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Armada and Mango, two of the "Five Gods of Melee" and, arguably, the two greatest players of all time.

Super Smash Bros. Melee was first released in Japan on November 21st 2001. Just over fifteen years later, on January 22nd 2017, the Smash Melee singles event at Genesis 4 peaked at approximately 118,000 viewers. At Evo 2016, just under 233,00 people watched Juan 'HungryBox' Debiedma of Team Liquid take first place, winning $14,232. Compared to the mind blowing $20,000,000 prize-pool of Dota 2's The International 6, or the 36 million unique viewer count of League of Legends' Worlds finals in 2015, Melee's numbers may seem insignificant in comparison. They're not. Melee is special. There's nothing else quite like it in the world of eSports. A party game, released fifteen years ago, is more popular than ever; Melee is only just hitting its stride.

When comparing Melee to other successful eSports titles it is clearly an anomaly; it has no online capabilities, there aren't continual balance patches, it's not updated, there have been two additional Smash Bros. titles since Melee was released. Gameplay wise, apart from a few regional differences, Melee hasn't changed since the day it was released. Fifteen years ago. To put that into perspective, the original Dota was released in 2003, two years after Melee. Imagine if people were still playing that version, with no updates today. Or another example: Imagine a scenario where 2015 was Quake 3 Arena's biggest year.

Even after fifteen years, Melee hasn't become stale. It's the opposite, new techniques and styles are constantly developing.

PPMD does the famous "Ken Combo" on Plup at Evo 2015.

The King, Five Gods, and a God-Slayer

The success of any video-game as an eSport is usually down to its fans and Melee is no different, but what sets it apart from its contemporaries is the social aspect of the competition. Melee isn't played online against someone you don't know and will probably never meet, it's played against the person sitting directly next to you and if they beat you, you'll be seeing them again at the next tournament. Melee didn't just have competition; it had beefs and disputes where titles were hotly contested; it had an East Coast v West Coast rivalry complete with diss-tracks; it had money matches and smack talk. Those fierce rivalries led to incredible story-lines, those story lines were documented by the community, written on smash boards and recorded on tape. Through those rivalries, story-lines, and documentation, the legends of the game were born.

The incredible The Smash Brothers documentary series is essential viewing:

First, there was Ken Hoang: The King of Smash. No one since has had as dominant a reign. He was the undisputed best player in the world between 2003-2007, from his first tournament until his retirement. He returned in 2014 and still attends tournaments, placing respectably a decade later.

When it came to titles, no one won quite like Ken. Despite playing in an era where tournaments were not as widespread as today, Ken still is tied for the number two spot in titles of all-time. Think about that for a moment: Ken has won more than almost everyone else in Melee history – and his prime was only for five years in an era.

Ken retiring made way for the "Five Gods of Melee", Jason 'Mew2King' Zimmerman, Joeseph 'Mango' Marquez, Juan 'HungryBox' Debidema, Kevin 'PPMD' Nanney, and Adam 'Armada' Lindgren. No tournament has ever been won by a "Non-God" where all five gods have been in attendance, and they make up more than 90% of all major tournament victories in the modern era.

During the "Golden Age of Smash" where Ken dominated the scene, there were other great players such as Daniel 'ChuDat' Rodriguez, Joel 'Isai' Alvarado, and Azen. The "Reign of the Five Gods" was different. The "Gods" were untouchable, beating one in tournament was a huge accomplishment; only a handful of players have beaten multiple gods, but no one had beaten all five. That all changed at Apex 2015.

William 'Leffen' Hjelte became the first player to beat all five gods, becoming known as the "God-Slayer". Although seen as a villain by much of the community, Leffen's rise combined with PPMD's health issues has marked an end to the era of the "Five-Gods". How relevant the various names and titles are is questionable but the legacy of certain players, and the eras the game has gone through, are a testament to the strength of the game and the dedication of its fans.

The Modern Age and the Future of Melee

It's almost incomprehensible that 2016 or 2017 could turn out to be Melee's biggest year. The prize-pools are slowly increasing, as well as the interest from major eSports teams and other sponsors.

