PORTLAND Retro gaming Expo 2009

[rick weis]

Hello everyone,

we now have the date for our 2009 show, it's September 20, at the Crowne plaza in downtown Portland Oregon!

for more info go to our website http://retrogamingexpo.com

hope to see you there!

Rick

[jahvybe]

Sweet. I'll be there. September seems so far away though.

Rick I want to be a vendor again this year, please send me the details when you get a chance.

[rick weis]

Sweet. I'll be there. September seems so far away though.

Rick I want to be a vendor again this year, please send me the details when you get a chance.

Yes, it is but that is a good thing, we'll have much time to plan a great show for everyone. :)

you got it! we're working out the details now...

Rick

[DigitalSpace]

That's four days before my birthday! :) I'll mark my calendar and spread the word.

[Wookie]

How's parking at the venue? I really appreciated the free/nearby parking at the previous sites. Especially when walking out with armloads of swag.

[y-bot]

There is a good size parking lot that is free unless there is an event at the Rose Garden. So far we don't know of any events so it should be free. There's lots of on-street parking that is pretty close too.


y-bot

[miaandjohnrule]

Sounds good. I hope to attend if I can get the time off.

[swlovinist]

I am proud to be a part of this Portland show, and this year will be the best we have put I do believe. We are a committed group of individuals that are passionate about celebrating retro gameplaying and collecting. To all who might still want to attend a retro game show this year, I invite you to come and check out our show. We will have a very diverse vendor lineup that carries a great multitude of classic games and systems. This year I think is in a much better location, with better access to ATMs, Food, and Transportation.

[evg2000]

I'm planning on flying up from Sacramento to attend again this year.

charles

[rick weis]

I'm planning on flying up from Sacramento to attend again this year.

charles

you are ALWAYS welcome at our show Charles!! you helped us out BIG TIME last year!

thank you!!

Rick

[thekeepr]

Well...since there no CGE this year(bummer!),I plan to be in Portland for this event.I haven't been able to make the past local meets,but I do want to attend some type of gaming event this year,and this one sounds like the one. Rob

[Qixmaster]

I'm planning on flying up from Sacramento to attend again this year.

charles

Yes, Charles you were a BIG help at my booth last year... sadly I won't be bringing near as much stuff... if any at all.

Anyway, i am sad that there is no CGE this year, but that means that there are all those people out there that need there expo fix. Come to this show! it is a most excellent event. Portland is a pretty affordable city and hotel rooms in the downtown area rarely fill up completely on weekends. two weeks ago I booked a four star hotel in downtown Portland for $60 a night + tax on Priceline. That was a friday night.

If you are anywhere in Downtown Portland you can hop on the max and it will take you to the convention center where the expo is... i believe free of charge.

So to all you who say it will be too spendy, just come, it won't be anymore expensive than Vegas if you book your flights in time. Think about it...Vegas can get spendy FAST :)

You can also take the Max from the Airport to downtown portland for a small fee if you don't want to pay for a cab. Or if you don't want to do that I would be more than happy to pick people up from the airport the day before the show and take you to your hotel. I'd just need some notice.

[recycledgamer]

If you are anywhere in Downtown Portland you can hop on the max and it will take you to the convention center where the expo is... i believe free of charge.

So to all you who say it will be too spendy, just come, it won't be anymore expensive than Vegas if you book your flights in time. Think about it...Vegas can get spendy FAST :)

You can also take the Max from the Airport to downtown portland for a small fee if you don't want to pay for a cab. Or if you don't want to do that I would be more than happy to pick people up from the airport the day before the show and take you to your hotel. I'd just need some notice.

Yep, light rail from the PDX airport to within several blocks of the venue is less than $4. Also, the Expo venue is in Portland's Light Rail Fareless Square which means you can take the train from the Convention Center stop (the closest to the venue) to downtown Portland for FREE.

