From the Ground Up: Jennifer, the Inspired
From the Ground Up is our series spotlighting up-and-coming talent in the Super Smash Bros. Melee community working to make a name for themselves. You can find the rest of the series here as it is published.
If you asked any random person about why they got into Melee, it’ll usually be because of some cool clips they saw online about how fast or expressive the game is. But if you asked the same person what they treasured most about the community, it’s almost always some variation of “the community” or “the friends I’ve made”. While it’s unlikely that individual regions will ever be stratified like they were in 2006 due to the prevalence of Slippi, an abundance of VODs, and practice tools, there is something much more important that has remained – the shared camaraderie felt by everyone as soon as they step into a venue.
The local is a pillar of any Melee community – it’s a reoccuring event put on by volunteers as a labor of love so that people can gather, compete, win, lose, and form bonds. After our Norcal biweekly Kastle Smashers wraps up, the remaining stragglers usually grab dinner as a group together. Although we all met because of Melee, there are things that tie us together that go so much deeper than a video game. I have so many friends that I met through Melee, and when we hang out, we just do some other shit. Despite its brief stint as a national-focused game, Melee will always live and die by its locals, because the local is the community. A dusty back room in a card game shop becomes so much more than what it is if you give people a reason to show up week after week.
The first time you walk into the local, everything is new and fresh, and you don’t know anyone, or how to pick or ban, or how to play RPS, or that you need to hold A to turn into Sheik before the game starts. But by the second or third week, you start becoming more familiar with tags and faces, and people start to take notice of you as someone who is showing up at the local. Maybe you start a few conversations and talk to people and ask them for tips after your set. And maybe after a few weeks, you win your first set – and what an achievement it feels like. “What a long way to the top,” you think. “I’ve finally started my Melee journey with this win.”
But of course, that journey started the moment you decided to go to the local. The tags and faces start to become names and faces. Eventually, you stop calling them by their tag and instead by their name. For me, it stopped being Darkatma, because that’s Binyan. It stopped being Vesper, because that’s Daniel. It stopped being Aerius, because that’s Jeff. Eventually, you learn more about them, and eventually, they’re a friend that you happen to play Melee with and not a faceless tag at the local – even for the top players that you’ve seen so much on tournament streams.
In Oregon, it’s not Aura and Salt, it’s Derek and Alexa. In Socal, it’s not Fiction and KoDoRiN, it’s Shep and John Ko. In Arizona, it’s not Spark, it’s Zaid. In Washington, it’s not Graves, it’s Eli. In Chicago, it’s not Pleeba, it’s Grant. In North Carolina, it’s not Zasa, it’s Riley. In MDVA, it’s not RapMonster, it’s Dylan.
In this series, From the Ground Up, my goal is to show you that the world of Melee is so much deeper when you’re entrenched in it. As a spectator, the storylines may not be as accessible as they used to be. But when you are part of the story and not merely gazing upon it from the outside, there is so much more to discover. All future top players come from somewhere, whether it’s Adam’s Smash Series or McCloud’s or Stock Exchange or HoG or Midlane or Abbey Tavern or Xepher – and inevitably, they started as someone who was younger, less accomplished, less knowledgeable, and less skilled. No star was born in a day, but the sacrifice, hard work, dedication, and grit of the people who rise to the top are so much more apparent when you try to do it yourself.
Everyone who picks up their controller has a story, and everyone who enters a bracket has a goal. Failing to reach that goal is always painful, but in Melee, failure never has to be permanent if you care enough about it. There will always be another tournament. My goal with this series is to highlight the grit, passion, and resilience of local and regional Melee communities, and to show people that all of the storylines are here and emerging, if you know where to look. For any root to grow, you have to nurture it. As they say, it takes a village – or in this case, a local.
#SupportYourLocals
Hi there! This is gonna be our first interview for our newly rebranded series, From the Ground Up. I’m Rainy, and I’ll be the host for this series! To start, tell me a little bit about yourself. What’s your tag, who do you play, and where are you from?
Hi, my tag is Jennifer, I play Fox, and I’m from North Carolina.
What locals do you currently attend in North Carolina?
I go to Xepher, which is a biweekly we have in Durham. I go to the.. tri-monthlies, which are basically just tournaments that happen once every two or three months depending on when they can run them. I was in New York for a couple months and I was going to Stock Exchange. But I’m down to go to more stuff, I know Virginia has some tournaments in Richmond that aren’t too far from me.
How far is Richmond from where you’re at right now?
I think it’s like, a two and a half hour drive. Maybe with traffic, it’s more like three, which honestly isn’t too bad of a drive. I think I’m just not too familiar with the tournaments that happen there, but I haven’t done too much research so I think that’s on me. I’m definitely down to travel more though, for sure.
Yeah, I mean, I know Richmond has a pretty poppin scene. I know you could probably join the MDVA Discord and get set up from there. Would you probably just be going for the regional stuff, or you think you’re driving 3 hours for a local? Are you that locked in?
Maybe not for a local. Well, I would probably be down to go to a local if I just stayed the night and hung out the next day and spent time in the city. I was thinking about Bair Necessities, which used to be It’s Not You It’s Melee. I’m definitely more inclined to travel to Richmond for a bigger tournament like that, but I’m honestly down to go to a local.
You would just rip a three hour drive for the vibe?
Yeah, yeah. I think I would. I used to play Ultimate as my main Smash game, and I would travel everywhere for that. I would go to South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee too. I would just travel everywhere. As I’ve gotten older, it’s gotten a little harder to do that. I’m also just, like, lazier.
Yeah, no, I totally get that. I totally get that. You said you traveled for Melee when you were in New York, did you go specifically for Melee or did you just happen to be in New York for a couple of months?
I just happened to be in New York for a couple of months. Obviously, I did think about the Melee scene there and I was super excited to just go to Stock Exchange every week. Local wise, it’s just like the best thing ever just to have that big of a local like a 10 minute walk away. It was a 7 minute walk away from where I lived. It’s crazy to have a local that big – I’m pretty sure it’s the biggest local on the East Coast. Having that like 7 minutes away just felt so crazy. I think if I lived there, I don’t think I would go to any other local ever if I lived there long term, just because of how good it is. Compared to North Carolina, where the amount of entrants is maybe like a quarter of what that local gets every week.
Yeah, I was talking to Riley (Zasa). She said last time she played you, it was like eight entrants and she won, like, two bucks.
Oh my gosh. Yeah, I think that was actually just like three days ago. Or no, I think that was two days ago.
Yeah, I’m friends with her. I was reaching out to North Carolina people for good interview candidates. And she told me to reach out to you. So that’s how you came up on my radar in the first place.
Yes, that’s very flattering coming from the number one player.
She is the goat.
Just so good. I actually got dumpstered on. I was like, I went in thinking, like, I can win again. And I just actually got shit on. Am I allowed to swear?
Yeah, you’re fine. Worst case scenario, like I’ll edit it out.
Okay, I’ll try to avoid it.
I don’t care. I don’t care. This is for you to showcase who you are as a player, as a person. So like, if you want to say fuck a million times, go for it. If you don’t, that’s also cool. But tell me about some of your sets with Riley. How do they go generally? Do you guys play often?
Out of everybody in North Carolina, I don’t play Riley too often. I think, if we’re talking like the top half of PR like Zasa, Zimberfizz, me, and Syched and Siddward… I’m not sure but I barely ever play Zimberfizz or Scyhed or Riley at all just because they don’t go to every tournament or every local like I try to do. They’re definitely way more busy than me. I have a lot of free time. I beat Riley for the first time, I think three sets ago. I think it was three months ago, in March or April. And I was super stoked, you know? In North Carolina, she just gaps us so hard, it’s not even funny. So even taking a game sometimes just feels so awesome. But the fact that I won a set at all is just so awesome-feeling. But most of the time, it doesn’t go in my favor, obviously. I’ve only won one set out of like, I don’t know how many times we played, maybe seven sets, or it could be even more than that. But yeah, I just always get destroyed. Actually, I think I’m underselling it. I don’t think I do that bad. I usually take a game at least. I’ve had game 5s.
Do you think there’s a lopsided set record despite keeping it close?
