2012 Midwest Gaming Classic March 24-25

[Clint Thompson]

Picked up an awesome condition vader and going back to pick up some games shortly would love to have that sharp computer but I know there's little reason to own one of those really. Everyone is having a good time and there's a lot of cool stuff to check out, as usual

[the.golden.ax]

Hey, I'm in the chat room on the JagFest u-stream. Someone talk to me from MGC

[Scootiecat]

Was pretty cool. My first time there since its first year. Got to play some games and the museum was awesome. Scored some cool souvenirs too. Missed you Ax. I'd be more than happy to take the GC to Mega Media Xchange to have them prove that the power source is defective. Oh, and Chris Leach, I tried the NES game I bought from you in 3 different systems there and it didn't work. It also has been opened up and cleaned and doesn't work with a Game Genie either.

[PFG 9000]

I had a good time at the show yesterday. I picked up Robinson's Requiem for Jag and Asteroids/Missile Command and Fidelity Ultimate Chess Challenge for Lynx (thanks Carl). I'm always blown away by the gentleman with the complete Lynx collection. It's a joy every year to play the games I don't have, and I can't believe he allows all these rarities out for countless people to handle and test. Very generous of him, whoever he is.

[IAMAMRA]

Had a blast! Scored a bunch of 2600 games, and a jamma cabinet (w bomberman). Took a friend with me for his first time, he is already talking about next year!

Edited March 26, 2012 by IAMAMRA

[Dan Iacovelli]

just got home from mgc it was fun next time I cutting back on stuff

[S1500]

Even though I'm unemployed, still bought 2 CV games, and a lock for a pinball machine coin door.

[BassGuitari]

You were greatly missed, Ax. Matt, Sean, Marty, Jen and I went out for dinner after teardown this evening, and we had a sixth chair at our table reserved for your presence.

 

We'll just see you next year instead!

[Crimefighter]

Once again...as crowded as it was it needs extended another day and should go back to the roomier Oconowomac.

[+thanatos]

I was drooling over a boxed Aquarius system + accessories, and then some random jerk snagged it before I had the chance.

 

Had an awesome time as usual. Spent more on expensive hotel bar beers than in the vendor hall. The CoCo survived yet another weekend of being on for almost 20 hours.

Someone bent the metal cover on the corner of one of my Steel Battalion pedals, but I guess that's risk of putting it out for two days. The setup in the Underdog chamber did look pretty cool, though they decided not to link all four of them together.

[Clint Thompson]

Anyone here pick up that Sharp X68000 CZ-603C that was boxed at one of the vendor tables or find out if they ever hooked it up to see if they got it running?

I've never seen one in person and was completely fascinated with it. I think my favorite part this year was the dark museum area... just had such an awesome vibe to it and

really felt super comfortable and inviting. It was awesome playing the piano/keyboard (not the miracle) but I think it was on the Coleco... primitive but still neat never the less.

 

I did see a few familiar faces of course... A few items I'm really surprised I didn't stumble upon was any HD-DVD drives for the 360 at all (I would have bought one for sure),

I didn't see any Jag systems available for sale and while I contemplated on the idea of getting in touch with the Duranik guys to see if they could send me a playable demo/copy of

their latest Dreamcast game to showcase at the event, it was far too last minute once the idea struck to set anything up... which is unfortunate because that would have been a total

blast so people could play it and just check it out. And where the hell was the green face painted Cybermorph girl at this year? Didn't see the white Jag casing out there anywhere

either which I was kind of wanting to get my hands on and in all sense literally to touch and check it out.

 

Hopefully one of these years I'll be able to setup a vending / show table and do some cool things but I'm unsure when and if that day will be. While it did seem crowded it didn't seem

as busy as a few years ago.... but maybe I was just over tired. How was the head count? Did it stay the same? Go Up? Go Down? I did sigh a little passing by what little Jaguar stuff

was there on site... makes me miss a lot of the things and really brought back that empty hole in my chest for a few moments but I quickly moved on.

 

No offense to whomever created the map thing but I feel it could be far better. I kept wanting to just look down & have the labels but you had to keep looking back at the key and since

the entire place/event seems so overwhelming this just sort of added to the confusion as it wasn't as visually connected. I would highly suggest you enlarge the map to take up the

entire sheet and label within and maybe even spend a little time adding cool arcade like icons in the rooms or consoles/computers in another... something like that but then again

maybe I'm just nitpicking and strangely enough I do miss the little bags that were handed out with goodies inside like a few years back. I was really hoping/looking forward to

that little extra piece but it was cut this year... that or it was only for the pre-orders and I didn't pre-purchase my tickets this year so maybe that was it. I guess someone didn't like

the direction floor stickers that were used a few years back?

[IAMAMRA]

I saw one vendor with a jag system on sat around 10:30 but it was gone by 11....did anyone go to the Scott Adams presents? Was very cool, and rather interactive!

[Chris Leach]

double post....sorry!

Edited March 26, 2012 by Chris Leach

[Chris Leach]

Was pretty cool. My first time there since its first year. Got to play some games and the museum was awesome. Scored some cool souvenirs too. Missed you Ax. I'd be more than happy to take the GC to Mega Media Xchange to have them prove that the power source is defective. Oh, and Chris Leach, I tried the NES game I bought from you in 3 different systems there and it didn't work. It also has been opened up and cleaned and doesn't work with a Game Genie either.

 

Send the damn thing back dude or shut your mouth about the NES cart! Damn!

Edited March 26, 2012 by Chris Leach

[BassGuitari]

I was drooling over a boxed Aquarius system + accessories, and then some random jerk snagged it before I had the chance.

 

Yeah, I hear that guy is an asshole.

 

But hey, it wasn't until later on Sunday afternoon that I made an offer I couldn't refuse.

