It might only be the first year of this brand new gaming event - but it kicked off with a bang...
Gaming has fast become one of the most important players in the entertainment industry, but it had humble beginnings, something that the Nottingham Video Games Expo reminds its many guests in its first convention. There were retro games to play, talks from those who used to make classics, and even some fun stalls to browse.
The most enjoyable element of the convention was by far the gaming stall, where there were several retro consoles with retro games. Fans could play on an original Xbox, the Playstation and even an Xbox 360, with classic games like GoldenEye available to check out. This not only gave people a short nostalgia trip, but allowed for younger players who haven’t grown up with earlier games to experience what they used to be.
Another gaming system present was the more modern Nintendo Switch, with Nintendon Nottingham hosting a time trial on Mario Kart Deluxe 8. Unfortunately, my skills are confined to the Wii, something made painfully obvious by a poor score. There was also an additional Switch for more casual play, complete with Mario Odyssey and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The event was bound to pique even the most casual of fan’s nostalgia
There was an hour dedicated to a Q+A with people who used to work in the gaming industry. Hosted by Retro Hour Podcast, guests include composers Dan Wise and Graeme Norgate, and designer Kevin Bayliss from Rare. On the second day, they spoke to artist Simon Phipps from Core Design. Both companies hold a special place in many people’s hearts, especially to those within the retro gaming community.
Between the gaming and listening to the various speakers, guests could spend their time browsing the many stalls across the convention floor. There was a huge assortment of stands selling featured artwork from several franchises, rare Pokemon cards, retro games, funko pops, and old video game magazines; there were perfect Christmas presents for the gamer everyone knows.
The expo was located in the Richard Herrod Centre, which was a great, easy-to-find location with a large room for the convention. Having the speakers in the same room as the rest of the stalls though did make it hard to hear them at times, though, so perhaps two rooms are needed for the next outing.
Hopefully this convention returns at some point in the near future, as it proved to be both a worthwhile and popular experience, though a bigger space is definitely needed. The Video Games Expo was bound to pique even the most casual of fan’s nostalgia, and interest them with learning more about gaming’s rich history.
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