4 years ago

193

In this episode, we take you for a tour of the 2021 Midwest Gaming classic, hanging out with friends, fellow YouTubers, and getting some awesome retro video game pickups.

Pickups:
New Super Mario Bros Wii ($17 Value)
Racer Mini Yonku: Japan Cup ($8 Value)
Paid $20
Worth $25

Famicom Star Wars
Paid $20
Worth $20

TurboGrafx 16 Back Cover
Paid $20
Worth ??

Japanese Sega Saturn V2 ($80 Value)
3D Controller ($40)
Snatcher ($32)
Daytona USA Circuit Edition ($25)
Virtua Fighter ($5)
Neon Genesis Evangelion ($4)
Evangelion 2nd Impression ($5)
Paid $150
Worth $191

Street Fighter PC Engine
Paid $30
Worth $35

Event T-Shirt
$20

Tanooki Mario Plushie
$18

Total Spent:
$288
Value

I was excited in 2018 when I heard that there was a retro video game convention in my hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin called the Midwest Gaming classic. I reached out to them that first year to try to be a part of It, but it Was too close to the show and they had all their guests already booked. Well, in 2019, I was able to be a part of the show as a panelist, hosting. Three of them! We were slated to be at the show in 2020, but this little thing called COVID hit, and the world came to a stop. We were thrilled to know that the 2021 edition was greenlit, however, it was delayed until November just to make sure that we were able to actually have the event. I packed my bags, grabbed Adam Stephy from 1Up Cleaning Cards, and headed north.

While traditionally held in April, early November was an ideal time for the convention in downtown Milwaukee. It was still warm enough to walk around downtown without needing layers and layers of clothing to stay warm. The venue itself has multiple levels and multiple rooms. The first floor features the ticketing area, a spot where you can pick up some swag, side panel rooms, and workshops. The second floor is where the free play arcade and the vendor room are at. As in years past, they also had some great cars on display, including Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters, the Mirthmobile from Wayne's World, and several vehicles from Jurassic Park.

I'm getting to the point where there's not a ton I'm looking for to complete large sections of my collection; I know I will never have a full set of anything, I just want to buy what I want to play. As such, I was looking for several titles for the Famicom, Super Famicom, and the Wii. Early Saturday morning I knocked off one of my heavy hitters, Super Mario Bros Wii, and it was loose which is exactly what I wanted as I already have a box. I was also able to pick up Tamiya Racer Mini Yonku: Japan Cup, Star Wars for the Famicom, and a few other odds and ends.

Since I was a panelist, I had access to the VIP after-party Saturday night. While that was getting set up, I cruised the floor for a little bit to see if there's anything else that caught my eye, and something did. A Japanese Saturn with five games sitting on a table for $200. The seller was only asking $150 for the system itself and doing the math, the games were worth about $120 themselves. Within moments of me walking up to the table, the seller threw out $180, which was still a good price but not good enough for me to bite. He then told me to make him an offer and just shooting from the hip I threw out $150. To my shock, he agreed! So I have now added a Japanese Saturn to the collection, something I wasn't even looking for.

As Sunday morning rolled around, I knew I had the bulk of my filming done so I was able to spend most of the day with my oldest daughter Cassidy. This is the first time she's been able to attend a convention with me, so we had fun checking stuff out. One of the things she was looking for, and yes she does play, was a guitar for Guitar Hero on the PlayStation 2. We had just about given up when we discovered a table, it was actually the same table where I got New Super Mario Bros Wii, had a PS2 guitar for $20. She did not hesitate to grab It, and now she and her boyfriend, Jeffrey, can battle each other out playing guitar hero.

Sunday night after the show shut down, Adam and I had to load his purchases into his truck. He bought an Area 51 arcade cabinet and pinball machine in the silent auction. It was like watching the Three Stooges trying to get the piano up the hill loading his truck. We eventually got everything loaded, strapped down, and secured, and headed south.

It's always sad to say goodbye to friends and extended family at events like these, but the good news is we don't have to wait that long for the next Midwest gaming classic. They will be returning to their traditional April dates in 2022 and having talked to the organizers, we are already penciled in. We had a great time at this show, I love supporting it, and always have a good time. I cannot wait for April, you should make your plans to come now.

#MidwestGamingClassic #MGC #RetroVideoGames

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

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