Philosophy Corner with The Dark Gentleman : Wangera

By Dark Gentleman

“Being able to improve is more important than winning.”

Welcome to part one of my interview series, Philosophy Corner with The Dark Gentleman, hosted by The Smash Writers. We will be speaking with some of the most advanced Super Smash Bros 64 players from around the globe, focusing on competitive mentality and philosophy. For this inaugural segment I chose to interview Wangera, a player from Japan who is widely viewed as the best 64 Jigglypuff main in the world.

This interview was conducted over online messaging using google translate between English and Japanese. Wangera and I started our discussions on December 20th 2016 and continued through January 13 th , 2017. Further translation was provided by NYC 64 player, Kelvinheit. We have edited some of Wangera’s responses for clarity.

Dark Gentleman: Let’s start with a few quick background questions. When did you start playing competitive SSB 64?

Wangera: I started playing in July of 2009.

 

Dark Gentleman: What is exciting to you about SSB 64 compared to other fighting games? What is special to you about 64?

Wangera: The creative tactics and combos that each player has thought up.

 

Dark Gentleman: Something I’ve been personally curious about…How did you get the tag Wangera? What does it mean?

Wangera: In my college days there was a club called the “Wandervogel club”. [It is similar to a youth outdoors Scouts organization, originating in Germany]. Within that organization, a specific activity can be called a “Wangera”. That is the origin.

See here for reference : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandervogel

 

Dark Gentleman: Who were the players and what was the scene like when you started learning and competing?

Wangera: Around 2010 there was a puff player called “Den-Chan” who I looked up to. I longed to play Jigglypuff like “Den-Chan.”

 

Dark Gentleman: I’m glad you mention an old school Japanese player. The Japanese SSB scene is known to be very skilled. With so much talent in Japan, when did you start to win more and become one of the best players?

Wangera: No, I am weak. But I can become strong.

 

Dark Gentleman: Interesting answer. I’m definitely going to have to think that one over for a while. On the topic of becoming strong: one of the most intriguing aspects of your play is that you solo main Jigglypuff, a character typically thought to be mid tier in SSB 64. Most competitors at your level of skill (in the west) strongly prefer using Pikachu, Falcon, Kirby and to a lesser extent, Yoshi. I have to ask the obvious : why do you use Jigglypuff?

Wangera: Puff is the most fun for me. To be honest, I think that even if I used Pika or Kirby, I could make top 8 at the big overseas tournaments lol. But I use Puff because I find Puff is more interesting than Pika and Kirby.

 

Dark Gentleman: I’d have to agree that Puff is a lot of fun, but it is still unusual to see a top player using her. As a competitor at the highest level, do you have a pre-game strategy? Do you feel nervous when you compete?

Wangera: More recently I find listening to music helps me. It increases concentration. And yes, of course [I get nervous] lol.

 

Dark Gentleman: Many players feel that they plateau at a certain level. How do you focus on improvement? What is the most important thing to look for?

Wangera: I am trying to improve by watching my past match up videos. When I watch the videos, the element I am paying attention to is mainly whenever I get hit. Why did I get hit? I try to make judgements on my play by thinking about the reason why I went for an attack, or why I got hit.

 

Dark Gentleman: Do you think that general skill is more related to having good training partners or personal effort?

Wangera: I think that both are important.

 

Dark Gentleman: How crucial is it to you to win your matches? Do you play for fun or do you play to win?

Wangera: I think that being able to improve is more important than winning.

 

Dark Gentleman: You had a spectacular 2016, double eliminating Isai to place 3rd at Genesis 3, placing 5th at Super Smash Con, and then placing 1st at Kanto. Let’s focus a little bit on each of those major tournaments. I’d be interested in hearing about Genesis 3, and what it was like to play with Isai.

Wangera: At G3 I felt I was able to concentrate better than at any other tournament. I am excited I was able to perform so well there. I was very happy to battle Isai. I will never forget that tournament.

 

Dark Gentleman: Your performance there sparked a lot of excitement for your return at SSC. That game five timeout against Dext3r was one of the most memorable moments of the entire tournament.

Wangera: Super Smash Con 2016 was the opposite experience for me than G3. It was the most disappointing event for me ever (I had to sleep on the floor every night of tournament lol). So during my games I struggled to play normally and was always impatient. However, when I won that timeout against Dext3r I was so excited I shouted out. If I go overseas again I will probably book my own hotel lol.

 

Dark Gentleman: Note to self: Smashers need adequate sleep…can you tell us a little more about tournaments in Japan? What do you think about Japanese tournaments switching from single elimination to the North American standard of double?

Wangera: There are mainly two Japanese events. Kanto is a tournament held in the summer. The venue is in Tokyo. It is the most popular event in Japan. Kansai is the other tournament. It is usually held around March or April. This year the date will be March 19 th and it will be in Osaka. Everyone please come! I also wanted to mention one other event, the Japan Smash Cup. It was a convention held last year. The venue is in Nagoya (just between Tokyo and Osaka). It was the first 64 tournament to be sponsored in Japan. It seems likely to be held a second time, so please come and see us!

 

The Dark Gent’s Final Thoughts

In this interview Wangera proved to be a man of few words. I suspect that is partially due to our language barrier. However, there are certain pearls of wisdom here to consider. Despite his very high level of play in tournament, Wangera says he plays for growth. Note his responses when I asked when he became one of the best in Japan, and how he felt about winning. Both answers indicated that Wangera prizes personal improvement above placement. He also commented on Jigglypuff being more enjoyable to compete with than high tier characters. This is interesting compared to common mentalities in the USA, where patient, spacing heavy Jigglypuff battles might not be the first style that comes to mind when we think of “fun” types of play. Nevertheless, Wangera turned out to be one of the most captivating players in 2016.

Wangera’s comments on SSC also highlight the importance of good sleep for competitors. Though he was able to place well, he was disappointed with his performance at Smash Con. I don’t view this as an excuse since Wangera still played his heart out and did extremely well. His timeout defeat of Dext3r resulted in one of the biggest crowd reactions at SSC, and mind you that was the end of a set that lasted for thirty minutes!

There is something undeniably cool about someone who breaks the mold. Wangera is doing just that using Jigglypuff. Going into this, I really expected him to tell me that there was some connection between his competitive mentality and his choice of character. That turned out not to be the case, and if anything, Wangera was actually at his least humble when he mentioned his confidence with playing Kirby and Pika. Wangera isn’t an elite player because he plays his favorite character. He simply prefers the challenge of using Jigglypuff, and is skilled enough to do so at the very top.

I think we can learn a lot by comparing Wangera’s answers to his style. He says he doesn’t play to win, yet he plays that extremely defensive, patient style that seems geared around winning at all costs. I think the key to understanding Wangera’s brilliance lies in understanding that apparent contradiction. He does try to win at all costs, but that isn’t where he places the highest importance. The results come second, the effort comes first.

Featured Pic: Wangera after defeating Stranded at Super Smash Con 2016

Genesis 4 Preview: A New #Yearof64

By Josh “BarkSanchez” Brody

With the sequel to perhaps the greatest tournament in the modern era of 64 around the corner, the Super Smash Bros. 64 community is holding their collective breath for another weekend of potential upsets. While this tournament may be missing last year’s Japanese stars, Wario and Wangera, it will bring new levels of hype and excitement from the East, as K Y S K , Yu-kun, and Taimai all made the trip. This tremendous trio hopes to remind the West just how dominant Japan really is, following a disappointing performance at Super Smash Con from the three dragons of the East: bonobono, Prince, and Kurabba. One of Japan’s top Kirby players, K Y S K consistently contends with Wangera at Japanese tournaments, while Taimai’s Fox and Yu-kun’s Captain Falcon were both one mistake away from taking sets off of two of the best players in the world, Wario and Fukurou respectively. While K Y S K is the favorite of the three to contend for the top spot, Taimai and Yu-kun have earned praise as fan favorites, contending in what are considered very unforgiving matchups.

SuPeRbOoMfAn, Isai, and Mariguas are the top 3 north american players tasked with fending off the beasts of the east, however they may have their hands full with the Superboomed champ, Alvin. The Peruvian titan will be looking to build upon his monumental victory over Boom and Mariguas in October, perhaps demonstrating his improvement in the Yoshi matchup that haunted him at Super Smash Con 2016. His volatility has many questioning whether he can reach the top at a supermajor featuring a wider variety of characters and matchups, while understanding he can be a threat to the world’s top players.