Yeah, there is for sure an obvious difference in skill. She’s just so good. I just have to be like… if I want to keep it close, I really have to play in a super frustrating, pretty lame way honestly. Because she will kill you, she will just obliterate you if you mess up
I mean, especially with the year she’s been having, the win you got a few months back probably felt so good, right?
It was awesome because it wasn’t a local, it was like this tournament at this college and it was supposed to be their big tournament. Like, their big bi-yearly tournament or however. It’s like the one they wanted to make a big deal. So there was a good amount of people for North Carolina standards. And there was like a big crowd cheering for me. It was actually just an awesome experience. I don’t really think we get that kind of vibe at North Carolina locals where there’s a crowd, but everybody wanted me to win so bad. It was probably the only reason I think I was able to do it.
Yeah. No, I get that. I get that. I had a couple sets like that in recent memory where I was the other guy getting cheered against.
Like everybody wanted you to lose? That sucks!
No, no, no. It’s actually so chill, but sometimes you just gotta hold that. But it does feel so good when everyone is just cheering for you. I mean, for me, that’s one of the main reasons I love playing this game. It’s just like… having people enjoy my play and just like watching me and cheering for me, you know?
For sure. Who were you playing against where they were cheering?
I was playing against Lord English at Camp Heartlands.
Lord English? I don’t think I know who that is.
Yeah, he’s a Puff player from Wisconsin. Oh, I see. Yeah, and I had just beaten Riley actually to make it into top 8. And… then I ran into Lord English and I was like, okay, this is probably fine because he’s a Puff and he’s probably worse than Riley. And then the crowd just like, nuked my ears.
*laughs*
They were like, they’re like, let’s fucking go, Martin. I’m like, dude, nooooo.
It’s actually just a terrible feeling. I’ve also been on the other end. It’s just the worst ever.
Yeah. But you come to the home crowd, you know, it’s expected. I can’t, I can’t be mad about it even though I got my ass beat. Anyway, this is not about me. This is about you.
*laughs*
So Riley (aka Zasa) is someone that you would probably designate as aspirational in a way. But would you consider the other members of the PR around you rivals? Do you have a close rivalry with any of them?
Oh, for sure. Yeah. I think some of the ones where I really monitor how they’re coming up and getting better… My number one is Banjo. I think they’re, like, number six on the PR, but I’ve always thought we were always really close in skill and on the come up. I think maybe recently I pulled ahead, but I think they could just have a good season and then be number two. I think Banjo is actually just going to be so, so good one day. As long as they keep practicing and playing. I know they’re really busy with school and work and stuff so I know they’re pausing on Melee for a bit which sucks, since I considered them like my main rival. Another one is Siddward. I think we have really good sets. And also I think I play Siddward the most out of any other PR player. um And like, you know, when he’s on, he’s just so good. And he’s just like, he’s just hitting the craziest combos I’ve seen on Luigi. Or at least against me. Those two mainly. But it’s probably Banjo just because I think we’ve progressed kind of similarly from being pretty bad to like, getting okay at the game.
Speaking of, when did you start playing Melee? I feel like I only heard of you maybe sometime within the last year. How long have you been actually playing?
People ask me this and I always… It’s always such a hard question to answer because I technically have been playing competitive Smash, like going to tournaments since Smash 4 when I was like 13. And I’m 24 now. So like, 11 years. Oh my gosh. Melee was always there, also. And I was like, I kind of want to give that game a try, but I feel like Melee players were always just so much older than me. Whereas like there’s at least some Smash 4/Ultimate players who are younger around my age back then. It was easier to get into. But I learned how to like wavedash and like waveshine and do all this tech skill with Falco. Just like waveshining, like shield drop, L cancel, all that. And I would practice against bots whenever. I’d never play real humans. And then Ultimate came out and then I really wanted to get good at that game. And I got PR on my state. I think the best I ever was, was like ninth. So not great. But like my goal for that game was to never be great. I just wanted to play Captain Falcon and get state PR or whatever. Around this time when I was older, I would enter Melee brackets sometimes, if there was also a Melee bracket at some Ultimate tournament, I’d always enter it for fun. And I was like, decent. I think I was seed 29 at some Melee tournament and I got second just playing my terrible Falco. I just laser laser daired and it just worked that day.
Sometimes you become FalcoMaster3000.
Kind of.
The beauty of it is that you can always become him at any point. Or her. Yeah.
Who’s to say really?
Who’s to say what gender FalcoMaster3000 is? Has anybody ever talked about this?
I don’t think so. People always just he/him FalcoMaster. I think we need to get more open minded.
I think so too. I feel like – as open-minded as the Melee community is, we’ve never ever once she/hered FalcoMaster3000. I think that needs to change.
Absolutely.
So what made you switch full-time to Melee from Ultimate?
Yeah, I dropped Ultimate for Melee as the main game. I think it was… Maybe two years ago. I think two Patchworks ago.
So not very long ago.
Not too long, honestly. And I only started playing Fox maybe one year ago because… I think the main reason I switched to Fox over Falco is just because I liked how he looked better. I think that’s honestly just it. I liked his tail and ears. I think that was actually just it.
I think that’s the realest thing you’ve said today.
*laughs*
He just looks way cooler. And also, I think I like dash dancing more than lasering, you know what I mean? It just suits what I like better. I didn’t know that going in, but in hindsight, I think it’s a good pick for that reason too. And I think Fox has just been my guy since. I think he’s the coolest character by far. Way cooler than Falco. I also just had way more fun than I’ve ever had playing Falco. Falco just felt mononomous to me. Is that the right word?
Monotonous?
Yeah, that one. I was just like, if I play Melee, I gotta play the fast, fun, awesome character like Fox who looks cool. And honestly that’s just the realest answer I can give. I just thought he looked cool.
I mean, that’s like one of the main reasons people pick any character in any game. It’s cause they’re cool or hot or whatever.
I think so. I would say so. I think I was never really attached to how my main looked. In Ultimate I played Captain Falcon and I didn’t give a fuck. I really didn’t care about how that guy looked at all. I was just like, this guy is the hype character. But then people hated him anyways. So then it was just like, I’m stuck on this guy because I’ve just been playing him.
What made you pick up Melee in the first place? You said you started with Smash 4, but how did you get into it in the first place?
If you know that Flash game called Super Smash Flash 2, I went to this middle school where they gave you Chromebooks. Like every student had a Chromebook. And then one day some kid started talking to everybody like, look, there’s this Smash Bros game. You can play on the Chromebook. And then he organized big Chromebook tournaments throughout the school. And I was like, oh, dude, I got to join that. And I played, I played Naruto in that game. And I think I went like 1-2 or something. And I was like, dude, whatever. But then it got me looking at actual Smash tournament stuff from that. Like what controllers people were using. Cause we literally played on the keyboard. And that’s how I was first exposed to competitive Smash. It was like these crazy TAS videos and just old tournament footage. I was like, that just looks so cool. And then I just started playing it on my 3DS. And then eventually I got it on the Wii U. And the first tournament I went to – I think I was still 13, maybe 14. And I had been playing for a month online, on For Glory. And then I took game one against this 25 year old guy, grown man. I took game one and he just screams, he’s like, “Fuck!” He’s just so pissed. And he switches to Sheik and then I take the first stock and then he slams the table, unplugs his controller and goes outside and smokes a cigarette. When you’re that young, it’s just so scary. I didn’t go back to another tournament for maybe six months. I was just like dude, I’m not doing this anymore. But eventually I came back. I like Smash a lot. I was like, okay, hopefully I don’t fight that guy again.
You know, I’ve been thinking about this. We don’t have rage compilations anymore.
We don’t really. It’s funny because sometimes, like every couple months or so, I’ll see “salty Smash moments” recommended to me on my YouTube and I will actually just watch it. I don’t think I want them anymore in today’s age. But it’s interesting going back and looking at it and how big of a thing they were at the time. There were so many salty smash compilations just in that era.
Yeah, cause I’m thinking about it, right? Like whenever people are salty, they just go to Twitter now. They don’t smash their controllers anymore.
Yeah. No, for real. It’s definitely better that way because you can avoid that if you want. Or if you want to look at it, you can just scroll Twitter and just see all the arguments that happen.
