The Department of English and Comparative Literature teamed up with the UNC E-Sports club to host its first Critical Smash Tournament on Thursday, November 18. The tournament was held in the Digital Literacy and Communications Lab’s Greenlaw Gameroom (Room 316).
Super Smash Bros. is a wildly popular Nintendo video game that has gained monument worldwide in gaming tournaments on the local and international levels where players compete for top prizes.
The Critical Smash Tournament, led by the DOECL and UNC E-Sports club, joined in on the Smash tournament phenomenon, but with a scholarly twist. After players competed for the top spot, Prof. Courtney Rivard and PhD students Stephanie Kinzinger and David Hall discussed with the players how experts conceptualize the gameplay of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, as well as how the players saw their own gameplay experiences.
Stay on the lookout for the next Critical Smash Tournament!