Nottingham Video Games Expo 2022

Retro Gaming

Team FunTrove

December 18, 2022

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The weekend of 17 & 18 December 2022 noticed the inaugural Nottingham Video Games Expo happen in…er…Nottingham. The metropolis of Nottingham, England for the uninitiated, is the ancestral dwelling of such luminaries as fictional horse jacker Robin Hood, painfully unfunny comic Jon Richardson, skilled face puncher Carl Froch, and Manchester United legend Andy Cole. It now additionally has its personal gaming pageant within the type of NottsVGE.

Naturally, The Dreamcast Junkyard took the chance to signify at this model spanking new occasion, and it was a pleasure to have the ability to meet fellow Dreamcast lovers, exhibitors and occasion guests to unfold the gospel of the Dreamcast to all who would pay attention.

Punters puntering

Several members of the editorial and podcast crew from the ‘Yard manned our small however completely shaped space, with Tom, Jaz, Andrew, Lewis, Kev and Lozz all taking turns to face round and bore anybody who occurred to wander close to on the intricacies of the Dreamcast’s genetic make-up or the spendour of the system’s library and vary of peripherals. Poor souls. The public, I imply.

Lozz, Lewis, Jaz, Andrew, Tom and Kev

It wasn’t all enjoyable and video games although (or was it?), as we had a reasonably particular competitors to run. As alluded to in a current publish, our pals at Bitmap Bureau equipped us with a number of copies of the superb Xeno Crisis to divulge to those that had been hardy sufficient to register a excessive rating on the superlative Smash TV ’em up utilizing the Dreamcast Twin Stick controller.

Around 30 individuals took to the hotseat to check their mettle, together with each Dan and Nick of WAVE Game Studios, and Dean Mortlock of SEGA Powered. Alas, the final word winner turned out to be none apart from Aaron ‘The Gagaman‘ Foster, a person who assisted within the early days of each the DCJY weblog and DreamPod. It wasn’t a repair, sincere.

Elsewhere, anybody who visited our little part of the expo flooring was capable of pattern some lightgun motion with Houe of the Dead 2 and Confidential Mission, or the normal delights of Sega Rally 2, Power Stone, Virtua Tennis, Cosmic Smash, Crazy Taxi, Yu Suzki’s Gameworks and a spread of different titles once they had been obtainable/the Dreamcasts had been behaving and never throwing up random points similar to controller ports not working or AV ports refusing to play ball with the screens.

NottsVGE was a way more intimate occasion than earlier excursions (Play Expo Blackpool 2018 was most likely our largest, with round 15 Dreamcasts obtainable for individuals to play), however what was particularly good was the abilty for all of us from The Dreamcast Junkyard crew to really hear and interact with guests, and have some audible conversations (different occasions are typically fairly loud as a result of measurement of them).

It was additionally fairly fascinating on a private stage to see how the youthful guests approached the Dreamcast and the peripherals on provide, lots of them having by no means seen the console earlier than. The impressions had been overwhelmingly constructive, displaying that the SEGA model can nonetheless carry a smile to the faces of youngsters who aren’t as au fait with the model’s {hardware} as us outdated farts are.

The subsequent era of Dreamcast players.

Paul, Marc and Dean from SEGA Powered.

NottsVGE supplied a spread of sellers who had been hawking their gaming wares, together with a few groups you will little question be acquainted with in the event you’re in any means within the Dreamcast. First up, and as talked about, WAVE Game Studios had been in attendance promoting and demonstrating a spread of titles from their spectacular secure, with Intrepid Izzy, Alice Dreams Tournament, Rush Rush Rally Reloaded, Shadow Gangs and Postal all widespread.

Dean was compelled at gunpoint to autograph a duplicate of SEGA Power.

Tom and Lewis with Dan and Nick from WAVE Game Studios.

On the principle stage, the crew from The Retro Hour interviewed a trio of company from the golden period of Rare’s time as Nintendo’s third occasion improvement darling; whereas later a Q&A session was hosted by Paul Drury from Retro Gamer Magazine.

The Retro Hour launched company from Rare.

Tom with Skilljim and Matt from Shenmue Dojo.

A reasonably widespread Mario Kart 8 event was facilitated by Nottingham Nintendo, however the actual coup de grâce was a battle royale between WAVE Game Studios and The Dreamcast Junkyard. In a real take a look at of guile and ability over the course of two video games of three rounds (Power Stone 2 and Virtua Tennis), these two behemoths went toe to toe…just for WAVE to trounce us 2-0. Naturally, the blame was levelled at Lewis’ cack-handed Power Stone 2 abilities and Tom’s controller port solely working intermittently. Um.

At least somebody was having enjoyable…

Liberties had been taken to be sincere.

The remaining insult of the occasion got here when James ‘Jaz’ Harvey unironically subjected a number of hundred paying event-goers to a disgusting show of hubris, with gameplay from Spirit of Speed 1937 being displayed on an enormous projector display. If NottsVGE do not invite us again once more, I’m assured this act of wanton terrorism will probably be cited. Oh, and there was Kev wandering round providing individuals cupcakes of questionable origin.

Would you’re taking a free cupcake from this man?

Congratulations and due to each James (ItsMuchMore) and Alex (gamesreup) for inviting us to be part of their profitable debut occasion. It all ran easily and they need to each be immensley proud for placing on such a fantastic expo and usually simply being prime blokes.

Overall although, it was simply very nice to fulfill individuals and discuss nose to nose with fellow players who both have a ardour for the Dreamcast; or who had by no means even seen one earlier than. Here’s to the subsequent Nottingham Video Games Expo, every time which may be.

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