Just like with any competitive scene, Super Smash Bros. Melee has seen several eras since releasing in 2001. Some players refer to the current era as the post-doc time period since a lot of the players and community figures became involved with Melee because they watched “The Smash Brothers” documentary.
Released in 2013 as a nine-part documentary series, “The Smash Brothers” detailed the early history of competitive Melee. It followed the careers of several top players from the game’s early years, like Ken Hoang, Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman, and Joseph “Mang0” Marquez, showcasing the growth of the scene throughout the mid-2000s through 2013.
And now, after five years, director Travis “Samox” Beauchamp has finally announced that the spin-off documentary, “Metagame,” is ready to be released. It will premier on Twitch between Dec. 11 and 13, starting at 4pm CT each day.
The eight-part sequel will cover the Platinum Era of Melee ruled by the “five gods”—Mew2King, Mang0, Kevin “PPMD” Nanney, Adam “Armada” Lindgren, and Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma—along with the story of “god slayer” William “Leffen” Hjelte.
“The ‘Metagame’ documentary series took over five years to produce,” Samox said. “Fans of the original series and Kickstarter supporters will be able to enjoy the authentic, character-driven narrative of the five Smash Gods as they overcome personal hurdles while competing at the highest level in esports.”
For a full glimpse of just how dominant the “gods” were, you can visit the “Metagame” website. From 2009 until now, the five gods have won 134 Major tournaments, while Leffen took 14 and every other player in the world only has seven total wins. That breaks down to Hbox with 49 wins, Armada with 39, and Mang0 with 28 as the top three in tournament results at events with at least one “god” in attendance.
With how well the original Smash documentary was received and the success it had in renewing interest in competitive Melee, “Metagame” might lead to another boom in younger players picking up a controller. It will also help get eyes on various Melee events in the coming months as the community fights back following Nintendo’s decision to levy a cease and desist to The Big House Online.