SuPeRbOoMfAn has had an incredible run in the modern era of Smash 64, winning all but two of the tournaments he’s attended since the end of 2014. Last year’s Genesis saw him take a 3-0 victory over Wario, the man who would subsequently 3-0 him in the following set, and Superboomed saw him play two incredible close sets against Alvin, one of which featured an incredibly controversial decision to play Yoshi, despite winning the previous game as Kirby. What was perhaps an attempt to abuse what was seen as a weak matchup for Alvin, proved to be a nail in the coffin for North America’s top player. In his first tournament of 2017, Boom finds himself once again the unanimous favorite amongst the event’s seeders, however many fans expect to see another player come out victorious.

That man is Isai. Even after a two year hiatus, Isai could not shake off his legendary status. Despite not claiming top prize at a tournament in 2016, Isai is still considered by many to be the most dynamic player in Smash 64 history. His Pikachu saw its first ever tournament loss to Wangera at Genesis 3, with the man previously thought of as untouchable appearing to be a mere mortal. However the main storyline behind Isai has always been which characters he would play, and if he would ever put in what outside spectators would consider his fullest effort. Snosa II saw Isai fall to tacos in a shocking defeat, while the set saw all of his characters of Apexs past, Link, Mario and Jigglypuff, his final loss as Donkey Kong became the talking point that encapsulated the tournament. Isai’s last tournament of the year, Super Smash Con 2016, epitomized his first year back in Smash. His Pikachu proved itself capable of taking down SuPeRbOoMfAn’s Falcon, and his Luigi initially decimated Wizzrobe’s Yoshi, yet he saw himself on the losing end of both sets, settling for 3rd place. Isai showed flashes of the player that has been placed on a pedestal by fans across every Smash title, yet ultimately found himself unwilling or incapable of matching his legacy with results. Nobody knows which side of Isai will be seen at Genesis 4, or if his best side even is the same man who was once considered untouchable.

Mariguas was the center of many of Genesis 3’s finest moments, although there are a few he’d rather forget. After killing the brothers, again, he found himself completely outclassed in his set against Wario. He then met up against Isai in Loser’s Quarterfinals, and did the unthinkable: he lost to a Fox as Pikachu. Despite an incredible placing at the most stacked event ever seen at the time, the passionate Pikachu was left hungry for more, motivated more than ever. Throughout the year, Mariguas reached new heights, yet falling just short of glory on several occasions. He cemented himself as one of the true masters of the Pika ditto at Super Smash Con, taking a game off of SuPeRbOoMfAn in the matchup, yet the set would be remembered for the air tight timeout in game 1, which proved to be costly for Mariguas as he was sent to loser’s following a tight five game set. Mariguas also exacted his revenge on Isai’s Fox, but ultimately fell short in the Pika ditto. Mariguas  enters G4 as one of the few Pikachu’s capable of defeating Wizzrobe, and the only person in North America who’s taken a set off of Alvin. Mariguas inches closer and closer to his first ever wins against Boom and Isai, and G4 would be the perfect place for him to steal a set, and perhaps the tournament.

The cream of the crop is ever wary of the fastest rising stars, with players such as SSBMTL|TR3GTheZ and Wizzrobe rising faster than ever, taking sets off of players that previously seemed untouchable, such as Kerokeroppi. TR3GTheZ also defeated the mighty Wangera at SSC 16, while Wizzrobe subsequently took down TR3GTheZ. It would not be unthinkable for these players to quickly progress into the next tier of players and find themselves on the main stage for Top 6 on Sunday.

The Koroshiyo Brothers, Kerokeroppi and Stranded would love nothing more than to leave their mark on the last leg of their farewell tour, as they plan to step back from competitive Smash 64. While they would relish the opportunity to defeat the man who killed the brothers last year at Genesis 3, they may face several strong contenders among the likes of tacos and Dext3r along the way. Perhaps the brothers take their leave from 64 with a solid conquering of Mexico? They will have their sights set even higher, hoping to make their last competitive appearance one to remember, until they inevitably come back six months later.

Streams of Genesis 4 can be found on the Offical Super Smash Bros 64 Leage twitch channel and LA_Smash. Follow along with the bracket on Smash.gg. Check out the schedule below for times and more details.

64 Free For All: Genesis 4

The 64 Free For All is a question session with some of the biggest names in Smash 64. 6 questions, 4 top personalities. Today we have four players who are all ranked on the SSB64 Player Ranking Top 64. A local top player: Kimimaru. One of the top players of the year: Wizzrobe. A man who is unfortunately soon leaving our game: KeroKeroppi. One of the men organizing the event: SotoH.

1. SuPeRbOoMfAn recently received a major sponsorship through Panda Global. This is the first major sponsorship for a solo-64 player in quite some time, if not ever. What immediate impact do you foresee this having on the 64 landscape?

Thomas “Kimimaru” Deeb: I see SuPeRbOoMfAn’s sponsorship with Panda Global causing other sponsors to take a look at the growing 64 community. With more 64 exclusive majors in 2016 than ever before and SSB64’s increasing presence in multi-game tournaments, sponsors can’t help but notice our community and our players.

Justin “Wizzrobe” Hallett: Only positivity, it’s great he got a sponsor and now there’s more room for 64 to grow and likely getting other players sponsors eventually.

KeroKeroppi: I think this is huge for 64. In fact, I think it’s bigger than anybody is really even making it out to be. For starters, there’s now a big company that will be promoting 64. That’s very different from what we’re used to. It also sets a precedent for other esports organizations. Boom will not be the last to get sponsored. I think this is the beginning of something beautiful for 64.

Daniel “SotoH” Soto: Exposure. Immediate exposure. In fact, the very day the announcement was made the mere fact that they coupled Boom’s announcement with Smash 4’s Rich Brown earned us a significant amount of exposure to our fellow Smash communities. This alone serves as evidence that having these renowned organizations and Smash players talking SSB64 only helps us.

Additionally, Panda Global set a great example letting other esport teams know that SSB64 players are worth the investment. Coincidentally enough, not too long after Boom’s announcement, both Zantetsu and Mr. Marbles got picked up by Havov Gaming.

All of this sponsorship activity is motivating folks in the community to step up their game to become more attractive, or in cases like EMG’s Darkhorse, produce more quality content.
So, what immediate impact do I see? Exposure, productive exposure.

2. With KeroKeroppi and Stranded announcing they will be leaving 64 for Melee after Genesis 4, there were a wide variety of reactions in the community ranging from anger to sadness to doubt. What do you take from their actions? Will this leave a sour atmosphere around Genesis 4?

Kimimaru: I think they’re just trying out something different and won’t want to leave 64 for good. As a top player, Kero has always been very approachable to new players and veterans alike, and we will all miss how helpful he has been to many players. Stranded has set a very high bar for technical skill that has inspired many players, and I hope we can follow his lead and see more players implementing his tech.

Wizzrobe: I’m not sure, it seems like a lot of people respected the decision from what I saw so I don’t imagine anyone raging too hard.

KeroKeroppi: I’m leaving because I think that Melee will make me happier. That’s what all this was about for me, my happiness. I’ve stated countless times that I will always be an ally of 64 and that I will always consider the 64 community my family. I’ve tried to leave on very good terms so it sucks to see such negative reactions from the community. I understand if people are sad or doubtful, but I’ve tried to leave as peacefully as possible so it’s a shame to see so much anger and hostility towards me. At the end of the day, some guy quit a video game in an attempt to make him happier. If people get worked up over something that silly, then that’s their own fault I guess.

SotoH: Not much to be frank, as much as I empathize with the folks saying it might’ve been a better idea to not make the announcement in the manner that Kero did, I don’t feel it’ll have a negative effect on the community nor Genesis 4. We were already aware of the points he made that influenced his decision to leave, it’s not news to the community let alone the highly involved community leaders, so stating the obvious in that manner was not necessary especially given the clout he holds. Nevertheless, the announcement may have put us in a bad light to those not involved in the community but we’ll persevere, we always have, this is still the #Yearof64.

3. Genesis 4 once again sees the return of Alvin to North America for a major tournament. In his two results in North America he was double eliminated by Japanese Yoshis and finished with an underwhelming 13th, while at SuperBoomed he dominated the competition and earned 1st along with a double elimination of SuPeRbOoMfAn. What can we expect from this volatile Peruvian at Genesis 4?

Kimimaru: With even more top players in attendance than any previous event and only two majors we’ve seen him in, it’s hard to say how he’ll stack up to the Japanese this time. Peru has had several tournaments since SSC and Alvin himself has said he’s been practicing the Yoshi matchup, so I’m expecting the games to be closer at the very least. I don’t see him placing outside Top 8 this tournament.

Wizzrobe: No idea, he will probably do good unless he runs into good Yoshis, unless he improved enough in the matchup by a lot since last time.

KeroKeroppi: Everybody knows that the Peruvians are extremely dominant at the top tier match ups. So with less Japanese Yoshis running around, I think Alvin will perform very well. If he doesn’t run into Wizzrobe early on, I can see him making it to Top 3 without a doubt.

