Midwest Gaming Classic 2009 Write Up
The 2009 Midwest Gaming Classic was held at the Olympia Resort and Spa in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin on March 21st and 22nd. To find out more about exactly what went on at the event, read on!
Classic Gaming and Computing Museum
For 2009, the Classic Gaming and Computing Museum expanded again by featuring lots of new and different things! Whether it was the display case full of super-rare items or the tables full of ultra-rare development equipment, the 2009 museum continued to grow ever larger, covering more material than it had ever done before! This year's most popular system was the Playstation 3, with gamers enjoying lots of different titles on the most powerful console in the world. As always, the older generation remained well represented, with the most systems ever simultaneously playable!
Events within an Event
The 2009 Midwest Gaming Classic saw the return of some of the long running Events within an Event, as well as the addition of some new awesome ones.
Underdog Chamber
As usual, one of the most popular areas of the event, the Underdog Chamber returned with a seven player Apple network of the game Quake for people to play. It was one of the most popular places in the entire show, as people gladly took the opportunity to check out an old favorite on a computing system that many had never played the game on.
The Underdog Chamber of course hosted a number of other not-so-popular but still oh-so-fun games and systems for people to discover new things that they might not have seen before.
benheck.com Experience
Long-time Midwest Gaming Classic speaker and console hacker extraordinaire, Benjamin Heckendorn didn't just speak at the 2009 Midwest Gaming Classic, but he hosted an entire event-within-an-event celebrating the members of his web site who, inspired by what they have seen at benheck.com, have created their own amazing video game modifications to create new ideas out of other people's hardware. Not just could you see some of BenHeck's modifications in person and ask him questions about them, you were able to get inspired by the others around with lots of different awesome modifications that they had created too, and maybe even see them making them!
VGEvo eVents
The awesome web site VGEvo.com was on hand with their podcast network. Not just could attendees play games against the founding members of the web site who just so happen to also be ex-EGM editors Trickman Terry and Sushi-X, attendees also got to listen to and participate in their favorite VGEvo.com Podcasts from their incredible Podcast Network! If attendees wanted to listen to the Playstation Nation Podcast get recorded live, tell Welcome to the GOO what they are GOOing, or craft something in a live crafting mama session with the Sisters in Gaming, this was an area attendees wouldn't want to miss.
Jagfest
Jagfest continued to be represented at the Midwest Gaming Classic with a table full of goodies for the final system by Atari. People got the chance to check out some of the oft-overlooked Jaguar titles like Tempest 2000 and Brutal Sports Football, as well as getting to check out rare Jaguar items on display.
Tournaments
The 2009 Midwest Gaming Classic featured a bunch of tournaments! Read on to find out what was there.
Pinball Tournaments --
--The extremely popular pinball tournament returned for 2009, with two divisions being contested, as well as a women's and juniors division. These tournaments were highly competitive with over 75 competitors participating in our biggest tournament yet! The tournaments were run using the games Wing Ding (1964 Williams), Aztec (1976 Williams), Farfalla (1983 Zaccaria), Judge Dredd (1993 Bally) and CSI (2008 Stern). The tournament was a huge hit, and Todd Seaver emerged as the ultimate A division champion!
Hybrid Tournament
The Hybrid Tournament had a successful return in 2009, crowning another champion who could score great in both the pinball and video game versions of Pac-Man!
Tetris Tournament
2009 marked the first ever Tetris Tournament, contested on Sunday exclusively, this tournament gave people the chance to match up their pieces better then their competition. It proved extremely popular in 2009!
Other Tournaments
Besides these great tournaments, other tournaments were conducted throughout both days. Whether it was two friends challenging each other to a game of pinball or a more structured setting with a vendor or other group, playing and competing always makes the Midwest Gaming Classic fun!
Speakers
The 2009 Midwest Gaming Classic had another great line up of speakers, as well as different shows for people to see, including the world premier of one of them! Here were some of the highlights of the 2009 Speaking and Viewing line up:
John Trudeau
With literally dozens of game designs under his belt, John Trudeau is a well-known name amongst pinball fans. With a Judge Dredd in the tournament and multiple other Trudeau games for play at the show, it was great to hear John speak about his time in the industry!
WCG: Ultimate Gamer Screening
The Sci Fi Channel (now SyFy Channel) had a new awesome reality TV show called WCG: Ultimate Gamer where contestants were asked to play video games against each other, and then compete in real-world events based on those games. Attendees to the Midwest Gaming Classic could see the first two episodes if they missed them, as well as an exclusive 20 minute sneak peak of the never-before-seen third episode!
Lloyd Olson
The owner and operator of SS Billiards in Hopkins, Minnesota is known for having one of the best operating sets of games on route in the world, as well as being a spectacular supporter of the pinball hobby online. Lloyd was on hand to discuss what it is and has been like to be a pinball operator, as well give his thoughts on the future of pinball and arcades in general!
Vendors
For 2009, the Midwest Gaming Classic featured by far the largest selection of vendors ever, with almost 50 different vendors being represented at the show! If you were looking for import toys based on your favorite games, gaming clothes, import games, domestic games, brand new pinball parts, used pinball parts, or even full arcade video and pinball machines, you could find them at the 2009 Midwest Gaming Classic!
The show also offered many different pinball and arcade video games for people to play, with over 120 games in attendance and many of them for sale!
Summary
For 2009, the Midwest Gaming Classic expanded once again until the walls of the Olympia Resort and Spa were literally bursting at the seams with all of the amazing gaming related stuff that was going on! From a pinball tournament that has grown to be one of the top five largest in the country, to one of the most comprehensive displays of video game history, to perhaps the best selection of retro and modern gaming vendors, to over 100 different arcade video and pinball machines for play and sale, the Midwest Gaming Classic has continued to grow every year to provide new experiences and reunite old friends!