Elon University gamers gathered in Duke building for the Interactive Software Association (ISA) and the eSports club’s signature campus event of the semester: the Super Smash Bros. Tournament.

Saturday evening, the 45 participants played six rounds to determine who was best in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the latest of Nintendo’s popular fighting game franchise.

“We were really impressed with the turnout,” said senior Zach Wellman, president of Elon’s eSports Club. “It just shows how passionate of a Smash Bros. community we have here.”

The ISA and the eSports Club partnered with SPARKS Peer Educators for the tournament to raise awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. SPARKS provided funding for food and accommodations at the tournament.

“Our main message here is to not drive under the influence, and this is a good way for people to pay attention to that,” Wellman said. “Plus, if you’re really drunk, you can’t play the game well, either. That wouldn’t be good for these guys.”

Entrants displayed dedication through their play and their assistance with the event.

Players provided every Wii U console, controller and copy of the game used in the tournament, according to ISA president Davis Rumley. One player even brought his own TV.

“The crowd here wasn’t that stunning because the game is so popular,” Rumley said. “The Super Smash Bros. Tournament has been well-received every semester we’ve had it.”

Rumley said another key factor in the number of participants was the organizations’ marketing strategy.

“We used a lot of social media to advertise the event, especially Facebook,” he said. “Pure word of mouth on campus also got more students interested.”

With matches being played simultaneously in several different rooms, event-goers played non-tournament matches whenever there was an opportunity. That quickly changed in the semifinals — all eyes were on the two massive projector screens in Duke 303.

Elon’s first official Super Smash Bros. Tournament took place spring 2014. The fall tournament took the next step with a larger crowd and three editions of the game. This was the first tournament with the Wii U edition.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U has sold 3.39 million copies worldwide as of January. The game, along with its predecessors, has become a staple of college dorm rooms across America.

“It’s how we build friendships,” said junior Tyler Lehmann. “Most of us here have been playing since the original, which came out in 1999. It’s the best fighting game out there.”

College Super Smash Bros. tournaments are a frequent occurrence because of the series’ popularity. Nintendo had the Wii U edition “tour” college campuses in October and November of last year, pitting different universities against each other for bragging rights.

Senior Tucker Jepsen took home the grand prize of $50, defeating sophomore Zach Johnson 3-1 in a best-of-five series.

Jepsen took the first two games before Johnson made a late comeback in the third game and beat him with one life remaining.

Jepsen won a fourth game as the unassuming Villager, a character that attacks with umbrellas, bowling balls and other random items. That was enough to prevail over Johnson’s Lucario from the Pokémon franchise.

The Villager surprised the crowd by hitting Lucario with a batch of fireworks to launch him off the top of the screen, clinching the series for Jepsen.

“It’s an honor to be named champion with so many great players here,” said Jepsen, who has played the game since he was in grade school. “I hope to have more matches with these guys and other students in the future.”

Senior Takasuke Tsuji, who lost to Jepsen in the semifinals, topped freshman Grant Jones to nab the third-place prize: a $25 GameStop gift card.

Jepsen, now king of Elon Smash Bros., gets to decide how he’ll spend his $50.

“I’ll probably buy some more Amiibos,” he said, referring to the collectible figurines that can interact with the game.

Any Smash Bros. player would approve.