Marcus Schmerl
Continuing an almost decade long tradition, Retrospekt will once again feature strongly at AVCon in 2019. Taking centre stage will be our ever popular interactive retro gaming museum, this year featuring six tournaments over the weekend. Additionally, we’re hosting the Retrospekt Extravaganza panel on the Game Stage. Let’s take a deep dive into what we have on offer for you!
Retro gaming museum:
Retrospekt return to AVCon in 2019, showcasing the best of the history of gaming at the Retro Game Museum in AVCon’s main hall. For those of you who are new to AVCon or haven’t been to our retro gaming museum before, you’re in for a treat! Embracing this year’s AVCon theme of ‘Join the Party’, Retrospekt have curated the best games, consoles, and computers showcasing the best multiplayer and party games throughout the classic generations of gaming. Expect to see over thirty desktop and handheld gaming machines from all previous generations of technology from the 1970s through to the 2000s. To complement the machines themselves, we have a catalogue of several hundred games available for free play. Situated on the main game floor, AVCon have provided a suitably large area that we’ll set up to be comfortable and will cater to all your retro gaming needs. Want to chill out? We’ve got beanbags, handhelds, and old gaming magazines to peruse. Want to get your groove on? We’ve got DJs/playlists full of tunes from games, the 80s and 90s, movies, and more. Arcade machines? You’ll have to wait and see… Check out the images from previous AVCons in the gallery below (click the thumbnails to view the full size images). And of course tournaments…lots of tournaments!
Tournaments:
This year Retrospekt plays host to half a dozen tournaments. You can register for all of them over the weekend, but get in quick as some tournaments have limited places. There’s bound to be something for everyone to enjoy! Check out the tournament details below.
| Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Game: Taiko No Tatsujin Console: Sony PlayStation 2 Day: Saturday Time: 11am – 2pm Number of Players: As many as we can fit in! Tournament Type: High scoreWho will take out the title of AVCon 2019 Drum Master! In this classic Japanese arcade drumming game only players with the best reflexes, timing, and style will make the cut as the winning drummer. Do you have a shot at winning? Beats us! Ba-dum-tsh! |
Game: Wipeout 2097 Console: PlayStation Day: Sunday Time: 11am – 12pm Number of Players: As many as we can fit in! Tournament Type: Fastest laps with a Gyro-controller.The Wipeout series of futuristic racers endures with sequels being produced on numerous consoles through to the present day. For this tournament, players will endure the twist of playing Wipeout 2097 with the obscure GAMESTER Gyro-controller. Can you master this horrific beast of motion controller? Maybe not, but you’ll have equal amounts of fun and frustration trying. |
| Game: Mario Party 2 Console: Nintendo 64 Day: Saturday Time: 12pm – 1pm Number of Players: 16 Tournament Type: KnockoutGet ready to Mario Party like it’s 1999! Which conveniently was when this game first came out in Japan. Prepare to knock out every other player on the board to take out top spot in this classic party game. |
Game: Superfly DX Console: Atari Jaguar Day: Sunday Time: 11am – 2pm Number of Players: As many as we can fit in! Tournament Type: High scoreThis Adelaide produced home-brew game requires the player to fly or swim across a constantly scrolling play field. Bright graphics, a cheery soundtrack, and one-button controls (with a custom controller specially provided for the event) might make this game seem like a breeze. Describing Flappy Bird makes that game seem easy too…! |
| Game: Tetris Console: Super Nintendo Entertainment System Day: Saturday Time: 3pm – 4pm Number of Players: 16 Tournament Type: KnockoutTwo player vs Tetris flips this otherwise cerebral puzzle game on its head. Intense battles are bound to ensue; will you play “slow and steady” style, or try to quickly wipe your opponent off the board? Everyone is welcome – players of all levels will fit in! |
Game: Pac Man VS Console: Nintendo Gamecube+GameBoy Advance Day: Sunday Time: 1pm – 2pm Number of Players: 16 Tournament Type: KnockoutWe’re sure that you ain’t ‘fraid of no ghost. But you will be once three players, as the series’ famous ghosts, frantically chase a fourth player as titular Pac Man! This game uses the Gamecube and GameBoy Advance linked together; if you haven’t seen it before, this is one tournament not to be missed. |
The Retrospekt Extravaganza
Sunday 3:30pm – 4:30pm
AVCon Game Stage
It’s party time at AVCon, and the Retrospekt Crew have brought their party games! The Retrospekt Extravaganza returns live on the AVCon Game Stage starting at 3:30pm sharp, Retrospekt members will be competing in a series of games to prove which is better, Nintendo or Sega. Our hosts will throw twists, turns, tongue-twisters (!!!) and challenges to test the crew’s retro gaming skills and knowledge. Which team will be to prove to be the top dog, hedgehog, or even plumber? Join us and play along (audience participation and interactive rounds included) and help make the best gaming company win at the 2019 Retrospekt Extravaganza.
Want to contribute to the Retrospekt Extravaganza? Click here to fill out a very short survey about the two biggest gaming companies from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. We’re factoring in the responses into the panel itself, so get involved! Click here to be redirected to the Facebook event link or check out our Facebook page for more updates.
After Dark Dance Party (18+)
Saturday 6:30pm – late
Not a Retrospekt event, but one that deserves a mention (as it’s a firm favourite of the Retrospekt / JoyPad crew). One of the staples every year at AVCon After Dark is a dance party! This year AVCon will be hosting our own Dance Party after the conventions festivities. Featuring four DJs (including yours truly, natch) who will be spinning remixes of your favourite anime tunes and video game soundtracks (plus many more bangers). So, if dance music, drinks and having a good time with other con goers sounds like your thing make your way to the main hall at 6:30 Saturday night. Click here to be redirected to the Facebook event link.
Team Retrospekt spend many months tirelessly putting together the best retro gaming museum and other entertainment that we can for AVCon, and this year is no exception. We pride ourself on bringing the fun, a bit of education, and the occasional surprise. There’ll be about a dozen of us in our area throughout the AVCon weekend; feel free to say hi, ask us any questions, and if you’re interested in joining the team to get involved in helping out with future events and / or the website, do let us know. We’re continuing to work hard to become a bigger and better retro gaming community, not just for South Australia, but the whole retro gaming world. We hope to see you all at AVCon 2019!