Yeah, yeah. It’s definitely better. It’s better than property damage and being really scared to go to tournaments. I’ll say that much.
Yes, for sure.
Do you have a favorite in-person memory from Melee?
That’s an awesome question. I’m not sure. Um, let me think. Beating Riley was cool. That felt awesome. Um, let me think. I think. There was this one monthly I won. I think I won it over Banjo. Who else was there? It was… Banjo, Timebones, Cantus from Tennessee. Um, I don’t know. There were a lot of good players there, and I won that tournament. That’s probably my favorite tournament win so far. I won through winners and I was so convinced I was going to do bad, and I ended up just winning. I think I was more happy with seeing my progression more so than just winning that tournament. Because I feel like, before that I was in a slump and I was doing really bad. And I just practiced a whole bunch and didn’t enter tournaments and I came back and won really hard. That felt awesome. I was happy about it. And it was such a whatever tournament. But just winning it actually just felt so awesome. Honestly, I think meeting new people is probably my favorite part. I’ve definitely met some really close friends that I hang out with like, three times a week from Melee. Mainly Boris, he organizes some tournaments. He’s Zain’s editor on YouTube.
Yeah Boris also reached out to me and recommended that I interview you.
Oh really? That’s awesome. Yeah, Boris is definitely a close friend I’ve gotten from Melee. But yeah, just meeting cool people, I think, is what my real answer is my real answer in terms of what I’ve gotten from Melee. But from single memories I think beating Riley like three months ago is probably like the best I felt with the crowd.
Do you have any favorite players?
Yeah, I really like Maelstrom.
The goat.
Maelstrom from MDVA is definitely one of my favorite players. He’s just really cool. His person is just like, so cool. Like he just has so much aura. I don’t know if that’s lame to say.
I don’t think it’s lame. I think he has this air about him, you know what I mean? He comes across as very self-assured, but it’s not in an arrogant way.
For sure. jetBBL from Atlanta, if you know who that is.
I don’t, I don’t. Can you tell me a little bit more about him?
Yeah, his tag used to just be jet, but then he changed it to jetBBL for some reason. He doesn’t really play anymore, I don’t think. But he was the first player I played when I first really started playing Melee like two Patchworks ago. He was genuinely just so fast, like game breakingly fast. I had never fought anybody this fast at all. It really opened my eyes to how fast Melee really can be. Because when you watch top level play, you’re just watching them. But when you’re getting shit on by somebody who’s just so much faster than you, it’s just so much different. um And it was just crazy. Like I just had to sit there and just watch and smile. I think it was like the only time I was just getting destroyed so hard, I had to smile about it. It was so funny, like when he took a stock, he would do his tech skill and move around the stage so fast. And then whenever I took a stock, it just looked so pathetic. I genuinely got embarrassed.
No, no, it’s actually so bad when like, you’re doing hand warmers in a Fox ditto, and the other person does like 19 multishines. And then you do the really shitty four shines where you jump into the air for the last two. It just feels so bad.
Yeah, especially if they’re doing it first and then you’re trying to do it to show you can do it too. Just like, ah, never mind.
Okay, does it feel worse if you mess up first and then mog you or if they mog you first and then you do four?
I think it definitely hurts worse when you do it first and then mess up because then it’s like, they stole your idea and did it better, you know? Versus when it was their idea first and then they were more confident and better at it, which is why they did it first. So it makes more sense and you don’t feel as bad. But like, yeah, when you do it first and just, you’re bad at it and then they do like 20, it’s just like, oh my gosh. I hate it when Falco players do it though. Like if I’m like doing it and then Falco players do it back and do it better, I’m like, okay, well, yours is way easier.
I was going to ask, besides his aura, cause I don’t think we really expanded on it. Why is Ethan Maelstrom one of your favorite players?
So, Syched the Marth was… I just saw him as so good. I was like, dude, I don’t ever think I can beat that guy. Because I always hated Marth. I hated Fox Marth so much. And then I watched this guy named Maelstrom, who I’ve never seen before, just destroy this guy, who I thought was so good. I was like, dude, I need to play like that. And he was just around also. Like whenever I went to It’s Not You, It’s Melee, he was there. I believe he got second to Faith, the Marth. um But I was spectating his run. I was just like, this guy is just so good and cool. He was also friends with some of my friends. I’m friends with some players from MDVA like Froyo, if you know who that is. Just this Peach player. I don’t really think that he plays the game anymore, but he was friends with Maelstrom. So already, it was like my friend’s cool friend that he’d bring to the party kind of vibe who was just so cool and also so good at Fox. I think it really was just when Maelstrom beat Syched at Patchwork so hard and I was like dude, that’s crazy. I want to be exactly like that guy, inspiration wise. And just like being around him in person, he’s just so cool outside of the game, too. I really like it when somebody just has an awesome outfit on and is just really awesome at the game. Maybe that’s like, a shallow, pitiful reason for me to like a player. It’s just like how they dress. But on top of them being good at the game too, I think the fit was just what brought it together.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with liking a player because of how they dress. I mean, there are like some players that they show up and they’re just fitted the fuck out.
Yeah, the opposite is true too. Some players are so good at the game but then dress so bad. It doesn’t make me hate the way they play but it’s hard for them to be my favorite player.
They have to be dripped, right? How do you feel about it if they need to wear a jersey? Does that detract from it at all? Do you think there’s a way that they can style it to be higher up on your totem pole?
Oh, that’s a hard question. Because I actually hate jerseys.
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. I don’t like them either, but like.. Imagine Zain, but instead of his Shopify Rebellion jersey, it’s like a button up. And he’s wearing a full suit. And just this beautiful little Shopify Rebellion logo somewhere on it. Or like, a Shopify Rebellion handkerchief tucked into the little suit pocket. I feel like that would be crazy.
I like that vision. I think that would make it way better.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, no, for sure. The button-up idea with the handkerchief. That’s a fire idea.
What if we started making it like chess, so they just have to come up to the stage in this super formal wear?
Yeah, true. No, I would like that actually. It’d be so awesome. I think my least favorite jersey ever is Hungrybox’s Marvel jersey that he wore for a while. I hated that one. I thought it was just awful.
And he wore it a lot.
A lot a lot. Way too much. I know he has other ones, too. It’s just like, come on, this one again?
It’s his favorite jersey! No, there’s a local player from NorCal. His name is NMW, and back in the day, he would just wear the same jersey to every single tournament. And he would just come in that one jersey and I’m just like… I just don’t like the jersey. I just don’t like it.
I know. For real. Yeah. No, there was somebody who wore a jersey at Ultimate tournaments like that. Except it was just like some local company that I’ve never heard of. I don’t even think it was Smash related. He just wore it every time. And it was orange too. It’s like, the worst color to have a jersey in.
Okay, I’m going to go off on a tangent here. So, Melee players don’t wear jerseys except for top players who are like contracted to. But I feel like when I go to a major, I’ll see so many Ultimate players in jerseys of teams I’ve never heard of. Like, why do you think that is? I know you have some more experience than me in Smash 4 and Ultimate.Why do you think that might be?
I think the simple answer that’s maybe a little sad is that Ultimate’s just much more popular than Melee. There’s a lot more people into it and it’s also the newer game so like there’s more small little sponsorship things that print their jerseys out. There’s just more of those in Ultimate than there are in Melee. Like I know there’s one, like Phenom’s from South Carolina is one you probably have never heard of. um And they only have a couple players, but they make jerseys. And I think it’s just like a bunch of those smaller sponsorships, and then people will just wear their jerseys to majors. I think there’s just a lot more people in Ultimate that are willing to start up like a small little thing and then just print jerseys with their players’ names on it. And I kind of just don’t think Melee has that. I mean, maybe there’s some, but not nearly as much.
I was kind of thinking in the exact opposite direction. Because we’re all kind of old. For the most part, a lot of us are pretty old. If you’re 30 years old, are you allowed to wear a jersey if it’s not contracted? You know what I mean?
*laughs*
Like, I know you said you hate jerseys. I don’t really like how they look either. So surely that has something to do with it. Like, I think it’s so much cooler to be 15 in a jersey than 30 in a jersey.
