1/6/2024 0 Comments Swords and souls mk gamesThere was never any doubt that Capcom’s ubiquitous fighting game series would make an appearance at this year’s Evo. When you’ve got Melee Gods like Armada and Mew2King signing up to compete against Smash 4 leaders and a whole host of new blood, including Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat players, you know Nintendo has done something right. It’s clear that Ultimate’s peerless balancing act has paid off. With a cast of 70 characters (and growing!), the list of cool, unique techniques goes on. ![]() Pichu, considered to be one of the worst characters in Melee, has turned into a demon for Ultimate, with unparalleled speed and absurd mixups. Perennial low-tier character Link has finally come into his own with more speed and the remote bomb from Breath of the Wild, giving him some extremely dope combos. Instead of a game filled with a lot of similar strength characters and one Bayonetta, most of the cast shines with a little something extra to keep competition at the highest-level fresh. Ultimate turns that design on its head and instead embraces speed, aggression, and letting characters keep fun, “broken” techniques that help them feel more distinct. Brawl, this worked to mixed success (see any community post about Bayonetta ). While 4 was definitely faster than Super Smash Bros. Over the course of Smash 4 ’s competitive life, it was clear the developers had a trajectory in mind: limiting characters’ offensive options as a way of balancing the cast. It’s to Ultimate ’s credit that it takes cues from Melee in its design. But the simple truth of the matter is that the Melee community doesn’t actually need it - it will continue to thrive as players support it in the countless Smash tourneys outside of Evolution. Many people will recoil at the thought of an Evo without Melee. Full of goodwill, the two paid tribute to the Melee community with a special goodbye video during the lineup announcement. Still, Evo organizers Joey Cuellar and Mark Julio expressed that it was time to move on and to let the burgeoning Ultimate community come into its own by being the only Smash game at Evo. Regardless of your relationship to Melee, that’s a big hole to fill. Melee ’s six-year run as an Evo main title helped break Twitch streaming records, bridged the gap between the Smash community and the greater western fighting game community (FGC), and consistently featured play of the highest caliber. Evo has always been a tournament that balances new fighting games, old games with strong communities, and a few wildcards. The lack of Melee is a huge bombshell, but not one that wasn’t seen coming. Ultimate has the difficult task of satisfying fans of Smash 4, disenfranchised Project M players, as well as veterans of the 17-years-old-and-going-strong Super Smash Bros. ![]() As of the time of writing, it’s the current leader in registered entrants. ![]() ![]() franchise is making its first Evo appearance, having exceeded fans’ lofty expectations for a followup to Super Smash Bros. Surprising no one, the latest entry in the Super Smash Bros. With nine games featured, there’ll be something for everyone to enjoy come August 2. 2019’s lineup, announced late last month, is no different. Every year’s featured lineup brings with it a little intrigue, a little comfort, and of course, a little controversy. Evo is the largest fighting game tournament in the world, and it owes that popularity to the selected games headlining the event and the dedicated players who support them. The Evolution Championship Series has been at the center of the fighting game community since its beginnings as the Battle By the Bay tournament in 1996.
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