SotoH: It’s very difficult to say because of so many factors.

1. Mariguas is a man of discipline, a demigod if you will. He has studied Alvin like you wouldn’t believe, he has studied Alvin’s best matchup, the Rat ditto, and feels fairly confident in the matchup specific to Alvin. Mariguas has only shown to improve as time goes on, the man’s never plateaued for any amount of time, so one can only wonder how much better he’s gotten since SuperBoomed.

2. SuPeRbOoMfAn is not one who takes a loss lightly. I reckon he’s looking to reclaim his record as the undisputed SSB64 champion. Boom covers 100% of his bases, and rest assured he’ll come ready for the fight against Alvin. And one of the most unknown factors is the fact that we haven’t seen Boom lose a major, go to another major and meet with that very person that double eliminated him (with the exception of Isai). He didn’t get his chance with Wario but he might be granted his chance against Alvin. No one has seen a vengeful Boom, the beard holds many surprises, so he’s my main contender to challenge Alvin at Grand Finals.

3.Finally, there’s Isai. The mysterious Isai. With us not knowing the extent of his potential has always caused issues in seeding, ranking, and just plain bracket predictions. For argument’s sake, if we see Isai’s Rat throughout singles bracket I’m sure he’ll be an equal contender for 1st alongside Boom and Alvin.

4. At our last super major, Super Smash Con 2016, four Japanese players attended to great fanfare. However, many have claimed they did not live up to expectations, with only two of them managing to make the Top 8. What can we expect from Genesis 4’s roster of Japanese travelers, which include an incredible strong Kirby in k y s k, the flashy Captain Falcon main Yu-Kun, and a rising Fox main in Taimai?

Kimimaru: Since 2016, players who traveled from Japan have not played any of the characters that we will see at this event. With more character diversity from Japan this tournament, we will likely see new ways of playing them that most players won’t expect from them. Furthermore, all of these characters are significantly different in the J version of the game, so it would be interesting to see how well these players can adapt to the U version. However, I find it hard to not expect all of them to place in top 32 this tournament.

Wizzrobe: I imagine the Kirby doing very well since Japan has good Kirbies. The other 2 could be very good too but I don’t know how good they are personally.

KeroKeroppi: From what I understand, k y s k is the TOP top Japanese player coming this year. So I think we can expect amazing things from him. Having said that, underestimating the Japanese has always been a foolish mistake by the North Americans. In the several years that the Japanese SSB64 players have been coming out, we’ve been disappointed by their performances MAYBE once or twice, while we’ve been blown away in every other instance. I think the Japanese players are going to do great.

SotoH: If history serves as any evidence, k y s k will certainly pose a real threat to Top 6 as a Japanese Kirby. With k y s k’s performance showing a serious threat and both Kikoushi and Moyashi doing exceptionally well at each of their respective North American performances, we can only expect the best from k y s k. As far as Yu-Kun, I believe he’ll shed some new valuable insight on the Falcon meta similar to how Wario did for Pikachu at Genesis 3. Lastly, I certainly hope Taimai will resurrect the interest in investing time and effort in developing the most incredible glass cannon that is Fox.

5. Who will be Top 8?

Kimimaru: In no particular order:

-SuPeRbOoMfAn

-Alvin

-Wizzrobe

-Isai

-Mariguas

-tacos

-k y s k

-Dext3r

However, I foresee either of the other Japanese players, Yu-Kun and Taimai, also making Top 8 as well as KeroKeroppi.

Wizzrobe: Me, Kero, Boom, at least one Japanese or more? Alvin? I don’t know how good the Japanese are. And a lot of people have potential to get upset. Plenty of people have a good shot that I didn’t mention.

KeroKeroppi: In no order,

Wizzrobe
Isai
SuPeRbOoMfAn
Alvin
Mariguas
k y s k
KeroKeroppi
Dexter

(TBH I don’t even think that’s possible with the way the bracket is but oh well lol)

SotoH: 1. Boom

2. Isai (Rat all tourney)

3. Alvin

4. Mariguas

5. k y s k

6. Dext3r

7. tacos

8. TR3GTheZ

6. Will anyone get that ranking defining victory over Shears at Genesis 4?

Kimimaru: Considering the scale of Genesis 4, I predict several upsets will occur, so this isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Wizzrobe: Insert witty response here.

KeroKeroppi: Ya the kid is garb LOL his mom’s p cute tho.

SotoH: Only Isai will because if you gon’ act like a bitch, you gon’ die like a bitch.

Home Invasion: How a Small House Smash Meet Shaped up to Be a Major Australian SSB64 Tournament

By Jesse “Sweetchilli” Rosenberg

Are you familiar with the nesting habits of the Cuckoo? That bird is ruthless. It sneaks into other birds’ nests and lays its own eggs, avoiding the responsibility of parenting it’s own offspring. Then, when the cuckoo eggs hatch, the baby cuckoo’s throw the other eggs out of the nest, and get cared for by the parents of their dead foster-siblings.

With over 30 entrants expected to participate, Birds Nest II is shaping up to be the little tournament that could. Doubling the numbers of its first iteration, this Birds Nest will feature four introduced species from the South – Victorians. The invasive Melbourne residents will be looking to tear the Birds Nest apart and leave Sydney in tatters.

With extensive Facebook marketing, and frequent mention of the fact that there will be brownies for free at the venue, it is no small wonder that the event has attracted numerous local melee players and some notable out-of-state talent. But that factor, along with the presence of a keyboard adapter for local warrior Kirbymon, means that the results are up for grabs.

Here’s a brief rundown of the top 4 seeds, and who else might be a threat to taking the brownies at Birds Nest II.

Kirbymon, given the presence of a keyboard adapter, is the number one seed for the tournament, and with his ferocious suck and powerful neutral game, it’s hard to see him losing.

Second seed is Birdies, host of the event and, winner of Birds Nest I. He’s recently shown why you might need to watch out for this particular Kirby, so don’t count him out.

For Mitch, the three seed, Birds Nest II is looking to be the tournament where he finally proves that he’s at the top-level of Australian Smash. With neither DSC, Kuromatsu, or Pete being there, none of those who have knocked him out of previous tournaments can stop his fox from tearing a hole through the wall of Kirbys before him.

Fourth up is Indefa. After decimating the entire state of Western Australia at DI Another Day 2, the Melbourne TO returned home and put on an impressive performance at Pete’s Meets II. He’s looking to continue his run of out-of-state success and keep another title in Australia’s Smash heartland of Victoria.

I asked them a few questions to see what they thought about the tournament and beyond.

1.There’s a lot of inter-state rivalry coming into this event, who do you think will take the number one spot – Melbourne or Sydney?

Kirbymon: Sydddddddddddd

Birdies: Sydney. Provided no major upsets among the top seeds I see three different people taking the tourney, two of them are from Sydney so it’s just logical.

Mitch: Melbourne.

Indefa:  I am uncertain of whether Kirbymon will have his keyboard adapter for this tournament. If he does then I could definitely see him taking it all.

2.What do you see being the biggest upset?

Kirbymon: No clue.. whoever plays me in winner’s bracket?

Birdies: The biggest upset I see is James taking out players seeded much higher than him based on his recent online performance. It’s also possible some of the new players with good fundamentals take out some of our regulars.

Mitch: Brian/Nathan Hawkins will place way above their seed

Indefa: I’m sure one of the guys from Melbourne (maybe even me) could crumble to the tourney nerves and drop out before top 8. That would be a big upset.

3.What does the future of Australian SSB64 tournaments look like?

Kirbymon: Bigger and better as peeps get guder.

Birdies: It’s definitely on the up and up! Just look at the traction the Sydney scene has. More than half of the entrants to Birds Nest II are new players who are keen to try out and learn Smash 64.

Mitch: 50 entrant tourneys in melb and syd one day, 20 entrant tourneys in the other three states. (Editor’s note: There are two Australian territories that also exist, but clearly Mitch does not consider them noteworthy.)

Indefa: The future looks bright for tournaments here. We have had a steady growth over the last couple of years and the number of people getting involved with organising tournaments and meetups has picked up too. More people have also started traveling interstate to play Smash. I’m hoping sometime this year we can have our largest 64 tournament ever with representation from all the active states.

The Australian scene is full of memelords and trash talk, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to see them put their brownies where their mouths are. The event will be streamed at twitch.tv/ssb64australia. Doubles will start at 12pm on Saturday Jan. 14th Sydney time (8pm Friday Jan. 13th EST) and Singles will start at 2:30pm on Saturday Jan. 14th Sydney time (10:30pm Friday Jan. 13th EST).

