Smash Club Gives a “Well Played” Demonstration of Super Smash Bros

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By Milosz Krupinski

On Tuesday, November 19, 2019, during free period, the Digital Studies Center and the RUC Smash Club hosted a Well Played session about Super Smash Bros and the world of eSports. Well Played sessions focus on the close reading of video game mechanics and narratives. Each session involves students and faculty playing a game followed by a freeform discussion. This session focused on eSports, it’s recent rise in exposure, and the role of Super Smash Bros in its continued popularity. Students also had the opportunity to view a demonstration and then got to try out the game themselves with guidance from Smash Club members.

In a previous Well Played Session, students examined and discussed the game, West of Loathing, focusing on its simple 2D black and white graphics and slapstick comedy narrative. In another session, guest speaker, Mike Bair, presented about Atari’s first vector-based arcade game, Lunar Lander, released in 1979. He discussed the history of the game and its influence on the arcade game industry, especially how its success led to one of the most beloved arcade games of all time Atari’s Asteroids.

Be sure to come out for the last Well Played session of the semester about Soma and Detroit: Become Human on Tuesday, December 3,, 2019, during free period (12:45 to 1:45) in the Digital Commons located in Johnson Park. All sessions are Honors College approved campus activities and food is provided. If anyone is interested in running a Well Played session, the Digital Studies Center is gathering proposals which can be submitted at tinyurl.com/WellPlayedProposal.