Beyond the Metagame: A Smash Bros. Podcast

AV and Peon tackle the concept of Protagonist Syndrome. How do we avoid the pitfalls of focusing solely on our own progress? How does one optimally track their own improvement? Socials:AV: @AVaidyanathaPeon: @Peon_BTMBTM: @beyondmetagameClick here to join our Discord!Or follow this link: https://discordapp.com/invite/xDu3tt5Beyond the Metagame is a Super Smash Brothers podcast that deals with how to both improve and enjoy the game more without ever touching a controller. Every week, Abhi Vaidyanatha (AV) and Dane Hartog (Peon) tackle one important piece to the puzzle of maximizing your potential as a competititor, breaking down the importance of leveling up your mind and body in parallel with your in-game techniques. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

AV and Peon spend some time discussing the events of the past year. Contents may include: paleontology, a patented Ness down-air, cultural optimism, and why you should never downplay your own successes. Socials:AV: @AVaidyanathaPeon: @Peon_BTMBTM: @beyondmetagameClick here to join our Discord!Or follow this link: https://discordapp.com/invite/xDu3tt5Beyond the Metagame is a Super Smash Brothers podcast that deals with how to both improve and enjoy the game more without ever touching a controller. Every week, Abhi Vaidyanatha (AV) and Dane Hartog (Peon) tackle one important piece to the puzzle of maximizing your potential as a competititor, breaking down the importance of leveling up your mind and body in parallel with your in-game techniques. Interlude music: spiritual awesomeness - Ben OhrCheck out Ben Ohr on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4RTUllFdPttQHfthpDXKoG?si=bG0z2a0BR_yKqoQG9igeNg ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

AV and Peon embark on a journey to talk about Sora, slowly descending into madness as they look back at all the DLC characters that have been released for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.Socials:AV: @AVaidyanathaPeon: @Peon_BTMBTM: @beyondmetagameClick here to listen to the Smash Bros Cast Episode with Peon and AV.Check out Fraymakers here!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondthemetagameClick here to purchase BTM merch!Click here to join our Discord!Or follow this link: https://discordapp.com/invite/xDu3tt5Beyond the Metagame is a Super Smash Brothers podcast that deals with how to both improve and enjoy the game more without ever touching a controller. Every week, Abhi Vaidyanatha (AV) and Dane Hartog (Peon) tackle one important piece to the puzzle of maximizing your potential as a competititor, breaking down the importance of leveling up your mind and body in parallel with your in-game techniques. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Socials:AV: @AVaidyanathaPeon: @Peon_BTMBTM: @beyondmetagameSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondthemetagameClick here to purchase BTM merch!Click here to join our Discord!Or follow this link: https://discordapp.com/invite/xDu3tt5Beyond the Metagame is a Super Smash Brothers podcast that deals with how to both improve and enjoy the game more without ever touching a controller. Every week, Abhi Vaidyanatha (AV) and Dane Hartog (Peon) tackle one important piece to the puzzle of maximizing your potential as a competititor, breaking down the importance of leveling up your mind and body in parallel with your in-game techniques. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The dream team is back and ready... to play Super Smash Bros. Melee. The two discuss the joys of learning Melee in 2021 with the fewer matchups, plethora of training resources, and great online support. Additionally, they discuss the state of Smash Ultimate and what it will be like to return to local tournaments in the upcoming months.Socials:AV: @AVaidyanathaPeon: @Peon_BTMBTM: @beyondmetagameSupport us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondthemetagameClick here to join our Discord!Or follow this link: https://discordapp.com/invite/xDu3tt5Beyond the Metagame is a Super Smash Brothers podcast that deals with how to both improve and enjoy the game more without ever touching a controller. Every week, Abhi Vaidyanatha (AV) and Dane Hartog (Peon) tackle one important piece to the puzzle of maximizing your potential as a competititor, breaking down the importance of leveling up your mind and body in parallel with your in-game techniques. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

AV and Peon wake up from their collective fever dream and realize that Steve from Minecraft has in fact been confirmed for Smash. Suspending their disbelief, they address this wild addition to the already stacked roster.

