Southwest Florida Folks!

[kamikazekeeg]

I've joined a couple groups that have stuff related to Southwest Florida geek culture, but really, there isn't much in the way of discussing different events and places to go check out and thought I'd see if anyone was down this way, maybe let folks know about cool gaming stores, conventions, day events, stuff like that.  This would essentially be like...Tampa down to Naples in terms of area.

I'll start it off with a newer retro game shop that has opened in Bonita Springs.  The dude that owns it is a real cool guy, reasonable prices on most stuff and he's up for negotiating and of course trades.  I've been supplying him with my perler bead pixel art to decorate the place.  He got in a Street Fighter 2 Tournament Edition cabinet right when I left today and I was so bummed I didn't get a chance to play it, I just hope he doesn't sell it before I can get down there to play by the end of the month lol You can find his location at http://facebook.com/8bithalloffame

In Cape Coral which is right near me, there's a regular comic/anime/gaming day event that usually happens twice a year, spring and fall, but they passed on spring this year due to the date they wanted being taken up at the location, so won't be back till about August I think.  It's called the Sun Coast CGA Show.  When it was up in Punta Gorda I think 2 years ago was when I debuted my first cosplay which was a Team Fortress 2 heavy and my big Tomislav won for best prop which really made the event more.  It's a super small thing, but the size doesn't matter to much for me. https://www.facebook.com/SunCoastCGA

In Fort Myers where I'm at, there's ZombiCon which is generally a good time.  Last year wasn't the best because they changed it from abit more of a convention the year before where they had special guests and such, to more of just a big concert thing, which ended up being because they got kinda screwed over funding wise by the city, but managed to put on a good time.  There's bands, they usually have a theme, food, drinks, people selling stuff, goes way into the night if you like to party.  It looks to be coming back this year too, so it seems its back to stay.  About the only thing I hate is parking as downtown Fort Myers is a pain in the ass to get through.  The teaser they showed that I think is for the theme this year might possibly be Voodoo zombies. https://www.facebook.com/ZOMBICON

About all I can think of right now.  It's why I started the thread as I really want to know more.  Of course there's plenty of geek stuff happening towards Tampa with all of the conventions, but I just want to see if there's anymore to check out.

[megamonster]

Nice to meet you im up in venice, I saw you facebook page im really into retro games and have to make a drive down sometime.

[brunauss]

Bloody hell. I finally get a collector THAT close to me. Was beginning to wonder if I was the only real collector. Every visit to the stores in this region usually gets the same bug eyed reaction and this response, "You have THAT many games?" A retro store down in Bonita? Heard of it but wasn't sure if just rumor. I get what you are saying about this area in particular. Everything acts like its stalling, when it comes to pop culture. This entire southern section has the potential to become another Los Angeles. But just like old LA in the 40s, it is making a lot of mistakes and holding on to the small town mentality. This in turn makes the area open to a lot of corruptive elements that can easily seize control of the direction the commercial development goes. But I digress. I hail from Lehigh Acres.

[kamikazekeeg]

Bloody hell. I finally get a collector THAT close to me. Was beginning to wonder if I was the only real collector. Every visit to the stores in this region usually gets the same bug eyed reaction and this response, "You have THAT many games?" A retro store down in Bonita? Heard of it but wasn't sure if just rumor. I get what you are saying about this area in particular. Everything acts like its stalling, when it comes to pop culture. This entire southern section has the potential to become another Los Angeles. But just like old LA in the 40s, it is making a lot of mistakes and holding on to the small town mentality. This in turn makes the area open to a lot of corruptive elements that can easily seize control of the direction the commercial development goes. But I digress. I hail from Lehigh Acres.

Lol There are a few collectors down this way, my collection is pretty small right now, but growing.  Yeah 8 Bit Hall of Fame is pretty cool, I'd hang out there more often just to game and chat if it wasn't all the way down there which is around a 45 minute to an hour drive. 

I really want to see more gaming events happen down this way, convention type stuff for gaming and anime and other geek stuff like that as I think there a lot of folks down this way that don't want to always do the big drives up to Tampa or Orlando or over to Miami.  I know I can't regularly afford hotel rooms for the weekend. 

There was that Game Nation thing last year, which wasn't really any sort of real...event, it was more promotion for this idea of a game themepark sort of thing which is cool, but again, there wasn't much to do there other than give that airsoft role play event a try which is cool in concept.

[justin8301]

I used to live in Port Charlotte..... but now i live in Delaware =(

[kamikazekeeg]

I used to live in Port Charlotte..... but now i live in Delaware =(

I moved from Alaska down to here lol Drove through Port Charlotte before, seems kinda nice right next to the water like it is.  Had to go through there a bunch of times when I had to go to Sarasota and Tampa for my dad's health reasons at the time a few years ago.

[brunauss]

I used to live in Port Charlotte..... but now i live in Delaware =(

Ben up to Port Charlotte a few times.

[kamikazekeeg]

Is there anything for toys down this way? Like a big toy shop or place that also has action figures? There's kinda some videogame ones I'd want, but don't know of any with any sort of large selection for that.  And not like Toys-R-Us which is all new stuff.

[brunauss]

Is there anything for toys down this way? Like a big toy shop or place that also has action figures? There's kinda some videogame ones I'd want, but don't know of any with any sort of large selection for that.  And not like Toys-R-Us which is all new stuff.

Have yet to find one. Sorry.