Looking like it will be the third largest Smash 4 tournament ever to take place in Japan, the Sumabato NicoNico Qualifiers are sure to showcase some of the finest Smash the country has to offer! The top 3 players from this event automatically qualify for the Nintendo-sponsored niconico Championship in January of 2016 and those who placed top 3 in the Umebura Qualifiers cannot compete in either so we'll get to see some new names in grand finals!
Unsurprisingly this has some amazing players coming out to compete. With Cloud recently released it is sure to shake up the event as well. Here are some of the top threats to watch for at the event.
Komorikiri
With his personal demon Ranai and perpetual rival Choco already qualified, Komorikiri is the likely favorite to win the tournament. He finished 4th at the recently-held Umebura qualifiers, just barely missing the cutoff. But this doesn't seem to have discouraged him one bit, and he continues to develop his skills further. In fact, he recently debuted a surprisingly proficient Cloud at Pre-KVO this past weekend. While he only finished 5th, this was in part because he refused to use Sonic at all! This weekend he will likely return to his main, but he also has a nasty surprise for people who aren't well-adjusted to the new patch.Edge
The most consistent and proficient Sheik player in Japan is looking for a qualifying spot. He is undoubtedly hungry for this win, as his most recent appearance (a large single-elimination tournament held at Kyoto University) involved an uncharacteristically poor finish outside of top 16. Furthermore, he was unable to attend the Umebura qualifiers, so this is his one and only chance to qualify. But when you are as talented as Edge and you main the best character in the game, that may just not matter.Abadango
Along with Ranai, Abadango is perhaps the most well-known and beloved of Japanese players. He won the hearts of competitors and spectators everywhere with his consistently incredible and innovative Pac-Man and Wario play. However, after placing inconsistently in his home country, he found newfound success by yet again changing focus to a new character. Yes, you heard that right: Abadango is a Meta Knight main now. He has said that he will be using MK in as many matches as possible, though it is possible that we will still see his Rosalina (and Pac?) as counterpick characters. Whatever the case may be, Abadango has shown that he is highly dangerous and entertaining no matter what character he is playing.9B
Known as one of the best, if not the best, Ryu players in the world, 9B is another player you shouldn't be at all surprised to see in finals. Originally known as the best Ice Climbers player during the Brawl era, his continued technical innovation has once again vastly improved the reputation of his chosen main. While he has yet to place top 4 at a large major event, this is largely because he struggles against heavy projectile users such as Ranai. Like Komorikiri, his odds are dramatically improved without his personal demon competing. However, he will need to bring his A game like he did at Umebura F.A.T. if he wants to qualify, as a number of other players can beat him if he doesn't.Aki
Aki has gone through several mains throughout the course of Smash 4: first Luigi, then Sheik, and now Ryu. He has wins against virtually all of Japan's best players, and yet he is always looking for new competitive edges in terms of character advantage. His recent performances have been rather lackluster, however. Like Edge, he finished outside of the top 16 at Kyoto University. And just this past weekend, he was foolish enough to think he could handle 9B in the Ryu ditto, leading to a 7th place finish at Pre KVO. But as long as he picks the right character for the job, he has a very good chance to place well this weekend.Earth
Earth is fresh off his first tournament win ever in Smash 4. At Pre KVO, he double-eliminated Ranai with Pit and displayed a very potent pocket Fox against another Pit player. As a result, he proposed to and will finally marry his longtime girlfriend and fellow Smash player Fuwa. However, he's not ready to go home and be a family man just yet. Earth is not content with a regional win; he is now looking to win a national championship.Nietono
Previously known as the strongest Olimar player in Brawl, Nietono has never quite found his niche in Smash 4. He mained Sheik, drowned in pools playing Mii Brawler at EVO, then was going to main Fox. After all of this, he seems to have settled on Diddy as his most serious character. But even now, he is notorious for playing a number of characters less seriously. He's even used Game & Watch in Grand Finals of a singles tournament, and has had some success in doubles with Jigglypuff. But a tournament like this one is no time for goofing off, so let's hope for his sake that he stays mostly Diddy this time.Umeki and Kie
Japan's two most lethal Peach players are both attending the Sumabato qualifiers. Of the two, Umeki is probably slightly more well-known, and managed to break into the top 16 at Umebura F.A.T. by eliminating Rain. Kie has made fewer tournament appearances, but his accomplishments include a win over Ranai, so it would be very foolish to count him out. Unfortunately, only Umeki will be attending Genesis, so if you want to know who's truly better you'd better pay attention to this tournament!Rain, Nyanko, and J!