Yeah, way, way, way, way, way more, I think.
Do you think the fact that we lean older as a community plays a factor in how few guys with jerseys we have compared to Ultimate?
Oh, actually, that’s a really good point. I kinda do think so. I think when it’s a 15-year-old wearing a jersey, you can tell they have this esports-ass vision of getting into a competitive esport. I can see the shine in their eyes wearing a jersey to a tournament and then competing in a video game. Whereas people who are older tend to see it in a more realistic light or like… it’s just not as new, I think. And they get the vibe of what it actually is. We don’t need to be wearing jerseys.
It probably feels so good to put on the jersey, Cause you put that shit on and you probably feel like the protagonist. You know what I mean?
Yeah. I really do think it’s that. These teenagers who are a little bit protagonist brained. It feels more professional or something to them. It’s like, the big leagues, you know what I mean?
I was thinking, I don’t know if you’re familiar with Dial M.
Yeah, of course.
I’ve seen him at a couple tournaments and he’s always going on that damn parry.gg jersey.
Oh my gosh. I didn’t know he wore a jersey.
Well, he’s sponsored by parry.gg, which is a start.gg alternative. He lowkey has that shit on, I won’t lie.
Really? Because I know he wears the hat, right?
Yeah, yeah. I believe he wears the jersey and the hat. He lowkey does have that shit on.
Oh, I feel like with the hat, it could maybe pull it together.
Yeah, the thing that separates him is that his pants are actually so sick. I don’t know if you’ve seen them. At Fight at the Museum, he was probably in the player cam at some point, I don’t know if you can see his pants. But they were so sick. And I feel like if you’re wearing a jersey, maybe that’s the compromise. You just have to have really cool pants.
Yeah, you have to make up for it. For sure. The hat and cool pants. Yeah. I think whenever I hear about Dial M, it’s always the stuff he’s doing online more so than offline. He got a really good win offline recently, right? Was it S2J?
It was Aura.
Aura, it was Aura, not S2J. That’s right. I know that was the offline one. But other than that, I know he just beat Jmook online. He beat… Who else did he beat online? He beat Ginger online, I know. But everything I feel like I see is just like online.
He had a pretty big run at Genesis, I know. He beat like, Ossify. I’m trying to remember who he beat. I think it was like, Ossify and like, Gahtzu? And like, maybe one other person. So he had a pretty nasty run at Genesis. That’s awesome.
Yeah, no. That kid’s definitely on the come up.
Yeah, I think he deserves to wear the jersey. I’ll just say that much. Because he’s good and he has awesome pants. And I feel like that’s like an important combination to have.
One jersey I didn’t actually mind too much was the old Mogul Moves jersey. If you remember, it’s like a baseball jersey.
Yeah, I do. The Moist jersey?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, the Moist one. I actually thought that one was not bad when Moky wore it. I did not think it was that bad at all.
You know, if anybody’s gonna be reading this article, please design awesomer jerseys so we can like them.
Yeah for real. Think differently.
Do you have any goals in Melee that you set for yourself? Have they changed over time?
Yes, for sure. So, like I said, my goal for Ultimate was never to be crazy or anything. I just wanted to get state PR and do cool combos at my local. But for Melee, like when I was getting into it, it was… I mean, the reason why I quit Ultimate at all was just because the game just got so boring. The meta got so boring, the good characters are like Steve, Game and Watch, Min Min, that’s so boring. I hated fighting those characters, I just thought they were lame to watch also. And I was like I think if the game was just filled with characters that I thought were fun to fight, I could be way better. And that’s kind of just what I thought Melee was, I think everybody’s fun to fight. There’s not 10 trillion matchups where you have to learn and you could just get jumpscared by a Duck Hunt and then lose. I think Melee is more consistent in where you would learn and practice with the matchups that are relevant and then build strong fundamentals around that and then not get matchup checked by a Dr. Mario, which could still happen. I feel like it’s less likely to happen in Melee. So my goals for Melee going into it were to just try as hard as I can to practice as much as I can.
I don’t have any goals with rankings, but I just want to be the best I can possibly be. And just really push myself to do something great. I really want to get top 100. I want to travel more, maybe make more of a name for myself, and then get top 100. And I think… in my mind, that’s not even like the ultimate goal. I think the ultimate goal is to just push myself until I can’t be any better than I am. But being top 100 would be really cool. I feel like it’s just this big prestigious thing where it’s just like, oh, top 100, top 100, top 100. I just hear it all the time. I just think it’d be cool to see my name on that list. Honestly, I just want to play good Fox and good Melee. It’s a little bit of a dilemma because I don’t know if I want to take the route where it’s like, play super optimally and then be a little bit soulless as a Fox. You know, I kind of don’t want that to be the case where I know it’s just like, doing the right thing technically in matchups. I just want to have a little bit of soul in the way I play Fox and not just be like a copy paste, cookie cutter, lower end top 100 Fox kinda thing. That kind of vibe. I don’t know. I want to have personality in the way I play and also be good or the best I can be, I think is the short answer. Or I guess that’s a long explanation of what I want to do.
Yeah, I mean, I appreciate the long answers. It gives me more content so I’m not gonna worry about that. I would say like, back when I first started playing in 2015, I feel like people were so much more about the whole optimization thing.
Really? Yeah. You think it’s more like stylized now?
In some ways, yes. In other ways, not exactly. Cause I feel like in 2015, that was when you know, the Armada and Leffen kinda started running everything. And they had, you know, pretty optimized play styles, for the time at least. And I feel like everyone was like, oh my God, like we gotta, you know, we gotta stop playing this awesome Melee that we’re playing and we gotta lock in so that we can beat the Swedes or whatever. And then I feel like there was just like this sentiment in the community that you needed to be so so optimal and be like, “This is how you do X and this is how you do Y. And if you deviate from that, you’re just wrong.” But I feel like in 2026, it’s so different. For the most part, I don’t really think people think like that anymore. I think there’s always going to be like your “optimal” bread and butters and your gameplans are going to be refined more. But I think that ultimately is a personal thing. I don’t think there’s one optimal way to do most things, really. Cause the decisions you make as a player are dependent on what you personally believe, right? So I feel like that in and of itself is not soulless. Cause I feel like if you truly believe something is like the best thing to do, is it really soulless?
I guess that’s true. I think that’s actually a really good way of looking at it and eye-opening.
I’m a little insightful sometimes.
I think so. I think I’ll take those words to heart.
I mean, there’s winning and then there’s looking really, really awesome. And I feel like my personal mindset with competition right now is like, I do want to win, but I want to win in a way that feels good to win in. I feel like, you know, obviously it seems like you really want to express yourself in how you play and I feel like there’s definitely a lot of room for that, right? Cause I think a lot of people play super differently. Like at the end of the day, you would say all of the top foxes play quite differently.
Yes, for sure.
There’s definitely room for a Jennifer up there, you know?
For sure. I hope so.
So, what motivates you to grind and to play Melee? Is there any specific thing?
Just surrounding myself with Melee. Watching a lot of Melee and just thinking a lot, imagining me playing and thinking of new things that I could do. I just think about Melee all the time, pretty much non-stop every day. And also just watching majors and tournament runs and thinking of my end goal. You know what I mean? The motivation to get there and like getting there like as efficiently as possible. It’s like if I’m, if I’m not like practicing Melee for two weeks or something, it’s just like, dude, what am I doing? And I’ll start getting seriously bummed. I’m just like, I have to get back on that. So if I’m not grinding Melee, I genuinely get bummed out. Just like practicing and playing and just reviewing is the thing that stops me from being sad. Pretty much, yeah, it’s an addiction. If I don’t have it, I’ll just tweak out.
What does your practice routine look like?
