It’s been a very nerdy year to say the least haha – Starting with happenstance at the Salt Lake City Comic-Con at the beginning of the year, that led us to so many more including Star Wars Celebration, A-KON & much more.
RetroPalooza III – Sept 26-27th – Arlington Convention Center – Arlington, TX
Billed as an old-school gaming expo as you can see in the flyer and it’s namesake Retropalooza, this was right up my alley as the only time I was ever a hardcore (video) gamer was in the 80’s & early 90’s.
My oldest friend Chris’ son Colin is a die-hard gamer, who has shown a great interest in retro games that Chris and I played together when we were his age.
Imagine the feeling of being in Colin’s room playing the same exact games on the original console that I did with his Dad at age 12, with Colin who looks just like his father? An emotional moment to say the least. So when we got invited to this event Chris and Colin naturally were the first people I thought of to join us.
The second we arrived is was all about Joust, and how perfect we saw a guy dressed as Mario participating in a Donkey Kong tournament!
They had many other tournaments in a huge sprawling area where kids could go nuts playing and competing all day.
After many rounds of some of my old faves, Colin was excited to see what the vendor marketplace had to offer. I love these types of flea market setups because you have no idea what gems you will come across and the hunt is part of the fun.
Completely out of my demographic & wheelhouse but I’m compelled to tell you that the line stretched long to meet Matthew Patrick, known to fans as MatPat, a viral sensation to the geek crowd. He answers absurd questions on his YouTube series Game Theory. Currently at 3.2 million subscribers, twenty-three million monthly views, and consistently one of the platform’s 100 fastest-growing channels, Game Theory is MythBusters for gamers, combining hard research with polished visuals, connecting science, math, history, and gaming in a unique way that educates viewers while unearthing the shocking secrets behind some of gaming’s most enduring questions.
We saw alot of great Cosplay on the Main floor from pros & non-pros alike in anticipation of the Cosplay Contest that would be held later in the afternoon.
Heidi O’ Farrall (left)
The Cosplay Contest
As at any geek gathering these days their will (& should) be a Cosplay Contest!
A bit of a muted affair held in one of the smaller side rooms with a modest amount of participants.
Still talent and inspiration still show thru –
This awesome girl as the Joker (left)
& David Martineau as a VERY animated Ferris Beuhler
Kelsey Topper & Brianna Leahy
& friends.
….and the eventual winners were Raven Darkness & her husband Cody
This kid ??? was also a winner as he won $500 breaking a World Record of one of the retro games in the arcade.
Chris & I with his family & Jessica
See ya next year!
Photos –
Roy Turner
