A group huddles around a television in hushed silence, engrossed by the flashing screen and clicking controllers. Two players sit at the center of attention, one soon to claim victory, the other to suffer defeat. The drama is as simple as can be and has played out at every fighting game tournament since the genre’s introduction.
Super Smash Bros., gaming giant Nintendo’s primary fighting game series, is one of many games with a storied competitive presence. In large urban centers turnouts numbering in the hundreds, if not thousands, are expected. The Big House, a 2015 tournament in Detroit, had over 1,500 registrants.
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In recent years smaller Smash communities have bubbled up between major cities as well. One example is Northwest Ohio, home to a scattering of passionate groups who are always accepting new challengers.
Players and organizations
“It started with me and my friends playing a lot,” says Mazzin Elsamaloty, who founded the University of Toledo’s Smash Club in May 2015. “We hosted a tournament at Bash Con in 2015 and we’ve been doing events ever since.”
Bowling Green State University student Anthony Schaible tells a similar story for his group, Falcon Esports, which began in September 2015. “There was already a weekly Smash venue, but it wasn’t very serious… I was approached about setting up a more competitive Smash venue.”
The “Glass City Champions,” a Toledo-based group formed by Brenden King (pictured left), are independent, but have risen in prominence after helping with events at local conventions.
Tournaments hosted by these groups typically see turnouts between twenty and thirty players. “What’s good is that we have a lot of people who want to go to events and get better,” Matthew Stremmel, a respected tournament regular, describes.
Competition at local tournaments has encouraged players to improve. Justin Campbell, another prominent player, thought he was the best in Northwest Ohio before he lost to Stremmel. Campbell feels he underestimated the region and hopes“to see the scene continue to grow.”
The battles ahead
Growing Northwest Ohio’s Smash scene has proven challenging. Toledo’s location has isolated it from many other communities in and around Ohio, resulting in a degree of obscurity. Some players, including a Toledoan player preferring the moniker “Orange Ranger,” entered the scene in hopes of gaining exposure. Though happy he could improve his skills locally, Orange feels that he has reached the limit of what Northwest Ohio can offer.
Additionally, while attendance has been solid, finding tournaments has been difficult thanks to inconsistent scheduling and scattered locations. “It would be nice if we could have a weekly event at one location,” says Stremmel.
Hope for the future
Northwest Ohio’s Smash groups intend on solving the problems they face. Elsamaloty hopes to get U.T. Smash Club involved with the Smash 4 Collegiate, a national league of Smash organizations. Schaible wants to establish a weekly venue similar to Stremmel’s description. King is trying to use profit made from tournament entry fees to afford better locations.
Prominent players are still eager to see fresh faces. Tyron Warren, generally considered the best in Northwest Ohio, says “It’s always fun to see the competition, character diversity, and personalities that show up to our events.”
The scene’s transitional period may be an ideal time for new players to get involved. The upcoming Glass City Con at the Seagate Convention Centre will have a Smash tournament on July 16th. Game Over LLC, a game store on 3151 Central Avenue, hosts a casual venue every Sunday. The NWOH Smash 4 and BGSU Smash Facebook groups provide updates on upcoming tournaments from all three major groups and readily accept new members. With the options available, all a passionate player needs to do is practice well and enter the fray.