Watching tournament streams from the locals, whether I win or lose, just seeing what I did right, what I did wrong. And taking situations where I did something good, looking at it, being like, can I do something better in this spot, something better that would kill or give me a better position on stage or just put them in a worse spot. UnclePunch for sure. I’m the type of player where if I’m not actively practicing a bunch of things, I’ll lose it. My shines out of shield got kind of bad. I just got a lot of spot dodges. And that’s just what I was practicing today. And just maintaining stuff like that. Generic tech skill, making sure my ledgedashes are still good. Basic combos. Just stuff like that. Practicing new things at locals. I don’t really play online too much because my internet’s really, really bad. I really want to work on that. I still try to. Sometimes it’s just kind of rough. I just don’t think it’s good practice for me to just try to push through and play online just because of how bad it is. So pretty much like all of my practicing is UnclePunch or having fests or going to locals and VOD review. I watch a lot of Fiction lessons for matchups where I’m struggling in or ones I think I can learn more in. Watching Fox players who aren’t actually at the top, but close. Like Maelstrom, for example. I’ll watch Maelstrom and see what he does. Because I feel like it’s more digestible than just watching Cody or something.
I feel that. I try to watch Cody sometimes and this just flies over my head. And then I watch Chape Hbox and then I was like, oh my God, I get it. I just understand everything.
Yeah, for real. I like watching Daytripper a lot.
Yeah, Daytripper is definitely one of my favorite foxes to watch as well.
For sure, for sure. I guess I just like MDVA foxes.
Yeah, they’re pretty good. I know you said Maelstrom was one of your favorite players. Do you have favorite Foxes that you like besides Daytripper and Maelstrom?
Yeah, I think it’s a little generic to say, but I really like, I just love Moky. Like his Fox. I think it’s just so expressive and just like the way I think I want to play. I like the way Soonsay plays a lot too. Generically cool Fox picks. But they actually are really inspirational. Every single time I watch them play I’m just like, dude.This is just like crazy. The stuff they’re doing is just so insane to me. I think if I had to pick Soonsay or Moky, like which one amazes me more, I think Soonsay stuff is really just mind-blowing to me. How do you even think about getting the idea to do something like that? Like even outside of tournament, just like, his cool combos that he puts where it’s just like in a combo video. That’s just so crazy that he can just think about doing that stuff.
I’m also a Soonsay girl. He is my favorite Fox for sure.
That guy’s awesome.
So awesome. How do you balance competition with other aspects of your life? Do you do anything else outside of Melee right now?
Right now, no. I worked at this coffee shop. It sucked.
*laughs*
It sucked so bad. I don’t know, I kind of just rot. I think I’m in the rotting phase right now. So right now, no, I just play Melee, I do that a lot. Recently I’ve been at my grandparents a lot and just helping them with stuff because they’re getting kind of really old. So I guess like outside of Melee, it’s like mainly family stuff. I live with my girlfriend, which takes up a lot of time also. Probably the most of my time, actually. Not to say it’s like a chore or anything. But that’s like my main priority is just hanging out with my girlfriend and cooking dinner and doing the basic necessities. Just like, making sure we hang out and like cleaning and stuff around our place, the household chores. But then it’s pretty much just Melee time after that.
I got you, I got you. Do you like to do anything else hobby wise?
Yeah, I like skateboarding. I’ve been skateboarding for like, 10 years. How old am I? Closer to like nine years. I skateboard around campus and uh.. not so much parks anymore. I used to go to skate parks a bunch, but I like street skating better. It’s more private, also. After I started competing in Smash, my drive to get better at skateboarding has gone way down. So I kind of just do the stuff that I already know and don’t get better. I don’t know how much you know about skateboarding, but it’s like, there’s a lot of things I don’t really touch. Like I don’t like grinding on handrails cause I’m not good enough to do anything super good and I’m scared of hurting myself. Especially my hands for Melee. But I’d say if we’re talking other hobbies, skateboarding is definitely there, like right under Smash Bros. I don’t really play any other video games besides Melee. Actually I play Pokemon. I really like Pokemon. I kind of like the shiny hunting aspect. Um, but I feel like that’s like a more passive thing than like me, sitting down and playing like, Elden Ring or something.
Yeah, I got you. Yeah. I mean, I feel like people, people compare Melee to a lot of things. Like there’s chess, there’s jazz and there’s skateboarding. I feel like those are like the three things that Melee is compared to the most.
I actually do think Melee is very similar to skateboarding.
What are the similarities there, in your opinion? Because I’m not much of a skater. I did it when I was super young for like a year, but I wasn’t very good at it.
Yeah, I think that maybe the most obvious similarity would be how much freedom you have with it and how much you can express yourself. And just learning the tech skill versus the skate tricks, it’s just so similar. When you’re learning one, it reminds you so much of, OK, well, I know how to kickflip, so I can learn how to waveshine. You know what I mean? And vice versa, too. It’s like, well, I learned how to waveshine, so I can definitely learn how to kickflip. Stuff like that. I think skateboarding on a bigger scale – because I think it’s much harder to learn how to kickflip than like waveshine. But just learning all this and then just adding all of it up, you know, and then suddenly you’re doing a bunch of tricks, like you’re doing kickflip into like grinds and stuff, just like you’re doing waveshine into like upsmash, just stuff like that and expressing yourself with doing stuff like that, you know what I mean?
You would say you enjoy Melee more than skateboarding at this point? Or are they just really distinct for you despite sharing a lot of similarities?
I think so, yes, because of the competition aspect. I really like competing, but skateboarding is just something you can do by yourself and have it not be so stressful. You can just go out by yourself and then just skateboard. And it’s not like this thing where I really want to win right now, and it’s super stressful, high cortisol, sometimes doesn’t even feel good. But skateboarding can be more of a “put music in and then be by yourself for a little bit and just hang out with yourself”. And exercising is important. So that can be a way of exercising too. So I think it’s kind of different. Like I’d say overall I like Melee more, but skateboarding is very important to me too. Just like having alone time and exercising.
So would you say the freedom of expression in Melee and skateboarding is one of the main draws for you to both of them?
For sure. I think how crazy Melee can be with movement and combos is definitely a huge part of why I want to get good at it. And going into skateboarding, my intention was not to get good at skateboarding. Because I didn’t really know. I just got a skateboard to ride around my neighborhood and go to the grocery store nearby. I didn’t think I was actually going to have it as a hobby where I try to learn how to do the actual tricks and stuff. But it’s just something I got into in early high school and just kept doing. I think when I figured out how cool skateboarding could be in the world of street skating and just doing tricks downstairs on ledges and stuff like that, it was just such a big gate-opening moment where I was like, oh my gosh, I can do so much with this. And that’s why I keep doing it, more so versus why I got into it. But Melee, I think I was always drawn to how free you can be. That old Melee video, it’s like, oh, what’s it called? Too Much for Nintendo, I think it’s called. Do you know what I’m talking about? That was so mind-blowing. I’m like, how is this even possible? Because like, how is it possible? That shit is actually just crazy. You can do that in Super Smash Brothers, this game that I’ve been playing at birthday parties. I guess that’s also a similarity for me. You didn’t know that was a thing when you first played Smash Bros at like some kid’s birthday party. You know what I mean? It’s like, there’s like this other world that’s not how it’s intended to be used. Cause I feel like most people that have a skateboard are usually just using it to ride unless they’re getting into skateboarding like for the street skating park stuff, you know what I mean? I think there could be a similarity that you can connect there.
Speaking of skateboarding, what’s your favorite feeling when you’re skateboarding? Do you feel super satisfied when you hit this specific string of stuff? Is it more just the feeling of riding and hitting, like, a really sick transition and flowing?
Sure. When you’re trying a line of like, trick on flat ground, trick on ledge, trick downstairs, and then another trick on ledge or something like that. Unless you’re really good, you’re not going to hit it first try. It’s probably going to be a battle. Especially if you’re recording it and you’re saving up for like this, a big skate part. Um, which is kind of similar to Melee’s combo videos. Um, it’s kind of another connection there. When you finally do it and you do it good, um, that’s when it feels really good. Cause you can do it and then like make it look ugly. Like you do it and then you look back at the recording and then you look awkward while doing it, or maybe you weren’t going as fast as you thought you were. So it looks weird. But when everything connects and it feels good, it looks good, and it’s just like, you did your clip for the day, that’s what feels really good. Or if you’re trying just one trick, like you’re trying to learn one trick, like you’re trying this hard trick down a set of stairs, and then you finally do it, that might be the best feeling. It’s just like trying a trick all day, like one specific trick, and then finally getting it. I think that might be the best feeling in skateboarding. Just like, yeah, I would say that compared to anything else.
