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Joe "Ball" Malloy, a freshman studying computer science, left, plays Super Smash Brothers against Eric "AIDS" Reimers, a Hocking College sophomore studying ecotourism, right, during a club meeting in Ellis Hall on March 22. 

Super Smash Bros. club unites collegiate gamers at Ohio University

Captain Falcon and Falco were neck and neck, criss-crossing Pokemon Stadium in a flurry of kicks and punches, locked in a battle that could only end in death.

It was a close match, down to the wire, with both fighters running on a single life. But suddenly, there was the chance Captain Falcon needed. Dodging a hit, he rushed Falco with a powerful uppercut, driving his opponent off the stage to his demise.

Sam Friedlander dropped his controller victoriously, offering a “good game” and a friendly handshake to his opponent.

That is a typical Tuesday night for the Ohio University Smash Team in Ellis Hall 024, where about 30 students huddle around a dozen screens waiting for their chance to play.

Half-full pizza boxes and gaming consoles dot the tables, as speakers bump out a mixtape that includes Tupac Shakur, Shaggy and even the soundtrack from the Pokemon Diamond game.

According to the evening’s bracket, projected on the classroom chalkboard, Friedlander’s latest victory means he will move on to the next round. Once again, he selects his favorite character, Captain Falcon.

Though Friedlander, a first-year medical student, was first introduced to Super Smash Bros. in its 1999 Nintendo 64 version, his competitive career began two years ago when he was an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Founded in January 2014, the Ohio University Smash Team meets twice a week, allowing members to compete against one another in different variations of the hit Nintendo game. On Tuesdays, members play the fan-favorite Super Smash Bros. Melee version. Thursdays, however, are set aside for Project M, a fan-made version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Despite being a member of the team for the past two years, Michael Decker, a junior studying computer science, has spent his time in pursuit of mastering a single character in Melee.

“I played it as a kid — everybody played Melee. I thought I was pretty good at the game, but when I showed up, I got destroyed.” Decker said. “But it just made me want to come back.”

Chris Preston, a junior studying integrated media, said members of the team vary in their levels of commitment.

“The people who are really dedicated to it definitely put in the time and the effort that people in other sports do,” Preston said. “I mean, I come twice a week, and I play twice a week. That’s about it.”

Eli Schoop, a sophomore studying media arts and studies, is one player who has set his sights on the big leagues.

While most OU students were returning from winter break to a frigid Ohio, Schoop was on a plane to San Jose, California, where he was one of nearly 2,000 players to compete in the Genesis 3 tournament.

“It was a beautiful atmosphere,” Schoop said. “Totally amazing. I would highly recommend that anyone come out to a big Smash tourney.”

Individual players such as Schoop and teams like OU's certainly aren’t alone in their search for collegiate glory. ESPN recently expanded its realm into the world of competitive gaming, creating an “esports” section dedicated to the coverage of popular games such as League of Legends, Dota 2 and Hearthstone.

And while many casual players within OU Smash Team view their get-togethers simply as a way to relax on a weeknight, certain Smash connoisseurs are of the opinion that the video games should be given a platform similar to that of other college sports.

Friedlander, however, is skeptical of the prospects of a gaming career after graduating college.

“At least with basketball and other sports, there’s kind of, like, pro teams afterwards, so people are able to make a career off of that,” Friedlander said. “There are very few people in, like, video games at least, that actually make a career.”

For now, however, OU Smash Team remains a haven for the university's emerging competitive gaming culture. For some, it’s a chance to prove their skills and test their talents among their peers. For others, the team is an escape from the everyday with a community of like-minded gamers who share a passion for beating up fictional characters on virtual stages.

Smash is a game that you really have to play face to face. This is a community that’s about not only playing Smash, but about being cool and friendly with each other," Schoop said. “You don’t play Smash just to play the game. You play because it’s also a multiplayer thing. That’s why it’s so enjoyable. That’s why it’s such a communal thing.”

@lauren__fisher

lf966614@ohio.edu

Editors note: This article was initially published March 23, 2016. It was updated in November 2018 because of technical issues caused by back-end software updates. Its content remains unchanged from the original 2016 version.

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