Jesse “Sweetchilli” Rosenberg is a 22-year-old writer and smash player/TO living in Sydney, Australia. He likes making low quality videos, playing low quality smash, and eating cheap, low quality Thai food. He plays Falcon, but like most Smash players, is a Ness main at heart.

Smash Conference Preview: Blood in the Water

By Josh “BarkSanchez” Brody

After a bit of a holiday lull following Don’t Park on the Grass, Florida Smash 64 is preparing for the first notable tournament of 2017, Smash Conference LXIX! This modestly sized, yet stacked tournament, will feature many familiar Florida faces, as well as some intimidating out of state competition.

Florida’s Top 3 of Wizzrobe, sHEERmADNESS and Loto will have their hands full fending off their well-matched outsiders. The numerous invaders looking to claim this battleground state this weekend range from some well-known nomads to some rarely seen powerhouses.

KeroKeroppi leads the pack, lured down by the Florida 64 crew, hoping their young stud Wizzrobe can finally beat the man who has proven a sturdy obstacle at previous events. KeroKeroppi and Wizzrobe have played three times in the past two years, with Kero holding a flawless record. However, their most recent matchup at Get On My Level 2016 saw Kero forced to work his way back from a two game deficit to pull off the 3-2 comeback victory. With both of these players improving at a breakneck pace, either one is capable of coming out on top. Perhaps Wizzrobe finally claims victory on his home turf? A hype timeout or a last minute comeback victory between these two would not be surprising.

Zero will also make his way out of Texas to take his shot at the sunshine state, accompanied by a man Florida considers one of their own, CTG. An appearance from Zero, usually reserved for Texas tournaments, or Supermajor events, establishes a serious threat to Florida’s Yoshi duo, Wizzrobe and sHEERmADNESS. Over the summer, Zero defeated Tacos’s Yoshi at one iteration of Don’t Get Hit in Texas, eliminated Japan’s Bonobono at Super Smash Con 2016 and took a game off of Prince at the same tournament. Zero’s strong performances in 2016 have catapulted him up the rankings; however, it has yet to be seen if he can overcome the struggles against Pikachu that have plagued him in the past. Strong performances against the Florida Yoshis would get him far, but his skills against Pikachu and Kirby must match if he wants to stay afloat.

Zero will have his work cut out for him, as he will be put to the test fairly early if he faces the Baltimore duo of BarkSanchez and Shears. Bark came out victorious against Zero on his home turf to cap off 2015, but times change, and Zero’s marked improvement in 2016 could be too much for the nomadic Pikachu main to handle. BarkSanchez has played very close to Stranded and KeroKeroppi in the matchup, and even kept up with SuPeRbOoMfAn’s legendary Falcon, while slaughtering all others who challenged him. Zero would love the chance to exact revenge against the stalwart Pika main; however, Bark will be extra motivated for an opportunity to reclaim his spot above the fresh Texan star. Shears represents a sleeper threat to Zero, as he has a flawless record against Falcon since establishing himself as a true Yoshi main. Both Shears and Zero have strong records in the Falcon vs. Yoshi matchup, and while Zero has stronger victories, Shears has made fools of his opponents time and time again. Shears has proven himself a very crafty player over the years, but Zero’s style of punishing Yoshi matches up very well against Shears’s usual tactics.

Dtan will enter Smash Conference LXIX, riding an incredible performance at Boss Battle 2 where he double eliminated Shears, defeated BarkSanchez and logged in a well-played set against KeroKeroppi. The Colorado desperado also lured out Isai’s fabled Pikachu at Super Smash Con 2016, after taking a game off of his Fox, and notched an impressive 33rd place finish in his first tournament outside of Colorado. Dtan looks to be a real contender, with the potential to knock out virtually anyone in his path at Smash Conference. He will be joined by Da Bear, the Colorado-proclaimed best player in the region, who also nabbed a notable 33rd at SSC16. Colorado’s hidden ace still remains relatively unproven; however, if Colorado’s claims hold any weight, he will prove to be a Top 5 threat this weekend.

CTG is a more familiar face in Florida, as he has made his way out to several regionals, including both iterations of the Come to Papa tournament series. The tricky Jigglypuff main has previously slipped past numerous Florida opponents in style, and has his sights set on revenge against sHEERmADNESS and Wizzrobe this time around.

Smash Conference also solidifies the return of seasoned veteran and top commentator Greginator. Greginator attended several Southern Florida regionals in 2016; however, he has been largely inactive since Apex 2015, where he defeated the then-fresh upstart, BarkSanchez. Two years out of the Smash 64 meta and missing the #yearof64 may hurt Greginator’s chances, but those who are familiar with the Pika/Falcon dual main know not to count him out. With some determination and some veteran’s experience, he may find a way into Top 8 yet.

Florida was one of the most active scenes in 2016, with numerous regionals, several weeklies and biweekly events. They have defended their turf from Georgia many times in the past year, and will aim to make sure Grahamaglam, SeñorHen10r and caneut’s return to Florida is far from peachy. Georgia may have their sights set on Loto, whose strong 2016 performances shot him up to third on Florida’s Power Rankings, as well as the formidable Marbles; however, they may run into more than they can handle from Antwon420, bamster, and Deathcpo, holding up the 7, 8 and 9 spots on the Florida PR respectively.

You can follow along with the bracket starting at 11am on Saturday January 9th on Smash.gg and Top 8 is planned to start around 1pm and to be streamed on MVG League’s main channel. Smash Fests will also occur on Friday and Saturday nights and can be viewed at twitch.tv/jerrysapartment.

64 Free for All: Boss Battle II

The 64 Free For All is a question and answer session with some of the biggest names in Smash 64, plus a bonus section where this time Dasit Mane will voice his thoughts. 6 questions, 4 top personalities. Today we have four players from all walks of life in Smash. Bacorn, the genius mastermind behind the event. KeroKeroppi, a frequenter of this feature who is an elite player on the rise. K19 | $$$ Jim $$$, a recently sponsored player and host of The Dream Land podcast who is breaking onto the console scene in a big way. Janitor, The Boss of this event who is much more than an epic combo master.

1. Boss Battle 2 is proving to be very creative in their financing of the event. As opposed to other majors we typically see, they have decided to make the entrance fee cover not only the venue, but also housing and food costs. What is your opinion on using such a structure? Do you prefer having costs go only to the venue so a more impressive venue can be made affordable?

Ben “Bacorn” Corn: When Shears approached me with this idea, I definitely thought it would set BB2 apart and give the attendees a lot of bang for their buck. I feel like having food and housing provided actually GIVES something to the attendee, as opposed to using it on decorations and such. However, this is not something one should do for tournaments without careful consideration to the tournament’s costs and such. Our margin is crazy thin and has required a lot of delicate planning to make a reality. If I were another tournament wanting to do this, I would first lock down a decent sponsor so you have extra capital to help. Also, there are very few venues better than Boss Battle Games!

KeroKeroppi: I love it. The 64 community is so close that I think BB (being a 64 exclusive) can definitely pull off something like this. Including food and housing in the cost for a tournament like Genesis or SmashCon might be tricky, but I think for BB it’s absolutely perfect. The 64 community is like family. I don’t think anybody minds that we’ll all be hanging out with each other in the same hotel. I’m really looking forward to this change actually.

Jim “K19 | $$$ Jim $$$” Orris: Obviously this is SICK. I’m sure everyone else is saying the same thing. If anything, I’m a bit concerned about the low-cost of the event. It seems like Ben’s putting in a lot of his own money into this, with no intent of making any of it back. That seems messed up to me. The amount of TIME and EFFORT it takes to make a huge event is staggering. To do that with zero organizational support, like you might have at a supermajor, is even more intense. To do that in Indiana of all places? Get outta here. It seems like the people who can make that happen should be paid for their work. Instead, I’m sure Ben’s pretty far in the red. Support your community organizers.

Robert “Janitor” Miller: I think that the structure of financing that Ben and others put together for this event was amazing and I’m sure it was a huge influence on the amount of people who were able to attend. I’m sure that attendees will be much more attainable with this type of financing than the normal tournaments that we are used to. However, bigger tournaments like G3 were able to bring hundreds of players partially because of the type of venue they were able to secure. I hope to see more tournaments set up in the same way Boss Battle 2 is so we can have a more consistent flow of players heading to tournament.

2. Continuing the trend that has been seen in 64 for the past couple years, Boss Battle 2 has decided to shake up the rules of its event. This time, coaching will be legal throughout the event. This has been a point of much contention in the community. How do you feel about coaching? What would you be your ideal coaching ruleset?

