The year was 1999, and the video game world was in a moment of flux.
Sega had just launched the Dreamcast: a sleek, internet-ready console with arcade-quality graphics that were sure to cement the machine's spot in the console race. That is, until Sony’s PlayStation 2 was announced that same year, set to arrive in 2000, with a built-in DVD player and powerhouse specs that quickly shifted the conversation, and the market, entirely.
And then there was Nintendo, still puttering along in the late years of the Nintendo 64. The console, already slightly dated upon release, may have been showing its age by industry standards, but that year it delivered something that hadn't been seen up to that point: 'Super Smash Bros.', a chaotic, cross-franchise brawler that turned friendly characters like Mario and Pikachu into rivals, and basement tournaments into stuff of neighbourhood legend.
Fast forward 26 years, and the 'Smash Bros.' franchise has now sold over 69 million copies, making it one of the most successful gaming franchises of all time, and widely considered a veritable hall of fame for video game mascots.
And as that colourful cast of characters has grown, so too have the tournaments to test players’ mettle to see who is, in fact, the best of the best.
Strikezone 3
This past Saturday, players from across Manitoba gathered at the third iteration of Strikezone, a Smash Bros./Mario Kart tournament hosted at VB’s Entertainment Centre in Winkler, to prove just that.
Morgan Wiebe, host of Strikezone, shared that the game has a character for everyone, citing some of the more obscure members of the cast: “Mr. Game and Watch is from like the earliest little pocket systems that Nintendo was first releasing in 2D, he’s probably the deepest pull.”
He also mentioned R.O.B. as a playable character, a toy accessory for the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985.
Though the game has had many iterations over the years, it isn’t just the franchise’s most recent release in 'Ultimate' that sees competitive play. Strikezone hosted the opportunity for players to compete in the classic N64's 'Super Smash Bros.', as well as 'Super Smash Bros. Melee' for the Nintendo GameCube.
“Melee was such a happy accident kind of thing. It was planned in like 13 months. So, it was unpolished, unrefined, but that’s what gives it its charm. Compared to Ultimate, which has probably at least a couple thousand people working on it over the course of two or three years.”
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The competition
Being a game with a large fan base, Smash Bros is a franchise many friend groups have rallied around, and each friend group appears to have a person who is just a cut above the rest.
Wiebe says that is something he used to believe about himself as well, “And then I started running these. It is a night and day difference. You can just absolutely be winning on a Friday night, you come here on a Saturday afternoon, and you’re one of the first people eliminated. It’s a very humbling experience for many who first come out here,” he laughed, saying, unlike professional athletes, it’s difficult to tell who knows their stuff at first glance.
“You might not know that that was Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen when you first started.”
The community
Reed Harms and Jordan Wiebe, a duo in the tournament, shared some insights into how people can get themselves into the hobby if they are thinking of taking their game to the next level.
“Enter tournaments. Simple as that,” Harms said, “It doesn’t matter if you go 0-2 or anything like that, just play the game. You’ll eventually get better. I’ve been doing this for years, and I'm finally seeing results.”
Jordan Wiebe shared his agreement, saying, “Even if you’re not familiar with it, just come on by, take a look. We’re very friendly people, and we’re all willing to give people a hand to get into the community. And we’re all about getting new players.”
Morgan Wiebe also highlighted another reason to come to tournaments like Strikezone 3.
“We’ve got plenty of time where you can just come and even learn the game if you don’t know, or are interested in something like Mario Kart on the new Switch but don’t quite have the willingness to jump full on in, come out here, try it out for yourself before buying it. It’s a great opportunity and it helps support us.”
Stay up to date on what sorts of tourneys are happening in the area by following the PV E-Sports socials.