Pulse Gaming is proud to present Frostbite 2017! The Frostbite series has already established itself as a major event in the Midwestern Super Smash Bros. for Wii U scene. Yet this time, there’s more in store for viewers: numerous Japanese competitors will turn up to battle it out at the Wyndham Garden Ann Arbor hotel on Feburary 25-26!
In addition to the main event, you can also look forward to an international crew battle. This will feature 5 of the best players from the US and Japan fighting for continental supremacy. While the States have their choice of numerous top players, Japan has an impressive roster flying in to compete as well. Since Japan won the regional crew battles at The Big House 6, they’ll be looking to back up that title, while Team USA seeks revenge!
Team Japan
T 
is a dedicated online warrior whose breakout performance was Umebura 24. There, he finished 2nd and beat Umeki, Choco and Pichi on his path to grand finals. He also achieved 5th at Sumabato for TBH, beating Shogun’s Fox, and eliminating Ranai from the losers’ bracket at Umebura S.A.T. for 9th place. With a simple yet decisive play style, T is amazing at utilizing the rage mechanic and living up to high percents. Seeing opponents die at early percents while he continues to tank hits is not at all uncommon.Shuton
has not only managed 1st place at numerous regionals, including Hirosuma 5 and Shulla-bra VIII, but 3rd at the recent Sumabato 14. He also finished 2nd at Umebura 22, beating DNG’s Nietono and Kameme. During Umebura S.A.T., he got knocked out in 9th place by Taiheita. However, he left a strong impression on some of tristate’s finest players, who acknowledged his skill as the strongest representative of his character. Frostbite 2017 will be Shuton’s first time travelling overseas. This lack of exposure could hurt him, but could also let him catch opponents off-guard.DNG | Kameme
(a.k.a. Kamemushi) is the Mega Main who captured America’s attention by finishing 2nd at EVO 2016. A long string of wins in his home country left everyone wondering if he could do the same abroad. After he 3-0’d TSM | ZeRo to make grand finals, it was obvious the answer was “yes.” More recently, he earned a respectable 4th place at Umebura S.A.T., but suffered an early elimination at The Big House 6. Japan should probably send Kameme in to fight ZeRo if at all possible.Until recently, komorikiri
was known as the player who dominated his home country only to underperform at internationals. However, he recently silenced his critics at The Big House 6. After winning Sumabato for TBH (and a flight to Michigan), he made it all the way to losers’ finals before succumbing to two members of Team USA. Though he is an incredibly strong player, he does have shaky records vs. most of his probable opponents in crews. That being said, he’s overcome expectations before, so don’t count him out!Perhaps Team Japan’s most flexible member, Yuta “LG.Abadango” Kawamura
seems perfectly suited for the crews format. Though he focuses the most effort on his exceptional Mewtwo, he also keeps a number of other characters in his pocket for strategic counterpicking. He’s proven himself time and time again, finishing top 8 at practically every international tournament he attends. His playstyle and character choices could make him a strong answer to either Nairo or Dabuz, so America will have to play carefully around him.Team USA
Gonzalo “TSM | ZeRo” Barrios may no longer be the #1 player by a wide margin, but he’s still the most consistent Smash player out there. He still has what it takes to win premier events (such as The Big House 6), and almost always lands in top 8 regardless. He’s shown that Diddy Kong can win any matchup, but he still practices other characters to keep his counterpicking options open. He is flexible enough to pose a threat to anyone on Team Japan, and has a particularly dominant matchup against Abadango, who has yet to beat him in a set.Nairoby “NRG | Nairo”
Quezada is another player whose dominance has been shaken, but not overthrown. Once the undisputed #2 player (and the only one to claim victory over ZeRo), he now has to share that title among several other strong contenders. His most recent premier win came at Super Smash Con 2016, where he seized on the opportunity provided by ZeRo’s early elimination and clutched out wins against several other longtime rivals. Since his records vs. most of Team Japan are even and positive, it’s hard to see who they should use against him.Jason “IMT | ANTi”
Bates is a bit hot and cold. Yet make no mistake: when he’s hot, he can’t be extinguished. He catapulted himself into the national spotlight by winning CEO 2016, and recently took 2nd at another premier tournament, The Big House 6. However, he also failed to make top 32 at EVO 2016 and missed out on top 16 at Shine 2016. Though his results are a bit more high-variance than those of some of his USA teammates, the sheer brilliance he’s shown at his peak makes his inclusion more than worth it.Saleem “Salem” Young
has proven his worth against the Japanese already. Between TBH 6 and a Michigan local, he’s up 2-0 in sets against both LG.Abadango and DNG | Kameme. His tristate teammates will vouch for his skill, and believe him to be one of the most underappreciated top players. Word is starting to get out, however, and it’s unlikely that Team Japan won’t come prepared. Can Salem retain his impressive dominance, or have his opponents learned from their mistakes?Finally, Samuel “RNG | Dabuz”
Buzby has already shown great proficiency against Japan’s top players. Though he’s gone back and forth with Abadango, he has wins over komorikiri (at EVO 2016) and Kameme (at Umebura S.A.T.). Though he’s yet to play Shuton or T, he possesses a deep understanding of Olimar (his secondary), and Rosalina matches up favorably against Link. Dabuz may prove the toughest nut for anyone on Team Japan to crack. It might be wise for them to save Abadango until later in their lineup, while attempting to bait Team USA into deploying Dabuz early.Streams & Updates
The schedule for Frostbite 2017 hasn’t been finalized, but the streamers are already determined. Streaming duties will be split between GooshiGaming and UnrivaledTournaments, so you can expect to see this crew battle in one of those two places. In the meantime, you should follow both channels to keep up with the excellent Midwestern Smash 4 scene. Also, consider following Pulse Gaming on Twitter for more updates on this event and others.
Last edited:
