3DS Streetpass Meetup

Party like it’s 2010 and gather ’round the jukebox at 3pm Saturday to make your 3DS’ little orange light BLOW UP! 3DS Streetpass enthusiasts from around the world will be gathering at the Midwest Gaming Classic to keep that little led torch lit and the Streetpass spirit alive.

Arcade Manufacturer Showcase

See all the latest and greatest coin-op and home arcade games from the biggest manufacturers including Stern Pinball, American Pinball, Raw Thrills, Spooky Pinball, Chicago Gaming, Skee-Ball, Jersey Jack Pinball, and many others! Then, find out how to bring your favorite game to your home or arcade from the manufacturers and distributors on site!

BitBuilt Experience

Curious how far modding original video game hardware can go? The BitBuilt Experience is a collaboration between the BitBuilt and Ben Heck Experience communities to show, tell, and teach about console modifications. Such mods include adding video out to older systems, miniaturized consoles such as the world’s smallest GameCube that can fit in your palm, handheld consoles made from home consoles ranging from Atari 2600 to Wii, and everything in between — all with original hardware. Stop by the experience to see these mods and chat with some of the great minds behind them.

Brew City Wrestling

We love us some wrestling here at MGC central and Brew City Wrestling is the local home grown group providing the perfect type of wrestling entertainment we like to see. Join us at the show as BCW takes to the ring and brings the action up close and personal to all show attendees. Learn more about Brew City Wrestling at the Midwest Gaming Classic!

ByteOff Awards

The NESmaker Byte-Off awards are our way of celebrating this amazing, diverse, creative, ingenious, passionate community. It is designed to be a collaborative event to drive new ideas and give everyone a platform to show them off. Many games that started off as fun, small scale Byte-Off demoes have gone on to be fully fleshed out and have been published for retro and modern consoles. Who will win this year’s annual NESmaker Byte-Off awards? Find out at Midwest Gaming Classic! To play the entries and for details, go to www.TheNew8bitHeroes.com

Cabin of the Cackling Man Escape Room

Lost in the woods, you stumble upon an old cabin.  There are human remains inside, long deceased, and …clutching an old gaming controller?

Whatever happened here is about to happen again.  Something has awakened in the woods, and it’s coming for you.  Can you solve the mystery behind a cursed video game and a strange occult ritual before midnight? Or will you be the next victim of the Cackling Man?

An escape room inspired by creepypastas, the 80s, retro video games and urban legends.

Click here for more information and to register! Ticket to the Midwest Gaming Classic is required. Make sure you arrive early to get your MGC wrist band well before your scheduled time.

Classic Gaming and Computing Museum

The Computing and Gaming Museum is one of the centerpieces of the Midwest Gaming Classic! Check out hundreds of different consoles from Pong to the PS5 and everything in between! Discover the joys of early computers, share the fun of hit games from the past, and check out the present of video games in the home! Best of all? Unlike a museum where you can just look, in the Computing and Gaming Museum, it’s almost all playable too!

Discover Dungeons & Dragons

No Experience Necessary! Walk up, sit down, play! From the Birthplace of the “Game that Changed the World” come join Realms of Adventure with the very first role-playing game that has ignited the imaginations of millions of gamers around the world for five decades! We will teach you the basics of the original role-playing game and give you a taste of this collaborative storytelling game that relies more on teamwork and less on competition to win the day. Ever wonder what changed the face of tabletop and video gaming from the early days of Pong and Space Invaders into the magic of Legend of Zelda and the Elder Scrolls saga? Let us be your guide and companion through amazing lands and dread dungeons to battle monstrous foes, best deadly challenges and seize marvelous treasures to forge your own legend! Join Wisconsin (Harold) Johnson, Tom “The Dwarf” Darga, and others on fast-paced and quick intro adventures in the endless Realms of Adventure.

Dragon's Sandbox

Dragon’s Sandbox offers beginner friendly pop-up Dungeons & Dragons 5e events; come crawl through dungeons, defeat creepy monsters, and possibly earn some gold during the convention. Look for the suit of armor in the Tabletop zone and we’ll get you seated.

Faceball 16-person Gameboy LAN

Ever since its release in 1991, the GameBoy port of Faceball 2000 has been an incredibly fascinating game. It is not only the original Game Boy’s sole First Person Shooter, but the legends say that it supports up to 16 PLAYERS in its link cable multiplayer mode! While many tried, there has never been a documented 16-player game ever. But after nearly two years of experimentation and dedicated work, Faceball 2000’s fabled 16-player mode has been achieved! Derek Alexander from the YouTube channel Stop Skeletons From Fighting has documented this journey and will show an early cut of the video here at MGC! It’s an early cut because he’s also here to film the ending to this journey – the first public 16-player game of Faceball 2000!

Free Geek Twin Cities

Free Geek Twin Cities- We are an electronics recycling and refurbishing center located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We have a mission to keep electronics waste out of landfills and repurpose it into usable technology. Thanks to the donations we receive, we can get computers into the hands of our community’s financially needy and help bridge the digital divide. We’re hosting a family-friendly recycling activity where we’ll help you disassemble controllers to help the environment! A few items from the legendary Computer Reset warehouse in Dallas, TX will be on sale as well.

