Adrenaline filled the air as students competed to best each other in the Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Tournament this week at Central Connecticut State University.

The event was held at the Esports Center in Memorial Hall and was hosted by the Video Gaming Club (formally the E-Sports at Central). The club regularly hosts tournaments like this that are open to any and all students who like Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and want to participate or even just watch.

The Nintendo game, released in 2018, is a crossover fighting game featuring characters from Nintendo’s many franchises and characters from other companies’ franchises. Players’ goals are to defeat your opponent(s) as fast as you can without racking up too much damage for yourself.

Having only played a little bit of Super Smash Brothers myself, I was curious to see how other people fared with the game and how the matches would play out. It was very exciting to see other people play the game and experiment with various different characters. Even if you decide not to take part in any of the matches and simply watch, just being there is great fun to be had.

Things were very open to everyone’s style of playing with people allowed to play on the TV or on one of the many computers and with whatever kind of controller they wanted. Students were able to play matches with another friend or by themselves against the computer if they chose to do so instead of taking part in the tournament. Even before the start of the tournament, people were in the Esports Center playing against each other, showing just how much they enjoy the game.

When the tournament began, the staff hosting the event directed students to the stations where they would be playing and the matches would start when both parties were ready. It felt less like a formal tournament, and more akin to a casual gaming session between friends. This was a bit unexpected, but rather cool to see. The more laid-back nature gave the event a more relaxed feel where everyone is not really competing against each other for glory or a prize but just playing for the enjoyment of the game.

Several people showed up over the course of the meeting and there was great fun to be had with those who participated. People took turns playing against each other and everyone who wanted to play got their chance to try their hand in the game. The overall atmosphere was rather chill and enjoyable as people were there just to have an evening of fun with their friends and playing video games with each other.

The Esports Center and Video Gaming Club provide students a fun activity and opportunity to play games with each other and test their gaming skills through the Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Tournament. It is a great way to make friends with others through video games and is just a nice way to spend an evening.

If you enjoy playing Super Smash Bros or want to give it a try, stopping by and joining in in the tournament might be what you are looking to find with gaming on campus.

The Video Gaming Club meets every week on Thursdays at 12:30 and tournaments are held Thursdays at 7:00 in the Esports Center.