Attending college and moving away from home does not mean students have to give up on the interests they had growing up.

The Super Smash Bros. Club gives people with an interest in the game a chance to come play with students and even compete in tournaments with others in the Super Smash Bros. community.

“We really have people here who like to play smash,” said Club President Brian Sandford. “I thought it was a good idea to bring everybody here to play smash on campus.

“It helps bring people to the scene.”

Super Smash Bros. is an animated fighting game series that features popular characters from Nintendo’s gaming franchises such as Super Mario, Donkey Kong and many others.

The 10 active members meet at 2 p.m. every Wednesday in the Humanities Building Room 240. The colorless room is filled with Gamecubes, Wiis, old lagless TVs and people who are passionate about the game.

“I like playing this game,” said economics major and newest member Jake Hammond. “I like playing new people and getting better.

“It’s always fun playing new people, beating them preferably.”

The college had this a club a few years ago and was supportive when Sandford wanted to bring it back.

The members continually play against each other at a competitive level. When one game ends, a new one begins without much time in between.

“This really hardworking community and all the effort they put in is just really great to be around,” said Sandford.

The tournaments the club plays in are either locally against other schools in cafeterias, or nationally against players from all over the world.

The national tournaments are usually held at huge convention centers and can last up to three days.

“The competitive smash community is like a completely different level,” said Sandford. “You take that interest as a kid and apply hardcore fighting game fundamentals.”

The most common character used by all members was Captain Falcon because he has qualities that not every character in the game has.

“He’s the fastest, he hits the hardest and he’s just a ripped dude,” said Hammond.

A lot of people grew up playing this game as kids and it can be hard finding people who still have an interest in it.

“My friend introduced me in high school and I would always play with him,” said Johnny Muhlenkamp, economics major and active club member. “Once I moved here I wanted more people to play with.”

Muhlenkamp likes playing against better competition than what he has been used to. He said it’s hard to get time to play against guys like Sandford and other top notch smash players.

However, these members emphasized how joining this club was not just to relive old childhood memories. The group mainly just wants to play competitively with other people because they still have a passion for it.

“It’s not just for nostalgia,” said Sandford.  

The college is hosting the club’s upcoming tournament on Sunday, Nov. 5, in the Campus Center.

The club is always looking for new Super Smash fans to join and play. The club usually meets for about four hours and gameplay lasts the entire time, according to Sandford.

“We like being around each other, just hanging out and having fun.”