Super Smash Bros in Doc Lacy’s 

Written by: Liam Watts/Photos by: Maggie Jean Wince

More than five million people have been captured by the phenomenon known as Super Smash Bros Ultimate since its launch in December of last year. Now, the game is taking center stage Saturday nights at Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s coffee shop, Doc Lacy’s. This week marked the first of what will hopefully be many weekly tournaments and events. Beginning at 9pm, more than twenty students and a few Bartlesville locals battled late into the night, engaging in a fierce tournament and lots of beginner-friendly competition.

For those unaware, Super Smash Bros is a series published by Nintendo that began all the way back in 1999 with the first Super Smash Bros. It is a competitive fighting game that brings together various characters from all across Nintendo’s various franchises. In a nutshell, Super Smash Bros is the only place where Mario can battle it out against Pikachu, Donkey Kong, and Zelda at the same time. Super Smash Bros Ultimate is the 5th entry in the series and is the largest and most comprehensive version to date. Over the years, this series has amassed a huge following in both competitive and casual environments because it’s easy to pick up yet difficult to master.

Always a leader on campus, Daniel Lopez (affectionately known as D-Lo) decided to bring students and members of the Bartlesville community together by hosting a local Super Smash Bros Ultimate competition. Already packing out the backroom of Doc Lacy’s on its first night, the energy and excitement gathering around was palpable. While some students came to win, others simply came to have fun and to hang out. There were games and good times to be had, no matter which category students fell under. Sam Hurley said that “it was great how [the game night] brought so many different people together.” D-Lo plans to continue hosting these events every Saturday night at 9pm. So, whether you’re a pro or a beginner, or even if you’ve never played a Super Smash Bros game before, make sure to come and check it out.