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Brian Jones saw his opening and he was ready to spring his trap.The second-year biology student slammed his control stick over, moving his pink blob of a character named Kirby to the edge of a floating platform. His opponent, controlling a blue-haired swordsman named Ike, met his charge, swinging his sword. Jones dodged the strike, opening his mouth and sucking in his opponent's character in the process.
Jones then jumped off the edge of the platform and spit out Ike. Jones's character could still lift himself back to the safety of the platform. Ike couldn't.
And as Ike fell to his doom, the participants and spectators of the Association for Computer Machinery's Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament simultaneously erupted in cheers and groans.
The tournament, sponsored by donations of equipment by ACM members and held in the Swearingen School of Engineering, was held to raise awareness for the computer science and engineering group and to raise funds.
The ACM offers tutoring and hosts events specifically for computer science and engineering students.
J.J. Shepherd, co-president of ACM, said the club is working to get the club back on its feet.
"When I was a freshman, there was no ACM," Shepherd said. "It gives us a place to go to discuss our common interests."
The game Super Smash Brothers Brawl, a fighting game that pits famous Nintendo characters against each other in death match style fights, was chosen because of its popularity.
Ben Fine, a fifth-year computer science student and ACM co-president said the club debated about which game to host.
"We had a Halo 3 tournament last year, but we didn't want to do again as it's not as big this year," Fine said. "We started thinking about other party games we could use. Brawl is fairly new and very popular, so decided to go with it."
Though 50 people registered for the tournament, approximately 100 attended. Participants could register to enter by e-mail or at the event. Pizza and soda was provided for those who registered.
Participants fought against each other in one-on-one five minute matches, with three lives given to each opponent. The final match had no time limit, and the life count was increased to five.
The winner of the tournament, Jones, received a trophy made of computer circuit boards.
"I've been playing Super Smash since the first game came out on the Nintendo 64," Jones said. "Kirby was the first character I've ever played with, and I've stuck with himever since. I came to get some good competition. I enjoyed it."
Those who attended the tournament universally approved of the event.
"I saw a poster for it, and I thought I could do it," Ethan Beard, a first-year chemical engineering student, said. "I didn't know about the group, but if they keep doing things like this I'm sure I'll be back."
Others came to the tournament to test their abilities.
Anna Hodgson, a first-year visual communications student, said the game is popular in her dorm.
"Everybody on our floor in Preston plays this, we do it almost every night," Hodgson said. "We wanted to come and see how we ranked against everybody else."
Some even came to people watch, including second-year geophysics student Chris Bruce.
"I saw a flyer for the tournament, and I thought it would be fun," Bruce said. "It's always interesting to see the kind of characters that come out to things like this."
Most participants loved the sense of community the event created.
"It proves that we aren't just stereotypical, antisocial nerds," Beard said.
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