The week before Frostbite, we were excited to sponsor Smash N Chill, run by Kevandre “AmiiboKing” Thomspson. During the tournament, we were able to sit down and talk to a few of the players. Brandon “Kepler” Gordon, was one of those players. While he’s only been playing Smash competitively for less than a year, Brandon has flown through the ranks and become one of the best players in Michigan. Speaking with him, we learned why he mains who he mains, and how his hat is an important part of his success in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate…

What first got you into gaming?

I’ve always been a casual gamer, but I never really played Smash until about July of last year. That’s when I started picking it up and having fun. I used to live in Maryland, so I would go to a couple of locals here and there. When I moved here, I actually grew up here, I started coming to locals and was doing pretty good. It was fun and I kept winning so that’s where I’m at now.

So you’ve been playing Smash for less than a year?

I’ve played Smash on and off for years, but always really casually. I’d play with, like, cousins and family and stuff. I started playing online more and started seeing how good people were and I tried to get good myself.

Who do you main?

I main Snake. Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid.

What is it about Snake that you connect to?

I used to play Peach and then one time online, I got messed up by this one Snake player. It just felt like he was shutting down everything I did. Snake is a turtle character in the way he puts a whole, like, forcefield of explosions and hitboxes around himself. The way he plays neutral is very fun and he’s a great character for making your opponent feel oppressed. Like they can’t do anything. I like that style.

You said your hat is a good luck hat?

Yeah!

When did you discover the power of the hat?

Every now and then I wear a baseball cap, but when winter came around so I switched to my winter hat. I put it on, and I ended up winning a bunch of tournaments in a row. So I figured, this must be my good luck hat.

Well, there you go. You gotta keep with it.

Exactly.

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