The "Super Smash Bros Melee" tournament came to a close without any issues this weekend during the "Genesis 4" event. However the "Super Smash Bros. Wii U reportedly ended with a troubled finals due to problematic match settings. The competitors who played during the closing matches are restless and are looking for answers to the debacle.
The alleged issues reportedly started during the losers bracket battle between Rei Furukawa and Zack Lauth. After fighting their way through around 1000 competitors, both players were on the verge of elimination. They were playing to win a portion of the $10,000 prize pool. Furukawa was on the losing end of the match with Lauth holding a 3-1 lead over him. Kotaku reports that suspicions were cast about the gameplay setting of their match.
The "Genesis 4" standard setting for "Damage Ratio" in "Super Smash Bros. Wii U" is the default 1.0x. However, upon checking the set options for their matches, it was discovered that it was modified to 0.9x. Organizers suspect that it was somehow changed prior to their losers bracket matches. The "Damage Ratio" option controls the level of knockback applied to each attack. Knockback determines how far the player flies across the playing field during certain moves.
The crowd reported cried for a rematch after Furukawa asked for some consideration due to the settings issue. The organizers agreed to allow the players to have a rematch. However, instead of replaying the entire match, they only deducted a single point from Lauth's 3-1 lead making it 2-1, as reported by Nintendo Wire. The Japanese player was eventually defeated and appeared frustrated about the issue. His refusal to shake the hand of his opponent afterwards obviously meant he was upset.
The "Genesis 4" tournament happens every January, and is an event entirely dedicated to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. franchise. The games featured are Super Smash Bros for the Nintendo 64, Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube and Super Smash Bros. Wii U. The entire top 8 results can be viewed in the Event Hubs website.