Coach Zeke, the legendary coach behind many top players' rise to prominence, comes on the show to teach AV and Peon a thing or two. Listen to the trifecta talk about the journey from expert to master, key aspects holding your play back mentally, and how to approach re-contextualizing coping mechanisms.

In the season finale, AV and Peon revisit the original premise of Beyond the Metagame. The two reflect on the benefits of pursuing competitive Smash as a hobby and explore what is preventing many community members from leveraging these lessons learned.

Out of nowhere, the Smash community has been blessed with a new stage, upgraded online functionality, and updates to Elite Smash requirements. Listen to the BTM hosts interpret what these changes mean for the online Smash scene!

As the dust slowly settles around our changed world, AV and Peon ponder the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on competitive Smash, training routines, and their main characters.

With AV and Peon having a few weeks to take in the patch, the fearless duo are ready to share their opinions on Sakurai's recent shake-up. Tune in to hear their thoughts on Min Min, character buffs, and Peon's new dangerous hobby!

The name Dabuz in the Smash community is synonymous with consistent, methodical, and intelligent. This week, listen in to hear us pick the brain of Smash's most studious player to find out how Dabuz got these qualities, what he recommends for students of the game, and where his famous food opinions came from!

With Sakurai blessing us through another character reveal, AV and Peon take to the airwaves to discuss their first thoughts. After a long discussion about the new character, the hosts also share their thoughts on Melee's upgraded netplay service: Project Slippi.

Today the BTM hosts get the opportunity to speak with Korean, TSM's coach for Smash. Listen in to hear him drop knowledge about his coaching strategies with Tweek and Leffen, problems that he sees in all mid level players, and hear his take on recognizing potential.

AV and Peon address the Smash community's obsession with the overblown question of nature vs. nurture in their attempt to end this conversation once and for all.

AV and Peon are all fired up due to one of the most notoriously abused concepts in the Smash community: aggression. Where is it useful? What is it? Are you too aggressive? Find out on this contentious episode!

This week, AV and Peon take some calls from the BTM community. We chat with each caller about a problem they may be having, and we get to the bottom of it.

This week, AV and Peon talk about cheating on Smash. At what point is spending time with other games or other hobbies detrimental to Smash goals? How do we best leverage time away from Smash to fulfill our improvement goals?

AV and Peon talk camping. What about defensive play makes it so frustrating to deal with? What does this say about our mid-match psychology? When can camping be best utilized to win an important set or to tilt your opponent past the edge?

AV and Peon breakdown the newest iteration of Project M, "Project+." Who is this game for, what are our impressions, and is it worth your time?

This week, AV and Peon discuss whether the concept of being carried is something we should give any credence to, and if so, how to know if you are carried. The team dives into the weeds, examining if this concept is only meant to be derogatory, or if there deeper implications that we may leverage to improve.

With the recent global pandemic, your home is now the main venue for improving at Smash! In this topical season opener, AV and Peon dive into getting the most out of playing Smash alone, analyzing the pitfalls of solo play, their thoughts about WiFi, and if online tournaments are worth your time.

Thinking about switching mains? What's gonna be different? What will stay the same? AV and Peon tackle all the hard questions for you in your journey to make one of the hardest changes to your Smash Bros gameplay.

Byleth and their arsenal have been deployed to the Smash battlefield. Join AV and Peon as they discuss the new addition to the smash roster, the gamut of balance changes made to the game, and a recap of their respective Genesis experiences.

Peon and AV react to the newest addition to the roster, Byleth! Who is this character for? What will their place in the meta be? All will be answered and more in this week's episode.

Peon hits the therapy couch again as AV walks him through his recent slump. Through this, the two lay down a game plan for diagnosing, accepting, and treating rough patches in your gameplay.