Do you have an analog for that in Melee? Like, do you have a favorite in-game feeling?
I think beating a bracket demon could feel like that, like a bunch of failures in a row and then finally, you got it. I think that could be like the parallel between that. Or like… maybe losing to a matchup that you have trouble with and then like figuring it out and then like, suddenly you’re not losing to the matchup anymore as much. Or it stops being a nightmare matchup for you, you know? But I feel like that’s more gradual than just like a one big bang like learning the trick would be. So I guess beating your bracket demon would be the closest comparison.
I got you. Do you have a favorite out of game aspect with Melee??
I feel like if I traveled more, my answer would be traveling because I’m actually planning to go to GOML this year. I’ve never been to Canada, which is going to be huge for me. I’m definitely hoping I can make it worthwhile to go to Canada. I don’t know. I’ll just do the best I can, but I’m really excited to travel more. The idea of going to Canada for Smash Bros is just so crazy to me. Like I’m definitely super, super excited for that. I think even smaller scale traveling, going to like Atlanta or something and then spending the night and then just having a little Atlanta trip is also just a great feeling outside.If you’re there overnight, you’re doing a lot more than just Melee. Like, you’re going to eat with these people you don’t see very often or new people, even. I have a lot of melee friends in Atlanta. I’m really close with cardd. Friends with natebug01. LIOX0X0.
All goats.
Yeah, I guess it was mainly Ultimate players, but those are the Melee players that I’m friends with too. But yeah, just doing trips there and seeing friends I don’t see very often is always an amazing feeling. Also, I think housing players is also a great feeling. Even if you’ve never met them before, it can be cool to meet them. Last Patchwork, I was supposed to house Maelstrom, but then my house just got too full and I couldn’t. It was so sad. I wanted to ask for gains. But yeah, I think just like meeting people, I’d say. Meeting people and traveling.
Yeah, absolutely. Good luck in Canada and also this is being released for Patchwork, so good luck there.
Yes, next weekend.
What is something that you want to accomplish that you haven’t been able to yet in the community?
Beat Zimberfizz. I don’t ever fight that guy. I never play that guy. What’s funny is that I never play him, but I’m going to a tournament that he’s going to tomorrow. And I think it’ll be the first tournament where like the top three on PR will be there in a really long time, like me, Riley, and Zimberfizz are all going to be there. Zimberfizz just never goes to anything so it’s so hard to play him. I really want to beat Zimberfizz or even just playing him would just be awesome. But maybe being number one in North Carolina, maybe one day surpassing Riley would be awesome. For statewide goals, that’s like all I really want to do. I think being number one would come with beating Zimberfizz, right? But yeah, I guess just like being number one and repping North Carolina, kind of like how Riley does whenever she’s out of state and everybody’s watching. I kind of want that too. But for bigger scale goals, besides getting top 100, I think just being a consistent player on stage, maybe like top 8 at majors, that would be so awesome. Maybe winning one, one day. I don’t know. I’m getting too starry-eyed. But if we’re talking about goals, I think shooting far helps a lot and it motivates you to do that. Because I don’t think anyone’s not wanting to do that and then getting up there. You know what I mean? I think everybody that’s up there wanted to do it at one point.
I think it’s okay to get a little starry-eyed about Melee.
I kinda do think so too, but saying it out loud is a little embarrassing. It’s not that embarrassing, but it’s like, it’s kinda like…
No, it’s okay to be 24 years old and dream. It’s actually okay. Some people might not agree with me, but I think it’s okay to dream at 24.
Yes. I think it’s important to keep that goal and dream alive. Sometimes burnout is just a huge thing. And you don’t want to think about Melee for like 10 years. Sometimes, you know, you’re just so burnt out, like you had a bad loss and you don’t want to think about Melee for a while. I don’t know. I mean, I kinda just take bad losses, but I don’t know. Sometimes I just play so much Melee and I’m practicing all the time and I’m looking at VODs for so long and it’s just like, I don’t know. I need a two day break or something. I think for the most part, I’ve done a very good job of keeping my goal alive and my dream alive. Cause I know sometimes it fades through people, which sucks. I’m kind of scared of that happening to me. I really want to see this thing out, you know?
Yeah, I mean the thing about Melee is that it’s always here, right? Like it’s always gonna be here. Most people, I would say, have their ebb and flow with Melee. It’s hard to just grind day in and day out for years on end for most people. We need to take breaks sometimes. I don’t think it means that people are losing sight of their goal, just that sometimes there’s other things you gotta attend to in life.
For sure, for sure. There’s more to life than just Melee.
Yeah, sometimes.
Sometimes, maybe Melee is the most important thing in life. It kind of is the most important thing to me. But there’s other things too. Calling your mom and stuff is important. Yeah, also just competing in general – growing up, like before the age of me playing Smash, my grandparents always like put me in piano or ping pong or like violin and stuff. They wanted me to be really competitive for ping pong and just go to the table tennis tournaments, and I was always like, ah, I kind of hate sports. I kinda just like video games. So me enjoying competition from a young age wasn’t really there. It was just something I had to bring out when I got older. Which sucks cause I kind of wish I gave competing more of a shot. I was just like, not athletic as a kid. So I was like, ew sports, I don’t want to do that. And then kind of gave up. And then I kind of connected like competition with that. Um, I don’t know. I’m like, I’m Chinese. So it’s like, I feel like I was just pushed into a lot of expectations with that side of my family. Especially the piano thing and the violin thing and the ping pong thing. They wanted me to get into so much. It just turned me off from that for a while. ah But this second chance of competition and really liking it was good for me.
No, absolutely. I mean, growing up, was a piano, violin, taekwondo, Boy Scouts kid. So I understand. *laughs*
Yeah, for sure. Oh my god. It can be a lot. No, it definitely is.
I mean, I’m glad Melee has served as an entryway for you to find that again.
For sure. It’s just funny, it’s never something I imagined myself doing. Competing consistently.
Okay, hard hitting questions now. Would you rather take $5,000 or have dinner with Hungrybox?
I’d take $2,000. I’m not having dinner with Hungrybox.
Okay, what’s the lowest amount you would take to not have dinner with Hungrybox?
I think I would pay $50 to not have dinner with Hungrybox. pay $50?
Is there a reason for that? You don’t want to be around Melee’s most electrifying man?
I think I’m… I don’t know if I have a good answer other than – I think he would just be too much for me. Is it just me and Hungrybox? Are there other people too?
It’s just you and Hungrybox, but there’s no connotations to it.
I see. I see. Okay. Um, yeah, that sucks. I don’t think he would get up and scream at dinner. I just don’t think me and Juan would have a lot to talk about. I think it’d be a silent dinner. I don’t know. Um, I always imagine myself in these scenarios, if I was just hanging out with Zain, but I’m like, I’m not sociable enough where I feel like I can make it like a good event, you know? I feel like I’d just be doing it and thinking that I should have stayed my ass home.
You think he would like, order like a really big steak?
Oh yeah.
And then he would like cut into it and eat it and he would just pop the fuck off?
Yeah. If it’s cooked like medium rare just the way he wants, then I think he would pop off. But if he asks for it like medium rare and it’s well done then it’s like… I don’t know, I think it’d be like an earthquake happens or something. Like evil tremors.
Okay, to be fair, if I’m going to a steakhouse and I order medium rare and I get it well done, I’m also gonna be pretty mad.
Yeah, is that what you get? You get medium rare?
Um, yeah I do.
Yeah, I think that’s the best way. Sometimes I’ll order it rare because they usually cook it a little bit more than what I asked. So I think my real answer is medium rare, but like, I tell them rare.
Yeah. I kind of swap between rare and medium rare depending on how I’m feeling. Like if I feel like I need really red meat, then I’ll say rare. If I’m feeling normal, then I’ll say medium rare.
For sure. Yeah.
Follow up question to that. If he ordered a big steak, would he make you split the bill half? Or do you think he would take care of his portion?
*snickers*
Um, I kind of think that Hungrybox would… What would he do?
Or would he take care of the whole bill?
