By David Diaz

SAN FRANCISCO, CA- Popular FGC eSports Tournament series for Super Smash Bros., Genesis 4 took place this weekend and the gods showed up.

Genesis tournament is a series that has been running for 8 years, having 4 installments (2009, 2011, 2016, 2017) in San Francisco.

This tournament is popular for the Celtics Vs. Lakers-like rivalry between two popular eSport Super Smash Bros. Melee players, C9 | Mang0 and [A] Armada.

The storyline between these two players is legendary within the game.

In the year 2009 when Joseph “Mang0” Marquez was widely considered to be the best player in the world by  winning the biggest Melee tournament of at that time, Pound III.

At the time the best of the best came from the States.

With previous champions being Christopher “Azen” McMullen, Ken “Ken” Hoang, and Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman all from the United States of America.

According to this thought process American smash players begin to doubt that anyone from another country could win an American national level tournament.

Swedish Melee player Adam “Armada” Lingren opposed this mindset as he desired to be the greatest Melee player of all time.

With Genesis coming up in 2009, Armada saw an opporunity to come to the states and prove to the world that America was wrong.

In tournament play Armada’s run was known to be legendary, exceeding expectations by taking his game to the next level.

At that time people were doubting  how good he would actually do.

Armada finally reached winner’s finals against Mang0 a match that was highly anticipated among the American crowd. It was USA’s best vs Europe’s best.

It was a match that would rewrite the eSports community and prove skill can be performed to a national level. And with a very close set an Armada victory in  winners’ final’s against Mang0, 3 games out of 5,  sent Mang0 to the loser’s bracket.

Mang0 then climbed through loser’s finals to face Armada once again in the final match in the tournament.

When a player proceeds to grand finals through winner’s bracket, the player that comes from loser’s bracket has to take two sets of that opponent in order to win.   If you don’t get the reasoning it’s because that player has yet to drop a set.

Mang0 has to take 2 sets off of Europe’s best player in order to take Genesis. And through his deep love for his country and his passion for his game. Mang0 clutches it out through 2 brutal sets and takes it over Armada.

The impact of this tournament begun a rivalry between Sweden and America and put the rest of the world on the map.

2011, Genesis 2 is announced to be in the same venue and area and feature even more competition than 2 years ago. Armada returns from Sweden to prove that the first sets him and Mang0 had played were just a lack of experience against the player and the he truly is the best player in the world. And he takes grand finals through winners side 3-2 without dropping a single set in the tournament.

The set count overall for Genesis is now 1-1 ties between Joseph and Adam.

5 years later, and a new player has arised on top. Melee now becoming a very popular game in this time thanks to things such as eSports teams supporting the game, popular podcasts such as “Melee it On Me. And mostly the release of the Smash Bros. Documentary which brought in a slew of new talent to the game in 2013. Armada known as the “terminator” by his rival Mang0.

“He comes to tournaments for one reason and one reason only. To win.”

Fan favorite Mang0 now receiving the nickname “the Buster” for his lackluster tournament results in 2014 and 2015. But with the return of an old tournament series and reviving an old rivalry. Mang0 is detirmined to take Genesis 3 in 2016.

Though fighting through a close set with the new Adam Lingren, he loses in the second set winning his first 3-1 and losing the second 1-3. Armada then proceeds to dominate in 2016 winning almost every national besides Evo 2016 (whom he lost to Team Liquid’s Hungrybox) and the Big House 6 (whom he lost to Mang0). Armada in 2016 only had dropped sets against the top 5 players in the world dubbed “The 5 Gods of Melee”.

2017 was looking to be a great year for Lingren going into Genesis 4. It was also looking good for Mang0 as well. Gaining a new couch under his team Cloud9, Daniel ‘Tafokints’ Lee.

Sunday finals. Armada vs Mang0 winners semis. Mango takes a game off of Adam, but he then proceeds to win the next 3 matches. Marquez is now sent to losers in Genesis 4 and has to fight through other top ten competitors such as TeamSoloMid William “Leffen” Hjelte, Team Liquid Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma, and Echo Fox/Most Valued Gaming Jason “Mew2king” Zimmerman. 

The finals between the two on one of the biggest stage in the Melee community. Grand finals, and to keep tradition Marquez fights through losers bracket to fight Lingren in a second set. The set ultimately goes to Alliance’s Adam “Armada” Lingren 3 games to none.

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