Japan's former #1 player is now ranked only 9th, but that doesn't mean he should be counted out entirely. Part of his problem seems to be the Sheik ditto, which he has recently lost to both Nyanko and J! among others. Those two both made it far in bracket after taking down the former titan, but they still failed to secure a spot in finals after doing so. Japan is teeming with high-level Sheiks, so it is necessary to be an exceptional one in order to get consistent results. All three of these players are looking to do just that this weekend. Don't be too surprised if you end up seeing a Sheik in finals that isn't Edge.ikep
ikep is most famous for beating Ranai twice at a Karisuma event this summer. However, he kind of fell off after that, attaining mediocre placements and even losing to characters against whom Rosalina has a sound advantage. However, he recently finished in a strong 4th place at Pre KVO, beating the likes of OCEAN and Komorikiri but losing twice in rematches vs. Ranai. ikep is looking to carry this momentum to reach new heights this weekend.Shuton
Shuton (a.k.a. "Flying Shoe") is the strongest player on the Island of Kyushu and has won the past three regional tournaments held there. He rarely travels, but he has finished top 8 at a previous Sumabato event. Because he doesn't interact much with mainland Japanese players, it's hard to form well-calibrated opinions about his skill level. But the way in which he dominates the local competition suggests that he is a sleeper threat going into this tournament. Just don't think he's a shoe-in for a high placement.taranito
Japan's strongest Ness player is easily taranito. He finished 3rd at Umebura 19, the event right before Umebura F.A.T. Though he wasn't quite able to crack top 16 there or at the recently-held qualifiers, he did rack up an impressive body count on his way through those brackets. He probably wants to avoid ikep and other high-level Rosalina players, but even in that matchup he should not be regarded as doomed. taranito could cause problems for top players, or he could end up barely falling short. Unfortunately, his fans aren't psychic like his main.Ginko
With Abadango using less Pac-Man (and possibly abandoning him altogether), Ginko is probably the best hope that Namco has. He may not attend tournaments frequently, but when he does show up he impresses people. He has finished 3rd at a previous Sumabato event, and managed to sneak into the top 16 at Umebura F.A.T. This Pac-main also has a strong R.O.B. for counterpicking purposes, and has even used Mewtwo against Ranai before (unfortunately, he lost). With the new Mewtwo buffs, will we be seeing more of that character from him?SH and Shogun
These two players are two of the strongest Fox players and Japan. SH frequently places well at Karisuma events and even cracked top 4 at Kyoto University. Shogun converted to Fox from Diddy, and has since managed to take sets from strong players like Kie. Unfortunately, neither player did especially well at the Umebura qualifiers last month, so both are looking to prove themselves the better Fox.OCEAN
OCEAN is the strongest R.O.B. in Japan, possibly the world. He does not attend Smash 4 tournament frequently, but recently eliminated Edge at Kyoto University's large regional event, securing himself a top 8 finish. He also has wins against other strong players such as Earth. He finished disappointingly low at 17th this past weekend, but this doesn't imply that his technology is obsolete. He just needs a reboot; will this tournament be it?Yusan
Before Brood's reemergence at the Umebura qualifiers last month, Yusan was looking like the strongest Duck Hunt player in Japan. He has several 7th place regional-level finishes and just missed top 16 at Umebura F.A.T. He also recently beat J!, his previous demon, at Pre KVO. The competition can't afford to neglect this powerful pupper, as he is trending up!Gomamugitya
This Lucario player has been performing better and better in singles, beating the likes of Aki in recent months. But he and his regular partner Taiheita are still best known for dominating the Japanese doubles scene with their signature Lucario+Lucas team. Since there is no doubles event at these qualifiers, you can expect that he will be singularly focused. It is also worth noting that his name means "sesame barley tea."Paseriman
Paseriman has been known as a strong Pit player for some time, but his performance at Pre KVO elevated his reputation to a new level. He finished in 3rd place, beating Yusan and Komorikiri while only losing to Earth (the master Pit) and Ranai. He also revealed he had been hiding a buffed Electroshock Arm in his pocket. Plenty of people enjoy "theorycrafting" about the merits of playing both Pits. This player demonstrates that there are real benefits.Sigma
Toon Link has been getting impressive results as of late, so it's easy to lose track of all his talented players. Sigma is one such player that, until the qualifiers last month, seemed to have fallen through the cracks. But then he managed to finish top 16 seemingly out of nowhere, proving that he had been unduly neglected. Will he be able to follow up on his breakout success? Stay tooned.---
The tournament will be taking place on the 26th and is set to take place from approximately 10:30 - 9:00 (GMT+9). The stream will done on niconico so for those not familiar on the platform or lacking an account it is recommended to visit the site early and learn its layout. The official stream link can be found here. A special thank you to
Djent
@juddy96 and @Jucchan for their help with this article. Excited to see this monumental event take place? Which three players will qualify for the Nintendo-sponsored niconico Championship? Sound off in the comments below and stay tuned to Smashboards for more event previews!
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