Beyond the Metagame: A Smash Bros. Podcast

In an uncharacteristic change of heart, the BTM duo reconsiders the value behind playing low tier characters.

AV and Peon crossover between universes as they are joined by none other than Dan Fornace, creator of the indie platform fighter, Rivals of Aether. On the show, Dan paints the picture behind the inspiration for the game, why its characters are so vibrant, and why it's way more than Smash's younger brother.

This week, AV and Peon react to the announcement of The Hero and Banjo-Kazooie. How will these characters distinguish themselves? Will these characters play to your strengths? What do these announcements say about the future of Smash character DLC?

With AV and Peon's respective burnouts from parts of the Smash community, the two get down to business and figure out how to proactively combat this enduring issue.

AV meets his match as the casting duo are joined by introspective master and Captain Falcon extraordinaire, Fatality! To learn more about how we can optimize our brain for success, we pick Fatality's brain on his self awareness, methodical practice routines, and dedication to the F-Zero hero.

This week, AV and Peon discuss the most recent balance patch in Smash Ultimate's development life cycle. Who are the biggest winners and losers? What does this say about the balance philosophy going forward?

This week, our fearless duo talk about what tilt is, what causes it, and how we can address it to evolve into better versions of ourselves. However, when they get to talking about getting through tilt as a competitor, tensions arise as AV and Peon disagree on a pivotal talking point.

Join AV and Peon on their journey in breaking down the experience of traveling to other regions! Along the way, they highlight the pros and cons of competitive environments, the variety of regional subcultures, and the Prometheus principle. What's that?

As we move past the early days of Smash Ultimate, AV and Peon approach the concept of the dreaded plateau. In this episode, they talk about figuring out whether you're in one, learning how to move past them, and avoiding them in the future.

This week, we are joined by Maister, one of Mexico's best players and the best Game & Watch player in the world. He joins AV and Peon to talk about pushing the metagame of an unpopular character, staying positive through adversity, and proving to the world that tiers are meant to be broken.

Nintendo pulls a fast one on AV and Peon, releasing the patch with almost no warning! In this episode, the duo goes over their first impressions of Joker, balance changes, new content, and the patch's overall implications for Smash Ultimate's future.

In the season 3 premiere, AV and Peon discuss mental health with PhD Louie, a veteran of the Smash scene and studied academic. Dr. Louie goes into depth about how to calm tournament nerves and offers many practical solutions to some of the most difficult parts of playing the game competitively.

In true finale fashion, AV and Peon take on addressing the Smash community about the developments in the first quarter of Smash Ultimate. Join them as they talk about how characters, players, and techniques have developed, in addition to some of the things they have been thinking about lately.

This week, AV and Peon talk about what victories mean for your progress as a competitor, how to go about contextualizing them, and what to do when you think you've won it all.

In another solo mission, AV provides insight into how his dedication for serving the community supplied the motivation for creating a Smash Bros. podcast. Through the narrative, he takes us through his growth as a leader in the Smash community, giving some important perspective on what it takes to raise a community from the ground up.