I think him taking care of the whole bill is a genuine possibility, but I think it matters, like… in this alternate universe where I’m having dinner with Hungrybox, are we friends already or is this like the first time we’re really talking?
Okay, so like, this is like a spinoff of dinner with Drake or 5 million. So just imagine you guys aren’t friends. But maybe he could be interested in being your friend. Potentially.
Oh, he’s interested in being my friend? I think he takes care of the bill. I think he knows he has way more money than I do. I think he knows that. I think he would be the type of person to take care of the bill if we were having dinner together. Maybe one day if I get good enough me and Hungrybox will get food and then I’ll tell him about this moment where you asked me this.
I think it’s not unrealistic for you to be at GOML and you guys get a drink together because there’s like a bar at the hotel. Actually, I don’t know, they might be at a different hotel this year. That’s what I heard anyway. But there was a bar in the hotel lobby at GOML and we’ve drank together but he didn’t pay for me so, you know. But we weren’t friends. So there’s probably levels to it, just to temper the expectations here.
kay, another hard hitting one: Who is the strongest Melee player you think you could take down in a fistfight?
Oh in a fist fight? Dude I don’t think I’m beating anybody.
Like anybody? You think you can take out OG Kid?
I think me and OG Kid might be 50-50. I think OG Kid is taller. I’m pretty short. I’m like 5’5″. I don’t know how tall OG Kid is but I’m sure he’s taller than 5’5″. He seems like he might have some secret height to him. I’ve only seen him ever sitting down at sets, so I’m not actually sure. And it’s always on camera too. So it’s not even a good way of telling. I think, maybe the real answer, if I’m really giving it my all, I think I could take down… M1sf1re..
Okay. Why did you land on M1sf1re specifically? Is there anything that prompts that?
Yeah, because at the Patchwork pre-local last year, it was game three and he won with a misfire. It was best of three and he beat me with a misfire. And I think if I really tried to channel my rage in that fight, it could take me somewhere. Maybe that’s fucked up to bring real life reasons into this hypothetical.
No, no, but this is okay because you know it’s not gonna actually happen.
Hopefully, uh, hopefully not. Maybe I’m in a dire situation where I need to fistfight M1sf1re.
Do you know about the boy Roman Empire stuff?
Like how it fell?
You know how there’s this saying that boys just think about the Roman Empire like, periodically? Do you have an equivalent of that in Melee? Like, is there something that you always come back to thinking about in Melee?
Yes, but I need to think about it.
Because my answer, while you’re thinking about it, is this one tweet where Toph is commentating and the tweet is like, this guy is getting his balls crushed in 5 seconds. And it’s like five, four, three, two, one. And Toph just lets out the most insane scream of all time. And I think about that probably like once a week. Cause it’s just so funny. um
Yes, actually. Okay. So I know what you’re saying now. I thought you meant something that happened to me, but yeah. Yes, there is actually this one clip of, and I can send it to you. It’s like this 10 second clip. It’s of Zain from like 2022 or something. But he’s playing Jigglypuff and then he hits a rest with like one hand on the controller while he’s drinking a White Claw. And then he just screams like the craziest scream you have ever heard. Hold on. I’ll link it to you. But genuinely it’s like, it’s my favorite Melee thing ever. It is genuinely so funny. Yes, okay. I just sent it to you. It’s so funny. But that’s what I think about. I think about that pretty frequently.
You’d probably have to link me to the Toph one too.
Okay, I gotta find it. I will after we wrap up the interview.
Okay, if you were in the DBZ hyperbolic time chamber, how long would it take you to be Cody Schwab if you’re in there forever?
Oh, probably like an hour.
You would need one hour? To beat him in a set?
No, I’m just messing with you. It’s just me constantly practicing right? Like I’m not doing anything else in there?
You’re just practicing and he doesn’t get any better than he is.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Oh, I don’t even know… if I’m like 24 hours straight, nonstop.That’s like a lot of time.That’s like a lot of time. Maybe like to take a set. Do I have resources? Do I have VODs I can watch?
You can watch the VODs and you can UnclePunch.
Okay. That’s huge actually. I think, genuinely like, I don’t know if this is like hubris, but I think maybe like two weeks.
Two weeks?
Two weeks, 24 hours. How many hours is that? Of me just practicing to beat Cody Schwab. I think I could do it.
It’s like, a little over 300 hours.
I think if it’s 300 hours of prep against Cody Schwab, I could do it. Cody Schwab. Maybe a month. Okay. Maybe I can… I don’t know, but I feel like if I’m actually just… Yeah, maybe… Okay, I changed my answer to a month or four weeks. Four weeks or a month. Okay.
Cody Schwab, if you’re reading this. Take her on. This is probably good content.
Let’s hope I can do it one day. I don’t know. I think that question is funny because I feel like I could just be so off. You know what I mean? I think, yeah. It could be like, no, the realistic answer is like eight months or something, or like a year. Yeah. I don’t know. I think that’s… From my judgment, I think I could do it with a month. Okay. What about you?
Me? I don’t know. I honestly, so I ask this question to other people and I never think about it myself. I’m gonna say like, my ballpark is like five months.
Five months, I see. Yeah, that’s probably honestly more accurate than whatever I just said.
I think five months straight, yeah, probably. I think it would take me about that long.
Do you think you’re like 3-0ing him or game-fiving him?
Oh, I’m game-fiving him. That guy’s a demon. I feel like if I’m gonna beat Cody Schwab, it’s not going to be 3-0 the first time. You know what I mean. I just don’t see that happening.
Yeah. I think that’s true. I think it’d be hard to beat him on FD. Like for me in the ditto, I feel like that’d be like the hardest or maybe it’d be the easiest.
Surely FD is probably the easiest compared to the other stages cause he can just die.
I’m actually not sure. No, I think it’d be the easiest. No, I think you’re right.
It’s so much more swingy and that guy will probably hit you just as hard on Battlefield as FD.
Okay. Couple more questions that are not important, but are fun. What Melee move do you think would hurt the most to get hit by in real life?
Um, what Melee move? Um, you know what would fucking suck? Off the top of my head. I don’t know if this is my final answer, but Bowser up throw, um, where he throws you up and then he spins his spikes on your back.I think that would just be terrible. That might honestly just be my answer. Maybe Peach bomb, like where you genuinely just blow up. That could suck.
I think Bowser down throw is like my first thought. Like he just lays on you.
Yeah. That one could be really rough. There’s like, momentum involved.
That motherfucker is like, a thousand pounds.
That’s true.Yeah. You know what it might be? It might be Roy’s neutral B.
Yeah cause it’s like, a sword, but it’s also on fire. Oh OK.
Yeah. And it also just obliterates you. It just like, super kills you. It’s just like, it’s a sword and it’s also like fire and a bomb. It’s brutal. It might just be Roy neutral B.
Do you think you’d die too fast for it to really hurt?
Oh you know what? I didn’t even think about that, take that into consideration. It might just kill me instantly. Oh, didn’t even think about that.
Like probably getting hit by a Fox or Falco laser would hurt like hell
I kinda think so. Actually, you know, I just thought of a new one. You know when Marth does his side B and then he does like the down version and he’s just like stabbing you? Yeah. I think he just shanks you and it’d fucking suck.
Oh fuck. Like the 4th hit downwards?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That one. I think that one would suck to get hit by.
Oh, cause he’s just poking you.
Yeah, I think it’s funny. I’ve thought about this question for Ultimate, but I’ve never thought about it for Melee.
You think Link’s rapid jab would hurt more or do you think the Marth pokes would hurt more?
I forgot that that’s Link’s rapid jab too. I feel like Marth’s sword is stronger, right? I don’t know. I’ve never played Zelda. Is Link’s sword just like, a god sword or something?
Yeah, they call it the Master Sword.
Maybe that one then. I don’t know, just the sword stabbing ones, I think.
We could do like power scaling right now, like the Falchion versus the Master Sword.
You know what? The Master Sword just sounds way stronger. I think I think it’s gotta be that one.
Yeah, that makes sense to me. Okay, so we’re gonna go with Link rapid jab?
Yes, I think so. I think that’d be my answer.
Okay, I’m gonna go with Bowser down throw.