Incidently, I just posted a link on the Retro Gaming Expo site to group rates at the Crowne Plaza (the hotel where the event is to be held). You can also now purchase tickets to the event on the site. Pre-sold ticket holders get into the show 1 hour before those who buy their tickets at the door this year! (9:00 AM instead of 10:00 AM).

Buy Tickets at RetroGamingExpo.com (http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/admission.php)

Group Hotel Rates at the Portland Crowne Plaza (http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/lodging.php)

Hope to see everyone there!

Chuck aka Recycled Gamer

[evg2000]

I pre-ordered my admission ticket yesterday. I think I will be flying in Saturday afternoon and leave Monday morning.

Charles

[y-bot]

Glad to hear you're coming again Charles.

y-bot

[miaandjohnrule]

I'm going to be able to get the time off. I'll be there selling some items.

[rick weis]

I'm going to be able to get the time off. I'll be there selling some items.

SWEET!! you always have great stuff to sell. :)

Rick

[swlovinist]

Things are progressing nicely for the show. Just a heads up for anyone else interested in coming, we will have a great and wide selecton of games from Atari to Xbox. We have will have a more organized staff this year, and it would be a great idea for anyone who was thinking of going to a game convention on the West Coast.

[DigitalSpace]

Thanks for the update, John! If anyone remembers my friend Donnie (aka BobaFettHotep on DP) from last year, I can confirm that he'll be back again this year.

It's too early for a concrete want list, but I'll definitely be looking to improve my Dreamcast and 2600 collections, and I'll also be looking to get any pinball games that aren't already in the collection (http://www.freewebs.com/jkwh/pinballvglist.html) by then.

[swlovinist]

DigitalSpace you are one of the nicest people on this board. We would be honored to have any DP folks at our show and welcome you and your friends anytime. We will have plenty of games to add to your collection. There definately will be some Dreamcast stuff at the show :)

[y-bot]

Thanks for the update, John! If anyone remembers my friend Donnie (aka BobaFettHotep on DP) from last year, I can confirm that he'll be back again this year.

It's too early for a concrete want list, but I'll definitely be looking to improve my Dreamcast and 2600 collections, and I'll also be looking to get any pinball games that aren't already in the collection (http://www.freewebs.com/jkwh/pinballvglist.html) by then.


Hey Josh! Is Donnie your friend that was pretty tall? If so I remember him from last year. Glad to hear you guys are coming. This show will be the best one yet.

y-bot

[coreys429]

I have so many obscure systems I am saving for the show. I have a CD-I unit, Vectrex, Odyssey 2 stuff, pong units, Countertester for a Super Nintendo. I am thinking of getting a double table or booth, I am coming across many random things over the past 2 months.

[swlovinist]

This will be the year to come. We are much more organized, and we will be sharing hopefully some details in the upcoming months. I am getting excited about this show, which will be the effort of alot of hard working staff and folks that have taken alot of time out of their busy schedules to make it happen. I think that this year will be exceptional, and recommend folks here to consider us if you need a retro game expo fix.

[GOLDEN KEYS]

My wife and I will most likely be in attendance...

We had planned a trip to Portland last year but due to a death in the family had to cancel. We still have credit for plane tickets through "Southwest" and if we don't use it by October we lose it.

I'm pretty excited... this will be my first video game convention so hopefully it doesn't disappoint. I'm looking forward to the Nintendo World Championship contest... hopefully I can snag that reproduction cart!

Are there many arcade games set up throughout the convention center? I could use a classic arcade fix.

[swlovinist]

Golden Keys, the show will not disappoint. We will have some great contests going, as well as a few things up our sleeve :). We will have some arcades for people to play on, as well as a console area of play and much more. I plan on bringing my Konami Multi unit, and there will be several more. We are welcoming all DP members and all video game forums to check us out this year.

[evg2000]

I just book my airfare, $44 each from Sacramento... but of course with taxes and such $117 out the door. So I order my show ticket, and travel, now I just have to get around to booking a room.

