Midwest Gaming Classic: The Sequel

Another year, another bite of the MGC apple. (Fries)

Last year was our first year covering the Midwest Gaming Classic. I’m not going to try and sum it up, but let’s just say it was an overwhelming experience. MGC is different than almost every other pinball experience in that there IS an amazing tournament (run by Rachel Ristow and her crew) and free play area that’s full of every new game and pinball manufacturer you can think of — BUT ALSO, there’s like a million other nerd kingdoms ALSO having one of their biggest events of the year. LARPERS, LAN parties, Japanese rhythm games, people who like foam swords, etc etc.

This year? It was double that in half the time. While MGC runs Thursday - Sunday every year, I was only able to attend the Saturday show — historically the biggest day of the year. Through my connects and shameless begging, I also was able to slide my way into the vendor’s afterparty, a historically EXCLUSIVE event where they open the show back up for the arcade vendors afterhours on Saturday. More on that in a sec. First, imagine you’re me: that is to say mildly high, walking out of a parking garage and into the expo. It’s saturday at 11 am.

This was the first image I shot of the entire weekend and it really sets a tone in terms of pathos.

MGC had a full roster of pinball manufacturers

One cool thing about MGC, and most festivals like this (Expo, TPF,) is the ability to free play all the new games from every manufacturer. Of course there’s always a bank of the newest Stern and JJP stuff, but what was impressive this year was also the presence of a ton of smaller manufacturers. Spooky had its own bank of Scooby/TCM/Looney Tunes (plus, surprisingly, the Motorhead game again?), and American Pinball even had a couple of BBQs there. The fun for me was seeing the REALLY boutique manufacturers out in full force. Multimorphic had the longest lines all weekend for The Princess Bride and Final Resistance. Turner Pinball was there, as was a full force homebrew crew — including the newest from our resident art-genius, Tanner Petch.

Personally, my best pinball moment came early as I wandered, semi-stoned, through the incredibly packed gaming space. Hyperstimulated to the point of having a nervous breakdown, I glommed on to Pulp Fiction, which was miraculously free. I proceeded to put up 8 million, a personal best, and also get the grand champ.

With that demon exorcised, I made my way over to the Marco Booth to see all the real Stern pros like Mike Vinikour and Kyle Spitieri and Imoto and and and. Pinball name dropping just hits kinda different, doesn’t it? Anyway, one time Mike gave me crap for using Flash on some shots a couple of expos ago. He’s a really great photographer in his own right, and does real nice concert photography. But that being said, here’s what your pic looks like without flash, Mike. Hope ya like it.

The mashup is what makes MGC singular as hell

A big part of what I like about MGC is the people-watching that happens in the free-play area. Not only is there really GOOD cosplay, but there are almost constantly fun mashups of cosplay and arcade happening. Who among us hasn’t been pitstain Megaman? Completely in the zone on the task at hand, mercilessly crushing scores, even if we’re a little hot. That’s called perseverance, baby.

There was also some VR godzilla game that was super popular. I think it was having its premiere at MGC? I wasn’t interested because I didn’t wanna look like a goofball. So instead I played six games of the shadow, mercilessly kicking my feet out and flipping off the ramps and making all sorts of disturbing noises. Because, like, Have some dignity, you know?

Batman meeting his greatest villain, his landlord.

The vendor halls sell absolutely insane stuff

Always wanted the entire VHS collection of Batman the Animated Series? Maybe you wanted to get $1600 in old sega games and Warhammer mini figs? I mean, that’s all on the table. For the most part collecting shit kinda gives me anxiety. I’m messy enough as it is without adding in action figures to the mix, but I do understand it.

Every year I go to this dude who sells really realistic looking foam weapons from popular tv shows and movies. Last year, I got the Han solo blaster, this year I went mando. I’m really surprised at how dainty mando’s gun is. I like it. Makes me feel like a real fancy boy. I just walked around the main halls, twirling it on my finger, pretending to unholster it from my jeans pocket. Yes, like an eleven year old. That’s kinda just the vibe.

One fun part of MGC (and expos in general) is that you run into friends all the time. I randomly ran into Hot Nugde taking in this wrestling match. Here’s the moment this guy started eating the face of the other guy. Boy, wrestling sure has gotten intense. Anyway, it was good seeing Hot Nudge!

I just thought this weird lil’ Mario looked like he was chained to a bong and also smoking it, so maybe that was worth a laugh? Also, I don’t like how high his mustache is riding on his nose, but maybe this is a perspective thing that I’m not understanding. Anyway, Mario with a bong, right?

We need a DBZ pin, and we need to be playing as Vegeta and there has to be A LOT of blue lighting on the cabinet art.