Bacorn: There is precedence for coaching in the greater FGC. I feel like the thing that will make coaching successful is having set rules in place for coaching (i.e. one-minute timer, no phone coaches, etc.). BB2 is FILLED with up and coming players so the focus shouldn’t be on how good they are right now, it should be on the best ways to make them better in the future and I think having KeroKeroppi coaching Dogs_Johnson from Indiana is going to help with that.

KeroKeroppi: Until this year, nobody cared about coaching. You could coach all you want and nobody would say anything about it. So coaching being legal at this tournament is not a change. It is the standard. Banning coaching is something new, which I am an active supporter of.

If there was a way to guarantee every player had rights to the same coach, I would support it. But the idea of two beginners playing round 1 and one of them having Boomfan as a coach is disturbing to me. I’m not concerned with how top players will perform under a coaching ruleset. They’ll be fine. I’m concerned with the extreme disadvantage a player has if he’s about to play someone he should go even with and now his opponent has a top player as a coach.

K19 | $$$ Jim $$$: Coaching’s funny because the people who are most against it seem to have this boogeyman mentality. Having someone talk to your opponent between sets isn’t going to give them some secret to beating you that they discovered watching you play for the past 7 minutes. One thing that’s really nice about having someone next to you is simply the ability of them to emotionally recenter you. It’s easy to get on-tilt playing the game, and having someone take 30 seconds to say, “Hey, remember your gameplan. You can do this.” is incredibly helpful. Basically, it’s a simple counter to Shears yelling out, “Baltimore!”

Janitor: Coaching is a very important to some smashers and detestable to the rest. I have no position on coaching because I have never participated in it. I understand the benefits of coaching and I’m sure that if it was allowed then it could make players perform better in tournament because a coach could help them rid their nerves or tell them to stop engaging in bad habits or unsafe options. Having someone there can help but I am not a big supporter or objector to coaching in short.

3. At the last 64 major, SuPeRbOoMfAn suffered his second loss of the year. Not only that, it was his first 3rd place finish in North America since Apex 2014. While he had not lost since Genesis 3, there were a few moments where he looked rather mortal this year. How do you expect him to bounce back from this recent loss, both at Boss Battle 2 and going forward?

Bacorn: Boom will win BB2, I’m sure. There is some competition, of course, but Boom has extensive experience against people like Kero, Fireblaster, BarkSanchez and such. I honestly think in the next couple years, we will start seeing more majors won by non-Boom players. The growth of the 64 community has led to a lot of players getting good really fast.

KeroKeroppi: I wanna start by saying that Boom’s third place finish at SuperBoomed was directly the result of bad seeding. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Having said that, I am not denying that North America has gotten a LOT better, but I believe Boom has had 4 game 5 sets with players from North America. Only 4 sets lol. All of which he won. That is f—ing wild. Alvin and Wario are two of the best players in the world. Am I surprised that Boom lost? No. Would I be surprised if Boom lost to a North American? Very.

We have a long way to go still. But we’ll get there. Boom will fall.

K19 | $$$ Jim $$$: LOL who is going to beat Boom at this tournament. Yeah right. The only difference we’ll see is Boom going more Pika.

Janitor: I think that Boom probably realized before those losses that the average player has been improving a lot. Also, that top level players have really been stepping up their tech and combos to make very worthy adversaries. Boom is Boom and he will always be at the top. He’s too good and has been playing too long to fall behind those that are getting closer to his level. I’m not sure what Boom should do to recover from those tournaments but I’m guessing he has something already in the works.

4. The Midwest has a number of rising scenes. It is full to the brim with many very talented mid-tier players. However, it completely lacks any truly elite, stand-out competitors. Who do you expect to be the first to bridge that gap and join the elite? What are the steps necessary to make such an impressive leap?

Bacorn: Dogs_Johnson will be a top 10 player in Smash 64 in a couple of years if he keeps going like this. In March, I almost beat him (I’m really bad) and he just won six-straight games against Amida, the second best player in our region (behind Combo Blaze). Our goal at Indy 64 is to grow Smash 64 in the Midwest and that’s what BB2 is all about. I hope people get introduced to players like Vinsanity and Pugs from Ohio, Scoback and Supa from Michigan, Zantetsu from Missouri, LimeSoda and Fishaman P from Wisconsin and come away impressed. I didn’t mention the Chicago guys because everybody knows Combo, battlecow, Knite Phox and Komotonoto, right? There’s a lot of young talent in this area that just needs some work to become great.

KeroKeroppi: I haven’t played with anybody from the Midwest nearly enough to be able to assess who the next “elite” will be. I feel uncomfortable guessing. But I do feel comfortable talking about exactly what that player would need to do to close the gap. And it comes down to wanting it. Practicing, watching videos, studying, they all come after wanting to win. I don’t know the players from the Midwest, but I do know that whoever it is that becomes the best will be the player who wants it the most.

K19 | $$$ Jim $$$: I mean the three people with the quickest upward trajectories are Zantetsu, myself, and Dogs_Johnson. Zanny has the skill, but needs to make sure he’s not nervous during the set. I need to solve the Pika matchup. Dogs needs to play online. Besides that, it’s just a matter of putting in the work, and all of us have been willing to do that.

Janitor: I honestly don’t know that many Midwest players but one player that has stood out to have a lot of talent and promise is the falcon main ComboBlaze from Chicago. Not only does he impress me with his combos but he is also very smart on positioning and move choices when it comes to troubling scenarios where the average player would have definitely dropped the combo. Maybe he won’t be the first one to bridge the gap but he will be on his way to the elite very soon.

5. Who will be Top 8 at Boss Battle 2?

Bacorn: Boom
Kero
Bark
Fireblaster
Marbles
Janitor
Combo Blaze
Da Bear

KeroKeroppi: Gotta say that I only just looked at the entrants list for the first time after reading this question and there are a lot more players going than I thought there was LMAOOOOOOOO

1. KeroKeroppi
   2. SuPeRbOoMfAn
   3. Fireblaster
   4. Bark the f—ing shark Sanchez

Next 4 is a total mixup. Could see the following people make Top 8: Combo, Shears (has a hot a mom), CTG, Lorenzo, Jim, Marbles, Hipstur, Janitor, IDK and others

There are a lot of players going to this that are at around the same level. Looking forward to seeing who makes Top 8.

One thing I know for sure is that KeroKeroppi and Stranded will win doubles.

K19 | $$$ Jim $$$: It’s hard to be accurate without seeing the brackets. Doing a quick look through the attendees, here are the names that stood out to me:

Fireblaster
Bark
Zanny
Shears
KeroKeroppi
Boom
DTan
DaBear (SaTan)
DOGG
ComboBlaze

Of these, Shears probably isn’t quite as good as the others. Combo is known for not trying, so maybe not him. Bear might be a bit controversial to pick over NaCl, given that NaCl won at SSC, but I believe in Jacob. DOGG actually doesn’t have a chance of Top 8, since he can’t seem to outplace me LOL. Maybe if I get a good bracket into Top 8, it’ll open up the possibility of him making it in there. I probably shouldn’t have left off battlecow, CTG, NaCl, DogsJ, or SaltSizz, but you gotta draw the line somewhere. So blind Top 8:

1. Boom
   2. Kero
   3. DTan
   4. BarkSanchez
   5. Fireblaster
   5. Zantetsu
   7. DaBear
   7. ComboBlaze

Janitor: 1. Boom, 2. Kero, 3. Bark, 4. Fireblaster, 5. Marbles, 6. Janitor, 7. ComboBlaze, 8. Dtan

6. Now, for the most important question: what would you do with a 50 pound block of salt?

Bacorn: Do what Wookiee did: give it to Combo Blaze.

KeroKeroppi: Sounds like the perfect thing [to] bend Shears’s mom over.

K19 | $$$ Jim $$$: My sponsor only allows me to use salt substitutes. I’m so sorry.

Janitor: I would have airdropped it on Hillary after she conceded.

A Lotta Bit From Dasit

Yep, it’s me, Dasit Mane. Have you ever been so frustrated that you created a local Smash community from scratch?

Let me lay down a little lore…

Bacorn and I got destroyed at SMYM16 last fall. We had been smashing casually since the turn of the century, and didn’t expect to drown in a pool with Bloomington’s finest and Battlecow. Desperate for more games, and unable to get a quick fix, I angrily bought a domain and branded a contrived gaming community.

362 days ago, we got some momentum with a $25 donation to the G3 player fund. That tiny bit of visibility led to a website contact form submission from Wookiee.

SUBJECT: “YO WTF. im flying here late january”

Wookiee was looking for games during an upcoming business trip. Like any sensible person would, I hyped it up.

At about the same time, we discovered a new local weekly smash tournament at Boss Battle Games, a brand-spanking-new arcade. The awesome owners, PheaWolf and Zoex, are partially responsible for the existence of Indiana’s growing 64 community. There would be no Smash 64 Boss Battle without its namesake arcade.