Our co-hosts take on the challenge of producing a retrospective on the narratives, development, and highlights of Super Smash Bros. through the last ten years. In this episode, they break down the stories told through the game to underline the importance of narrative in a burgeoning esport.

This week, AV and Peon discuss GimR's new technology and its relevance to the metagame. Later, the two breakdown the concept of cheese, and debate when and if it is worth complaining about.

Beyond the Metagame celebrates Smash Ultimate's one year anniversary with a retrospective on expectations, lessons learned, and game experience highlights.

This week, Peon and AV have some fun with their second annual Thanksgiving special. The hosts give thanks regarding their favorite aspects of Smash Bros in and out of the game.

Today, Sports Psych Steve returns to share his wisdom regarding how to bring your "A" game even when the pressure is at its highest. The hosts and Steve also explain the benefits of applying Sports Psychology to gaming, and reframe the importance of motivation.

Terry Bogard has entered the building, and with him arrive a slew of low tier buffs. AV and Peon give their initial feedback on the character roster's newest addition, while also reacting to the buffs that came packaged with 6.0.

AV and Peon open their minds up to new perspectives as they are joined by famed Melee player, commentator, and smash icon Toph! Through the episode, the hosts leverage Toph's vast culmination of smash knowledge to build out dialogue around crossing between different smash games, writing compelling narratives around smash players, and understanding how different individuals approach the game in unique ways.

AV and Peon discuss the upcoming Smash Ultimate Summit tournament, diving into their expectations of each event and reigniting their old gambling habits.

AV and Peon explore the idea of taking responsibility for one's own gameplay, strolling down memory lane to find the memories that evolved their perspective on owning up to their mistakes. The BTM duo dive into what it takes to accept loss, how we can re-frame our poor experiences, and why caring about things is not just for tryhards.

For once, AV and Peon get the chance to fire off their many hot takes with reckless abandon as they get together to decide what's hot and what's not. Watch the duo square off in a few rounds of debate around some relevant and controversial topics in the Smash scene such as Doubles vs. Squad Strike, Lylat Cruise, Mr. Game & Watch, and much more.

In a classic BTM adventure, AV and Peon take a trip to the spirit world to classify the many different types of "bracket demons." In doing so, they look into their past, present, and future to formulate battle plans for the different challenging players that may come your way.

This week, Peon dives into analyzing his long break from Smash; it's not pretty. In turn, AV helps Peon form a plan of action to shake off the rust, spawning a discussion about the benefits from breaks in your play and how to best return to form.

This week, AV and Peon are joined by none other than the Phenomenal EE, famed Super Smash Bros. caster known for his enthralling performances on the mic. The BTM duo uncovers EE's thoughts about his own commentary style, the state of esports, and the path he took to the top.

In the Season 4 opener, AV and Peon are blessed with a content-filled Nintendo Direct, a brand new patch, and a new addition to the roster! The BTM boys unpack the release of Banjo and react to the reveal of the latest character in development, Terry Bogard!

In the Season 3 finale, AV and Peon recall some of their favorite experiences in the Smash community, talk about what brings us all together, and play back some wholesome stories from listeners like you.

In the inevitable sequel to Peon's character dilemma, AV starts to question his loyalty to Donkey Kong. On this episode, Peon talks AV through his quest to find a notable replacement or companion to the king of the jungle.

On this week's episode, the BTM squad analyzes Hero, the brand new Smash Ultimate DLC character! The two go over their initial thoughts of the character, his general viability, and whether or not he's a healthy addition to the competitive metagame.

AV and Peon catch up with their fellow podcast creators, N64Josh and Nightcrawlr, hosts of the Smash Bros Cast. In a wonderful fireside chat, the BTM co-hosts find out what Josh and Crawlr have been doing lately, their reasons for ending the show, and their best tips for improving as a new player.

With recent events displaying unbecoming behavior from members of the Smash community, AV and Peon stop to reflect on the values that they stand for, the true nature of the Smash community, and the things you can do to make the ecosystem a more positive place.

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?