Third party sponsorship is taking Melee to new heights.

Even with the increase in third party sponsorship, Melee still feels like it's in its infancy; even the super-majors have a DIY charm and warmth that sharply contrasts the sterile and suited presentation of other popular eSports. It may be preference, but there is something refreshing about seeing The Summit 3 being sponsored by Weedmaps, having a crew named TEAM BEER, or the tongue-in-cheek shout outs to sponsors.

Melee may feel like it's in its infancy because it still is, when considering the age of the game that seems like an insane thing to say, but eSports as a whole are still relatively young. I've attended local tournaments and met players who are younger than the game itself. With the introduction of NetPlay, emulation, and the (unlikely possibly) of a HD remake, it's likely that Melee can continue to grow, and there's no telling the heights the game could reach.

The year is 20XX...

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Super Smash Bros. Melee: Fifteen Years and Counting

Armada and Mango , two of the "Five Gods of Melee" and, arguably, the two greatest players of all time. Super Smash Bros. Mel...

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - One of the first truly 'Gothic' games.

The term ‘Gothic’ conjures up many images; some think Dracula or Frankenstein, gargoyles and spired buildings; for others it may mean spider’s webbing, long black coats, and heavy eye shadow. Either way there are countless examples of ‘The Gothic’ in various cultures.

Now many games often have a gothic themed level, usually set in a church or castle; many will have elements of the gothic in character or costume design. Very few titles, however, revolve entirely around a gothic theme, but a few strikingly similar titles stand out. In this article we will be looking at Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, and Bloodborne.

Apart from the obvious artistic similarities, all three Gothic titles share eerily identical gameplay elements. Exploration is a key element in Gothic games; the player is required to search around an unfamiliar and fear-inducing landscape, finding areas they can see but not fully explore. Often, as the player progresses, they will find a shortcut back to a previous area by opening a gate (locked from one side) or pushing down a ladder/climbable object. This exploration leads to puzzle solving to progress further, until the player comes across a boss room. Once the boss is defeated, the RPG-like elements become apparent; the player will receive an item, or experience, allowing them to progress further. All three titles considered follow this rough outline of: exploration - puzzle solving - boss fight - progression to new area - repeat. Most Gothic games can attribute this to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Kojima often uses molding paste, Conté Crayon, acrylics, India ink, gloss polymer medium, stumps and finger smudging in her paintings to achieve their unique look and depth.

Although it wasn't the first in the series, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was revolutionary in terms of game design; it added role-playing and exploration elements to the traditional platforming genre. It was also the first Castlevania game to feature the art of Ayami Kojima. Symphony of the Night is the first truly Gothic game, it serves as the benchmark for what is considered Gothic in videogames.

The castle of Symphony of the Night is an intimidating, sprawling, nightmare that, as you familiarize yourself with your surroundings, eventually feels like home; it serves as a textbook example of conquering fear. Exploration and understanding are key. As the player discovers more and more of the map, the world makes more and more sense. The unreachable areas eventually become accessible, and the sense of being overwhelmed dissipates. All these things relate to real life and that is the appeal of the Gothic in games.

Elements of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night can be seen in both Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and Bloodborne. Both titles take the Gothic formula, set out by Symphony of the Night, but focus on slightly different elements of it.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver - The game that brought the Gothic into three dimensions.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver focuses on a narrative experience, but not at the expense of its puzzles or combat. It retains all the elements of a 'Gothic' game (gaining skills/items as you progress, boss rooms, puzzle solving) whilst also keeping the platforming based exploration style of Symphony of the Night.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver's combat acts as a midway point between Symphony of the Night and Bloodborne. Soul Reaver takes the idea of different weapons having distinct styles pioneered in Symphony of the Night and translates it to three dimensions. The main difference, to Symphony of the Night and Bloodborne, is the temporary nature of Soul Reaver's arsenal. The way the combat in Soul Reaver and Bloodborne plays is eerily similar; both have dual-like quality, relying on dodging and timing, that pits the player against a small number of enemies in an environment that they must use to their advantage.

