On one side, video game consoles and games from decades past, on the other, an intense “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” tournament where only one participant can truly claim victory.
As part of NIU’s Homecoming festivities, NIU Esports partnered with the Huskie Gaming club to host Huskie Rumble, a fun and exciting event from 6 p.m to 9 p.m on Wednesday at the Esports Arena in Altgeld Hall. Snacks and beverages were also provided as part of the event for all to enjoy.
Several different retro games were made playable for all participants, spanning many different genres. Game consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (N.E.S.), the Sega Genesis, the PlayStation 1, and many more were accompanied by a large library of games for interested gamers to play. Some of the retro games offered for the event included “Super Smash Bros. Melee”, “Super Mario Sunshine” and “Metal Gear Solid”.
This collection of retro games was solely contributed by senior and environmental studies major and member of Huskie Gaming Ryan Regelbrugge. Their passion for collecting and informing others about retro games and the history behind the games themselves was on full display throughout the course of the event.
“I’ve been collecting video games my whole life. It’s my main hobby and I dedicate most of my life to it, so I might as well share it with everyone else too,” Regelbrugge said.
Many students participated in this “blast from the past” experience of Huskie Rumble. Patryk Malek, a junior accounting major, was happy with the large turnout of the event and he felt that getting to play retro games such as “Super Mario Bros. 3” was a great time.
“The event was really cool! I’m glad so many people came out tonight, and that I could play these games with my friends,” Malek said.
Simultaneously, a “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” tournament was run alongside the retro gaming experience. The tournament was run in a double-elimination style, where participants have two chances to win their matches and proceed until one person wins it all. Those who lost both of their matches in the main bracket were able to play in a redemption bracket, although they would not receive any prizes.
Junior computer science major and “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate” varsity player Matthew “Sully” Sullivan, was a participant in Huskie Rumble’s tournament. Sullivan was excited to see his local fighting game scene grow, with many of his fellow competitors from the surrounding areas coming out to play.
“It’s always great to see new faces, as well as the regulars coming in from the local community. It’s good to see people making connections here and watching them get better at the game,” Sullivan said.
Turtle Beach, a gaming accessory company and sponsor of NIU Esports, had also chosen to lend some of their items as prizes to those who placed in the top two of the “Super Smash Bros.” tournament. First place would receive a set of equipment, including a keyboard, mouse and headphones, while second place would receive a pair of headphones. Included with these prizes, the top three players would receive NIU merchandise for their efforts.
Josh Karwoski, a senior marketing major, as well as the organizer for NIU’s “Super Smash Bros.” tournament series Castle Siege, was the lead coordinator behind Huskie Rumble’s competitive tournament. His extensive experience in working with the fighting game community both within NIU and in outside events provided unique insight for the event.
“Huskie Rumble was different from how we usually run things. Figuring out possible entry fees, the prize pools for the bracket and cooperating alongside NIU Esports’ goals for the event were some serious hurdles, but it was definitely worth it,” Karwoski said.
Several matches from the tournament were streamed to the NIU_Esports Twitch channel, and the VODs for the individual matches will be released at a future date to the NIU Huskie Gaming YouTube channel.
Karwoski does not plan to run Huskie Rumble next year, as he is expected to graduate. However, he is hopeful NIU Esports and Huskie Gaming will continue to collaborate for future events, including a potential return of Huskie Rumble for next year’s Homecoming festivities.