[BassGuitari]

No offense to whomever created the map thing but I feel it could be far better. I kept wanting to just look down & have the labels but you had to keep looking back at the key and since the entire place/event seems so overwhelming this just sort of added to the confusion as it wasn't as visually connected. I would highly suggest you enlarge the map to take up the entire sheet and label within and maybe even spend a little time adding cool arcade like icons in the rooms or consoles/computers in another... something like that but then again maybe I'm just nitpicking

 

and strangely enough I do miss the little bags that were handed out with goodies inside like a few years back. I was really hoping/looking forward to that little extra piece but it was cut this year... that or it was only for the pre-orders and I didn't pre-purchase my tickets this year so maybe that was it.

 

I guess someone didn't like the direction floor stickers that were used a few years back?

 

Thank you for your suggestions! That's definitely something we can keep in mind for next year. The Brookfield Sheraton hotel doesn't exactly have the most straightforward layout (which obviously can't be helped), and maybe an easier-to-read map would help out with that. It seems most people were able to find where everything was, but even with the maps, I got asked a few times where things were.

 

I believe the original intention was to do the "Pac-Man dot" floor stickers again. But in the whirlwind of setting up on Friday (and even Saturday morning, pre-show, to an extent), it became a secondary "if we get to it" kind of thing. And we just didn't get to it, unfortunately. Did you find the floor stickers helpful in years past?

 

The goodie bags probably won't be happening again soon, for a combination of reasons. In brief, they became more of a hassle than they were worth. All those goodie bags you saw in years past were put together -by hand, naturally- by only two or three (and in at least one year by just one) individuals, since they were the only ones available who could take the time to do it. Needless to say, the bags took absolutely forever to assemble. The goodies themselves, aside from the perennial copies of Feet Of Fury and Manci Games, were more often than not paper brochures or ad material that people just threw out anyway. Then there were the random (cool, but random) things that had nothing to do with the show, or with video games or pinball at all, such as the bottles of Frank's Red Hot or the Panini sports cards. The Killzone 2 tees were cool, but again, there were only about three or four people (myself and Ax included, incidentally) folding literally hundreds the damned things until the wee hours of the Friday night of that year and sticking them into gift bags. It wasn't always possible to get new goodies each year, also (not "good" ones, at least, like shirts or posters or things like that), which meant many years' goodie bags consisted of previously used materials, and people got sick of the same two issues of Manci Games every year. So for the last couple of years we decided to simply not bother with it anymore.

[IAMAMRA]

If you need some help next year I plan to attend both days and would be happy to help...

[98PaceCar]

Anyone here pick up that Sharp X68000 CZ-603C that was boxed at one of the vendor tables or find out if they ever hooked it up to see if they got it running?

I've never seen one in person and was completely fascinated with it.

 

We (Mad Gear) took it down to the museum and fired it up. It came up and prompted for a disk, so it appears to at least work that far. There were no 5.25 disks available to test it any further though.

[S1500]

I'll admit, I had a crush on that beautiful red-headed security guard in one of the halls. She was prettier than the Big Juicy Melons booth babe. Heh.

[PFG 9000]

Hah! You're not the only one.

[Tempest]

Anyone here pick up that Sharp X68000 CZ-603C that was boxed at one of the vendor tables or find out if they ever hooked it up to see if they got it running?

I've never seen one in person and was completely fascinated with it.

 

We (Mad Gear) took it down to the museum and fired it up. It came up and prompted for a disk, so it appears to at least work that far. There were no 5.25 disks available to test it any further though.

So it did work after all? Awesome. Unfortunately the X68000 is for rich people who think Neo Geo is too cheap and easy to collect for. Sigh. Some day....

[Goodwill Hunter]

Had a great time at the 2012 Midwest Gaming Classic! Once again thought that Dan, Gary, Marty, and all of the organizers did an awesome job and put on a fantastic show. Was good to see all of the familiar faces again, and as I wasn’t vending for the first time in a while (who would buy my last-minute deals without Ax there!), I got to see the whole show for a change. It’s amazing how it has grown over the years, and how creatively every bit of available space in the hotel was used. I took a few shots with the iPhone, and thought I would share them with those who couldn’t make it…

 

 

The line outside the hotel Saturday morning just before the show opened.

 

 

 

This is where I was based, in the MGC Museum…loved the cool 80’s arcade feel to it!

 

 

 

One of the items I exhibited, an APF-M1000 / Imagination Machine setup.

 

 

 

My other Museum piece…a Sears 2600 demo console (plasma & lava lamps sold separately!)

 

 

 

Next to the museum was a room full of newer consoles, all playable.

 

 

 

The family room featured an awesome Lynx display, all playable as well.

[Goodwill Hunter]

 

The hotel bar and restaurant held the speakers venue…saw a great documentary on Tetris champions and fascinating Skype interviews with some of those present at the start of Atari.

 

 

 

A packed vendor hall as usual, which spilled out in the hallways.

 

 

 

Tons of pinball and arcade machines, all set to free play, also spilled out into the hallways.

 

 

 

Lots of really neat custom stuff, including this gentleman’s creation.

 

 

 

Plently of unusual sights, including a pinball machine with a tap, a hungry Stormtrooper, and a hotel room bearing the mark of the triforce (sort of)…

 

 

 

But as always, the best part was just playing games with family and friends…see you all next year!

[Dan Iacovelli]

the jagfest section was awesome as well busy all day sat

[AtariLeaf]

 

 

 

 

 

Tons of pinball and arcade machines, all set to free play, also spilled out into the hallways.

 

 

Ah I see Croooow111, a youtuber I subscribe to in the red shirt and beard in the top left picture. I was just watching his video of his trip to the MGC before I read this post.