Although Soul Reaver's gameplay is extremely strong, its story and dialogue are exceptional. It takes the Gothic storytelling tradition and seamlessly integrates it with the videogame medium, with what is possibly still the greatest voice acting in a videogame. Here's an example of dialogue:

"Eternity is relentless, Raziel. When I first stole into this chamber centuries ago, I did not fathom the true power of knowledge. To know the future, Raziel. To see its paths and streams tracing out into the infinite. As a man, I could never have contained such forbidden truths. But each of us is so much more than we once were. Gazing out across the plains of possibility, do you not feel with all your soul, how we have become like gods? And as such, are we not indivisible? As long as a single one of us stands, we are legion! That is why, when I must sacrifice my children to the void, I can do so with a clear heart." - Kain

Bloodborne - The Gothic game today.

Bloodborne brings the Gothic formula to the current gaming generation.While there were Gothic elements to the other Souls games, Bloodborne takes the concept and runs with it. Where Symphony of the Night and Soul Reaver take vampires as their main monstrous inspiration, Bloodborne uses another classicly Gothic creature: the werewolf.

Vampires and werewolves both reflect the fears of the time. Bram Stoker's Dracula, for example, reflected the fears of sexuality with the obvious exchanges of bodily fluids. Both vampires and werewolves are represented as natural predators, driven by their urges, opposed to the rationality of man. As times have changed, these readings have become more complex. Soul Reaver questions morality at every turn, dealing with the idea of manipulation and free will. There are very few clear cut 'monsters' but, instead, many shades of grey. Avoiding spoilers, both Symphony of the Night and Bloodborne also deal with similar themes, continuing the Gothic tradition.

'Gothic' as a term is almost impossible to define due to its constantly changing meaning and relevance to different mediums and sections of society. The Gothic is more like a collection of ideas and shared aesthetics crossing through literature, film and popular culture, constantly relevant to each generation. Now, with the addition of videogames to the cultural landscape, the Gothic has a new collection of ideas and aesthetics.

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The Gothic in Games

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - One of the first truly 'Gothic' games. The term ‘Gothic’ conjures up many images; some thin...

The PC port has breathed new life into an overlooked gem.

It is worth mentioning that, before we get into what makes it an incredibly enjoyable game, Valkyria Chronicles is possibly the greatest PC port in existence; the game was originally an exclusive for the PlayStation 3 back in 2008. SEGA have clearly put in the time and effort to deliver a well optimized and bug free experience in 1080p and 60fps. We can only dream that, one day, all PC ports will be as good as Valkyria Chronicles. The success of the PC port has resulted in sales numbers far exceeding the publishers expectations, far outstripping original release.

The quality of the port is important because the first noticeable thing about Valkyria Chronicles is its incredible art-style. It has the feel of a living drawing, with scenes sketched into life as the story unfolds. At its core, it is an anime set in a world that draws on the events of the Second World War, framed as a history textbook.

Incredible art-style, however, can't make a game an enjoyable experience on its own; the gameplay and story must back it up. Valkyria Chronicles is the full package.

Onomatopoeia is used to emphasize visual style.

Valkyria Chronicles is recognized by the Guiness World Records as the best strategy RPG on the PS3. It features a cross between real time action and strategic positioning; it plays like XCOM: Enemy Unknown without the grid system. Occasionally, you may find yourself stranded in no-mans land as you've misjudged how far you can travel, but the satisfaction of free movement far outweighs the occasional frustration.

As console generations progress, and lack of backwards compatibility is becoming common, there is a real danger of losing certain titles to history. Unlike film, television, or print, the way in which videogames are categorized and segregated is an issue when preserving the medium; books are available through the medium of print almost anywhere; films are available through DVD, Blu-Ray or steaming. If you buy a (region free) copy of Seven Samurai on DVD, every DVD player will play it, but if you buy a copy of Valkyria Chronicles for the Playstation 3, you can only play it on the Playstation 3. It is encouraging that a film such as Seven Samurai, released in 1954, is available on Blu-Ray; PC ports of older games serves a similar purpose of centralizing and preserving the medium.