Just after G3 launched the #yearof64, Wookiee came to town, which snowballed into a beautiful and sentimental regional tourney. BB1 rocked our region and solidified the ND64 crew you see today. Enough lore, let’s get to the action.

First question first:

Potassium Honey Jim Money’s thoughts beg for a response. Bacorn has personally jumped on many opportunities to improve BB2 every step of the way. This is not the result of a community failing to support its organizers. (If that was a stab for the camping meme, touché) There are a lot of hard-working people behind the scenes. Bacorn is leading a group of smashers who have little access to top talent, so they have chosen to import it instead. It is not the easiest way to grow a community, but it’s like throwing gas on a fire. BB2 is the pyre that Indiana’s smashers can roast their scrub tendencies upon. Perhaps you ponder why Bacorn has chosen to go in on this event so hard. He will have to put the sticks down for a while next year as he evolves into PopCorn. Let him have his party and raise the bar for our beloved game.

On the matter of couching, I believe all attendees will find the on-site provisions to be accommodating and comfortable. While I have not personally experienced the new couching system that will be used this weekend, I can guarantee that each player will have the same opportunities to kick back and relax. Be sure to thank Boss Battle Games for implementing such a fair couching system.

I am very pleased to see Dogs_Johnson getting due recognition for his xp grind. I’m hoping for some major upsets in bracket, and would not be surprised to see Dogs’s mental game put some bigger dogs on tilt. This is how we do it.  

Top 8? I am barely top 10 in Indiana, so I’ll just make some stuff up…
There’s the guy that almost beat the legendary Alvin a few weeks ago. We imported a Spezoli with young Spezoli support included. The BB1 boss slayers, Bark and Combo will be putting in work. There are numerous online warriors and a seasoned beast from majors past. Several of Baltimore’s reps will surely take up residence in bracket. Fireblaster has shield armor, so he’ll be playing at a high level. Madrush, Marbles, and CTG will be putting on for their regions too. We mustn’t ignore the massive turnout of midwest players who are going the distance to level up. You don’t get to watch them play every week, so there is great potential for plot-twists. Dollay hoogadoories!

This weekend will be a beacon of hope in the now post-apocalyptic world. We are honored to have Janitor as the star of BB2. The LAS boss crop has been bountiful this year, and our entire region is eager to bask in the boss’s hitstun. Shoutouts to all of you that will be traveling for this game-changer. As Darkhorse would say, Indy’s single mothers have never been more excited.

We will kick things off on Thursday night with a special Bloomington Bi-Weekly stream featuring Boom, Hipstur (honorary Hoosier), and potentially a carload of BaltiBros. I can’t decide if I’m more stoked for the three nights of chill smash parties surrounding BB2, or the main show itself. “Whatever it is, the party’s underway. So tip up your cup and throw your hands up…”

Dasit Mane

Boss Battle II Preview: Will You Defeat the Boss?

By Josh “BarkSanchez” Brody

The ND64 crew has been working furiously for almost a year to bring the Smash 64 community the sequel to the 64 exclusive regional that brought them into the spotlight. The second iteration of Boss Battle is more than twice as large, and exponentially more stacked, featuring big names such as SuPeRbOoMfAn, Kerokeroppi and the boss himself: Janitor. Boss Battle 2 also introduces several new ideas implemented by Smash 64’s top Tournament Organizer, David “Shears” Shears, and Indiana’s own rising TO Ben “Bacorn” Corn. The new tournament structure put forward features a venue fee much lower than your average major, but includes several meals throughout the weekend and hotel rooms for all of its entrants, an unprecedented feat. This new model, if proven successful, could become standard for 64 exclusive events in the future, and perhaps even majors.

Friday kicks things off with the Salty Suite, featuring Florida seeking revenge, as deathcpo aims to avenge an Super Smash Con loss and subsequent money match loss to Bacorn, and Marbles looking for payback worth $50 against Onski, who stopped a Marbles invasion of Socal over the summer. Komotonoto will also take on a SuPeRbOoMfAn-controlled 1-player mode “Boomputer”, and Lorenzo will fight for Harambe’s revenge, as his Donkey Kong takes on a gauntlet of Foxes. A little bit of salt, and a substantial amount of alcohol will fuel a fantastic event to begin a loaded weekend.

The following morning opens up the true competition with a stacked doubles event, featuring the favorites SuPeRbOoMfAn and Fireblaster teaming once again for the first time since Hitstun 3. Brothers BarkSanchez and Darkhorse, the other half of Histun 3 Grand Finals, may earn themselves a rematch against the intimidating top seed, if they can fend off KeroKeroppi and Stranded in a brothers vs. brothers spectacle. Colorado’s DOGG and Dtan may also be looking to get in on the brotherly action, as the impressive duo aim to build upon their Super Smash Con debut by playing spoiler to the Koroshiyo brothers, for a chance at an SSC rematch against Barkhorse. Colorado quickly established their strength as a region in their first major tournament and are poised to continue building their reputation in Indianapolis. Shears and Marbles are coming off a strong performance at Shine 2016, and will likely take on the Texan duo NaCl and CTG for a shot at Boom and Fire. Colorado’s other half will unfortunately be without the state’s top player, Da Bear, formerly known as SaTaN, due to an illness. Madrush21 has built a solid doubles resume over the past year, and will hope to build chemistry with Pennsylvania’s Apparition, who has big shoes to fill. A solid pools performance would earn them a chance to face Barkhorse in a battle featuring both Boss Battle 1 champions, BarkSanchez and Madrush, on opposing sides. With numerous teams hoping to represent their region as the top team in the Midwest, Pugs and LLCStoism from Ohio, will likely clash with B33F and Dogs_Johnson from Indiana to stake their claim. Both of these teams feature prominent rising talent, and will fight for the opportunity to get double 10-stocked by Boom and Fire.

Boss Battle 2 features one of the most interesting groups of singles entrants for a 64 event, with round robin pools giving these players matches against opponents on multiple skill levels. A large portion of unproven but talented players have made their way out to midwest regionals, as well as Super Smash Con, but Boss Battle will truly put their skills to the test. Round Robin pools, and an amateur bracket ensure that all players regardless of skill get enough sets to establish their skill level in a meaningful way. With that being said, the Midwest has numerous players capable of making Top 32 bracket, and potentially even breaking into Top 8. Anything past the 2nd seeded KeroKeroppi truly seems to be a toss-up. There are favorites and reasonable expectations for many players, but there is an unprecedented amount of room for upsets, especially between Top 32 and Top 16.

Boom goes into Boss Battle 2 as he does most events, a heavy favorite, despite his loss at SuperBoomed. KeroKeroppi has faced Boom many times in the past 12 months, but Boom has kept a steady pace ahead of him. Compared to 2015, these two have not faced each other in some time, so a rematch could help display Kero’s improvement, and perhaps a better understanding of his opponent. A similar gap lies before BarkSanchez, who miraculously upset Kerokeroppi at Snosa I, and defeated him in Pika dittos at Hitstun 3. Kero memorably pulled out his Falcon to 5 stock Bark, and has pulled further and further away in 2016. BarkSanchez may have to fend off Fireblaster, in the renewal of an early 2016 rivalry between the two. The two lit things up with some high level play at Shine 2016, and the rematch will not disappoint. Fireblaster will likely face a familiar foe, as he and Shears could meet up once again. Fireblaster has historically dominated the Baltimore Yoshi/Luigi/Pika main; however, Shears could continue momentum from his best performance in the matchup yet at Superboomed.

Marbles, NaCl and Combo Blaze are expected to make Top 8, but will have to face stiff competition, as Janitor, Dtan and Supa would love to sneak in their places.  Battlecow hopes to shake off the rust from several years away from the scene, and could serve as a sleeper to work his way through some unsuspecting fellow Midwesterners.

The Midwest hopes their rising stars can respond to the challenge of such a stacked event. Vinsanity and Pugs lead the pack for Ohio, while Dogs_Johnson and Saltsizzle are leading Indiana. These two regions have been incredibly active over the past year and will demonstrate the fruits of their efforts in their own region. Missouri’s Zantetsu has quietly put together a strong resume over the summer, while the Midwest’s vocal nomad K19 | $$$ Jim $$$ has not been quiet in his own efforts. Another notable traveller, CTG, has represented Texas well over the past year. Despite some struggles in the Midwest, he has made himself known in Florida, taking sets off of some of their finest players. Darkhorse may be one of the most volatile players attending, capable of decimating Pikachus of KeroKeroppi’s calibur, but also capable of drowning in pools. If he shakes off his major jitters, he could wreak havoc on the bracket.

