Disclaimer: Due to the higher number of tier lists done for Melee, and the bigger roster, this article will mainly reference the changes from the first tier list (Oct, 2002) to the most recent one (Dec, 2015), and only ten of the most notable changes
Between Super Smash Bros. 64 and Super Smash Bros. Melee there was a gap of barely two years, the smallest gap between two Smash games. Like Smash 64, Melee did not have balance patches, so any glitches weren’t repaired, like Luigi’s invisible ceiling glitch. With a bigger roster, Melee’s tier lists are one of the biggest showings of what a “wild ride” is.
The April Fools Tier List (2004)
Before actually beginning with analyzing the characters, there is something worth noticing. As an April Fools joke, the Melee Back Room released in a Joke Tier List in 2004, with many placings that seemed weird for the majority of the community.
This list had a very important message. Do not believe everything you see, be critical, and develop your own opinion. After all, your own opinion is the one that will matter the most to yourself.
You can say this tier list was ahead of its time regarding Jigglypuff, as it showed her as a character with superior control of the air, which is how it stands in the current tier list. With that said:
Jigglypuff
In the Joke Tier List. Jigglypuff was put in the fifth place due to being “an overwhelmingly air-controlling character”, which sounded far fetched at the time. It is currently a reality.
Jigglypuff started ranked 17th - 18th (tied with Ness), but the amazing use of her by players like Joseph “C9 | Mango” Marquez and Juan “ TL | Hungrybox” Debiedma showed the community the capabilities of this character.
This ended up rocket-boosting Jigglypuff’s rank to eventually getting ranked fifth in the current tier list as of December 2015.
Zelda
Initially ranked 6th -8th (tied with Samus and Luigi), she had a good placing mostly because of some reliable tools she had, one of them was her Down-B. Yes, transforming into Sheik.
Her poor mobility and approach options were some of her main anchors to the lower spots. Short wavedash and dash length and the lack of a reliable projectile were crucial to her plunging. The relation of air mobility with other factors like Short Hop Fast Fall L-Cancelling (SHFFL) were also factors that lead people to realize that her mobility was severely limited.
Ice Climbers
Originally ranked as 11th in the first tier list, major discoveries done throughout the years made the Ice Climbers -ugh- climb a total of three spots in the current tier list compared to the first one.
The discovery of advanced techniques like Desynching and Wobbling marked milestones for the Climbers and defined their meta-game. Like Jigglypuff, the use of the Ice Climbers by top players like Daniel “ChuDat” Rodriguez, and Robert “Wobbles” Wright helped in the character's rise.
Peach
Peach’s tier history is widely affected by one person, almost single-handedly: Adam “Armada” Lindgren. His great use of Peach’s aerial game and vegetables has been one of the main reasons for Peach's jump to 6th place from her original 9th.
Her Down-B projectiles, vegetables, are very versatile. Useful for damage racking, edge-guarding, and many other uses, they make for an amazing neutral and zoning game.
Similar to Jigglypuff, she has good air control and recovery. Her float is a good tool for edge-guarding and recovery, and it is one good mind game tool because of its mix-up capabilities to her movement.
Young Link
Starting at just two spots below Link, he is now ranked immediately above his older counterpart. The primary difference between both characters is concentrated in their weight class.
Young Link is lighter, but his agility and ground mobility are higher than Link’s. Ironically enough, even though he is lighter, his recovery is more situational than Link’s, having a shorter Hookshot, but having a wall jump as a plus. This makes Young Link’s recovery more dependent to being close to a wall.
His combo ability is a bit superior to Link’s, mainly due to Young Link’s more manageable projectiles, higher mobility, and low knock back attacks.
Captain Falcon
Captain Falcon’s first ranking was low because of the changes from Smash 64. His rise through the tiers is mainly due to Falcon mains’ persistence and showing of technical skill.
One example by excellence is Joel “Isai” Alvarado, who was one of the first high-placing Falcons. A combination of his popularity, tournament placings and control of Falcon made the world realize the character's potential. A wave of Falcon specialists soon surged and it eventually made him go from a low 15th -16th place (tied with Young Link) to a now solid 7th place.
Falcon’s grab and tech chase game are some of the key factors in his relevance today. While instinctual Falcons still exist today like Johnny "Tempo | S2J" Kim, a style dubbed '20GX' using the two aforementioned options is quickly gaining prominence.
Ness
Featured in the Wild Ride series for the second time, Ness began at a 17th - 18th place ranking. However, as the time passed, people grew more aware of his true situation.
Turns out, that changes from Smash 64 to Melee aggravated his weaknesses. A predictable recovery and a weight below average made his endurance pretty low.
Ness gained a somehow helping glitch in the transition. The Yo-Yo glitch, which made possible for hitboxes to be extended or attached to Ness’s body, allowing for ridiculous ranged attacks and good stage control; this however, did not help much his already worsened weak-Ness-es.
Pikachu
Pikachu suffered a huge blow to his overall abilities from Smash 64 to Melee. Many of his strengths were weakened in the transition. It almost seemed like Pikachu was a lost cause.
Soon enough, dedicated specialists like Jeffrey “Axe” Williamson grew awareness of Pikachu’s abilities to pressure opponents up close despite having trouble approaching. This, as well as Pikachu’s good edge-guarding abilities, contributed to his rise in the ranks.
In Pikachu’s case it was a huge leap. From an initial 13th place ranking, the character is now ranked at 10th n the latest tier list.
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So what do you think? What was the case that sticked with you the most? Is there any case you want to mention? Tell it in the comments!
The next installment of the Wild Ride series will be about Super Smash Bros. Brawl. If there is any case that you want to spotlight, mention it in the comments and it may get featured!
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