The PC version has sold over 800,000 copies.

Hopefully the trend of remastering and re-releasing classic, often missed, titles such as Valkyria Chronicles continues.

You can find Valkyria Chronicles on Steam here.

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Better Late Than Never: Valkyria Chronicles

The PC port has breathed new life into an overlooked gem. It is worth mentioning that, before we get into what makes it an incredibly...

No group of players ever accomplished so much together.

"Here we go, could be a huge clash in the river. Akke... Blink, Malefice as well. He will get caught, he has buyback, it's a Crystal Maiden down but the push comes top. It's a nice pick for Na'vi. It's not enough to put this game in their grasp... They can't Rosh, they don't have enough damage...But s4! Cancel TP! Puppey's not going to be back in the base... He's got BKB but no Boots of Travel... Ohhhhh! COIL ON TWO! CANCELS DENDI'S TP AS WELL! Now onto Funn1k, Funn1k's caught! Now they go for the throne! It could be game... Funn1k's down. ALLIANCE. ARE. DOING IT! THEY NEED A LITTLE MORE, XBOCT TO FALL, THRONE IN JEOPARDY! It's a Glyph, it could be their last stand... Dendi's back, he's going to try and focus everybody but there's so much stuff... The Glyph's done. There's no more Glyph available... Down to about half HP, a quarter HP, Alliance surrounding from all sides... BKB, THEY WANT THIS THRONE, THEY'RE GONNA DO IT, THE KINGS OF THE NORTH... ALLIANCE WINS, THEY WIN, ALLIANCE WIN TI3!"

The unthinkable has finally happened. Loda and Akke are no longer playing together, s4 and AdmiralBulldog have gone their separate ways, and EGM wasn't kicked...

In modern Dota, teams disband all the time, so what makes the Alliance disband so different? There are many reasons, but the one that stands out is that they were, arguably, the greatest team the game has known. In order to clarify that statement, however, we must define our terms.

So what makes a team great? Many things. The most obvious of which is tournament success; it is an easily measurable statistic. According to joinDota, Alliance placed 1st in twenty eight tournaments and qualifiers, placing 2nd in nine others. Upon finalizing their roster, they won every tournament they participated in bar two, winning eight in a row. Most notably, they won the G-1 Champions League Season 5 without losing a game, Starladder i-league and WCA 2015 upon reforming, and of course, without dropping a series, the greatest tournament in the history of Dota 2: TI3.

The former members of Alliance were all incredible skilled players, but what made them so formidable was that the team was far greater than the sum of its parts. Although they may be remembered as "Rats" with a singular play-style, this couldn't be further than the truth.

"Alliance didn’t just have a strategic advantage at TI3; they were a quantum leap ahead of every other team. They outfoxed their opponents so fully that most fans came to believe in the illusion that western strategy was ahead of the east as a whole. But this was a lie, there was no western advantage in strategy; the east still created most of the dominant concepts for TI3 and held a general tactical advantage over every team save Alliance and Na`Vi’s own hybrid ideas. Unfortunately for them, Alliance was just that much more brilliant than everyone else."

"The Alliance difference came from how they used specific drafts and farming patterns to enable their split push engine to safely come online every game. By choosing lineups that always peaked slightly later than their opponents, they retained freedom of action and forced the other team to stay on the clock."

The previous quotes come from the excellent Strategy Over Skill: Alliance Ascendant. A highly recommended read that examines the Alliance strategy in depth.

Alliance were a truly innovative team, doing things that no other teams would dare try. Multiple Level 1 Roshans come to mind, as does the famous Nature's Prophet bait. They wouldn't just try an incredibly risky play but, more often than not, would pull it off with style. Alliance games felt like the most thrilling too, from the TI3 Grand Finals up to the TI5 Group Stage match against EG. They weren't just the most successful team, but also the most entertaining. Many think of Alliance winning games almost unfairly by split push because of they way TI3 ended, but I remember Alliance winning with confidence and style. I remember Akke pushing Sylar to the cliff at Roshan, Ursa Lvl 1 verses Roshan, and everyone remembers the "Million Dollar Dream Coil".

