Smash Bros Is This Finally the Death of Melee?

[A Link In Time]

Super Smash Bros. Melee is a game that has no right to be around for as long as it has.

But it's managed to survive in the gaming landscape as a local multiplayer only game for almost 20 years.

After professional Melee players were dissatisfied with Brawl, they revived their own game. That revival led to Melee finally returning to EVO in 2013 where it remained every year until 2018.

We now have news that Melee will not be returning to EVO this year.

Smash Ultimate has brought fans from all across the Smash spectrum together. Melee and Smash 4 pros both moved to Ultimate.

Aside from that, there are logistical issues with a game as old as Melee. It was the only game at EVO that still used CRTs. It is also on hardware that has not been manufactured for over a decade.

I'm sure some people will still play Melee but this seems to be the nail in the coffin for Melee as an eSport and in the public perception.

Do you think this is the end for Melee?

 

[DeactivatedUser1]

Melee isn’t something that will probably die.
Can’t say anything about Evo, since I didn’t watch or follow it, but I’ll probably be back if people complain.

 

[Spirit]

Even without Evo Melee is still many peoples' favourite Smash game, even after Ultimate I still very much prefer Melee.

I do see the reasoning for Evo dropping it and it isn't like dropping it will mean no Smash at Evo because Ultimate will be there.

I don't think Melee will die though. It is one of the best Smash games (the best IMO) and other lesser tourneys will still play it and broadcast it.

Ultimate has its own problem, like Melee's hardware problem; someone is gonna need to unlock all those characters before Evo....

 

[Mido]

Melee, especially given the amount of esteem it has among smash players for the most part, seems like a flexible beast. I don't see it fading away entirely. Now I don't know much about Evo myself, but I'd say in some respects that Ultimate exists to try and evolve the SSB scene past the golden goose of Melee. No matter the case, even if it phases out of the main competitive scene, Melee's still got a strong kick even if it's not my personal favorite smash bros game.

 

[Quin]

I don't care much about the tourney scene, but I hope so. Ultimate is the smash game that finally surpassed melee for me. Its missing some minor modes and stuff, but gameplay wise it really is the ultimate smash.

 

[Ezlo]

Brawl will probably never be better than Melee, but I think Melee is gone for good.

 

[thePlinko]

Hopefully. Melee is such an overrated game it honestly makes me mad. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing game, but calling it better than Ultimate, smash 4, or even brawl is a huge stretch. The only reasons it’s been around so long are nostalgia and a glitch.