Last March 7, 2015, a “beginners only” event for Smash Wii U dubbed “New Breed Smash” was held at Rumpus Room in Cubao Expo, Quezon City. Eighteen players participated in this special tournament that encouraged newcomers to participate in the competitive scene.

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Tournament organizer and owner of Rumpus Room, Kiko Aquino, explained his reasons for creating this event:

“First of all , it was for fun. It was also to get other people who wouldn’t normally go to tournaments playing. The main inspiration came from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)’s NXT show, which was about developing new talent.”

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Whereas a standard Smash Wii U tournament consists of a double elimination bracket, New Breed Smash added a twist: After the initial bracket run, the players were grouped into 4-player free-for-all matches. Then, the final two contestants would play with the lowest ranked player in a Triple Threat Grand Finals, during which he would choose which characters the top two would use, as well as the stage.

After three hours, Kevin Ray “kevs” Tuaño was crowned champion, showcasing a level of skill with his Mario that impressed even the veterans who watched the event.

Aside from its lighthearted feel, Aquino’s goal was also to develop players who want to improve, yet were hesitant to join high-level tournaments. He wants to remove the feeling of intimidation newcomers experience when up against veteran players. In fact, one of the grand prizes was free entrance for the weekly tournament at Rumpus Room held during Fridays.

“This got the pros to check out the newbies. I’ll be coming up with ways so that pros and newbies will have a program together. The prizes, experience, and lessons learned are gonna be priceless. Who better to learn from than the best of the best, right? This’ll help grow the Smash community further”.

Aquino plans to make more unique tournaments such as this in the future.

“This wont be the last noobie tourney. It’ll just get crazier from here! It’s fun, it’s hyped and now it’s even more badass!”

For more information on Philippine Smash, visit Smash Philippines’ Facebook page or its website.

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(Credits to Kaye Lara, Karl Ericson and Jag Garcia for the images)

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