This weekend (July 30-31) marks a very special two-day Sumabato tournament. Held in Daito City, Osaka, Sumabato is the main gathering point for Kansai's Super Smash Bros. Wii U scene. It's always an interesting tournament to watch, but this time the stakes are higher and the competition is tougher. This is because Smashboards' own Alex "Vayseth" Varga has arranged to have the winner flown out to compete at The Big House 6 on October 7-9! For those who aren't aware, The Big House is shaping up to be one of the year's premier tournaments. This is a wonderful way to reach out to international players, and Smashers from all over have turned up in response.
Because the winner will be flown out to The Big House, this tournament will be using the official Big House ruleset. Japan is notorious (infamous?) for running best-of-1 round robin pools, but Sumabato for TBH will feature one large bracket with top 32 being best-of-5. It will be streamed on SHI Gaming. The increase in game count is a welcome change, as it means we'll get to see more of all the talented people in attendance. Speaking of talent, here are a number of players who could make it far in the final bracket, or even claim the title of champion:
Player Information
Komorikiri
won Sumabato 11 without dropping a set, showing that he still has what it takes to dominate an increasingly competitive region. His EVO placing was numerically poor, but literally anyone in the world could have lost to ZeRo and Dabuz. Besides Kamemushi and Earth, few players can boast an even or positive record against his fearsome Sonic & Cloud duo.Earth
was the 4th highest placing Japanese player at EVO (he finished 9th) and the highest-placing one to enter Sumabato for TBH. He was supposed to attend Umebura 24, but unfortunately had to drop out at the last minute. With many top Kanto Smashers visiting Kansai this weekend, this will be his chance to prove that he could have taken both events!SG|Rain
is one of the Kanto giants forecast to make an appearance. He backs up his formidable Cloud with a ferocious Diddy Kong to cover every relevant threat. He finished 2nd at Umebura 23, but had considerably less luck when travelling the US. He was also eliminated somewhat earlier than expected at Umebura 24. How he’ll perform next is anyone’s guess.DNG|Nietono
is also making an unusual Sumabato appearance. Unlike Rain, Nietono usually places quite well abroad. His recent US trip included a Xanadu win, 3rd at Apex 2016, and 13th at CEO 2016, though his EVO result was a little disappointing. He is also coming in off of a respectable 9th place finish at Umebura 24. Though a Diddy main, word has it that he is once again experimenting with other characters.Choco
recently found his stride again after a series of middling performances due to lack of practice. At Umebura 24, he managed 4th place despite an early trip to the losers’ bracket. Those who remember his dominance in the early stages of Smash Wii U will be happy to see him in top form again.Pichi
astonished everyone by winning Umebura 24. This is probably the best result for any solo Falcon main, and it seems appropriate that it should go to such a stylish player. Pichi manages to combine flashiness and efficiency in a way that few of his peers can rival. That’s not to say he has no rivals, because…YuriAIR, Souther, Tsu~ and Eda
will also be repping the Captain this weekend! All of these players are formidable threats. For instance, Tsu~ managed to beat Taiheita and finish 5th overall at Sumabato 10. The Sumabato series sure seems like a Falcon favorite.Ri-ma, Sigma and Hayato.
are the three best Toon Links in Japan. While Ri-ma once lagged behind the other two, he has the strongest recent results, including a 4th place finish at Karisuma 8. Now it’s impossible to tell who’s the best of the three. Unsurprisingly, they all placed similarly at Umebura 24.Atelier and Yuzu
return for a second consecutive weekend of stellar spacing. Though both players have top 4 finishes, neither did quite as well at Umebura 24. Atelier was eliminated early by Taiheita, who has proven to be his demon. Yuzu was unfortunate enough to run into Choco, though he still managed 9th place.No large event is safe from Mario! FILIP and Hikari
will ensure that this holds true for Sumabato. FILIP has made a number of top 8 appearances in Smash Wii U, but Hikari just made his first at Umebura 24 last weekend. With the caliber of talent in attendance, it will take especially high-level play for them to match those accomplishments.Aki and Takera
prove that Ryu is still alive in well in the Japanese metagame. Aki finished in an admirable 7th place at Sumabato 11; it appears his decision to focus on the world warrior over Sheik is paying off. Takera made 4th place at TUS Tournament 5, and elsewhere has proven to be Earth’s demon.What should we make of T
? He’s a Link main who, before last weekend, peaked at 13th place a year ago. No one could have predicted his Umebura 24 bracket run, which fell just short of victory and included the likes of Yui, Choco, and Umeki. It was the perfect opportunity almost fully-realized. T will have to play out of his mind to replicate that performance.HIKARU
is the young grappler prodigy who almost won Sumabato 10 and Karisuma 8. He finished 33rd at EVO; with Nairo and ESAM in his pool, this is about as good as any DK could manage. Though he’s shown few signs of slowing down, he’ll need all the momentum he can get coming into this event.Kie
’s performance has been up-and-down throughout Smash Wii U's history, but currently he’s the best Peach player by a considerable margin. Having finished 2nd at Sumabato 11 and 5th at Shulla-bra VII, he’s certainly been looking strong lately. That said, he still struggles somewhat against the uppermost echelon of players.Shuton
