In 2013, thousands of spectators in Las Vegas cheered as two people played a decade-old game. On the internet, almost 200,000 people watched, the largest audience to ever watch the finals of a fighting game tournament. Super Smash Brothers Melee, Nintendo’s famous character brawler, had truly come of age. This presentation follows this unique community from the early days of battle in a basement apartment to one of the largest stages in pro gaming.

Bio: Mike Kelly is a frequent speaker on video game history and culture. He can be found on Twitter at @galenblade.