Future Classics

Try out the classics of the future from various developers of all sizes! From VR to console, Steam to mobile, you might be the first to check out tomorrow’s hot new game!

Are you a developer? Register here to show your games at MGC.

Game Center Arcade

When the show opens, so does the largest arcade in Wisconsin! Featuring hundreds of arcade video and pinball machines, this is a room that you don’t want to miss!

Interested in bringing a machine to share and getting awesome rewards? Click THIS!

 

 

Garcade

The incredible Menomonee Falls-based arcade the Garcade joins us and is throwing an EPIC bash! Featuring games, a DJ, and a friendly competition, come celebrate the Garcade with them! Can’t wait? Visit the Garcade in Menomonee Falls today to play over 175 games for one price!

Learn More About the Garcade at the MGC

Guys, Games and Beer

The fun-loving Guys, Games and Beer podcast is an amazing group of guys (and gals!) that get together to discuss games and beer! They love sharing their favorite games with people, whether it is classics you may know, or extremely unique and one-of-a-kind things you may never seen! Walk into the room and become part of the G2B family and see what all the fun is about!

The Guys Games and Beer room is also host to a fully networked version of Steel Battalion: Line of Contact for the original Xbox!! Open to beginners and veterans alike, learn how to pilot VTs (Vertical Tanks) from our pro coaches with up to nine of your friends and prove you’re the best pilot out there!

The Guys Games and beer room is also host to some other fan-favorite LANs, such as the OG Quake running on original iMacs, showing that gaming wasn’t just for the Windows realm, and Cursed Halo: a comically stupid and epically entertaining spin on the FPS you know and love!

I Play Games

I Play Games is coming to the show and bringing a bunch of their great head-to-head modern games for people to check out and play! Stop by for a casual game, or play in a for-fun tournament with announcers calling the action live!

KingPin Kiddie Ride Menagerie

Want to put your kids into a vehicle from a popular 80s cartoon, the back of an animal, or onto a space ship? These are just some of the options that KingPin Games will have in their KingPin Kiddie Ride Menagerie at the show! Hop on (as long as you are the correct size and / or weight) and take a ride down memory lane in this fun area! If you love one of these, you can bring one home with you or get it to put at a location to share after the show is over! Want to reserve one for delivery at the show? Contact Chris at KingPin at (608) 393-2299 for current inventory and pricing!

Live Reading Panels w/ Special Guests

Knights of the Dinner Table Live Reading w/Harold “Wisconsin” Johnson

featuring

Saturday 1:45p – 2:45p Jon St. John, Charlie Kraslavsky Greg Smith, and Phil Moore.

Sunday 4:00p – 5:00p Christopher Sean, Ed Bosco, Bill Rogers

MarcoTV Stage

Stop by the MarcoTV Stage to learn about lots of different aspects of PINBALL! From how to update and fix your machine, to exploring rare games, to witnessing friendly competition on stage, the MarcoTV stage will have it all!

FRIDAY

5PM – A/V TEST

6:30-7:30 PM: Getting Your Game On-location Ready – Matthew Talley

1.       Description: This session covers the essentials of preparing pinball machines for public play, including maintenance tips, setting your game up for your arcade, and ensuring durability for high-traffic environments.

2.       7:30-8:00 PM: Break

8:00-10:00 PM: EM Reset Issues on Sonic Prospector – Matt Benzik

1.       Description: David Volanzky, EM repair guru joins us and delves into common reset problems with Electro-Mechanical (EM) pinball machines, and directs technicians Matt Benzik and Matthew Talley on how to solve this issue on a Sonic Prospector. Can we get this game back up and running for the show?!

2.       10:00-10:30 PM: Break

10:30PM – 12:00AM – Pinbuilder Walkthrough with Annah Moore – Imoto Arcade

1.       Description: An audience interactive workshop session. Annah Moore provides comprehensive walkthrough of the new Pinbuilder game on Steam, demonstrating how to design and prototype pinball machine layouts, integrate artwork, and simulate game physics. Let’s create a flippin’ game together!

 

Saturday

10:00-12:00 PM: PinTech LIVE Venom Deep Dive (screening)

12:00-1:00 PM: Flipper Rebuild Seminar – Matthew Talley

1.       Description: Matthew starts with the basics of flipper mechanics, common issues faced during rebuilds, and step-by-step guidance on completing a rebuild. Matthew will also be discussing how to LYNNS-IFY your games!

2.       1:00-1:30 PM: Break

1:30-2:30 PM: How to Rebuild a Score Unit – EMs Mark Valuch

1.       Description: Mark Valuch from Youtube Channel Mark’s Basement offers a practical guide on cleaning and maintaining stepper units in EM machines, including tools needed, step-by-step cleaning processes, and troubleshooting common problems.

2.       2:30-3:00 PM: Break

3:00-4:00 PM: Homebrew Chat with the Makers

1.       Description: A panel discussion featuring various homebrew pinball creators, sharing insights on design, electronics, and software development. Attendees will learn about starting their projects and the community resources available. Then head over to the Homebrew section to play the games!

