If there is anything that annually rejuvenates my enjoyment of video games beyond our little basement 'o fun, it's Cleveland's own 'Classic Console and Arcade Game Show'.  Sure, CORGS (a similar event in Columbus, Ohio) is awesome in its own right, but my beloved and I have been CCAGing for almost a decade, and there's still a sort of homegrown friendliness to the show that just resonates with us.  Maybe it's the vendors, many of whom immediately recognize us every year with a happy wave and plenty of stories to exchange.  Or the atmosphere, which is more laid back, friendly, and trusting than most larger conventions.  Perhaps its the incredible deals, such as the CIB Aquarius (practically sealed) a friend picked up for $25, or the complete Wii system with Motion Plus that another friend nabbed for $11.  It could also be the fascinating creativity some folks display, be it mods, custom arcade cabs, or handmade gaming items.




Either way, every year we set this wonderful Saturday aside to meet up with a few friends and spend the whole day in gaming bliss.  The arcade machines and pinball tables are set to free-play, old-school PCs are LAN-ed together for some DOOM, Command and Conquer, or just about anything else, there are countless boxes and displays of goodies for sale, and the whole day just zips by. 

Nowadays the lion's share of our retro collection finds come from these conventions, and this year didn't disappoint.




This gentleman's smiling face behind a table of gaming deals represents the CCAG experience we've had every year.  Sure, there are the occasional snippy vendors or crazy prices, but for the most part it's us hanging out with other gamers, playing some free games kindly set up by fellow enthusiasts, capturing the oddities and obscurities, and enjoying the culture and creativity of our colorful hobby. 

After so many years, it may seem that any convention becomes somewhat rote, and one may get used to or even bored with the same thing after awhile.  And yet, every time I'm pleasantly surprised at some new homemade item (such as this year's vendor who made pillowcases and throw rugs using the image of maps from famous games like Super Mario World and Skyrim), new items for sale (lately an impressive collection of professional-looking repos), or just some very cool folks showcasing great talent.


As for other nifty new things, lately I've gotten much more into repros, mainly for the translation for games I could otherwise not play, or the cool unreleased games impossible to play outside of emulators.  I can finally play Bahamut Lagoon, DarXide, Grandia: Parallel Trippers, Mother 1 and 2, NWC 1990, Rendering Ranger, Sweet Home, Terranigma, and others I've already read about, and most of my repros have all come from CCAG and some excellent vendors.  There are systems set up and ready to play for testing and making sure said game is what you're looking for.  For better and worse, I've apparently been looking for a lot!  Even better, now there are a few repro vendors, so price is competitive.  Speaking of expanding...

The last couple of years saw CCAG grow into a much larger (and climate-controlled) space, and now going from table to table is nice and open.


If you're like me, you can't pass a single box on these tables without diving in and looking for a hidden gem.  Yeah, but sadly... I often do find hidden gems and then have to look through each one even more carefully.  Sometimes I actually let the vendors leave at the end of the day.  Sometimes.

As well as the aforementioned repros, imports have featured more heavily, including games, model kits, manga, movies, toys, soundtracks, and other goodies.  Other recent additions are custom mini-arcade builds, a bigger emphasis on arcade and pinball parts and components, multicarts, and game display setups.


This sort of sums up the best of what CCAG, or any great convention, represents.  A big slice of your favorite interests, met with many others celebrating the same, with new goodies to ogle and buy, and some great creativity on display.  There is a great mix of old and new, retro and modern, and comfortable and fresh.  It's an MMO in the most meta of the sense, with hundreds of players, cooperative and competitive, all there to enjoy the experience. 

If you haven't, you should definitely play sometime.

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