The world’s most popular video game characters fight each weekend in a battle royal, as fingers quickly jab at button patterns. 

For nearly two semesters, Super Smash Bros. tournaments have been a weekend ritual for several students. 

“It’s like playing chess at the speed of light,” said Alex Malone, junior and graduate of the Gatton Academy.

Others, like Malone, often find themselves in Downing Student Union Room 2085 on Saturdays from 4 to 11 p.m. to play the popular video game. These students come together as a community of gamers.

This community was first brought together by Bowling Green sophomore Thaddeus Crews. Crews said that he started the group two semesters ago when he introduced the idea to the campus group Gamers’ Guild. He then ran with the idea of developing a community of students to come together and play Super Smash Bros.

He said that the community’s growing popularity can be attributed to the tournament hosted last semester.

“The popularity of it just kept growing,” Crews commented. 

Crews said that the community currently offers students the opportunity to play three of the games in the Super Smash series. These games include Super Smash Bros. Melee, a modified version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl called Project M and Super Smash Bros. 4.

Nate Edwards, Louisville sophomore, is one of the students involved with the Smash community. For Edwards the game was a staple of his childhood — he played it with his father and siblings very often. 

“I was playing since I was five or six, since the first game came out,” Edwards said.

Edwards said that because of his invested interest in Smash, he found the transition to college difficult, as he sometimes had to play the game by himself. He noted that the fun involved with the game doesn’t really come from the game itself, but having other people to play with and a community to be involved with. 

“You can play. You can get to know people,” he said.

Malone sees the game in a similar light, but also noted the game’s strategic and complex nature. He noted that the game is incredibly deep, but not at first glance.

“It’s almost a form of expression,” Malone said.

Malone continued say that the scene for Smash isn’t as big in Bowling Green as it is in other cities such as Lexington or Louisville. This point is confirmed by Crews’ desire to grow the scene here at WKU.

“I want to build a scene here so that people won’t have to go out of their way to experience the same kind of community,” Crews commented. 

Next Saturday, the group is hosting a tournament with Revolution 91.7 in the Mass Media Technology Hall auditorium.