2.       4:00-4:30 PM: Break

4:30-5:30 PM: Skeleton Game Software – Matt Benzik

1.       Description: An in-depth look at the Skeleton Game framework for developing pinball software. Matt Benzik will cover its capabilities, how to get started with programming, and examples of games developed using this software.

2.       5:30-6:00 PM: Break

6:00-7:00 PM: Taylor Bancroft Presents Stern Insider Connected Updates

Join us for an engaging seminar as Taylor Bancroft presents the latest updates on Insider Connected, showcasing new features and improvements.

7:00-9:00 PM: PinTech LIVE JAWS Pro Deep Dive (screening)

 

Sunday

11:00-2:00PM: PinTech LIVE JAWS Pro/Premium Deep Dive (screening)

2:30-5:00PM: PinTech LIVE content

MGC Gaming Jukebox

Listen to music from your favorite video games at our specially built jukebox!

Click Here for a Full Track List

MGC Main Stage

The MGC Main Stage features entertainment, our famous Saturday night Cosplay Contest and the epic MGC After Party (additional ticket required)!

View the full-stage lineup!

Relic Quest Escape Room

Presented by Think Quick Events, teams of players are adventurers looking for an artifact to restore an ancient power to a secluded village. Solve puzzles, decipher codes, and work together as a team before the window of star alignment closes to answer the village’s pleas, lest they wait for another generation of heroes to come to their aid! Maximum room size of 8 players.

Click here for more information and to register! Ticket to the Midwest Gaming Classic is required. Make sure you arrive early to get your MGC wrist band well before your scheduled time.

TASBot and TiKevin83

The TASBot community was founded in 2013 and is focused on helping our robotic mascot, TASBot, play video games perfectly for charity. TASBot content at Games Done Quick events has helped raise more than $1.3M USD for The Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. TASBot plays back Tool-Assisted Speedruns from TASVideos.org using replay devices that typically pretend to be a controller plugged into a real video game console. Through this process TASBot verifies that emulators act exactly like the consoles they emulate. TASVideos Ambassdor TiKevin83 is a record holding TASer in Pokemon Yellow and has been helping present TASVideos and TASBot runs since 2019. TASBot, TiKevin83, and friends will show TASes being verified live all weekend!

Tesla Demo Drives

Tesla will be offering Demo Drives of their Model Y crossover at the show! To get one, sign up for a time at their table in the foyer. Make sure to ask them how to drive on Rainbow Road, and to show you the built-in games!

TigerFox IMMERSE 360 Demo

The TigerFox® IMMERSE 360® – transforms your regular video games into amazing REAL 360º SOUNDSCAPES with exact positioning of individual game sounds around player – Free Demo will blow your mind!

Token Taverns: An Arcade Bar Documentary

Stop by the Tournaments Stage Friday at 9pm for an MGC viewing party of Token Taverns: An Arcade Bar Documentary. After the viewing, stick around for a Q&A with Bob Rose, the director. Bob is an Emmy Award Winning television producer/filmmaker from Tampa, FL and the director of Token Taverns: An Arcade Bar Documentary. This is the 3rd film Bob has Directed. Bob’s first video game system was the Atari 2600 and he grew up going to the arcade with this Dad, so directing Token Taverns was a no brainer.

Uptown Society Photobooth

Prepare to level up your photo booth experience at the Midwest Gaming Classic with Uptown Society! Dive into personalized backdrops and exclusive photo ops—all for free—ensuring an unforgettable souvenir courtesy of Milwaukee’s premier events company. Get your photo with the MGC Championship belt! Check TheUptownSociety.com for more details.

Vendor Hall

Over 100,000 square feet of gaming goodness! Whatever you are looking for – from games and systems to shirts, toys, machine parts, costume pieces, and so much more – find it among our 100+ vendors from all over the country! Remember, if you pre-ordered tickets, you get into the vendor hall 30 minutes early on Saturday, and for VIG, it’s an HOUR early on Saturday!

Want to be a vendor at MGC? Sign up here!

Virtual Boy Exhibit

The Virtual Boy, you say? Yes! A complete US Virtual Boy collection in box, many of the Japanese boxed games and boxed homebrew titles. Additionally, check out promotional material including pins, figures, books, and magazines. But don’t just look, play! Also on site will be a working store kiosk unit and two systems modded into consoles with two player head-to-head play.

World of Nintendo Retail Store Exhibit

The ‘World of Nintendo’ was a store-within-a-store concept that Nintendo popularized in the late 80s and early 90s. Retailers transformed their spaces into luminous merchandising wonderlands where animated lighted signs hung from the ceilings, iconic soundtracks filled the air, and children lined up to play the latest Nintendo games on interactive displays. The author of ‘The World of Nintendo Book’ has curated this exhibit to allow visitors to experience the sights and sounds of what it was like to visit these stores during Nintendo’s heyday. This will be the 2nd time the exhibit has been featured at MGC. In 2024, you’ll be transported back to 1991, a time when Nintendo’s NES, Super NES, and Game Boy reigned supreme.