[coreys429]

The main site has been updated again. We are welcomed to have the chiptune artist Leeni preforming at the show. Check out the news with the new schedule as well. http://retrogamingexpo.com/

Charles, good to see your coming back.

[rick weis]

Hello Everyone,

we're now close to the 100 day mark before our show starts, you'll be seeing a lot more info about our show as each day passes. info about vendors, contests and prizes, and exclusive show releases and much more! we all have been working hard to make this years show the best ever.

for those of you that are thinking about being a vendor at our show, I would not wait too long, we have limited space this year and spots are filling up fast!

don't forget to order your tickets in advance so you get into our show 1 hour early (9AM) you can order them here: http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/admission.php

one of the newest additions to our show is Leeni, after seeing her on northwest cable news, I thought she would fit in perfect for our show. be sure to check out her website, love the way it's set up! I'm a huge space invaders fan. :)




Chiptune Artist Leeni To Perform at PRGE

We are proud to welcome 8-Bit performer Leeni to the Expo! She is bringing her unique style of chiptune music down from Seattle for one show only so be sure to stick around for her 5:00 PM performance.

"Leeni's music takes you into another dimension, perhaps one with only two dimensions, depending where your video nostalgia begins and the real world ends. Leeni's 8-bit world is so believable that you'd swear you were listening to Princess Peach crooning into a 4-track and awaiting the valiant Mario and Luigi."
Chris Brunelle, Impose Magazine

"Leeni is constantly pushing, morphing, recreating herself and her sound. This metamorphosis brought her to the discovery of 8-bit music, a largely untapped resource on the brink of commercial stardom. 8-bit music captures an off-beat, nostalgic sound that is easy to embrace. It's a new genre, an innovative cutting edge sound with a fresh, fun perspective."
Excerpt from Leeni's CD Baby description

Go to www.Leeni.us

[eskobar]

I may be close to Porland that week, is a good place to buy games at good prices ?. I'll love to attend the show but i wanna know if i should save my money to buy games

[y-bot]

I may be close to Porland that week, is a good place to buy games at good prices ?. I'll love to attend the show but i wanna know if i should save my money to buy games

What kind of stuff are you looking for? There will be tons of stuff for sale at the show. There aren't many stores in Portland that are not picked over. Video Game Wizards is one of the sponsors of the show and has one of the best selections of used games in town. Hope you can make it!

y-bot

[eskobar]

Nothing special, i am a video game re-seller in Mexico and i am always looking for good prices for SNES, PS1, PS2, NES, etc .

[rick weis]

Nothing special, i am a video game re-seller in Mexico and i am always looking for good prices for SNES, PS1, PS2, NES, etc .

our show is a good place for re-sellers to come, there have been many times i've seen items and thought i should just buy that to re-sell it! :) but i don't!! if it's something i need i'll buy it. about the PS1 PS2 not too much besides VG wizards, but we get a lot of NES and SNES stuff.

Rick

[coreys429]

I'll make a note on bringing PS1 and PS2 games. I like having the unique items at my booth.

[swlovinist]

Less than 80 days till the show, we are going to be the most organized yet!. There will be some show exclusives this year, on top of raffling off an arcade! This years show will not dissapoint! Preorder tickets at the website in my signature. Hope to see some DPers this year!

[BobaFettHotep]

im totally looking forward to this i had so much fun last year. where else in one day can you start an atari 2600, intellivision, and saturn, collection :)

[rick weis]

74 days and counting!

Win a Konami Home Arcade Machine at Portland Retro Gaming Expo!

Konami Home Arcade Game, Who hasn't dreamed of having a full-size
arcade game in their living room? This year at the PRGE, our raffle
grand prize is a Konami home arcade machine. Play all of Konami's
classic games on this full-size arcade machine. The Konami Arcade Game
comes with 12 built-in classic games. The unit stands 62" tall and has
an included, built-in, full color monitor.