That one might be a better answer than mine. Bowser just laying on you like that. You’d splat.
*laughs*
Do you have any advice or anything that you would want to say to new players in the scene or people that are interested in joining the Melee scene?
Yeah, I think it’s important to not compare yourself and focus on your placing super, super hard. Like, I think it actually can hinder and maybe hurt your mindset if you don’t place well at the local and it just discourages you. That’s something I had to get over, kind of before Melee, but like, just like, I was never thinking about the big picture. I was always just focusing on results at locals, when ultimately that does not matter at all. I mean, I guess maybe it did for me because my own goal was to make it on state PR. So maybe that mattered a little bit for that goal. But I think for getting into Melee and being the best you can be, it’s really important to not be super focused on that or like your ranking on PR or anything. I think it’s just, it’s important to think so much bigger than that, you know? And then the rankings will come as long as you focus and practice. I think surrounding yourself with like Melee content is beneficial, just be watching VODs and stuff, and just tournament sets or whatever. Really important. And also, I think the Fiction lessons are just really good. It’s maybe the thing that’s helped me most. I’d say external sources to help you improve is just maybe the best thing you can do. It’s just figuring out what’s the game plan here. Just big pictures and stuff like that. I think having a rival you think you can compare yourself to, it might be good to grow and talk about the game with them. And have somebody you consistently play with that helps you grow. I think those are like my best pieces of advice. It’s just like having a friend you play with consistently and you can ask questions and see like, where was I weak? Where was I strong? Looking at lessons and stuff and not getting too tripped up about placements at locals or your ranking in state. You know what I mean? I think what really matters is just like, how good you are in the long run rather than these short-term things that might give you dopamine to look at your name next to a number that doesn’t really matter.
It does feel so good though.
Yeah I was stoked to get number three.
I think we need to bring back rivals.
Rivals of Aether?
Not Rivals of Aether. No, just like having rivals.
Oh yeah, you’re talking about the thing I just said.
I feel like rivals are less of a thing nowadays. At least like, from my perspective.
Yeah, for sure. I think it can be… It’s actually funny because I think there’s like two kinds of rivals where it’s like the rival you’re friends with or like… the person you really hate and don’t want to lose to. Like the Gary Oak kind of thing. I don’t have any of those obviously, but I just imagine myself – like, if I did have somebody who I really, really did not want to lose to and I don’t like them as a person.. I feel like maybe that would be even more beneficial for learning and getting better than a friend. You know what I mean? It’s like, you want it more, you know? You want to win over them so much more.
Oh yeah. I don’t hate anybody but there are people I hate losing to way more than others in my scene. I feel like that counts enough. I don’t hate them as a person.
For sure, for sure. think it’s actually such a dangerous thing to think like that, where it’s like you hate them as a person and that’s why you don’t want them to win. I’ve never had anything like that. I just feel like that would be like fucked up to go to a local and then somebody you actually genuinely hate is there. Yeah. I feel like that kind of sucks. I don’t really think I have anybody like that. For Melee, at least.
It does suck. It does suck. The thing is it doesn’t even really feel good to win. It just feels really bad if you lose.
I think being kind is actually just super important in the community. Not to state the obvious or whatever, but it’s just kind of like, that’s how we keep this whole thing alive.
Speaking of community, what would you say your reputation is in North Carolina? Like as a person? Maybe as a player and as a person, what would you say they think about you?
Um, I can never tell because I think I keep to myself sort of, at locals. Not because I don’t like anybody. It’s just kind of like, I don’t know. I’ve actually done a better job at talking to people more. Um, but for the longest time, I kind of wouldn’t talk to anybody. I would just hang out until my next set or whatever. No bad intentions or anything. I was just like, I was kind of there just to play. And I didn’t really know the scene very well. I still don’t even think I really know them that well. When you’re coming from the outside and then there’s already a friend circle and like, you know, it is hard to insert yourself because it’s still like a social space that you’re new to. For a really long time, it was hard for me to really get in there. And I was kind of thinking like, if I get good at the game, maybe it’ll just come with time. And it’s like, maybe they’re more inclined to talk to me. Which sounds kind of sad. That wasn’t like, my main goal where I was really hoping they’d talk to me. But it was just something I kind of figured would happen eventually.
Did it?
I think it did. I’m close with like Boris now and like Banjo and like Gialla too. People who I, if I see them, I’ll talk to them for sure. I was at a tournament yesterday at NC State and I was playing hangman with uh Siddward and Boris on the whiteboard, like, just in one of those college rooms. And that was actually super fun. I’ve just been doing that recently. So I think I’m opening myself up more. But if I’m thinking about the question you asked where it’s like how I’m perceived, I think it’s, I’m just like, the PR Fox that’s like in every region. If I was to give a real answer, it’s like, yeah, that’s the Fox player here. And I kind of do think that’s just my role to most people. I think that as a player, you know, maybe as a person, it’s just… I dunno. It’s always hard for me to tell. I think I’m super anxious, I hope people will even like me at all being here. Which is kind of a bummer, I guess. I’m not super, super worried, but I do hope people like me being there at all.
I’m sure they do. Is that something that you want to change?
I think I’m doing a better job already. I think I’m on the path of changing it. I think actually, you know, what’s interesting is like, for the players who are like not on PR it’s like, I know them way better. I don’t know like Riley or Zimberfizz or Syched, like well at all. Like, I think I’ve only talked to Riley like outside of like, sitting down and playing the set like maybe once ever, maybe even zero, maybe we’ve never done that. I’m not sure. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually talked to Riley ever, outside of like sitting down and picking my bans. And saying that kind of sucks. Maybe I should, but I don’t even see her very often. So it’s not something that’s super crazy. um And Zimberfizz is very hard to talk to. I remember when I was leaving to stay in New York for like three or four months, I was like, Zimberfizz, are you going to miss me? And he was like, not really. I was like, what? Why? And he was like, because you play Fox. And I’m like, dude, that sucks. And then last time I played Syched, I won and he didn’t fist bump me for like 15 seconds. He just sat there looking the saddest I’ve ever seen anybody. And I was like, what the heck? Then eventually he just wanted me and then like on the drive home, cause this tournament was like two hours away from Raleigh, which is where we live. I think he lives in Raleigh. But then we stopped in the middle of nowhere at this gas station. Um, and then Syched was just there and I was like, Oh, hi. And then he turned away and then looked in the air and he was like UGHHHH. And I was like, Oh my God.
This shit gets serious.
It’s like kind of hard to try and connect with people when that’s kind of vibe. I don’t dislike anybody at all. It’s just not easy to get into, I think, talking to some people, which is fine. I don’t think everybody has to talk to me or try to be my friend or whatever. But that’s just kind of like how I see it. It’s like, I’m not really like a huge community friend, more so as just a player that shows up and plays the game. I’m not like an asshole or anything. I’m just kinda like, I’m just kinda there and I’ll talk to like the people who talk to me, I guess.
Is there anything else that you’d like the people reading this to know about you?
Um, thanks for caring enough to read about me. That’s really flattering for people who are reading this. I hope my name is more pronounced eventually, that I get to a point where people are talking about my results or whatever or who I just beat. That’s really all I could ask for. I guess that’s it. I think anybody who’s interested in me as a player is probably already from North Carolina. For now, at least, until I do more.
Until you pop off.
Yeah, which I hope I can do. I think I can do a lot, really. I just have to really give it my best shot and, I don’t know, try my best.
In one word, for the article title, how would you describe yourself? As a person or as a player.
I gotta think about this one, hold on. Oh, this is so hard. Inspired, I guess. I feel like I take inspiration from a lot of things. I feel like, for Melee, I’m inspired so often and by so much. And then I always try to put that into how I play. I’m just so frequently inspired by so much.
That’s a pretty good word. I think that’s probably my favorite word so far that I’ve heard.
Really? That’s awesome.
I did Eve. She was empathetic, I think. Cliche, she was heart of gold, which is not one word, but it’s fine. I did Fitzy, and I think hers was Chungus. Um, but yeah. It was a great interview and it was awesome talking to you!
Of course, thank you. It was actually such a pleasure to want to be talked to at all.