Anything goes at Boss Battle, and numerous upsets would not be surprising. Be sure to check it out at all weekend long on twitch.tv/nd64.

NEVERMIND DA BEAR ISN’T GOING CANCEL THE ARTICLE

– Nothing good in life is free except the presidency apparently

64 Free For All: SuperBoomed

By: Jamie “JAMJAR” Jacobs and Josh “BarkSanchez” Brody

The 64 Free For All is a question and answer session with some of the biggest names in Smash 64, plus a bonus section for our own BarkSanchez to voice his thoughts. 6 questions, 4 top personalities. Today we have four players from across three countries to answer our queries. Mariguas, the enigmatic Mexican Pikachu player. TR3GTheZ, the Canadian master of many characters. Jimmy Joe, 64’s model-worthy commentator. KillaHertz, the puppet master of Nebulous.

1. Nebulous is doing a few cool things to make SuperBoomed great for all players. One such opportunity is that they are inviting everyone to bring as many recording set ups as they can. How will this arrangement help the new players who will be attending?

Arturo “Mariguas” Núñez Hernández: I think that is a very sexy proposal and that it can lead to an orgasm.

Marco “TR3GTheZ” Jardak: They can get more games streamed/recorded despite not being high profile players which is cool. New player exposure was damaged at past majors because of TOs discouraging side recording setups.

James “Jimmy Joe” McGurl: Being able to have your matches recorded to show your friends or study what you did well or poorly is huge for players who don’t typically get to play on stream, as usually it is reserved for those we know are going to put on a hype/tense show. Having so many extra setups allows for everyone to get a chance to have their matches recorded. We live in an amazing time for SSB64.

Jesse “KillaHertz” Hertz: I think newer players may gain a lot from getting to analyze their matches later on. RR pools and amateur bracket also are a huge boon, as they let even scrubs get a lot of matches in a “tournament environment”, which is really important to grow as a player (play a million friendlies vs. boom, it still doesn’t match the pressure of playing even a modest opponent when the chips are on the table).

2. Through a poll voted on by people registered for this event, SuperBoomed will be the first 64 major to use the Star King rule set for doubles. This rule states that teams of Pikachu-Pikachu, Pikachu-Kirby, and Kirby-Kirby are banned. How do you feel about this rule?

Mariguas: I think now more than ever we promote Smash and I think it is a good rule for future prospects interested in the game, many can be discouraged if your doubles looks very repetitive. Overall I think we should put into practice many more rules not only for doubles but also for singles, we have not squeezed Smash in its entirety and having serious discussions about the rules is a way to achieve it.

TR3GTheZ: This is a good tournament to test it. A lot of people don’t like the idea, I personally voted in favor of it. Teams have been pretty unenjoyable to watch and have been feeling like a chore to play in the last majors. Hopefully this change will make doubles and America great again.

Jimmy Joe: I think the Star King ruleset is fun and adds an element of character/player choice strategy. Ultimately the highest level doubles play will be determined by letting people choose whoever they want, but this could open people’s eyes to other great combinations and possibly have them become more developed and ultimately more viable in the typical doubles ruleset. I think it was a great move to let people vote on the ruleset and go with the majority decision. If more people want this ruleset, why deny them. It may even have brought more players to the event for doubles alone. On the subject of doubles rulesets, where did the DL only for doubles thing start?? It was never officially decided to do that, and DL is a laggy doubles stage. Hyrule is still legal in doubles, if someone tells you otherwise, they are playing by their own weird ruleset period.

KillaHertz: I think it’s really good for the doubles-meta, which is still in its infancy, to explore a bit. Brawl doubles was really boring until they banned Double-MK, and after that, it’s held up as one of the deeper and more interesting parts of the game. I think the common consensus (as shown by the vote) is that if you don’t main Pika or Kirby, you’re handicapping yourself or your partner by not switching to one of them for doubles. I think this ruleset probably lets more people play their mains in doubles, and puts a premium on players who don’t main Pika/Kirby, making things seriously interesting. I’m excited.

3. SuperBoomed is unique in that it is a 64 major held in New York city, something that has never happened before. However, despite the region being both densely and highly populated, it is struggling to develop (besides Nebulous itself). What do you think needs to be done to help this region flourish?

Mariguas: Alcohol and women.

TR3GTheZ: NY is a region with strong active players, but I don’t think they take the right initiatives to grow their scene; they have never released power rankings and their events are not very well advertised.

Jimmy Joe: This region has had trouble flourishing I think due to the nature of the tri-state area lifestyle. We all work or study wayyyyy too much to be consistent. This is going to be a great event, but majors in an area as dense as NYC are tough for out-of-towners simply for the parking/driving aspect alone. Unless you’re a local, you’ll be in way over your head trying to get to a major by vehicle in NYC. It takes hours to travel just a couple miles around here, so I’m not sure we can do much better than trying to get more NYC gamers playing and competing, and hosting any majors larger than SuperBoomed outside the city…who knows, I’ll probably be a hypocrite and try to throw a MAJOR major here in the next couple years lol.

KillaHertz: One of the hardest things is venues. NYC is an extremely expensive city, and getting a venue for a “major” is no small task. Putting the “down-fees” on a big venue without proper sponsorship and precautions can easily bankrupt an organization if the tournament doesn’t make its numbers. With the actual Nebulous venue, we have a secure venue where we can store our equipment and reliably run tourneys that fits over 100 people, that’s HUGE for NYC, where we used to struggle to get people to bring CRTs (remember, no one has cars in the city), and where we often were packed into tiny venues.

4. Nebulous’s Hitbox Gaming sponsorship gave them the opportunity to fly out a handful of truly elite players to make this event special. What does a major sponsorship such as this mean for future events and the growth of our community?

Mariguas: It really is something that needed to happen to increase the size of the Smash 64 scene, it is strange to think that a game that takes many years is just now giving its best, but I think it all goes for good and this is a good sign of growth.

TR3GTheZ: Having myself been part of this sponsorship, I would most likely have not been able to make the trip otherwise, same can be said about the three other voted players. Most players travel cause they love the game, there isn’t much money on the line.

Jimmy Joe: This type of sponsorship is huge. It gives us the opportunity to get elite players here, who otherwise may not be able to afford/make it, which draws hype, and ultimately other players and viewers to an event. It’s a worthwhile investment and it’s nice to see that our beautiful game is being invested in.

KillaHertz: All I’m really going to say is that the Hitbox sponsorship (and other sponsors) aren’t a fluke, we have a lot of smart people working at Nebulous to increase our sponsor base. In the current tournament ecosystem, a TO (or their organization) can’t risk funding a major tournament all on their own, sponsors are needed for real expansion. Nebulous as a whole is actively pursuing more sponsors, and I can promise that 64 won’t be ignored. A rising tide lifts all boats, or something like that.

5. Who will be Top 8?

Mariguas: 1-Mariguas 2- Alvin 3- Boomfan 4-Mariguas (always), 5- The Z, 6- Stranded 7-Kant 8- Lakatos.

TR3GTheZ: 1. superboomfan
2. alvin
3. mariguas
4. revan
5. barksanchez
5. fireblaster
7. firo
7. cobr

Jimmy Joe: I think top 8 will be consisting of Definitely Boom, Alvin, Mariguas, and The Z, Revan and Bark highly likely and that final spot going to likely Fireblaster but with a solid chance of it going to some locals like Firo or Cobr, and possibly even Lowww or Kuz, with a slim chance of SunnyB or dare I say it, Myself sneaking in.

Oh and Shears is even more likely than everyone after Cobr.

KillaHertz: (in no order) Boom alvin z mariguas firo revan, not sure on the 8th.

6. Now for the most important question: why is New York City the best city in the world?

Mariguas: No comment.

TR3GTheZ: The palm trees.

Jimmy Joe: New York is the best city in the world because within just a couple square miles we have it AAAAALLLLLLL. Whenever I leave here, I’m inevitably missing it for something. Music, Art, Theatre/film, Food/drink, Partying, you name it. Not to mention delivered to your door at ANY hour. NYC is all about convenience and getting shit done. I ❤ NY. Could use some better weather though XD

KillaHertz: Pizza. Public transport. Homies. It’s home.

Free Barking with BarkSanchez

I wanted Free Barking to be about the doubles ruleset mainly but I can’t ignore the predictions. Obviously Mariguas is having a little fun, but I’m curious who Kant and Lakatos are. Someone should tell him that Stranded isn’t available for his penetration in bracket. Someone should also tell ESPN SSBML VCR | RHCP TR3GTHEZ NIN that I won’t be participating on Sunday, so cracking top 5 in singles would be impressive. Ditto for JimmyJoe. Jesse listed six people and said he wasn’t sure of the eighth. WHO’S SEVENTH?? Maybe it’s those New York palm trees messing with his head.

