When he started as a freshman at UCA, Timothy Purnell knew he liked playing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch — and at the time he knew he was “kind of decent” at it.
Turns out, he’s more than decent.
In May, Timothy played in “Get On My Level,” one of the top Smash Bros. tournaments in North America, and amid 700 of the best players on the continent, he placed 97th.
“I made it out of my pool, and that was like my main goal, so I was really happy about that,” he said. “Get On My Level is really big, there were a ton of pros there. I kind of got lucky with my bracket in the pool, but I still was able to clutch up, and play hard — I played some of my best there, I would say.”
The tournament was hosted in Toronto, and the player that Timothy lost to was the best player in all of Canada, and ended up placing in the top 30 at the tournament.
Timothy’s international success came after successful seasons at the state level as well. Representing UCA in the IHSEA state competition, the junior took 7th overall, which for him was a disappointment.
“I was trying to get top three,” he said.
He met that goal at the IHSA state competition, where he placed third.
Earlier in the season, Timothy entered two different IHSA invitationals. He won both.
Timothy Purnell holds up the awards he received for placing first in two IHSA Super Smash Bros. invitationals.
In May, Timothy played in an Indiana tournament to warm up for Get on My Level. After Timothy won a competitive match, a man approached his dad — and UCA Esports coach — John Purnell, and said, “You know, the guy he just beat is the top player in Indiana.”
The win added another state to the list for Timothy: he’s also beaten the top players in Kansas and Oklahoma.
“I’m feeling really happy, and proud of how far I’ve come,” Timothy said.
Lessons, Swordies, and Mr. Game & Watch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a fighting game on the Nintendo Switch platform in which players battle using various Nintendo characters and attempt to knock each other off of a platform and into electronic oblivion.
Timothy’s preferred character in the game is Mr. Game & Watch, a choice that he says is uncommon in competitive Smash Bros.
Like most competitive sports, getting really good only comes after lots of practice. For Timothy, that practice comes from regularly entering esports tournaments — which he tries to do on a weekly basis — and from lessons.
In particular, John Purnell paid for lessons for his son to work with an accomplished player that specializes in sword characters — a weakness for Timothy and his character, Mr. Game & Watch.
“[My dad] got me lessons with coaches to learn how to play that match-up,” Timothy said. “The first year with Game & Watch, I really struggled against ‘swordies,’ but now I’m pretty fine, because I learned how to play against them.”
Target on Timothy’s back, and “Smash” beyond high school
With the graduation of Illinois’ top Smash Bros. contenders, Von_Stache now has a target on his back.
That’s Timothy’s gamer name, first developed when he played Animal Crossing New Horizons during COVID with his family.
“I’m hoping to win both IHSEA and IHSA, to be honest,” Timothy said. “I’m kind of the number one threat now, which is a little surreal.”
John Purnell said after Timothy played in Get On My Level, “The pro scene back here in Chicago already was tweeting and posting about him. That was surreal.”
As both a recognition of his accomplishments, and a cool way to prepare Timothy for the next Smash Bros. season, John bought his son a custom Nintendo Switch Pro controller, with a Mr. Game & Watch silhouette on the front, as well as “VON_STACHE” on the back.
Beyond UCA, Timothy already has four official scholarship offers to play esports, and he’s expecting to receive more.
“It’s cool as a father and as an esports coach to see it,” John Purnell said.