HugS is a serious guy, with a serious game face © © Robert Paul/@tempusrob/rmpaul.com

No items, Fox only, Final Destination. A tired mantra poking fun at competitive Melee it may be, but behind every stereotype lies a glimmer of truth. As the game has evolved over time, the ‘viable’ cast of characters has shrunk; this is undeniably true. But not every top player has fallen to the 20XX virus. Hugo "HugS" Gonzalez is one of those players. A Samus main from the start, his play – and his life – have been different from that of his peers. But as different as his path in life may be, there's no better example of how a unique perspective can spawn great success.

This Is My Fun

HugS has been a competitor since the day he picked up a controller. “I started out playing with friends like most everyone else, except that I was also serious about it from the beginning.” HugS has never been one to half-ass something, much to the dismay of some of his early friends. “I don't typically like spending time doing something that I'm not gonna try to be good at. Even then I had friends asking 'don't you know how to have fun?' and I'd always answer, ‘this is my fun.’” But even if he was serious, HugS was still just a kid – something his character choice gives away when he explains it. “I started with Samus since struck me as the character that resembled a Dragonball Z character most closely. I loved her charge shot.” While it’s a bit of a stretch, the comparison makes sense; with her arsenal of missiles and charge shots, she could fit in with the Z Fighters with a little bit of imagination.

But once he got into the big leagues, his best-on-the-block overconfidence quickly wore off. “I was a neighborhood hero at the time, so I was already convinced I was the best in the world… but at my first tournament, I lost to Ken's 14 year old sister as he and his brother sat on the couch watching. 2nd round of losers.” To HugS, that loss was motivation to improve, and he quickly fell in love with the tournament scene. “My experience was great from the beginning. I kind of shot up the ranks pretty quickly. I approached the game at an angle that others weren't. I didn't know how to describe it at the time, because everyone just placed all smash knowledge into two buckets back then: ‘tech skill’ and ‘mindgames’. My style fell into the ‘mindgame’ category, but in retrospect, I was exploring earlier aspects of the neutral game and positioning, which carried me for many years.”

HugS, with TheCrimsonBlur © © Robert Paul/@tempusrob/rmpaul.com

The Samus Approach

HugS isn’t just talking himself up here. A quick look at some of his matches will illustrate what he means when he talks about spacing; while most characters in Melee have strong rushdown or pressure options, Samus simply… doesn’t. Instead of combos and pressure, HugS uses single jabs, forward tilts, and strong spacing to keep his opponent at bay – and out of their element. “I look at Samus players like people who have lost a certain sense. They lack the aerial approach options and speed of a character like Fox, so they compensate through a heightened priority placed on positioning. I try to make myself stupid hard to hit.” He likens it to another one of his interests – combat sports. “I try to stuff moves, in the same way boxers use jabs to control space and tempo. I don't want to give anyone anything for free.”

This style of play only succeeds when HugS is constantly outsmarting his opponents. Luckily for him, that’s what he lives for. “I grew up as a kid who was told he was smart. As a kid with asthma, I felt like my intelligence was a strength I could leverage over anything physical. It might explain why I feel so much satisfaction in those moments when I casually walk up and grab someone with Samus’ incredibly slow grab, while being one hit away from losing a set. That moment of high risk when I know my opponent isn’t mentally in a place to see that coming, and the confidence it takes to put it all on the line – that moment is way more satisfying to me than a well executed zero to death.”

Ever The Businessman

HugS prides himself on his intelligence, and for good reason. His smarts have gotten him a lot farther in life than into Grand Finals – it’s also landed him some big-time jobs. “I formerly worked in Public Accounting at a Big 4 firm. In basic terms, my job is to make sure that when a company says they make 10 billion dollars, they mean it. We make sure that there's a level of trust that allows the stock markets to run, and so that people can make financial decisions on solid information.” His work is far from child’s play, and it’s a large commitment, too. His first job clocked in at a whopping 70 hours per week, during which he still found time to play Melee and attend the occasional tournament. HugS is much happier with his current job, which clocks in at 40 hours per week, but that doesn’t mean he’s not still busy. Even with full time work and practice, he’s always looking to put more on his plate. The latest addition to his repertoire is streaming. “With work, gym, weekend tournaments, and practice, it's hard for me to stream. I do it twice a week at least. It's not paying off how I want it to, which makes it all the more difficult to dedicate time to it. But I don't quit, so I'll figure things out.”

Despite his professional success, HugS is just as proud of his gaming career, a fact he isn’t afraid to share with anyone. “It's getting to the point where you're being left behind if you're unable to grasp that eSports is a real thing that will only get bigger,” he believes. “My parents get it, I put it on my resume and discuss it during interviews, and it's a day one topic of conversation on any date I go on.”

Dedication

HugS isn't defined by Melee like some of his compatriots, and is happy to have interests outside the game. "I'm a food, movie, and beer dude. I spend money like an idiot sometimes. Some people would say I'm a good friend. Some would say I'm a nice guy, others would say I'm a lovable a--hole." But like so many other top players, HugS has an intense devotion to the game he grew up playing.

"When I'm with my Melee friends, we end up talking about this at the bar after a few drinks every time. For every situation you can think of, something counters it, and it's not obvious either. Some kind of slick positioning gets you there, or some sly conditioning. None of it comes easily. It's a constant challenge, a constant learning experience, and just a whole lot of fun without compromising anything competitive, unlike other games.” He loves the constantly evolving mental aspect, and that suits him. In a thinker's game, HugS is one of the brightest thinkers of all - and that's an impressive feat by any measure.

Check back next Tuesday for another installment of Friendlies, our weekly series chronicling the people of the Smash community.