The early days as No Tidehunter.

To fans, Alliance felt like a family. From the various members popping up on AdmiralBulldog's stream, the Instagram pictures of them all eating together, and the footage of them just hanging out. There was something different about Alliance, cemented by their reformation for TI6. s4 returned after an incredibly successful year with Team Secret, even though Secret were a far better team at the time. He could have joined any top tier team he wanted, but he went back to Alliance even if a large part of the community (and EternaLEnVy) felt it was a mistake. Although not reaching the same level of success as s4, EGM was by far the best player on the rapidly improving 4C&L. Once s4 rejoined however, there was only one name on fans' lips once there was a support slot free on the roster.

Alliance were immensely successful, winning everything there was to win at their peak and then another two premier tournaments when they reformed. They were more entertaining than any other team, apart from possibly Speed Gaming/C9, both during tournament play and streaming. They were the most innovative and consistent; not since the 6.89 patch has a team been directly nerfed like Alliance. And, finally, there was a magic to them, something different in an age of disbanding, team fall-outs, and drama; they reformed for one last ride, and what a ride it was. Fans who have followed Dota 2 from the TI1/TI2 era will remember what Alliance accomplished, from No Tidehunter a couple of washed up veterans, a pubstar, and two guys no one had really heard of, to the greatest team of all time. Well, that's what I think anyway, even if you disagree, they will be remembered in Dota history.

To Loda, Akke, s4, EGM and AdmiralBulldog I say this:

Long live Alliance.

Get Dunked: Dota 2

Get Dunked: The Kings of the North

No group of players ever accomplished so much together. "Here we go, could be a huge clash in the river. Akke... Blink, Malefice as...

The Power of Friendship - Eosin, SexyBamboe, Blitz, Purge and Corey

Professional Dota may never see a team like Team Zephyr again, and that's a crying shame. They were a team made up of a couple of streamers, a professional caster, a young kid with potential and a pro who's career had hit the wall. The players took a huge risk, both financially and career-wise, to form Team Zephyr and compete in Korea. They did it in order to help out a friend and play some Dota. Team Zephyr may not be remembered in the same way Meet Your Makers or Online Kingdom are, but they were dominant in the Korean scene and crucial in its international development.

The story begins at the tail-end of 2013. William 'Blitz' Lee's former team-mate, and close friend EGM, had just won TI3 with Alliance, and with it the largest prizepool Dota had seen at the time. A chance bathroom encounter at the event convinced the talented Storm-Spirit player to try his luck in the fledgling Korean scene, experience some success of his own and maybe win some money doing so. It wasn't a bad idea.

The only problem was that someone else had exactly the same plans; ex MYM and EG player Demon. After re-locating to Korea, in his professional debut, Blitz's team For Our Utopia lost to Demon's MVP Phoenix and were immediately eliminated from NSL Season 2.

So obviously my pro debut in DotA happened yesterday and we lost. We had practiced hard for it and I had a great time playing and I thought I did alright considering how nervous I was. Some back story. I arrived on the 29th with the promise and hopes of winning NSL Season 2. Obviously nothing in this world is guaranteed, but Febby told me we would train hard work together to win etc. The agreement was that I would join the team for a period of around 6 months and extend / shorten my stay depending on how we did as a group. I trusted Febby as I was leaving home for this, having to pay my own way to get there and I spent countless hours convincing my mom of this. I arrived at the house, we had some issues as our personalities sometimes clashed but I felt we had resolved and hashed it at all out. After our match a few hours ago, we all seemed depressed but Febby told me I played well, don't worry about it and throughout the process assured me that no matter what we'd try again and regroup for Season 3.

I was dismayed as it meant I had nothing to do, but obviously we couldn't anticipate Demon coming, and we also didn't play as well as we could have.

A short time later, the team disbanded and it seemed that Blitz's Korean journey had come to an abrupt end. Fortunately, this was not the case.

