On March 23-26, “Ultimate Summit 6,” a premier invitational for “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” spotlighted 16 of the game’s finest players. With 134,000 peak viewers, one of the final major events of eSports event organizer Beyond the Summit before their major downsizing featured new iconic moments and a triumphant victory for Japan’s Mashita “acola” Hayato. Even though I could not spectate this event as much as previous ones, it was a great bookend to years of fantastic content for the “Smash Bros.” scene.
All the way back in 2012, I began learning how to play “Super Smash Bros. Melee,” a popular entry into the platform fighting game franchise known for its complex inner game and hard execution floor. I would sit and practice for hours on my Gamecube, learning to control my character the best I could so I could beat my friends.
In 2020, I competed in my first “Melee” tournament, losing both of my matches in a double elimination bracket. When the pandemic hit, I could no longer play “Melee” in person as all of my fellow players from Millersville also went home. In some form of blessing, innovations came to “Melee” in that you could play it online. When things were safe to return to campus, I could show off my practice to the people I used to play with.
As Smash Club president, I continue to have great experiences with both “Melee” and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate,” as I still compete in tournaments for both games 10 years after learning to play. I have gained a ton of friends, as well as a lot of professional experience I would not have gained otherwise.
In terms of Beyond the Summit, the group ran online tournaments nearly weekly during the pandemic, leaving me something entertaining to sit and watch on Sunday nights. After the pandemic, the group returned to in-person tournaments with “Smash Summit 11,” a tournament I spent an entire weekend watching. This tournament also ended with a legendary “Melee” set between Joseph “Mang0” Marquez and Zain “Zain” Naghmi, a set that genuinely left a tear in my eye.
I will be forever thankful for the level Beyond the Summit grew the “Smash Bros.” scene, and there is a chance that without their involvement, I would not have made as many fantastic members with as many awesome people.
Even though the end of the Spring 2023 semester will mark the end of my career as a tournament organizer, I look forward to competing in more tournaments.
