Screenshot: Smash Summit 6 (Twitch)
Masaya “aMSa” Chikamoto has been on a tear at this weekend’s Smash Summit 6, and yesterday he pulled off an upset on one of Melee‘s best players.
Chikamoto is considered the best Yoshi player in the Super Smash Bros. Melee scene, and he hails from Japan, a region that can be tough on the players of the GameCube classic. Tournaments like the Smash Summit are a chance for him to travel the globe and take on the internationally best players, and in five games, he proved he could take down even a champ like Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma.
DeBiedma, one of the five “gods” of Melee, is formidable on his character of choice, Jigglypuff. But Chikamoto found the openings to get in there as Yoshi, punishing missteps with concussive head slams and green eggs.
Tied at 1-1, the two were dancing around each other with a single stock (life) left as the clock dwindled down. Instead of going for the kill, Chikamoto went for the time-out. If his damage percentage was lower than DeBiedma’s by the time the clock hit zero, he would be declared the winner and go up 2-1 in the best-of-five set. He just had to avoid or negate DeBiedma’s onslaught to make it.
DeBiedma brought it back and tied it up, sending the series into a climactic game 5 on Battlefield. Both players at high percentages, down to one stock and well-within the danger zone for being slammed out of the ring, Chikamoto found his opening and took it.
It was a huge win for Chikamoto, as you can tell from his reaction afterwords. The upset put DeBiedma into the loser’s side of the bracket, while Chikamoto heads into the winner’s quarterfinals to take on Leffen. There’s no shortage of talent at the Smash Summit this weekend, but all of them are likely looking at Chikamoto’s red Yoshi with more caution than they were before.
You can check out the full VOD of their match on the Summit’s Twitch archives.
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