It’s 2015, and the word is out: Smash is big, and it’s here to stay. Top players are getting sponsored by big-name eSports teams. Large tournaments have prize pots of thousands of dollars . Every top player trying to make it as Twitch streamer, building their audience and vying for the time – and dollars – of Smash fans everywhere.

But it didn’t always used to be like this. In earlier days, when Brawl had just came out and Melee appeared to be on its last legs, tournaments weren’t as well-documented as they are now. Recording setups were rare – rarer still was match commentary, something that is practically a requirement today. But the few places that did record matches regularly became bastions of the Melee scene. They didn’t do it for the money or fame; they did it because they loved the game. And no person illustrates that more clearly than HomeMadeWaffles.

For Fun, Not Glory

Brandon “HomeMadeWaffles” Collier was never really planning to get into Melee. “I started playing Melee in ’06. Originally I intended to just be a stunt dummy for my childhood friend so he could practice and get better; I really didn't have intentions of getting into the game like that.” But like so many others, Melee eventually drew him in, and he started to practice. After he met Phil, his fate was sealed. “When I moved near Phil, we basically played religiously. The rest is history.”

HomeMadeWaffles and Phil © MeleeItOnMe

For those who aren’t up on their Melee history, Phil (as he’s always been called; he’s never had a tag) is HMW’s best friend. Ever since they met, the two of them have been close. “We were always kind of cool through seeing each other at tournies,” Waffles said, “but once I moved near him we just clicked to the point where we would just kick it in general.” They complemented each other, in-game and out. “We’ve always been even in skill,” Waffles told me, “but its dope because we keep each other on point and it helps us improve against others. And yeah, personally he’s just the homie, so it’s really easy for us to just kick back, crack jokes, or even have a deep conversation.” The two of them are still tight – they even live together currently.

It’s important to mention Phil because he and Waffles were one of the most prolific commentary duos in early Smash history. “I’ll be the first to say that we didn't start the whole commentary thing by any means,” Waffles clarified. “I actually got the idea from watching Scar upload some matches from a Midwest tournament with commentary. I was uploading vids in NorCal and wanted to just be that guy, but when we tried it, nobody wanted to hop on.”

“So I just said f--k it and did it. Phil was the only one who was down to do it with me, and it just kind of became an expectation from people at that point that we would.”

And that’s how the story of NorCal began.

TheWaffle77

Oh yeah. And the Wombo Combo .

HMW is always the guy bringing people together © Brandon Collier

It’s no doubt that history happened on Waffles’ channel. But what may be even more impressive is the community it created in the process. “My channel gained weight at the time cause no one was uploading vids with commentary at the rate I was uploading, but I think what made us popular was just the feel of the videos. Even now, it’s kind of the only videos that gave you that feel that you’re actually in the room, even if all we did sometimes was yell and talk s--t.” Waffles is spot on here, too.

What he and Phil lacked in professionalism and political correctness (and they were lacking), they made up by making the viewer feel welcome. When you go back and watch SilentSpectre vs. Mango, you’re not listening to play-by-play or color commentary. You’re sitting in the crowd, watching a hype match with friends. Waffles and Phil didn’t have a big master plan when it came to videos. They just did it to do it - to have fun – and even when you watch the old videos now, it comes through clear as day.

Do It For The Love

While a lot of YouTube uploaders from back in the day have gone on to make it big in Melee, Waffles hasn’t elected to take that same path. “Around 2011 I really slowed down with Melee. Life caught up with me. In a good way though; I’d say I finally learned to man up and grind for myself.” Between struggles in school and his family moving cross-country, he was forced to put aside the fun he was having to tackle real life. “My whole family moved to Atlanta, but I didn't wanna move there so I started working a ton and just doing my best to stay afloat out here [in NorCal]. I was working at Dave and Buster’s and FedEx at the same time, then FedEx and Krispy Kreme, I worked for the A’s for a little while. Hella jobs. I probably moved like 4 or 5 times within that span too."

Waffles worked hard to keep himself going, but now that he’s stable, he’s back in the game and playing for fun, like he always did. “I’m definitely active right now. In between 2011 and now it's been off and on between work and random salty mood swings about the game,” he chuckled. “Right now though, I’ve been really trying to better myself as a player.” He likes to keep it light and fun. “Even if I don't get super good it's not like failing by any means for me. I gotta give myself perspective going into any match that I’m in because I like the game and wanna have fun with it. I’m not taking it so serious to a point where it's affecting me in a negative way.”

Waffles still comes to local tournaments like NCR © Bronze Archive

Even though Waffles is still around playing and commentating from time to time, his approach to the game is still decidedly old school. He ran one of the biggest channels in Melee for a time, but he never was looking to make the big bucks as a content creator. He appreciates the hustle – but he doesn’t love everything about how Melee has hit the big time. “I understand it; it's kind of a way of survival, and everyone wants to feel adequate and feel success in something. It just blows when people are walking on eggshells about it and dance around that fact. Everyone wants do it for the love ‘cause it's socially acceptable, and to a degree I’m sure they are, but I think in the process of that people forget how to treat others, you know? It’s hard to find that balance.”

The opening talked about every player striking out on their own, and it’s true: in this Internet age, every player or personality has the ability to strike out on their own and build an audience. But in gaming, especially in a game like Melee where tournaments and competitions happen in person, community is key. And if there’s one thing that modern Smash can learn from Waffles, it’s exactly how much community can do. “I think our vids tap into people’s emotions,” he told me. “You don't really learn s--t watching the old videos, but you’ll most likely feel a certain way after watching it.” What made Waffles' channel so special was the connection the viewer could make with the scene.

When asked his favorite part of his years in Smash, his first response didn’t have anything to do with the game. “The dinners after were always pretty cool. They were everyone’s way of winding down I felt. No matter how much people wanted to win or hated to lose, it was all love at the dinners.”

Those are the communities that Melee grew up in - communities made up of friends, love, and respect. So whether you're a streamer or a TO trying to build a young new community, take a page out of HomeMadeWaffles' book - just have fun. There's no better place to start than that.