Ok doubles. I love doubles. I have my favorite teammates, but I love teaming with anyone. This summer I teamed with Meerkat at Smash n’ Splash 2, and Preston at Summit 2016. All three of us are single main players, through both doubles and singles, and this ruleset would have forced us off our mains. I can’t support this happening to newer players who might not have the experience with other characters that I have.

The reality is Falcon, Fox, and Yoshi are not very good in the current doubles meta, despite Pika/Yoshi getting fifth at Super Smash Con. Players that main these Singles high-tier characters, instead of exploring mid-low tiers with serious doubles potential, such as Mario, Puff, Luigi, Samus, Ness, or even Link, they opted for the more forgiving route, and no one can blame them. There are very few mid-low tier mains in singles, and doubles gets very few added from the displaced high-tier mains. Newer players see a decent amount of Pika/Kirby in the mid-high level matches, and believe that is what they need to do to win. The doubles meta is still new and unexplored, and this ruleset could help others learn the powers of the mid-low tier characters in doubles, but will more likely stunt the meta, as less people learn to counter pika/kirby.

For a community that shames “tryhard” mentalities more than others, and prides itself on not “playing for the win screen”, it’s ironic to see people needing a ruleset change to play characters “they really want to play” instead of Pika/Kirby. It’ll be interesting to see the reactions from players getting gimmicked by Pika/luigi, Pika/Puff, Pika/Samus, or the unstoppable Kirby/DK. It’ll all be worth it when Grand Finals is Boom/Firo’s Pika/Ness (or double random) versus Bark/Shears’s Bang Bros (Mario/Luigi).

The 64 community has more fun than anyone else when it all comes down to it, ODS II was proof of that, but competition is competition. The best of the best, no handicaps, no gimmicks. This doubles ruleset may make for an interesting side event in the future, but should never replace true doubles.

That being said, SuperBoomed is going to be an incredible event, and the doubles ruleset will be something unique to fool around with. Jesse and the Nebulous crew are always great when I go up there, hopefully the wind tunnel air conditioning is in full effect again!
Nothing good in life is free, except doubles as Team Bang Bros.

SuperBoomed Preview: The Big Apple Gets Its First Major

By Josh “BarkSanchez” Brody

The #Yearof64 has been packed full of 64-exclusive Smash events. The magical year kicked off its first of many 64-exclusives with Boss Battle 1 in Indianapolis. This event helped put the ND64 crew on the map, and synergized well with the momentum following Genesis 3 to grow the Smash 64 community.

SuperBoomed, the fourth event of its kind in 2016, finds itself following tough acts in SNOSA 2, and ODS 2. However, Jesse “KillaHertz” Hertz and his team at Nebulous have risen to the challenge, flying in several top players and building an exciting event “by 64, for 64” crafted with help from the community. Registrants of the event voted on which players were flown in, how many days the event would run and even whether or not to use a controversial alternative ruleset for doubles. While KillaHertz put in the work to make SuperBoomed a hyped event, he allowed the community to help craft the weekend to their liking, an unprecedented method.

However, nothing makes an event more hyped than top level talent. Alvin’s visa doesn’t need to do damage to get him flown out to yet another North American major. The Peruvian titan of Smash 64 failed to meet expectations at Super Smash Con 2016; however, the Japanese Yoshis that caught him off guard will not be standing in his way this time. SSBMTL | TR3GTheZ has played lights out this summer, eliminating Koroshiyo | KeroKeroppi from Get On My Level 2016 to nab second place and defeating tacos and Wangera en route to an astonishing fifth place finish at SSC. He will attempt to build on his momentum, joining the Mexican Monstrosity, Mariguas, and Alvin in an attempt to end the brutal reign of SuPeRbOoMfAn, one of North America’s juggernauts, and reigning champion following SSC.

Aside from these top players being flown out, SuperBoomed will feature players from 17 different regions, as well as a few netplay warriors.

Revan has seemed to climb to a new level of play, eliminating Wizzrobe at two majors in a row, handling BarkSanchez at Summit 2016 and capping off the #SummerOf64 with a phenomenal performance at SSC 2016, nabbing seventh place. However, the cerebral young Kirby main fell flat at ODS 2, and has had a month and a half in the lab to ensure he steps into SuperBoomed stronger than ever.

Fireblaster’s performance at SSC 2016 was arguably his strongest all year. He fell early to NTA, but defeated Cobr and Star King, who previously eliminated him at Apex 2016; he even managed took a game off of Alvin. Fireblaster’s doubles team, which included Shalaka, also played exceptionally. Despite falling early to Team LAS’s Wookiee and SotoH in winners, Team Shalakablaster tore a path through losers, defeating the Brazilians Kort and Banze, as well as the veteran duo Firo and Nintendude.

Speaking of Nebulous’s star himself, expect to see Firo in Top 8 as well, whether it be as Ness, Link or perhaps both. The low-tier hero can play nearly the entire cast at an incredibly high level in tournament, so he may have a few tricks up his sleeve as he attempts to defend his turf.

With all of the players, ranging from Massachusetts, to Georgia, to Northern California, to Mexico, the man to beat as always is SuPeRbOoMfAn. The Canadian lumberjack has a major tournament named after him for a reason. The renaissance era of Smash 64 has been the era of Boom, as he has all but dominated the scene for nearly three years. Boom’s Captain Falcon has been seen sparingly in 2016. Following a close loss to Wario at Genesis 3, and another close set against BarkSanchez at Pound 6, Boom has taken several opportunities to show off and train up his Kirby and Pikachu. There is no telling which characters he will break out for any given situation, although he may need his entire lineup ready to face the stacked roster at SuperBoomed.

Singles is stacked, but doubles will likely be the big topic of the discussion when Monday rolls around. SuperBoomed is running with a controversial alternative ruleset for doubles, a first for a tournament of this size and caliber. This unorthodox ruleset places a ban on Pika/Kirby, Pika/Pika and Kirby/Kirby teams, in response to the large presence of these two characters in the current doubles meta. SuPeRbOoMfAn had won every doubles tournament he attended in over four years leading into Super Smash Con 2016, most frequently teaming with his longtime partner JaimeHR. The duo, known as Team Mejor, dominated the modern Smash 64 doubles scene with their seemingly unstoppable Pika/Mario team, but were finally taken down at SSC 16 by Isai and Alvin, playing as Pika/Pika. Without the threat of Isai, or the trio of Pika/Kirby compositions, Boom will look to dominate once again. Without Jaime attending, Boom has teamed up with fellow veteran Firo to create yet another terrifying team. Firo has seen much success teaming exclusively with Nintendude over the past four years, dominating opponents with a unique Ness/Mario team. The Super Group of Boom/Firo will take on some formidable opponents in Mariguas/Alvin, BarkSanchez/Shears, and The Z/Handsome Tom, all teams with players limited from playing their doubles mains with the alternative ruleset. Despite these limitations, these teams have players that have all been very successful in doubles. With the new ruleset in place, everyone will be watching to see how these players adjust to an altered meta.

New York’s first major has already set itself apart from every other event, and the action hasn’t even started yet. The #yearof64 is winding down, but shows no signs of slowing down in terms of excitement, so be sure to tune in to NebulousGaming on hitbox.tv.

YouTube 64 Spotlight: Havasu Smash 64

By Ben “Bacorn” Corn

You don’t have to worry about getting Shrekt or yelling “Go Baltimore” to enjoy these YouTube channels.

The featured Super Smash Bros. 64 YouTube channel this week is Havasu Smash 64.

If you follow 64, you know about Havasu. It’s one of the best scenes in the U.S. and came to fruition almost completely based off the sheer willpower of Daniels, its benevolent leader.

Currently, Havasu’s YouTube channel focuses on VODs of tournaments and money matches. In fact, the $500 MM between Daniels and Smurf and KeroKeroppi’s 2v1 comeback from ODS are the two most-viewed videos on the channel, both nearing 300 views.

The channel also has some videos chronicling the adventures of the Havasu Smashers, mostly Daniels. In fact, Daniels says his favorite video is one of the Havasu guys getting kicked out of their hotel for SNOSA II.

Daniels said he plans to make more feature videos like that, but also wants to make sure he always has plenty of gameplay for Smash fans to watch.

“Yeah we’re planning on making highlight vids that are funny/interesting/crazy shit that happens etc. and I also have made two videos documenting my travels to GOML and SNOSA,” Daniels said. “I want to continue the momentum by streaming for major tournaments from now on as opposed to just our weeklies and ODS.”

So check out the Havasu channel and drop them a subscribe! I’m sure Daniels and the rest of the crew would appreciate it!