Most “Super Smash Bros.” players are accustomed to vanquishing digital foes from the comfort of their own couches, but several choose to take their game to the next level. These dedicated “smashers” — and newcomers to the scene — brought their enthusiasm Jan. 31 to Union South for the first Madison bi-weekly tournament put on by the Super Smash Bros. Club.
It mirrored the largest “Smash” tournament to date but on a smaller scale; that same day, the Apex Tournament Series was occurring in Somerset, New Jersey. But as I watched the early matches of the New Jersey event being projected on the screen in the Agriculture room on the third floor, I couldn’t help but notice the dichotomy between the tension and sense of grandness surrounding the largest “Smash” tourney in the world and the more calm environment of the Madison tournament.
I mentioned this relaxed, smaller atmosphere when speaking with Jake Johnson and Justin Bant, two of the tournament’s organizers, as we sat observing the event, all of us glancing often at the CRTs lining the tables around the room where smashers played “Super Smash Bros. Melee” and “Project M” (a fan modification of the game “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” that mechanically attempts to make the game like “Melee”).
Bant suggested he’d like to get a third “Smash” game into these bi-weeklies, thereby expanding the tournament and its attendance. Between the two games currently provided at the Madison event, there were 25 attendants in total.
“There are maybe 20 people who I know would come if we had [‘Super Smash Bros. for Wii U],” Bant said, referring to a newer version of the game.
Of course, the addition of the most recent “Smash” release and other additions would also call for a change in venue. While the Agriculture room in Union South worked well for the very first and much smaller Madison bi-weekly tournament, the addition of a new game and more than 20 other players would call for more setups, which would mean more consoles and televisions.
The organizers have also been in talks with the group Melee Milwaukee, who could stream the event live on Twitch.tv for those who want to watch Wisconsin “Smash” players from anywhere in the world, making the humble Madison bi-weekly a global event.
The event’s name has evolved to match the growing “Smash” zeitgeist. The organizers eventually settled on “Muk Ly-Weekies.” The name comes from the phrase “Muk Lyfe,” the origin of which Johnson attributed to a group of Stevens Point smashers. The phrase itself references the Pokémon Muk, whose “janky” existence serves as a parallel to the style of play Wisconsin smashers are known for — namely doing things that you wouldn’t expect to work, but they do anyway.
“It’s gotten to the point where you can just yell ‘Muk Lyfe’ at an event and you’ll get an echo from the crowd,” Johnson said. “If you don’t understand, you’re just a ‘Grimer,’ and you have to evolve.”
Yet even with a close-knit scene and daunting technical aspects of competitive “Smash” play possibly warding off new smashers, Bant reassured that the smaller bi-weeklies are “a welcoming community.” This was far and away one of the most common phrases I heard when speaking with him about the scene. He said the entire point of these small events are to allow new players to see what it’s like to play in a tournament without the tension and high entry fee of something as large as Apex, while also allowing for a safe and friendly space to learn how to play the game competitively.
Bant even pointed to a few players that one could talk to for advice, including the best player and eventual winner of the event, Madison-based smasher Frank Borden, also known as “Frootloop.” He ranks 64th and 88th in the world for “Melee” and “Project M,” respectively, on SmashBoards.com.
Bant also mentioned that every other week when the “Muk Ly-Weeklies” aren’t being held, “The Construct” bi-weekly tournaments are held in Milwaukee — the last of which attracted some Illinois groups over the border and pushed the overall attendance of the event to over 100.
Of course, these two bi-weeklies in Wisconsin’s largest cities are certainly not the only tournaments in the state, as many events are held all over and in all shapes and sizes. Bant suggested that those interested in getting closer to the community should consider joining either the “UW-Madison Smash Bros. Group” or the “Wisconsin Smash Bros.” group on Facebook, the latter of which sports over 900 members and is constantly updating with tournament information for events all over the state.”
Regardless of whether you are a seasoned pro or curious newcomer to the “Smash” scene, the Madison bi-weekly is the perfect place to show off your skills. I know I’ll be there, taking it all in.
This article was updated Feb. 9, 2015 to include “Wisconsin Smash Bros.” group
