What a badass weekend! Dang it was fun. I'm looking forward to Retropalooza even more now!
Turf couldn't have said it better. The Louisville Arcade Expo was a wonderful time that I recommend to everyone. I've hung out/partied in Louisville multiple times, but this was easily my favorite time visiting the city. Things are relatively inexpensive there; something to keep in mind for those that wish to visit it for next year's convention.
The moment you walked into the con, the energy surrounding you was infectious. There were modern and current pinball machines as far as the eye could see. The inviting glow of countless arcade cabinets would overwhelm your senses. Everything was on free-play. And that was just the start of it. Every retro console you could think of was set up for you to play. I was able to check out a Vectrex. I reminisced with a Neo-Geo. I reminded the youngins how to properly play the original Smash Bros. and Smash Bros. Melee.
Like any con, there were vendors selling their goods and an area devoted to contests and food. On Friday, I finally purchased my dream game. As evidenced by my signature, I am a proud owner of Panzer Dragoon Saga. The game I have wanted for years upon years is now mine. There's a video of me taking a shot of cinnamon powder in order to get a discount on it. It was so worth it. And the best part is, this was during the first few hours of the convention.
Obviously, meeting turf and mrnikon in the flesh was a highlight. For those that don't know, these two gentlemen are amazing people. I was privy to watching turf pick up a few of the remaining NES games he was missing. I got to play Bubble Bobble with mrnikon. Onlookers were jealous of our Alien vs. Predator skills. Again, this was only during the first couple of hours of the con.
Truthfully, I could gush tirelessly about the weekend but I think everyone reading up to this point gets the idea: it was a blast. I'm looking forward to the one next year. Now it's time to slowly but surely gear up for Retropalooza in October.