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Pikachu problems or why ESAM didn't win more touraments with Pika?

Dadrik

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
34
Location
France
NNID
Dadrik
Honestly, he's perfectly able to do that.
He played incredibly well at Super Smash Con 2015, for example, or at EVO 2015 (yeah, customs were a thing too)
But his problem is his freaking ego. He got so full of himself (after summer 2015) and autoconvinced himself that Pika was like Top 4 in the game, he forgot that he wasn't the only great Sm4sh player.
Then TBH5 happened. Then Genesis 3, etc...

Now he's kinda getting more serious again, but he always had an ego problem. Even in Brawl

When you're sure you're one of the best, you don't expect the actual best players.

Well, that's my opinion on the matter, anyway
 
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Emuchu

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Messages
126
Location
Sunnyvale, CA
NNID
Emuchu
3DS FC
2320-6462-6471
One Pika-specific problem that stands out is Pika's relatively high execution barrier compared to the other top-tiers. There's a reason why there are only a couple well-known Pika's: it's very, very easy to make mistakes with him, and you have to stay spot-on for the entire match. ESAM will occasionally pineapple or drop a QAC and die to this stuff. Similar characters like Mario and Shiek have more consistent and forgiving neutral games and can get through on sheer consistency, whereas Pika has to take risks, and in a 2-stock format, one or two mistakes is the match. I remember ZeRo stating that he played Shiek because he could get away with just simple neutral game stuff all day.
 

SilverSpark

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Apr 15, 2007
Messages
282
Location
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Playing as Pika takes.. precision and patience. People want characters with easy, guaranteed kills, which is everything Pikachu isn't. You can have your opponent at 150% while you're at 50%, and have to still play out of your mind because you can easily die to jank at any time. Throw in tourney nerves or sweaty palms and you can easily flub a move quick attack or skull bash and gimp yourself.
 

O Hobbit

Smash Cadet
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
27
I feel like people adapted to Esam's playstyle. For me, Pikachu is a character that should be played both extremely offensive and defensive, and it's up to the player to switch between playstyle. When Pikachu has momentum he can destroy anyone, and ESAM is amazing at doing that. However, until he gets these momentum the Pikachu player has to keep his cool and wait for an opening, otherwise he will be punished for his kinda unsafe game. And Esam lack at this part of the game imo. If you watch his sets against players like Anti, Dabuz or Hyuga you will see that they keep retreating, baiting ESAM in, and then punish his approach really hard with up-smash, up-tilt combos or with a crazy Luma.

So I feel that the problem is with the player and not with the character. Even if ESAM is the best Pikachu main, I think he doesn't use the character 100% to it's potencial. ESAM is amazing at his ofensive game, but needs to improve his defensive playstile. At least for me, when I applyied myself into switching between offensive and defensive playstile during the match I had a great improvement. Sorry for my English =(
 
Joined
Aug 22, 2015
Messages
46
Location
DF, brasília
Switch FC
SW-4514-4687-3014
One Pika-specific problem that stands out is Pika's relatively high execution barrier compared to the other top-tiers. There's a reason why there are only a couple well-known Pika's: it's very, very easy to make mistakes with him, and you have to stay spot-on for the entire match. ESAM will occasionally pineapple or drop a QAC and die to this stuff. Similar characters like Mario and Shiek have more consistent and forgiving neutral games and can get through on sheer consistency, whereas Pika has to take risks, and in a 2-stock format, one or two mistakes is the match. I remember ZeRo stating that he played Shiek because he could get away with just simple neutral game stuff all day.
Ok, I understand now(but isn't Rosa & Luma harder to get on grips than Pikachu?)
And Yes, I know that, comparing to the others smashs games, he's harder to control now(melee is the only game that comes somewhat close, and even then, he's still a good fighter.)
UPDATE:ESAM got 17th at CEO this year. I also think that it was the first time Nakat finished ahead of Esam. Did he play bad or it's too early to judge?
Note:I still think that Pikachu is one of the better characters of this game.Just wait and see till EVO this year.
Edit:NVM, he got ****ty results in touraments(but at SSC 2016 in melee, He got 13th place. Imagine how well he could perform if he focused in ssb4.)
 
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