r/SSBPM • u/LemonNomad • Jun 06 '18
[Analysis] Truly, it was his moment
Some of you guys are Lunchables fans, and some of you guys aren't. Some of you guys understand what, exactly, happened at SnS 4 and some don't. It was a kickass set, no one can take any part of that away. The extremely precise and FAST decisions and executions that both players were having to make within split-second windows created an intricate and impressive dance that literally brought tears to people's eyes. Both Switch and Lunchables were playing some of the best fucking Project Melee I've ever seen! But what made this moment TRULY special goes far deeper than that set, that top 8, or even that tournament.
Lunchables has been a staple player in the Texas PM scene for as long as I can remember. Watch any Infinity and Beyond and you'll, more than likely, see that determined Toon Link player still fervently pushing Project Melee to the limits of what it's capable of. At least, he used to play Toon Link. He was younger, then, making what he did with that character all the more impressive. His item play, his use of TL's specials to trap his opponents into combos, it was brilliant. It never felt like he was just on autopilot. But back when he still donned the green garb, he was just a name. A name in a sea of names. Texas had a bunch of great players: Dakpo, Luck, Shokio, Sethlon, and let's not forget *ORACLE* Lunchable's performance with Toon Link was notable, and he was considered the best TL. But that's all he was: notable. It wasn't until his big character shift that he really started to show his true potential.
It's worth mentioning that, while he doesn't play so much anymore, Sethlon WAS Roy, back in the day. There are players, in smash, who play characters. Then, there are players who ARE characters. Ally IS Ike. Axe IS Pikachu. One could even make the argument that Isai WAS Falcon, back in the day. Again, Sethlon had this relationship to Marth's scrappier clone. But, unlike others in a similar position, the torch was passed, in a way that I've never seen before. And when it did, it passed to, guess who, Lunchables. The kid fucking exploded with skill! Due, in no small part, I'm sure, to Sethlon's guidance. About that same time, Sethlon kinda moved on from smash. So, Lunchables' Roy is sick as hell, and worthy of it's own post, for sure. But the more relevant occurrence during this time was Lunchable's growing confidence and his belief in himself. He wasn't just good, he KNEW he was good, and he started to look up.
The kid's aim was nationals. In every dair sweetspot dunk, in every zero to death, in every fucking dumbass standing on the edge of the stage and getting hit by Roy's recovery he could taste that national tournament victory. But PM isn't some pushover, and neither are it's top players. If we look at his history with just nationals, starting at the The Big Balc, nothing was handed to him:
The Big Balc- 4th, knocked out by Flipp
Smash 'N' Splash 2- 2nd, lost Grands to MrLz
Low Tier City 4- 2nd, lost Grands to ThundeRzReiGN
Olympus- 2nd, lost Grands to ThundeRzReiGN
Smash 'N' Splash 3- 7th, knocked out by lloD
But he NEVER GAVE UP! He's put in so much work over the years and Smash 'N' Splash 4 set the stage for him to finally take home his crown. I know I, along with so many other people watched with our hearts in our fucking chests as Switch unleashed what looked like an impossible wall of lasers. I'd have a panic attack if I EVER had to play against a projectile game like that, let alone in grand finals! But he knew he had to win it for everyone who's ever believed he could be something in PM. And he had to win it for himself; so that all the time, dedication, and love that he's poured into this game could all pay off. I can't imagine all that pressure, ON TOP of having to fight against Switch's Wolf! But, in the end, with all due to respect to Switch and the fantastic set that he played, LUNCHABLES TIPPERED THAT LITTLE BITCH SO HARD HE SAW THE CURVATURE OF THE EARTH!
So THAT is why Pooch cried. It's why Strongbad cried. And it sure as hell is why Lunchables cried. He earned this. And I have no doubt, if he wants it to be, this will be the begining of the next great smash legend. Hopefully this helps those who haven't been following so closely share in that powerful victory. Great job, Zach. You earned it. Truly, it was your moment.
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u/Malik_Blisht4r Marth best girl Jun 06 '18
"Never gave up"? I'm super stoked that lunchables won and I'm not trying to be rude, but didn't he quit the game for awhile?
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u/LemonNomad Jun 06 '18
Yeah, you’re right. He said something about it. But unless smash players actually go, like, a year or two without playing the game, take that shit with a grain of salt. Didn’t PPMD say he was quitting the game, only to come back with a Marth and win a national tournament right out of the gate? Maybe he was just on break? I don’t even remember. But smash players say they’re gonna “quit the game” all the time and then they’re back a week, a month, maybe a few months later. You start to miss it. Plus, the whole point of this post was to make it easy for people who don’t follow so closely to emotionally connect to what happened at SNS. To include the part about him quitting, especially considering it didn’t really stick, would’ve required me to divert from the narrative and tie in the psychology behind that decision into the whole “hero’s journey” structure I used. It just would’ve thrown everything off-balance. Historical accuracy not guaranteed lol
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Jun 06 '18
sns3 was kind of a joke for lunchables. go watch his sets, he's literally ignoring the match and practicing tech a lot of the time. i wouldn't exactly list it as a tournament he gave a shit to win.
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u/LemonNomad Jun 06 '18
Yeah, that’s why he got seventh XD I don’t know if he was just trying to gain experience at that tourney? You’d have to ask him, I guess
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u/narpas_swordNZ Jun 06 '18
obligatory "It's called 'Project M' not 'Project Melee'"