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Friendlies: Scar, The People's Champ
From killing Mufasa to commentating at the biggest tournaments in the world, Scar has done it all.
Scar at the commentary desk
© © Robert Paul/@tempusrob/rmpaul.com
Melee is a game that's been around the block a few times. Along the way, people who look to stand out have chosen specialties in order to succeed - some practice as hard as they can to be the best, others organize events, and yet others commentate. But very rarely has the Melee community had someone who can do all three, and more. Bobby "Scar" Scarduzio is one of those people. As a top Captain Falcon, one of the founders of Melee It On Me, and an excellent commentator, Scar is The Most Electrifying Man In Smash.
We Need To Hit This Level
Scar has been playing Melee for over thirteen years. He started off playing with one of his childhood friends - the two of them were hooked, always finding time to play against each other. Together, the two of them played Melee for years, without ever considering the possibility of a deeper competitive game. “Melee for us was all about Link vs. Ganon on Hyrule from 2002 to 2006 or so.” But during college, both of them eventually learned that there was more waiting for them. “I went to college near Connor, and he introduced me to the Drexel Game Lounge. He was like, ‘dude, there are people there who are way better than me at Super Smash Bros. Melee,’ and I was like ‘what the f—k, no way – we’re the best in the world.’” But unfortunately for Scar, when he got there, Cactuar was waiting for him. “I got destroyed, and after that I was hooked.”
All too often top players are considered prodigies and wunderkinds, but it’s reassuring to know that many of them were just regular players until they hit the big time. Scar is a perfect example of that. “This is one of my strongest memories that I have of when I was a complete noob and didn't know anything about competitive Melee. I read something on Smash Wiki that said that Roy is stronger and slower at casual levels, but at top levels Roy is actually weaker and faster. I remember saying to Connor, ‘Dude... what is this other level? We need to hit this level.’”
The Most Electrifying Man In Smash
A year after his first competitive encounter, Scar burst onto the national scene 2008 with his first Captain Falcon combo video, titled ‘I Killed Mufasa.’ It was a powerful showcase of what Captain Falcon could do, but it originated from one of Scar's biggest weaknesses: having his matches recorded. “I realized that I got extremely nervous whenever I was on a recording setup, and so I started taking my laptop with me wherever I went. I basically only played while being recorded, so I learned to deal with the stress pretty quickly. Since I had all that footage of myself playing, it was pretty common-sense to put together a highlight reel.”
The video showed off his ability to take combos all the way to death – something Scar worked for above all else. “I basically lived and breathed follow-ups, and I dreamed of ways of extending combos in situations where no one else knew how to follow up. I actually remember being on a vacation in Florida with my then-girlfriend, studying videos of my play on my laptop in a restaurant.” He was dedicated to being the most powerful offensive force in the game, and it showed. Scar only needed a few openings to win a game, and the pressure of that knowledge alone was often enough to crumble even the most even-headed opponent.
True Dedication
Scar continued to improve until he was undisputedly the best in his region. Unfortunately for him, his region wasn't very big, meaning that competition was scarce. “Driving two hours for a fifteen man local was basically what I did every two weeks.” But even without a big scene, Scar made the best of what he had. “Even though there were only 15 people at the tourney, I could always upload the videos and read the YouTube comments. It wasn't much, but it helped me feel connected to a larger community.”
Melee was a huge part of Scar’s life. “I think being a TO and being a part of the Melee community was where I put all of my constructive energy, since I wasn’t being constructive at all in college.” Even without a large scene, Scar kept the dream alive out of sheer love for the game. “It sucks being in a small scene, but I knew what Melee meant to me. Melee was my life.” As a player, Scar continued to be a big name, but he never truly broke into the elite. His most notable showing was at Genesis in 2009, where he climbed all the way to 5th in singles and 2nd in teams with Darc, a Jigglypuff main from New England.
Scar was the MC for the Apex 2015 Salty Suite
© © Robert Paul/@tempusrob/rmpaul.com
Melee It On Me
While Scar will always be remembered as one of the premier Captain Falcons of his time, the contributions he’s made to Melee outside of the game are an even bigger part of his story. Melee It On Me, the organization that truly thrust Melee into the spotlight, was his brainchild. After Revival Of Melee 5, a tournament mired in controversy, Scar reached out to several community figures about doing a podcast that focused on community issues. “After ROM 7, I proposed the idea to Prog. I was inspired by ‘State of the Game,’ an SC2 podcast. I really thought it could take off for Melee, so I put a lot of time into making it good.” The Melee It On Me podcast was the beginning of what is now the premiere Melee organization in the world: made up of prominent TOs, players, commentators and a certain Melee statistician, MIOM is a shining example of exactly how much a few dedicated community members can do for their game.
That podcast is one that Scar won’t soon forget. His Skype icon is still a picture of Goku holding the Spirit Bomb – a reminder of the day that put Melee on the map for good.
Scar always has a good time behind the mic
© © Robert Paul/@tempusrob/rmpaul.com
In The Booth
Scar’s work with Melee It On Me has done worlds of good for the game, but he’s gotten some great things out of it as well. Without MIOM, he would have never become the commentator we all know and love today. “MIOM was the reason that I tried to commentate in the first place. If you actually go back and watch MIOM #1, I was extremely nervous. The last time I had commentated was ROM 1, which is universally considered some of the worst commentary to exist.” But while he started the podcast timid, he came out of it with the confidence he needed to get behind the mic again. “I kinda found my voice through hosting MIOM, and fell in love with commentating. Basically every time I’ve done it I’ve felt energized, excited, and happy.” Over the last few years, Scar has been present at the lion’s share of major tournaments, and can often be found commentating with his MIOM compatriot and good friend, Toph.
The Game That Never Died
Between a wife and a job at Twitch, Scar isn’t able to play Melee as much as he used to. But when he does, he still sees every match as a learning experience. His latest tutor is actually another game entirely: Street Fighter. “[Early on,] I was totally obsessed and focused on improving my combo game. The downside of that was that I didn’t develop any other part of my game. Neutral was all about putting moves out hoping for a hit. But in my Street Fighter journey, I’ve realized that playing off of the opponent is absolutely critical. I’ve been developing my spacing, which is essential to post-grab situations.” Even after playing for thirteen years, Scar is finding new ways to improve.
It’s those kinds of things that make Scar so passionate about securing the future of Melee. “I remember someone told me that he felt it was possible for Melee to be ‘The Game That Never Died.’ Smash is a very special genre, but I don’t see any other Smash version really doing what Melee does for fighting games.” He hopes that Melee will be around for a long time – and hopes that the community will continue to support the big names, as well as the up-and-comers. “I hope that Melee keeps giving back to its top players. Imagine a world without Mango, Armada, PPMD, M2K, and Hbox - our 'Top 15' players are amazing, but we've seen tournies without the old guard of the Gods and they just aren't the same.”
One thing is for sure: wherever the game goes, Scar will be there, helping it along every step of the way. “I just hope that I keep doing good things for the community. I hope I can keep learning and growing, as a commentator and a community leader. Melee, both as a game and as a community, has given me so much, and I want to give back in whatever way I can.”
Check back next Tuesday for another installment of Friendlies, our weekly series profiling the Smash community.
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