Computer engineering sophomore Mikhail Franklin, left, and software engineering sophomore Hector Gonzalez fist-bump after their game during a Super Smash Bros. tournament on Sept. 24 in The Basement of the Central Library. The basement has been open for seven years.
Eighty-two characters, 43 players, but only one could walk away the winner.
The Basement in the Central Library hosted its Super Smash Bros. tournament Thursday. Students were invited to put their skills to the test. The space holds different consoles and hosts workshops.
Super Smash Bros. is a multiplayer game where people choose from a list of characters, battle stages and other items. Players try to build up their opponents’ damage until they are launched off the platform. The first player to knock the other off three times wins the match.
Basement events lead Andy Lodato said this was one of the largest turnouts they’ve had for the tournament.
Lodato said that events like this are a great way for people to make friends and build community, with the tournament being one of the most popular.
The tournament was set up in a multiround bracket where each player with the best of three would move on, while the loser would enter a losers bracket. The winners of each bracket would then face off for a grand championship match.
Crowds of students gathered around six televisions, each anxious for their chance at glory.
Many, like computer engineering junior Eric Lou, spent an hour practicing, not leaving anything up to fate.
As signups concluded and Lodato finished creating the bracket, competitors took to the couches. An air of excitement and anxiety filled the room.
One by one, the players fell or found victory.
Among the players was Kyle Egbert, computer science junior and captain of the Super Smash Brothers varsity team.
Egbert and Kevin Murillo, reigning champion and software engineering sophomore, were the ones to beat in the tournament, with both players drawing a crowd of onlookers for each match they played.
Education senior Andy Lodato speaks on the microphone to get the attention of the next contenders during a Super Smash Bros. tournament Sept. 24 in The Basement of the Central Library. A seal plushie was a prize during the tournament.
As the tournament continued, both Egbert and Murillo burned through their competition until Egbert was knocked out before the quarterfinals.
But even as he entered the losers bracket, Egbert had some tricks up his sleeve.
As the winners bracket continued, with matches going every which way, Egbert began slowly moving his way through the losers bracket.
Murillo, on the other hand, made his way to the semifinals, where he was forced to forfeit due to another obligation.
The matches continued, with university studies senior Miguel Ambriz taking home the top spot in the winners bracket.
Egbert continued his fight through the losers bracket, where he was able to face the opponent who’d placed him there in the beginning for a revenge match.
Bringing all his skill, Egbert came out on top, taking the winning spot of the losers bracket.
Ambriz and Egbert then traded hit for hit as they fought for the grand championship.
In the end, only one could be crowned, and with one last victory, Egbert was named the grand champion of the tournament.
“It felt quite good, coming from losers to win,” Egbert said. “He [Ambriz] was solid, and it made for some really fun sets.”
Ambriz said it was great winning the first bracket, but Egbert really put his skills to the test.
“I like the people. That’s always what these events are always about,” Ambriz said.
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