Why 'Marvel' and 'Melee' Will Never Die

What fighting game from the early 2000s is technically demanding, has a competitive scene dominated by American players, and has a few top-tier characters? If Marvel vs. Capcom 2 or Super Smash Bros. Melee is your first thought, you would be correct on both counts. At first glance, these fighting games may not appear to have much in common, but they share several notable similarities. The most significant commonality is the survival of both their competitive scenes for more than a decade after their original release.

Dark Age

The "dark age" of fighting games is the 10-year gap between new releases of Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom. While other fighting games were active during this Capcom hiatus (such as Dead or Alive, Guilty Gear, and Tekken), it was still a blow to the community. The lack of new installments meant that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 players would need to continue playing the same game for ten years. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 didn't attract many new players, but the community was still large enough to be featured at the biggest tournaments. The competition wasn't exclusive to tournaments, either, as high-stakes money matches that pitted two players against each other for large sums of money were also very popular. The extended life of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 pushed the meta-game to new heights and raised the profile of several fighting game players like Justin "JWong" Wong, Michael "Yipes" Mendoza, and Sanford "Santhrax" Kelly.

While not as long, the seven-year gap between Super Smash Bros. Melee and its sequel was also a problem for its community. Unlike other fighting games, Super Smash Bros. Melee didn't have a presence at most fighting game events because of its party game status. In fact, before the regular appearance of Super Smash Bros. Melee at the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) in 2013, it had only made one appearance in 2007. Before EVO, the only mainstream organization to host a Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament was Major League Gaming (MLG), which began in 2004, with 2006 being the last year. This lack of legitimacy forced players to take matters into their own hands by hosting grassroots tournaments. Just like Marvel vs. Capcom 2, the extended life of Super Smash Bros. Melee pushed the meta-game and turned some of its best players into celebrities within the community.

Freedom

For the fighting game community, a balanced character roster is usually essential for a fighting game. However, despite having a far-from-balanced character roster, with the top-tier characters referred to as "broken" by its players, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is often considered one of the best fighting games ever created. Rather than a balanced character roster, the appeal of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is the considerable freedom the game engine provides. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was released before online balance patches were possible for fighting games, so as a result, cheap or unfair mechanics remained in the game. The nonexistence of balance patches opened up possibilities, allowing for movement, combos, and techniques that exceeded what the developers had intended. To the trained eye, what may appear as a match lacking variety, with the same top-tier characters, is a showcase of execution prowess.

Freedom is so significant to Super Smash Bros. Melee players that it became a point of contention in the community for its sequel. While many Marvel vs. Capcom 2 players transitioned to Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in 2011, the same did not happen for Super Smash Bros. Melee and its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The lack of enthusiasm for Super Smash Bros. Brawl stems from the absence of advanced techniques, such as wavedashing, the addition of pratfalling —a mechanic that causes the player to trip randomly while dashing or turning around —and an overall slower pace. These changes led to a schism within the Super Smash Bros. community, dividing players between those who preferred Super Smash Bros. Melee and those who preferred Super Smash Bros. Brawl. While there were exceptions, such as Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman, who achieved success in both titles, it wasn't until the release of Project M that the community saw both sides competing in the same game.

While there are still Super Smash Bros. Melee and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 tournaments, both games are no longer part of the EVO main stage lineup. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 found new life in 2009 with a rerelease on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade that added online multiplayer. On the contrary, Super Smash Bros. Melee didn't receive a rerelease; however, through Slippi, a GameCube emulator, online play is possible. Both games inspired hashtag campaigns (#FreeMelee and #FreeMVC2), triggered by Nintendo sending a cease-and-desist (C&D) letter to The Big House tournament for using Slippi, and Capcom delisting Marvel vs. Capcom 2 due to its license expiring. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has experienced a recent resurgence, with tournaments like Battle of the Strongest, Twitch Rivals, and EVO 2025. Super Smash Bros. Melee remains competitively active, with annual tournaments like Genesis attracting thousands of entrants and viewers each year.

Update: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 received a modern release alongside other arcade titles in Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics.