Genesis, one of the most prestigious international tournaments in the fighting game scene, held its “X2″ edition in San Jose, California this weekend. The tournament offered high-octane gameplay and crazy upsets, but the greatest story came out of the Super Smash Bros. Melee bracket, where an old god finally awakened.
After a two-and-a-half-year victory dry spell, content creator and Melee legend Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma was ready for a new tournament win - earned in spectacular fashion. The victory was met with community appraisal, with Hungrybox returning the favor by announcing a streaming marathon focused around fight game competition with his Genesis earnings added to the prize pool.
An easy bracket for an old god
Melee enjoyers will recognize Hungrybox as one of the game’s « Five Gods » - a title given to five players that defined and dominated the competitive Melee scene throughout the 2010s, with tournament finals almost always featuring a faceoff between two of them.
While the “Era of the Gods ” has ended, Hungrybox never officially retired from the competitive Melee scene unlike fellow gods Adam “Armada” Lindgren, Kevin “PPMD” Nanney, and Jason “Mew2King” Zimmerman. However, much like other remaining god Joseph “Mang0″ Marquez, Hungrybox’s level has since been matched by newcomers on the scene, and tournament wins have become more scarce. That is not to say that the gods are completely defeated, as Mang0 was ranked 3rd and Hungrybox 7th in the SSBMRank 2024 ranking, but domination is not the name of the game anymore. Yet, the title still holds its weight to this day.
During this Genesis edition, Hungrybox showed why he is considered to be one of the top 3 Melee players of all time, going on a 21-2 run with a 19 game win streak all the way to the tournament’s Top 8. Notable wins during this run included a 3-1 against rank nine Joshman, 3-1 against rank 19 Junebug, and a 3-0 against rank 99 salami.
A surprising Top 8
Top 8 offered an unexpected spectacle as rank 12 Justin “Wizzrobe” Hallett and rank 11 Alvaro “Trif” Garcia Moral instantly knocked Hungrybox and Mang0 to the Loser’s bracket. In Loser’s semifinals, the two gods met back for a showdown like the old days. Despite coming from a win over rank two Cody Schwab in Loser’s Quarter-Finals, Mang0’s Fox was no match for Hungrybox’s Jigglypuff, ultimately falling 3-1. The two gods shook hands amicably and Hungrybox took a deep breath, seemingly preparing for what was to come.
This win prompted a rematch between Wizzrobe and Hungrybox in the loser’s finals. The match was extremely close, with both players exchanging blows down to the ultimate stock. Yet, Hungrybox seemed to remain untouchable. What was a swift 3-0 for Wizzrobe in the opening Top 8 game turned into a 3-2 Hungrybox victory when it was do or die. After the final blow, the veteran sprung to his feet to celebrate, visibly content but also letting out a big sigh of relief.
The return of the God
The relief was short lived as Hungrybox put his game face back on to face off Trif in Grand Finals. During this first game, Hungrybox was now visibly riled up, often reacting dramatically to wins or losses and looking back to the crowd during games when performing impressive moves. Yet throughout the theatrics, the old god convincingly reset the bracket in an electric 3-2 victory.
Hungrybox did not show any signs of stopping his momentum. As he held a single finger in the air representing the one final hurdle he needed to overcome, the crowd cheered like never before. In this final game, Hungrybox seemed to return to his godlike days. His Jigglypuff mechanics were calculated and impossible to breach, ultimately pushing Trif to his limits in a sweeping 3-1 victory.
This seemingly unstoppable run hit its apex during game four as a commanding two-stock lead made the veteran burst into tears, realizing he was about to win. Through the tears, he was able to land another combo to put Trif on his last stock. After a wake up call as Trif took a stock back, Hungrybox dialed in and finished the job.
When Trif lost his final stock, the god fell to the ground in tears, as the crowd rose to its feet, basking in the greatness of his Genesis victory and renewed success.
Hungrybox showed that old gods are never truly buried, and victory continues to matter even after over ten years of playing Melee professionally. The renewal of Hungrybox’s success at an event like the prestigious Genesis tournament is nothing short of spectacular - and he put on a fantastic show.
After his win, he announced “The Hungry Games” - a streaming marathon celebrating fighting games, with his Genesis X2 tournament earnings added to the prize pool. Hungrybox’s victory ended in unified camaraderie in the Melee community, with two gods in Mang0 and Mew2King congratulating Hungrybox for his achievements, past and present.