Up Next: Super Smash Bros Brawl

So I came across this place called Power Play Gaming up in Denville that's hosting a Smash Bros tournament on August 25. I figured the few weeks leading up to the tournament would be the perfect opportunity to get in some smash time. The Smash Bros games can't necessarily be beaten, so winning a tournament would be a great completion of sorts to feel OK about calling it complete.

I've had a long and romantic relationship with the Smash Bros series. I never owned an N64, but I played the BALLS out of the first Smash Bros game at friends' houses in high school. We would have what we called "99-99 sleepovers" where we'd do a 99 minute KO match followed by a 99 lives stock match. I won't lie - it got a little tedious - but I think a 99-99 night is in order pre-tournament.

In college, I got a GameCube with Smash Bros Melee. If I played the "balls" out of the N64 game, I played the URETHRA out of Melee. My roommates and I would play every night for hours upon hours upon hours. My one friend always used Fox - and as any of you regular Smashers know - Fox is the CHEAPEST character. I would constantly fall for that stupid reflector shield he uses. I'd get the mega blaster, charge up a nasty shot, fire and prematurely celebrate and he would hit the reflector button at the last minute and send the giant projectile back at me, which sent me flying off the stage. He would constantly beat me - I don't think I ever had a positive win percentage against him.

EAT. MY. BUTTHOLE.

I would get so pissed from losing that I would go to the dollar store and buy dozens of little things to keep next to me to destroy when I lost. I had a sledgehammer and countless precious moments figurines specifically for Smash Bros nights. There was one night where I got so frustrated that I turned off the Cube, turned it upside down and said "Get out. Get out right now." He left quietly laughing to himself. I never said another word to him - until the next night when he came over and beat me again. Jerk.

The interesting thing in all of this was that I never had a favorite character. I bounced between Dr. Mario, Jigglypuff, Yoshi and Mr. Game and Watch, but never felt at home with any of them. Eventually I started investigating the character that we always made fun of; the character we would pick as a joke and lose on purpose with; the character that generated scoffs when the announcer proclaimed it loudly on the character select screen. Of course I'm talking about Ice Climbers.

YUP!

 I figured that if everyone was under the impression that this was a character that should never be used, then if I got really good with them, I could catch people by surprise. I only competed in one tournament with them, and while I didn't win - I got a good amount of respect for my skills with the little icy duo.

When Brawl was announced for Wii, I could focus on nothing else until it came out. I read the weekly blog from the developers which detailed all the new features prior to its release. I talked to everyone who would listen to my rants and raves about - what in my mind amounted to - the second coming of Christ.

I went to the midnight release/tournament at a GameStop in Holmdel, NJ. This was interesting. I will readily admit to being a nerd, but the level of nerd at this release was unprecedented. Just to give you a taste, the following sentence was uttered in front of me.

"Luigi has always been second banana to Mario. Yet, clearly he is the superior character."

Yes. 

Aside from the cream of the crop of the nerds debating which plumber was better, the place was mostly filled with pre-adolescent boys. I ended up coming in second place in the tournament which I was really happy with - even though I mercilessly trounced a couple kids in the process. Coming in second awarded me the opportunity to jump to the front of the line - after the 20-year old kid who came in first. As the first place kid was accepting his first copy of the game, a mother pulled me aside and said:

"Can you believe he would come here and beat all these little kids? It's not fair."

I replied, "I know, not fair. Totally disgusting."

The store manager then said "And our second place champion, Brandon Murray! Please come up and get your game!"

I turned to the mother and said "Excuse me." and walked up and proudly purchased my copy.

I am really excited for this tournament. I hope I can show off the power of Ice Climbers one more time before I retire from the Smash game for a while.

Wish me luck, fellow nerds. I'll let you know how I do.