Raffle tickets will be available throughout the show for $1 each. The
drawing will be held at approximately 4:45 PM, just prior to Leeni's
performance at the main stage. Must be present to win!


I wanted to tell you all about an exclusive release we have for our
show. For all you Atari 2600 fans out there, one of our show releases
will be CHUNKOUT 2600. This new puzzle game has been programmed by
James Todd from NintendoAGE.com. He has previously developed this game
for the Gameboy Color and Nintendo NES system, and now with his first
adventure into developing for the Atari 2600. I think you'll love this
game very much!

About the game:

You are looking at a 8 by 12 grid made of blocks with different colors
(number of colors depends on level 1-4 of difficultly). The object of
the game is
to clear the screen of all blocks and at the same time try to take out
the biggest chunks (the bigger the chunks, the bigger the score).

The game carts will be numbered and you can buy either a cart only or
a special boxed version which will include a lot of cool items with
it.

Regards,

Rick Weis
Portland Retro Gaming Expo
http://www.retrogamingexpo.com/

[VG_Maniac]

I am hoping I can make it down to the show. I'm only about a 4 hour drive away.

[Wookie]

I'll probably make a weekend of it Portland. Since the show is Sunday, are there any decent outdoor flea markets around that run on Saturday?

[swlovinist]

It depends on what you consider decent LOL. Gresham has two indoor Fleas that occasionally have interesting things.

[y-bot]

I'll probably make a weekend of it Portland. Since the show is Sunday, are there any decent outdoor flea markets around that run on Saturday?

Flea Markets in Portland are terrible right now. Keep checking here to see if they schedule anything for the Saturday before the show:

http://www.rosecitycollectorsmarket.com/

This one in Salem is the same day as our show:

http://www.salemcollectorsmarket.com/

Here's the only half way decent flea market and it's on Sundays as well:

http://www.portlandsentinel.com/?q=node/4810

y-bot

[recycledgamer]

I just set up a Twitter account for the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. We're just starting, but it will be a great way to keep up on the latest news about the show.

RetroGamingExpo on Twitter (http://twitter.com/RetroGamingExpo)

Chuck

[recycledgamer]

Matt Rau (of Video Masters TV) and I went up to Rick Weis' house a couple of weeks ago to do a short video of his game collection as a lead-in to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo on Sept 20.

Have a look at Rick's awesome collection and see me in an un-awesomely ill-fitting Atari t-shirt. We are clearly not video professionals by any stretch of the imagination, but we had a great time and got to see some rare and interesting gaming goodness.

Roll the clip! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSThlG1uRgg)

Thanks to Rick for being such a good sport and gracious host!

Chuck aka RecycledGamer

[swlovinist]

Video looks great Chuck :)

[jahvybe]

Wow, good job on the video. It's cool to get a peek at Rick's collection, I knew he had some pretty sweet stuff.

[Kaboomer]

Rick has an incredible collection. Maybe we should change the Sept. 19th Chuckwagon Roundup/Pre PRGE Party to his place instead of Ground Kontrol Arcade :)

[recycledgamer]

Rick has an incredible collection. Maybe we should change the Sept. 19th Chuckwagon Roundup/Pre PRGE Party to his place instead of Ground Kontrol Arcade :)

Heh, there's no room! We could barely fit the three of us with lights and a camera tripod.

I can't tell you how many times Matt and I stopped talking mid-sentence because something amazing caught our eye. It's that good. ;-)

Chuck

[swlovinist]

Rick has an amazing collection. He would also be the last person to tell you that. He is one humble guy. Is our show really only 48 days away? I cant believe it! Looking forward to meeting you Kaboomer, and boy do I have some classic game stories to share!

[rick weis]

Maybe we should change the Sept. 19th Chuckwagon Roundup/Pre PRGE Party to his place instead of Ground Kontrol Arcade :)

Chuck is correct, about 10 people max, and that's pushing it. :(

Thanks chuck for helping with that video, looks great! :)

Rick

[recycledgamer]

I just posted a new interview with John Hancock (swlovinist) on the PRGE site.