Another great overheard moment when this obviously extremely frazzled volunteer from the Saber Legion had to deal with this overly enthusiastic spiderman for probably the dozenth time. Her scrambling for another excuse as to why he shouldn’t immediately jump into their combat zome and start lighting people up again was a highlight.

“Uh, well actually spider-man, we’re currently out of people who need to be rescued.”

And let me just tell you that this kid wasn’t taking that for an answer. He was loading up for another go as I made my way outta there to the tournament area.

The Competitive Pinball Scene is… Competitive

As previously mentioned, Rachel Ristow and her team run a couple IFPA tournaments there over the weekend. They’re filled with heavy hitters (see above, the DREAMY Steven Bowden sporting a custom GTF hoodie). Andy Bagwell came away with a couple of wins, but it’s really impressive the quality of player AND play that happens at these things. Place the bank of games is always really interesting. Playing Solar Fire and The Beatles back to back must be kind of a trip.

Another highlight of the weekend: Scott Danesi giving us a guided tour of Final Resistance. I have to say, and like, maybe I’m full of shit, because yes of course I like Scott, how could you not? BUT ALSO: Final Resistance was the highlight of the festival for me. It’s a really interesting melding of video games and pinball in a way that feels both viscerally pinball AND something new. This is the first P3 title that’s really worked for me, and the battle sequences in this game were SO FUN.

It utilizes some of the features that the P3 has in ways I haven’t seen before (admittedly this was my first serious time with one), and let me just say that those things are SOLD AF. Seriously, I felt like I couldn’t nudge it. Thing is built like a brick shithouse. But yeah, gameplay and build quality were both top notch. It both felt like a classic Danesi game, but also like something new. I know that’s cliche, but you’re just going to have to trust me. Cool mechs, great flow, and novel gameplay. It was something that I came back to over and over again later that night at the Vendor party.

Ran into a Minneapolis contingent while playing Princess Bride. Gave them graffiti stencils.

Detroit Crew was also out in full force

You know Dave Zuchora of Psychic Drive Arcade. He wrote the Riot Fest thing for us and is a generally awesome dude who runs a shit-ton of games at events across the country. Like literally, his instagram is just him doing backbreaking labor from Wed to Sunday every single week. You know why? Cuz he loves it.

I spent a big chunk of Saturday hanging with Dave and Megan, who works a ton of these events too. They introduced me to Flash Beats, a really cool two-player Japanese arcade game that had maybe the best soundtrack I’ve ever heard.

Basically, you’re shooting lasers back and forth at each other IN RHYTHM while the coolest, most pump up music you’ve ever heard plays in the background. That’s my extremely basic understanding of it. It’s all about the lasers. But honestly, if a pinball game had a soundtrack like THIS game? It’d be over. GAME OVER.

The Vendor Party: Things Get Weirder

If you think I’m gonna just SPILL THE BEANS on everything that happens in a closed door, vendors-only party THEN YOU’RE WRONG. But only because the beans aren’t really that crazy? Sure, there are some total degenerates like me, who power walk around the expo center, burning down joints as fast as our little lungs will carry us, but for the most part it’s just like folks partying with beers and stuff and hanging out.

That IS the cool thing though, like it’s fun to see the different manufacturers playing each other’s games and talking to each other and stuff. I think sometimes because of pinball discourse, we think of these dudes as like ENEMY COMBATANTS, where they’re like plotting each other’s demises, but for the most part these dudes are friends with each other. Sure, they all want to be the MOST successful, but I think there’s general positivity for everyone’s project. Specifically? IDK man, who really cares? The only one talking shit at these things is usually me, and that’s because I think I’m funny. I know, I know, if you read reddit I’m the only one.

So, the vendor party ACTUALLY kicks off with a speech from Dan Loosen, the founder and “runs everything” of MGC. I’d characterize the speech as like 2/5 thanking people, 2/5 talking about how it was a literally impossible task he wanted to constantly quit, 1/5 the most ROUSING FUCKING SPEECH OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. When you heard thecrack in this dude’s voice, talking about how close they came to not being able to financially continue the con after COVID, it made you want to run through a goddamn brickwall. That means something, I don’t usually say that about a dude wearing khakis.

The Annual Scott Danesi DJ SET was Litty

Every year Scott Danesi DJs the MGC after party and every year he puts on an insane show. This year was no exception. The guy is just talented.

I was taking pics in the middle of this old school rave floor and all of a sudden I had a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and venom is standing there in a disco shirt. He says “Watch this” and proceeds to whip his head back and forth like an absolute maniac. 10/10, would watch again.

I mean, this pretty much sums it up. But also, here’s another buncha pics because why not there was dope stuff? They had a frickin’ homebrewed handheld playstation console for chrissake!