Close friends Keven 'Purge' Godec and Steven 'Eosin' Cheng, along with professional players Alaan 'SexyBamboe' Faraj and Corey Wright, flew to the rescue and Team Zephyr was born. To outsiders, this was a team made up of a streamer who only played Storm-Spirit, the guy who made guides for new players, his friend who he played LANs with, some American kid, and SexyBamboe.

In their brief lifespan, they dominated the Korean scene.

A large part of Zephyr's popularity was down to the regular insights into their lives. Through the videos posted on Purge's YouTube channel, and Blitz's candid blogs, fans were given a unique insight into the life of the professional Dota player long before it became the norm. It was the first time a fan felt like they shared in their success and failures. Here was a group of guys who'd gambled their futures on a dream, in order to help out a friend who'd been screwed over and hit rock bottom.

That may not have been entirely the case, but that's what it felt like.

Team Zephyr placed 1st in the Fomos Dota 2 League Season 3, Nexon Sponsorship League Season 3, and the Korean Dota 2 League Season 1. Due to their success, they secured an unlikely invite to the qualifiers of TI4, but that's sadly where Zephyr started to fall apart.

It was around that time that TI invites started going out, and although we weren't doing too well in the SEA scene, we thought their was a small chance we'd receive a qualifier spot along with MVP.Phoenix who was doing well. I remember we all made a pact that day we found out that we got into the qualifiers, I remember how happy and excited we all were. We promised each other that we'd all try really hard, and somehow pray that we could do it. I think a lot of people assumed that we dicked around the entire time we were here, but we normally played about 6 days a week, as many matches as we could at night. The SEA scene is kinda hurt by the fact that scrims don't begin until 9PM~.

Anyways, I remember the huge talk, Eosin had just got back from his mini vacation to Hong Kong and had to walk back to our house after having not enough cab fare to get all the way here. Random story, we thought he got abducted or some shit because he didn't get home till like 3am. I told everyone how we were perceived and how the Korean scene was perceived and blah blah blah hard work dedication, commitment and we can do some miracle shit. TI came, and I remember I was so nervous I didn't sleep for 2 days straight. I think in the Orange game I actually fell asleep and you can see me misclick stats on nightstalker. That was a bad idea. Not really an excuse though. We won our first game against FD handily, and we felt great, then loss after loss started rolling in and we just felt so lost. I remember how helpless everyone looked, and how upset I was. My entire family stayed up just to watch me look like a god damn loser. That part sucked the most. The day after that though Bamboe said yolo lets just do whatever and in our game against Scythe picked himself offlane Rubick and me Bloodseeker. He played amazing, and managed to carry us and I'll always have that highlight in my head. I remember he asked me what I wanted to play. I briefly looked over and said bloodseeker jokingly, remembering how I accidentally selected it for him in our first NSL match and he insta locked it despite me never playing it. We had such a fucking blast, and we sort of forgot all about how badly we had done. After that though, everything sorta started going downhill for us, I think due to a lack of goals and shit that happened in general.

In the SEA qualifiers, Team Zephyr went 3-6, finishing second from bottom in their group. The power of friendship had run out. The team went through a series of roster changes, even bringing the legendary Merlini out of retirement, but to no avail. Not too long after finishing 3rd at the Korean Dota League Season 2, Team Zephyr disbanded.

"Thank you to the random strangers across the internet who have supported me and my team throughout our journey. I'd refer to you as fans, but you mean so much more to me then that. If I ever meet any of you, please approach me, I'd like to embrace you as a friend and give you a kind word in return for everything you've done for me." - Blitz

Team Zephyr are one of the greatest teams Dota 2 will ever see. They may not have been the most skilled, or had had the greatest results on the international stage, and they certainly won't go down in history as a legendary squad. But, they will be remembered.

What made Zephyr truly great was the fact they went above and beyond to help each other out and, at their peak, beat every single team they went up against. They were five friends who went to Korea, the esports capital of the world, won everything they could and had a blast doing so.

It was one hell of a ride Team Zephyr. I, for one, will remember you fondly.