Super Smash Bros. Melee ought to be on any gamer’s mind on this special Tuesday. After all, who can see the date Feb. 22, 2022 without thinking about a wavedashing Sheik?
While Singles may be Melee’s most prestigious tournament mode, there’s no denying that some of the game’s most legendary moments have happened in the two-versus-two format. So, here’s a look at some of Melee’s most legendary Doubles sets in honor of 2sday.
PewPewU and SFAT vs. Tempo and xRunRiot – GenAssist
Worlds collided during the Melee Doubles exhibition at the GenAssist fundraiser in January of 2022. On one side, there was Kevin “PewPewU” Toy and Zac “SFAT” Cordoni. Since 2009, PewPewU and SFAT have been taking down duos comprising players ranked much higher than both of them in Singles. They are considered one of the best Doubles teams of all time, showing the importance of team chemistry even over individual skill.
On the other side, there was Calvin “Tempo” Taylor and Joseph “xRunRiot” Saunders. Though they are from different regions and only met over quarantine, Tempo and xRunRiot rose to become the best active Doubles pair during Melee’s online era.
This face-off between old guard and new was the first display of PewPewU’s gameplay since he retired in March of 2021. Of course, new viewers may not have guessed that he had ever stopped playing. PewFat stomped Tempo and xRunRiot 5-0 in the exhibition, reminding them of a lesson Melee players should all be familiar with: respect your elders.
Armada and Android vs. Ice and Leffen – Genesis 4
Melee Doubles was perhaps the closest to matching the prestige of Singles in 2017. Top players competed all across the world as part of FUSE, Melee’s first and only major Doubles circuit. The first FUSE season kicked off with an all European grand finals at Genesis 4 in January of 2017.
Peach main Adam “Armada” Lindgren and Sheik main Andreas “Android” Lindgren came from the losers bracket to challenge the Fox team of William “Leffen” Hjelte and Mustafa “Ice” Akçakaya. Their face off included a bracket reset and nine total games.
Armada switched to Fox in Game 3 of the first set and stuck with him until the end of the second set. In Game 5 of the final set, Armada landed a crucial shine to reverse edgeguard Leffen and set up for a two-versus-one situation against Ice. Android closed it out with an offstage edgeguard, adding to the Lindgren brothers’ extensive repertoire of Doubles tournament wins.
PPMD and LoZR vs. Hungrybox and Crunch – Bad Moon Rising 2
In July of 2017, Bad Moon Rising 2 garnered a large amount of attention for what should have been a small, regional event in Winston Salem, North Carolina. That’s because it was Melee god Kevin “PPMD” Nanney’s first tournament since he stopped competing more than a year earlier. But, he only entered in to the Melee Doubles bracket.
PPMD teamed with Adam “LoZR” Jones, a veteran of the North Carolina scene who planned to retire from Melee after the event. In losers quarters, they played against Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma — then ranked No. 2 in the world — and his coach, Luis “Crunch” Rosias.
Despite PPMD’s inactivity, both of the “god and friend” teams seemed evenly matched. The set went to Game 5, where Hungrybox and Crunch held a slight lead toward the end of the match. However, a four-piece team combo against Hungrybox allowed the North Carolina boys to even up the stock count. With the crowd behind them chanting “stack it up,” PPMD and LoZR eliminated the man who was considered the best in the world by the end of that year. They went on to place fourth in what remains PPMD’s most recent tournament appearance to this day.
SilentSpectre and Tang vs. Zhu and Lucky – SCSA West Coast Circuit #1
In December of 2008, Trinity Lutheran Church in San Bernardino, California, became a holy site for competitive Melee. Though a measly 25 teams came there for Melee Doubles, it became home to what is arguably the most legendary moment in competitive Melee history: the Wombo Combo.
Jeff “SilentSpectre” Leung and Mitchell “Tang” Tang battled Julian “Zhu” Zhu and Joey “Lucky” Aldama in the losers semifinal of SCSA West Coast Circuit #1. Even in Game 1, commentator Brandon “YungWaff” Collier sensed the potential for a wombo combo as SilentSpectre overwhelmed the opposing team with his longevity and strong punish game with Captain Falcon.
But, the stars aligned when SilentSpectre got rid of Lucky’s final stock at the end of Game 2. Commentators YungWaff, Phil “Phil” DeBerry and Joseph “Mang0” Marquez could do little more than scream as SilentSpectre and Tang tossed poor Zhu back and forth like a ragdoll to end the set with a zero-to-death team combo. More than 13 years later, the Wombo Combo remains an iconic moment that extends far beyond the grassroots esports community that birthed it.
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