is Kyushu’s most feared Smasher and the perhaps the most accomplished Olimar player to date. He’s won all but one Shulla-bra he’s attended. He didn’t perform so well at Sumabato 11, but when he travelled to Umebura, he clawed his way to 2nd after being sent to losers’ in R1. Who knows what the weekend has in store for him?Recently, Tsu-
has been outplacing Motsunabe, meaning he could be Japan’s strongest Lucario. Last weekend he fought his way through Some, KEN, and Choco to claim 3rd place at Umebura 24. A few weeks prior he managed 5th at TUS Tournament 5. Perhaps next he’ll get his revenge on Pichi, who just double-eliminated him.You3
broke the previous 5th place record for Duck Hunt placings at Sumabato 11, where he finally finished in the top 4. With the other dogs all losing early at Umebura 24, he’s currently looking the strongest in terms of results. Yet leadership turnover in Japan’s dog pack is unusually quick, so he cannot rest on his laurels.While many people idolize Some, Oisiitofu
is arguably the strongest Greninja player Japan has. He doesn’t do as many flashy combos, but his neutral game is near-impeccable. He would have made bracket at KSB if not for the unusual format, and he finished 5th at the most recent Sumabato. Even to repeat that performance would be impressive.Taiheita
proves that his character has something over the more popular and accessible Ness. While Ness struggles drastically in a few matchups, z-air makes all the difference in the world. You can see some examples of its many uses in his sets with Atelier. He is registered to compete at Super Smash Con next month.ikep
remained loyal to Bayonetta after she was nerfed. Surprisingly, his performance improved; 3rd place at Sumabato 11 is one of his biggest accomplishments to date. Surprisingly, he’s been struggling vs. HIKARU, who’s knocked him into losers’ bracket on more than one occasion.Mangalitza
is mostly recognized for finishing 4th and sending Komorikiri to an early demise at Sumabato 10. Unfortunately, their rematch at Sumabato 11 went in Komo’s favor. Mangalitza has yet to replicate that impressive breakout, and this would be a good event at which to do so!Ginko
is a rare sighting, but he never disappoints when he does show up. He climbed to 4th place after an early loss at KSB 2016, where he notably focused on Mewtwo and R.O.B. rather than his previous main, Pac-Man. He also has a pocket Wii Fit Trainer: the ultimate sign of a flexible player!Tea
is undeniably stylish in his mastery of character-generated items. His last appearance was at Sumabato 9; he landed in 5th losing only to Earth. That was a long time and one patch ago, so it’ll be interesting to see if he still uses Bayonetta as frequently. His long set with Ginko goes to show just how much item control matters in Smash Wii U.Songn
is one of the best G&W players, rivalled only by Mexico’s Regi. He’s normally seen at Kanto tournaments and has some very impressive wins to his name. His recent showings at Umebura have been decent but not great, so he would surely like to get back into the top spots at Sumabato.It’s exciting that a veteran like Masashi
still finds enjoyment in competitive Smash. His Cloud play has come a long way. He managed 2nd place at Shulla-bra VII, and considering Shuton’s iron grip on Kyushu, that’s quite impressive. He also made it top 16 winners’ side at KSB 2016.Kisha
uses one of the more unusual character combinations you’re likely to see. It seems to work well for him, though; he snuck into the top 8 at TUS Tournament 5 and narrowly missed it at Umebura 24. It does seem like Bowser is decently suited to fight Mario and Sheik, two matchups that are rough for Mega Man.SHIG|9B
is an extraordinarily talented player who is nonetheless struggling to keep up. Despite winning a small tournament in Hirosuma 4, he’s yet to accomplish much else with his newest character. Of his numerous Smash Wii U mains, Bayonetta was probably the best fit for him, but he seems disinterested in her now that she can’t combo as well anymore.Long-time fans of Japanese Smash will be happy to hear this: Edge
makes his return at Sumabato for TBH! He previously quit out of frustration over DLC characters and his love for Splatoon, but it seems as if he’ll be giving this game another chance. It’s difficult to predict who he’ll use and impossible to tell how he’ll fare in bracket.Lucia, Lickey★ and KaPMk
Z~Tan and Ako
Chart-yatsu and Rampel
shky and Macho
Chiruchiru and Kei
OCEAN and Sopmo
Shachi
Shogun
Ruri
taranito
DIO
Fuwa
kept
Hatsuyuki
MASA
RIN
Nojinko
Sa
Dol
Rizeasu
Z~Tan and Ako
Chart-yatsu and Rampel
shky and Macho
Chiruchiru and Kei
OCEAN and Sopmo
Shachi
Shogun
Ruri
taranito
DIO
Fuwa
kept
Hatsuyuki
MASA
RIN
Nojinko
Sa
Dol
Rizeasu
Schedule & Stream Information
If you’re excited about this tournament and would like to tune in, check this schedule for approximate start times:
Day 1 (Saturday, July 30th):
Time
|
Event
10:45 a.m. | Pools start
TBD | Lunch break
5:00 p.m. | Pools finish
5:30 p.m. | Side event #1 starts
8:00 | Side event #1 endsDay 2 (Sunday, July 31st):
Time
|
Event
10:45 a.m. | Top 32 starts
TBD | Lunch break
4:00 p.m. | Main bracket ends
4:15 p.m. | Side event #2 starts
7:00 p.m. | Side event #2 ends
All listed times are GMT+9, putting them 13 hours ahead of Eastern Time (GMT-4) and 16 hours ahead of Pacific Time (GMT-7). If you're in the US, this means that it'll start Friday/Saturday night and run into Saturday/Sunday morning. As mentioned before, SHI Gaming will handle the streaming for both days. If it runs too late for you, you can always check out their stream archives or wait until they upload videos to their YouTube channel.10:45 a.m. | Pools start
TBD | Lunch break
5:00 p.m. | Pools finish
5:30 p.m. | Side event #1 starts
8:00 | Side event #1 ends
10:45 a.m. | Top 32 starts
TBD | Lunch break
4:00 p.m. | Main bracket ends
4:15 p.m. | Side event #2 starts
7:00 p.m. | Side event #2 ends
In any case, leave a comment and let us know if you're excited, if you'll be tuning in, and who you think will win!
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