about the arrogant Melee fan is how arrogant and convinced they are of their own arrogance.
It's very much stereotypical behaviour, and an unhealthy stereotype at that. Believe it or not, if the other person can make a case for why they find something (in this case, Brawl) to be more enjoyable or a preferable competitive experience,
then it is a matter of opinion. Leave them alone. We know what you're saying, we've been over it. Competitive value is not divine gospel, it's actually very subjective. If you're certain you don't like Brawl, then that's perfectly fine and I implore you to stand by your opinion. But none of your opinionated views are fact. Brawl
is a superior competitive game in someone else's standards; it doesn't mean a thing if you agree with it or not. Don't force it, please.
Please, I want to be able to like Melee again, I really do. Let's drop this childish, arrogant bickering and get back to playing the series we know and love.
