Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a competitive fighting game where many characters from iconic franchises such as Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Sonic the Hedgehog, and many more gaming giants come together to fight against one another. While many players know this game for the chaotic fun that it can provide for parties and social events, there is a sub-culture dedicated to practicing the mechanics and intricacies of this game. These competitors look to become the best they can be at Smash, and the competition has grown so large that even colleges have developed their own collegiate teams to compete at a high level. Baldwin Wallace is no different and strives to showcase how strong their talented players are!
On Saturday, BWU Esports’s Super Smash team started off their season in the Great Lakes Eastern Conference (GLEC), looking to take on Bethel University! The Smash team made their debut appearance in the league two years ago, and its players continue to step up their game with each coming season. However, Bethel University proves to be quite the formidable team, beating BW at every encounter. With this, BW wanted this chance to finally turn the tide in their favor, looking to beat a consistently threatening team. This becomes even more apparent given how close BW was to finding that victory in last season’s playoffs tournament.
However, BW wouldn’t quite find that chance, falling to Bethel in an 0-2 defeat. Both teams put up a strong fight for the match, but Bethel found the opportunity to take it in a close finish. Bethel’s Luigi player “Blake456” proved to be quite the challenge, putting in the most dedicated work against BW. Penn “Yare Yare” Hoang and his Game & Watch proved to be the biggest threat towards the Luigi, keeping each game against him very close, but couldn’t quite close it out. This did not deter BW, as the team’s players already are looking for improvements and solutions to grow as a team. They even discussed their future plans for overall improvement. BW’s Smash team is continuing to look for the mark as they head into their next match on Saturday against Shawnee State University.