Not only was it the University’s first Smash tournament, it was also one of the largest Indiana has seen in ?a while.
The student gaming club, IUB Smash, put on its first Midwest regional Super Smash Bros. Melee and Project M conference, “Full Bloom I,” on Saturday.
Between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., contestants from around the region gathered in the Frangipani Room at the Indiana Memorial Union to compete for cash prizes.
The event lineup included singles and doubles matches, which could be entered in for a small fee.
The club also live-streamed the matches through their Twitch page, providing fans and followers with access to tournament highlights, as well as a live chat forum for discussion.
Second-year doctoral student Louie Limas co-founded IUB Smash as a means of escape from the grind of working on his Ph.D.
“Social media has been very helpful,” Limas said. “Additionally, we have networked with the neighboring scenes such as Purdue and Indianapolis.”
Beginning with less than 20 members in fall 2013, the club has increased its membership to 273, outnumbering many of the other IU-?associated gaming groups.
“Our Facebook group has grown so much over the past year that it seemed like the logical next step to get our scene more attention,” Limas said. “Also, IU-Bloomington has never held a big (Smash) tournament.”
Limas said one of the most rewarding aspects of hosting an event like “Full Bloom I” is getting to meet players from neighboring communities and states that otherwise wouldn’t be ?possible.
Focusing exclusively on Super Smash Bros. Melee and Project Melee, IUB Smash hosts biweekly meetings consisting of gameplay, discussion and free tournaments. Having gained considerable recognition in regard to both talent and events, IUB Smash’s biweeklies attract gamers from all corners of Indiana.
“It is very competitive and the community is very welcoming,” Limas said. “There is a lot of room to grow and get better.”
Meetings include practice sessions, also known as “friendlies,” which serve as educational opportunities to encourage new players to develop their skills.
“IUB Smash is the most welcoming, fun group of gamers you will ever find,” Limas said.
The schedule can be found on the club’s Facebook and Smashboards pages.
