Every week, on Thursday nights at 7pm in the Memorial University Center, a small crowd always gathers for the same reason: to watch video game mascots beat each other up. They’re playing Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch. They all put in their two dollars, lock in their character, and off they go, competing to be the weekly champion of their game of choice.
These tournaments are run by SmashNL, a group which has been around for over 11 years now. They run weekly events at MUN, titled ‘Saltwater Smash,’ alongside special open events at various conventions throughout the year. They also run much larger scale tournaments, called majors, which are spread throughout the year, such as ‘St. No John’s X’ this past August.
It may seem amusing to some just how devoted these people are to playing what was originally intended as a party game. But sometimes the strangest circumstances can bring people together in ways previously thought unimaginable.
“It’s just been fantastic. I’ve made probably some of the greatest friends of my life, and some of the greatest memories of my life playing in Smash Bros tournaments,” said Mark ‘SeaRabbits’ Johnson, a longtime player and tournament organizer. “You’re competing, you’re having fun, and you have a shared interest. Everyone comes together.”
This community brings people together to just sit down and play a game they love. These people come from all sorts of different places, and very different walks of life. They all just came together because of their love of this game. And this has created bonds that might last a lifetime for these people.
“It brings people together in the fact that there’s no words even needed, you can just play the game, and you can all just enjoy it together… I could go to Japan and play a tournament, and I’d be able to play, because we’re all just playing Smash, and I think the community we have here is so welcoming, we try our best to promote that anybody can play,” said Johnson. He, along with many others, believe that Smash can be a powerful tool to bring people together and create lifelong bonds.
The Smash community in Newfoundland is incredibly welcoming to anyone who wishes to join in on the fun. “No matter what age you are, where you’re from, who you are, you can come and you can play Smash.” said Johnson. “We welcome you, and we want you here, we want you to play.”
This all combines to create an incredibly diverse, inclusive community that welcomes anyone who is interested. It’s a community built upon the idea of community. No matter the circumstances, if you’re interested and you show up, you’re a part of this sort of Smash Bros. family. Ultimately, tight-knit communities like this one have the power to bring people together, and create friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.