In many ways, The Big House tournament encapsulates the heart of the grassroots Super Smash Brothers scene. Robin Harn, the event coordinator of The Big House series, started the tournaments in a small ballroom in the heart of the University of Michigan's campus. In order to generate excitement, he convinced two of southern California's superstar players, Oscar "Lovage" Nilsson's and Johnny "s2j" Kim, to travel to the Midwest. Their attendance spurred on other top players from Canada, California, and the Midwest to come to the first ever Big House event. In total, 115 players attended the first Big House, which sounds small now, but was amazing five years ago.
Fast forward to 2016 and we are at the sixth iteration of The Big House series on Oct. 7-9, which boasts over 1500 entrants for Melee singles and a strong majority of the Melee It On Me's top hundred players. A large part of the growth comes from The Big House's reputation as a well-run event. Harn's priorities have always been to maximize the experience for the players and attendees. Players testify to the great experiences they have at The Big House where Harn scrutinizes every detail to ensure everything runs on time. The growth over time has made The Big House the premier Smash major of the fall season.
Momentum and godhood
As players prepare for The Big House 6, the landscape remains uncertain among the top players. At the last major, Shine 2016, Jason "Mew2King" Zimmerman won the event over Zachary "SFAT" Cordoni in rather dominating fashion. Interestingly enough, SFAT's goal at the beginning of summer was to win a major and he was within striking distance of achieving it. Many scoffed at his lofty goal, but he turned heads over the summer, defeating Joseph "Mango" Marquez in three sets and also Juan "Hungrybox" Debiedma in one set during that span.
SFAT's recent performances have generated excitement within the community. Other than William "Leffen" Hjelte, no one has ascended into Melee godhood. Others have come knocking on heaven's door only for them to slump shortly after. Yet, in 2016, SFAT and Justin "Plup" McGrath have risen through the ranks and strengthened their resumes as prime candidates. They have put together strong performances with SFAT finishing in second at Shine 2016 and Plup finishing in third at Evo 2016. They hope to continue their momentum into The Big House 6.
Uncertainty at the Top
Picking a winner for a major has never been more difficult with big questions surrounding each of the top players. Leffen signed up tentatively for The Big House 6, but his visa issues leave him uncertain on an actual appearance. For the first time in a while, Hungrybox has the overall first seed in the event, meaning that he will not have to face Adam "Armada" Lindgren or Mango until winners finals. Although he has the easiest path to winners finals, he has looked shaky in the past two months. His edge guarding and execution were lackluster towards the end of summer. Earlier this year he broke his Evo curse by winning Evo 2016, but he has yet to win a Big House event, finishing in second place three times. Can he break his Big House curse?
Armada had a quiet summer by his usual standards, choosing to stay in Europe after Evo 2016. He won Heir 3 in August and Syndicate 2016 in September, but still is untested in his matchups against tougher players. Can he get revenge on Hunrgrybox for Evo 2016? Does he have a solution to Mango's Fox and Marth in a best of five set? Despite these questions, the extended rest may prove beneficial for Armada as he will be in good shape for The Big House 6.
For Mango, he has had a solid year despite his inability to close out and win tournaments. He has a winning record on Armada and is catching up to Hungrybox in their head to head records, but the big question is whether he can play consistently for an entire event. At Shine 2016, he lost early to Michael "Nintendude" Brancato and mustered a solid losers run before losing to SFAT for third place. Mango can go toe-to-toe against anyone, but the issues of consistency remain a costly one. Can Mango make it into the top eight through winners or will he struggle through losers at another major? If 2016 has told us anything, he will need to stay in winners if he wants a chance at his third Big House trophy.
Mew2King comes in with the most momentum after winning Shine 2016. His confidence has reached new heights after demolishing his bracket, but he did not have to face Mango or Hungrybox in the bracket. Historically, he's performed poorly against the likes of Hungrybox and Armada, but his positive mindset may be the x-factor in helping him overcome two of his largest thorns. The Big House 3 was where his "return of the king" moment happened three years ago. Can he pull another to win his second Big House?
The Big House has brought some of the most exciting moments in Melee history, including Mango's exciting loser's run at The Big House 4 and Mew2King's "return of the king" run at The Big House 3. The Melee landscape is more unpredictable than ever as several players can take the entire event. The early stages of pools at The Big House 6 start on Friday and conclude on Sunday. Make sure you don't miss it!