It's about 20 minutes in two parts so grab some popcorn and enjoy.

http://retrogamingexpo.com/

Chuck

[coreys429]

Argh.....the show is 39 days away...I am going to drive everyone around me insane...I am starting to price things, testing items and fixing broken controllers...It is actually relaxing for me to fix broken Atari Joysticks for some weird reason. Anyways in a few days I will be posting what my table should look like for a sneak peek at whats being offered. Talk to who ever later. Recycled Gamer did a Nice job on the newest video thats up as well.

[tofu]

I just booked my airfare and preorder tickets.:)

[swlovinist]

I just booked my airfare and preorder tickets.:)

Glad to have you :)

[Eric Dude]

I'm attending again this year, and I can't wait! Hopefully I'll actually get to introduce myself to some of you guys, not just buy your stuff. ;)

[rick weis]

I'm attending again this year, and I can't wait! Hopefully I'll actually get to introduce myself to some of you guys, not just buy your stuff. ;)

glad you'll be coming back again! this years show will blow last years away!

Rick

[Eric Dude]

glad you'll be coming back again! this years show will blow last years away!

Rick

That's what I like to hear!

Question: What kind of tournaments will there be? Other than the 10-player Bomberman (which is AWESOME by the way), the details about that seem kinda vague. Just trying to figure out what I should practice for. :)

[rick weis]

Question: What kind of tournaments will there be? Other than the 10-player Bomberman (which is AWESOME by the way), the details about that seem kinda vague. Just trying to figure out what I should practice for. :)

10 player bomberman tournament on the Stage
1990 NWC tournament at the NintendoAGE booth
chunkout 2600 tournament at the NWCGE tables
multi system tournament in the Tournament area

Rick

[Eric Dude]

10 player bomberman tournament on the Stage
1990 NWC tournament at the NintendoAGE booth
chunkout 2600 tournament at the NWCGE tables
multi system tournament in the Tournament area

Rick

Thank you sir, and I apologize if that information was easily accessible but I was too lazy to find it. NWC tournament sounds like an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime thing. Also, can you offer any clarification as to what the "multi system" tourney entails? I think that's where my friend's confusion stemmed from (he's the one who wanted me to ask).

[coreys429]

Thank you sir, and I apologize if that information was easily accessible but I was too lazy to find it. NWC tournament sounds like an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime thing. Also, can you offer any clarification as to what the "multi system" tourney entails? I think that's where my friend's confusion stemmed from (he's the one who wanted me to ask).

The multi system tourney is what it is. Basically what it is, that tournament with starting out with one system and each level of the contest will have a different system to test your skills on.

[DigitalSpace]

10 player bomberman tournament on the Stage
1990 NWC tournament at the NintendoAGE booth
chunkout 2600 tournament at the NWCGE tables
multi system tournament in the Tournament area

Rick

No Goldeneye tournament this year? BobaFettHotep and I have been practicing a lot as of late. Oh well. Those all look pretty fun!

[swlovinist]

The multisystem tourament will be lots of fun. The system targeted for the tourey will consist of the following. Note that the below could change for planning reasons, so here is what I have so far. I will not post the games to keep it fair to everyone, but one game that we will be playing: Warlords for the 2600

Atari 2600
Nes
Super Nes
N64
Genesis

[Eric Dude]

The multisystem tourament will be lots of fun. The system targeted for the tourey will consist of the following. Note that the below could change for planning reasons, so here is what I have so far. I will not post the games to keep it fair to everyone, but one game that we will be playing: Warlords for the 2600

Atari 2600
Nes
Super Nes
N64
Genesis

Awesome, awesome, AWESOME idea!!! I'm definitely signing up for that, oh MAN! Such a sweet idea. Hopefully, losing in the Atari 2600 round doesn't mean I don't get to continue on to the next rounds. :(

[swlovinist]

actually it will be single elimination. No points or second chances. This will be a hardcore gaming tourney in which the "all arounder" who is skilled at multiple different systems and games will thrive. It is cutthroat, but honestly I have ran over a dozen tourneys in public and it is the best way to do it. I wish you luck!

