We were there, in person, to witness the madness.
I'm sure many of you experienced the Super Smash Bros. Invitational Tournament through the live stream offered from Nintendo, but I'm here to tell you what it was like in person. That's right, I witnessed the madness up close.
Upon entering the Nokia theater I was handed a giant book that featured all the playable characters in the Super Smash Bros. tournament. I had no idea what this was for, but I was happy to get any sort of swag. When I sat in my seat I was immediately impressed with the lighting and stage set up. As a big Smash Bros. fan, it just felt good to be in a building with people as hyped up for the new games as I was.
I've been in some Super Smash Bros. tournaments before, and have even competed in the finals. I have heard roars of the crowd behind me as I smashed my opponent with massive attacks. Sadly, my experience pales in comparison to what the people playing the game must have felt. It was awesome hearing a giant theater filled with people cheer and roar as exciting moments happened during the competition. A cool added featured, that you may have missed when watching at home, was when a player got a Smash Ball strobe lights would flash from the ceiling all over the theater.
The book, I mentioned earlier, was actually used for voting for fan favorite characters during the tournament. Fans would also hold them up to show everyone who they were rooting for. This was a great idea and got many of the people attending the event involved in a way that allowed them to participate to some degree.
Overall, the event was fun and you could tell the fans were very into it. Sure, the tournament had a bunch of people playing a game they don't know too well, and with items, so the results were sure to be a bit random. However, that wasn't the point. The Smash Bros. Invitational Tournament was meant to be a fun experience that would bring fans together and serve as a showcase for the new games. Mission accomplished Nintendo. Just don't be scared to do this in the future because sometimes it's important to make your fans happy with events like this.
