Smasher:9B

9B
Character info
Smash 64 main	Fox
Melee main	Fox
Brawl main	Ice Climbers
Other Brawl characters	Lucario, Snake
Smash 4 main	Ryu
Other Smash 4 character	Shulk
Team info
Crew(s)	SHI-Gaming
Personal and other info
Real name	Yuya Araki
Location	Daito City, Osaka
Miscellaneous info
Skill	Top professional Top professional

9B (pronounced kyuu-bi) is a smasher from Osaka, Japan, who mains the Ice Climbers in Brawl and Ryu in Smash 4. He is considered to be the best Brawl Ice Climbers in the world as well as the top Lucario player in Brawl and the top Ryu player in Smash 4 in Japan. Due to his infrequent tournament losses, 9B is currently considered to be Japan's top Brawl player along with Edge, and was ranked 1st on the 2014 SSBB Player Rankings (tied with Nairo)

Metagame Advancement

9B is said to have created the faster yet more difficult chaingrab for the Ice Climbers in Brawl. This involves using Popo's down throw to start the chain, having Nana re-grab, then executing a back throw so Popo can regrab. The following description is from the Youtube video showcasing this technique, which can be found at the bottom of this page or by clicking the reference tag before this sentence. It explains how the technique works and why it is a faster chaingrab.

When you grab with Popo, naturally, Nana will grab as well. Since Popo normally grabs the opponent, Nana will be left with a dead grab animation. An experienced player in the Ice Climbers match-up knows this is the PERFECT time to MASH THE HELL OUT OF THAT CONTROLLER, as the Nana cannot re-grab just yet. Since Popo's B-Throw executes in so few frames, Nana will have to wait to finish said animation. HOWEVER, D-Throw's animation lasts significantly longer, giving Nana time to finish her grab animation DURING the throw, meaning the opponent can't mash out. After D-Throwing with Nana, Popo doesn't have a grab animation, so you can instantly throw again; buffered B-Throw being your fastest option. That's how this chain came to be.

The main mechanics of achieving this string includes buffering a walk in the opposite direction after re-grabbing with Nana. The B-throw will then come out accompanied by a turnaround by Popo, not a walk. This allows Popo to re-grab the opponent and thus continue the chain.

Notable tournament placings

Brawl

Tournament	Date	1v1 placement	2v2 placement	Partner
SumabatoX 3	October 30th, 2010	1st	—	—
SumabatoX 4	December 4th, 2010	1st	—	—
SumabatoX 5	January 22nd, 2011	1st	—	—
SunRise Tournament Rehearsal (Kanto)	February 11th, 2011	1st	—	—
SumabatoX 6	March 12th, 2011	1st	—	—
Battle Road FES X	May 4th, 2011	3rd	—	—
SumabatoX 9	October 9th, 2011	1st	—	—
SumabatoX 10	November 19th, 2011	1st	—	—
Sun Rise Tournament	August 10th-12th, 2012	5th	—	—
Apex 2013	January 11th-13th, 2013	9th	97th	Punishment Divine
SKTAR 3	May 31st-June 1st, 2014	1st	7th	Mekos
Sumabato X Final	August 23rd-24th, 2014	5th (forfeit)	—	—

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Tournament	Date	1v1 placement	2v2 placement	Partner
Sumabato 0	October 25th, 2014	9th	—	—

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Tournament	Date	1v1 placement	2v2 placement	Partner
Umebura F.A.T.	September 21st-22nd, 2015	5th

External links

• White Cyclone, a combo video featuring 9B