New Generation Meets Arcade Classics at Expo

CLASSIC ARCADE GAMES PROVE POPULAR AT GAMING EXPO IN PLANO

While a few of the games showcased at the recent Let’s Play Gaming Expo in Plano included semi-recent titles such as Minecraft and Super Smash Bros. Melee, the real stars of the show were the classic retro games that helped build in the video game industry more than 30 years ago.

The best place to see this was in the LPGE Arcade section, which was a shrine dedicated to the bygone era of the classic video game arcades of the 1980s.

The LPGE Arcade had a wide assortment of game cabinets that included well-known classics such as Pacman, Missile Command, and Frogger, but there were also a number of more obscure machines for games that have been forgotten by all but the most dedicated retro game fans.

“This game came out when I was about your age.” – a father to his son

Playing through the old arcade games reminded gamers of how tough games were in the early days, when winning simply meant that you lasted longer than anyone else before getting the inevitable “Game Over” screen.

More than a few attendees groaned in frustration as they died over and over again, but fortunately the games were all free to play, so no one had to make frequent trips to the change machine to keep playing.

One of the most interesting aspects of the LPGE Arcade was the interactions it created for families, with parents and even grandparents getting to share the games of their youth with their children.

“This game came out when I was about your age,” one man said to his son while playing Asteroids (1979).