If you’re looking for a night of competitive gaming and a fun community, stop by the weekly Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, also known as SALSA, hosted by a branch of Esports LSU.
On most Friday nights, you can visit room 1200 of Patrick F. Taylor Hall at 6 p.m. to join in on the fun. To guarantee a spot in the tournament, be sure to pre-register on TigerLink at least an hour before the games begin. Singles rounds begin at 6:30 p.m., giving players a 30-minute buffer to arrive and get set up.
Super Smash Bros. the ultimate is the fifth installment of the Nintendo fighter game. It features many characters from the Nintendo universe that players can select as their fighter. Each character has individualized speciality moves, keeping players on their toes. Once a player has been knocked out three times, the round is over and the winner is declared.
Esports LSU member Jayden Ho, a mechanical engineering major, is in charge of the tournament logistics. He makes sure the event is posted on TigerLink and the room is reserved. He also works alongside community member David Ammons, who can be found at the front of the room setting the brackets and determining seeding for the tournament.
“We like to do tournaments to try to encourage more people to play the game,” Ho said. “Because [David Ammons] here runs the entirety of the Baton Rouge Smash scene, we want to try to get more players into the game.”
The SALSA tournament is double elimination singles, meaning players have two chances to participate in one versus one rounds before they are out. If a player loses the first game they play, they enter the loser brackets, giving them the chance to climb back to the top.
The starting brackets are determined by seeding, which is the process of strategically placing players by their skill level to give players the best chance at success. Seeding allows games to last longer and players to participate in more rounds.
Ammons is prominent in the Baton Rouge Smash scene because he works tirelessly to get people interested in the game and ensures that everyone has a great time. He runs the Baton Rouge Smash Instagram account, where he posts tournament and event announcements.
“It gives an opportunity to have fun, play games, get to know people and get to see people you haven’t seen in a while,” Ammons said. “To me, it’s really fun at times, especially since some people take it highly competitively. It can be a little stressful, and for some people it is that stressful, but it’s time to play the game you like and see the friends you enjoy.”
He is also the person who coined the nickname SALSA for the tournaments, which was the result of a failed acronym name.
“It was originally called SALSU, which stood for “Smash at LSU” but that name didn’t roll off the tongue as easy. So it became SALSA,” Ammons said.
To participate in the weekly tournament, all you need is a pair of original Nintendo Switch controllers. There is no fee to enter, as the organization is focused on getting more people involved and providing a space for people to gain experience in a tournament environment.
Attendees are encouraged to bring their own setup — a Nintendo Switch and television, if possible — or collaborate with others to ensure everyone is able to focus on the game.
Jacob Rogers, a computer science software engineer graduate student, likes the setup of the SALSA tournaments because of how laid back and enjoyable they are. He always brings extra game setups if he can to give more people the opportunity to participate.
“I try to contribute as much as possible when I can,” Rogers said. “It’s a really fun way to unwind after a school day, because Fridays are usually pretty difficult for me. Being able to come back here to enjoy games with my friends and fellow students, it’s a pretty good time.”
If you aren’t sure how to play the game or are intimidated by a tournament setup, Ammons invites everyone to drop in to watch or hang out with the people who attend.
“It can be a little daunting to get into at first,” Ammons said. “But I promise you if you jump in, it’s really easy to get along with everyone involved.”
