If you are interested in fighting games and have a competitive spirit, perhaps Game Geeks’ Smash League, held the third Saturday of each month, is where you belong. This Saturday at 3 p.m. will be the latest installment at Game Geeks, 114 1/2 E. College St. There is a $5 entry fee for each gaming pool.

Smash League is a day of “casual” play primarily consisting of a double-elimination tournament of  Super Smash Bros, Nintendo’s popular crossover fighting game featuring characters such as Mario and Donkey Kong duking it out. Street Fighter will be the most recent game addition. It is scheduled to have its own pool, assuming enough players are interested.

“We meet monthly to test our skills, talk, and plan for upcoming events, while more than anything trying to have fun in a safe, clean environment,” Game Geeks owner Cody Pirko said.

Pirko encourages folks to bring whatever they think will attract others to sit down and play with them.

“You can bring Shaq Fu for all I care,” Pirko said. (Shaq Fu is a fighting game released in 1994 starring basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. In the game, Shaq fights paranormal enemies using a special form of kung fu called Shaqito. It is rather famous in the gaming community.)

Smash League is “geared toward the burgeoning fighting game community in Iowa City,” Pirko said.

To make sure everyone in the fighting community can play, Pirko waives the entry fee for anyone who brings her or his own setup (gaming system, controllers, game, and TV). Many of the games a player could bring may just be there for the novelty. But if you are a gamer with a passion for playing, don’t hesitate to bring your game of choice — you and other players might form a small community of your own.

— by Conor McBrien