[Eric Dude]

actually it will be single elimination. No points or second chances. This will be a hardcore gaming tourney in which the "all arounder" who is skilled at multiple different systems and games will thrive. It is cutthroat, but honestly I have ran over a dozen tourneys in public and it is the best way to do it. I wish you luck!

No problem, I can see why you'd run it that way. I just don't have an Atari. Dang.

[evg2000]

On twitter I saw a call for volunteers, I might be able to help if you let me know what you are looking for. I'm flying in early Sat afternoon, and currently flying out early Monday morning (though that may change if I end up on jury duty, though that's pretty unlikely). Let me know if you are still looking for people, and what help you need. Getting excited.

see you all soon,
charles

[Eric Dude]

Here's a longshot, but I'll try:

Are any of you vendors going to have available an affordable Sega 32X video cable? Unlikely, I know, but I just picked one up for a buck sans vid cable and it would be awesome to complete the package on the cheap.

(cheap being around $10)

[coreys429]

Is that the cable from the 32x to the Genesis?

[recycledgamer]

No Goldeneye tournament this year? BobaFettHotep and I have been practicing a lot as of late. Oh well. Those all look pretty fun!

Not to worry, I'll make sure to set up Goldeneye at my booth. :-)

Chuck

[recycledgamer]

Here's a longshot, but I'll try:

Are any of you vendors going to have available an affordable Sega 32X video cable? Unlikely, I know, but I just picked one up for a buck sans vid cable and it would be awesome to complete the package on the cheap.

(cheap being around $10)

I'd say I find that cable only once for every 5 or 6 32X units I find. People think it's junk and throw it away, but (as I'm sure you know) the 32X is useless without it.

Even rarer is the adapter that allows you to connect the 32X to a 1st generation Genesis.

[Eric Dude]

Is that the cable from the 32x to the Genesis?

Tis, sir. Tis!

[coreys429]

I think I have one.

[DigitalSpace]

Not to worry, I'll make sure to set up Goldeneye at my booth. :-)

Chuck

Great to hear, we'll definitely spend some time playing it.

I'm thinking about getting an Atari Lynx at the show. I'd prefer that it comes with an AC adaptor. If I end up getting one, I'll be looking for that pinball game that came out on it too.

[jahvybe]

I'm thinking about getting an Atari Lynx at the show. I'd prefer that it comes with an AC adaptor. If I end up getting one, I'll be looking for that pinball game that came out on it too.

Ill have one with ac adaptor at my booth. I have one of the soft cases too.

I cant' believe it's only a month till the show now. I have so much work to do. I will have a double booth this year I a have way too much stuff.

[coreys429]

Ill have one with ac adaptor at my booth. I have one of the soft cases too.

I cant' believe it's only a month till the show now. I have so much work to do. I will have a double booth this year I a have way too much stuff.

Don't we all have way too much stuff? I had about 100 Atari Games last year total. This year I have over 400 total games for Atari including 2600, 5200, and 7800.

I just now started to price things....I know I am going to go crazy next few weeks.*_*:eek 2:

[Eric Dude]

@ coreys429:

Well if you don't mind holding one aside for me, I will come find you right early in the morning and see if we can work out a deal that doesn't hurt my wallet too much, eh?

[evg2000]

A few years ago I sold a bunch of extra ti stuff to a guy, one item that he wanted was a super demon attack, since I thought I had a spare I told him $2. Well turns out I didn't have a spare, and not wanting to go back on a deal, I sold him the boxed one from my collection for $2. So I'm looking for a cheap replacement, loose is fine. They look like they sell for $4 or $5 shipped on ebay, but if someone has a spare they might sell me for a couple of bucks that would be cool.
thanks,
Charles