March 15, 2004

PhillyClassic Celebrates Video Games from Vintage to Vanguard

Philadelphia, PA - From the latest games to the good old classics, if it goes ZAP, you'll find it at the PhillyClassic videogame expo this weekend at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA.

Space Invaders. Missile Command. Centipede. And of course Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Pong. "To those pushing 40, like me, those names can trigger fond memories of hours playing video games in the arcades and at home," says PhillyClassic founder David Newman, of Bryn Mawr, PA.

To Jeff Ladd, age 12, they're just fun. The Bensalem, PA game fan owns all the latest hardware - Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 2, Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox, and Nintendo's Gamecube. "But I like the classics, too," he said while shopping for game cartridges for the venerable Atari 2600 game system during last year's PhillyClassic expo.

Ladd has lots of company. Classic video games - starting with 1972's Pong and peaking with the Atari craze of the early '80s - are again enjoying a surge of interest right alongside the mega-hits of today's latest video game technology.

That surge has fueled the growth of PhillyClassic, the East Coast's largest convention for fans of video games old and new. In 2000, the first such event drew 50 gamers. Last year's PhillyClassic 4 drew over 1,000 gamers of all ages.

Many were a few years either side of 30. "That's the Generation X'ers growing up and buying back our childhoods," said Cassidy Nolen, 29, of Arlington, VA.

Others inherited the interest. "Our father had an Atari 2600, and we grew up playing that," said Chris Chandler, 21, of Wilmington, DE. Chandler is an avid video game collector, player, and a regular exhibitor at the PhillyClassic expo.

Looking for vintage systems such as Atari, Mattel Inc.'s 1980 Intellivision or Coleco Inc.'s early-'80s ColecoVision? Or for games, accessories, and memorabilia? They're all here for sale, trade, and hands-on play, right along with the latest titles for PS2, Xbox, Gamecube, and Gameboy Advance SP.

A growing number of new game cartridges are available for classic systems, developed and sold by entrepreneurial enthusiasts. Albert Yarusso of Austin, TX runs AtariAge.com, a PhillyClassic partner. AtariAge.com is the leading source for homebrew and re-released games for classic video game systems, such as the Atari 2600, Atari 5200, and ColecoVision. Many new titles for these systems will be debuting, and many more will be available for hands-on play during this year's fifth annual PhillyClassic expo, dubbed PhillyClassic 5.

Want the best of both old and new? Some major game publishers reissue retro classics for play on modern game platforms. Last year, Activision Inc. released the $20 "Activision Anthology" for PlayStation 2, with more than 40 vintage games set to a soundtrack of '80s hits. More recently, Midway released "Midway Arcade Treasures," containing over 20 classic arcade games for the Nintendo Gamecube.

Arcade games more your style? PhillyClassic will have over 75 of them set on free play awaiting eager joystick jockeys - no quarters required.

And for those who need a game fix always close at hand, Nokia last spring debuted the N-Gage portable game deck, featuring a wide spectrum of games, from retro hits like Sonic and Puzzle Bobble to Tony Hawk Pro Skater, featuring wireless online play. And the device doubles as a cell phone and MP3 player for gamers on the go. PhillyClassic will offer visitors a chance to enjoy some hands-on time with the device.

After years of cult status, "classic games are getting mainstream attention now," Newman said. "In the last three or four years, it's really started to come to the forefront." He links it to the recent rage for everything retro - lava lamps, the Mini Cooper, bell bottoms, "That '70s Show."

"Especially in today's complex times of global uncertainty and economic worries, it's like meatloaf and mashed potatoes... a return to simpler things," he said.

"By my definition, classic games don't necessarily mean old school games, either," Newman continued. When asked for a definition of classic videogames, Newman quotes the ad slogan for Othello, the enduring Mattel board game slightly more intricate than tic-tac-toe: "A minute to learn, a lifetime to master. The novice can pick up the basics of an oldie like Pac-Man or a new title like Tony Hawk's Underground in seconds. But a player's success takes practice, skill, a little memorization, and some strategy. It fires off a lot of neurons in your head," Newman said.

The 5th annual PhillyClassic video game expo blasts into the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA on March 20-21, 2004. Show hours are Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. Admission is $10 for 1 day ($5 with student ID) and $15 for both days. Kids under 10 are free if accompanied by an adult (1 child per adult).

###