Play Blackpool This Weekend

[showmasters]

The UK’s favourite Arcade, Indie & Retro video gaming expo is returning to its spiritual home at the Norbreck Castle Exhibition Centre over the early May Bank Holiday on the 3rd/4th May 2014 and if you’re a fan of gaming you’re in for a real treat!

Play Blackpool is brought to you by the organisers of Play Expo and is already jam packed with hundreds of games, consoles, arcades, traders, exhibitors and cool features.

First and foremost, Play Blackpool will have a tear-inducing nostalgic collection of all your favourite retro consoles and computers. Come and play classic games on the machines you owned when you were still at school or finally get your hands on some of the rarer or more unusual consoles you only ever read about.

We will have hundreds of machines running classic and modern games – Sega’s, Nintendo’s, Atari’s, Playstation’s, Commodore’s, Spectrum’s, Xbox’s, Amstrad’s, Neo Geo’s, PC Engine’s – almost every games console you can think of will be at Play Blackpool.

PC gamers don’t get left out either – the Replay LAN will feature classic networked games from the FPS, Realtime Strategy and Driving genres.

Of course with Blackpool being the Daddy of all seaside arcades we will be a featuring huge video game arcade containing many classic arcade machines – but all set to freeplay so no need for pockets full of coins. Outrun, Pacman, Donkey Kong, Street Fighter, Space Invaders, Space Harrier and so many more classics will be at Play Blackpool.

If you are looking for some gaming goodies our trading hall will definitely be right up your street. We have an entire hall filled with all manner of gaming and merchandise retailers – so whether you are in the market for a cool gaming T-Shirt, some Nintendo Plush toys or that elusive game you have been trying to add to your collection for years, Play Blackpool will meet your needs.

Indie game fans will be in for a treat as well at this show. We have a good number of indie game developers attending who will be bringing an eclectic selection of retro inspired modern games as well as some developed for the Oculus Rift which will also be playable at the show.

If you think you are pretty hot at gaming you can prove it at Play Blackpool. Not only do we have one of the qualifying heats of the UK Classic Gaming Championships at the show, but the Retro Collect squad will be on hand with all manner of quirky and well loved tournaments for you to get your game on to. There are some great prizes to be won courtesy of Funstock.co.uk and all tournaments are free to enter. So whether you think you’re Fantastic at FIFA, Superb at Street Fighter, Cool at Call of Duty or even King of Kong, Play Blackpool will be right up your street.

Old show favourites such as the frankly bizarre Video Game Carnival will be making a return – the ringmaster will be bringing his popular sideshows such as the amazing Fruitcade, Lazer Pong, Micro Machines Mayhem, Jelly Sports, the Picture Postcard and Giant Gameboys to the show.

Megaplay – powered by ProjectorGames – is multiplayer gaming turned up to eleven! Featuring remakes of arcade classics and brand new party and arcade games with a twist, Megaplay can support up to 48 players on a SINGLE screen!

We will be hosting a presentation on the history of Gremlin Graphics and you can meet some of the original members of the studio and take part in a Q&A session. Many traders will be selling posters and Gremlin merchandise which you can then take to the signing session or bring your own games along with you to get signed by the gang!

Throw in some retro game communities like Amibay who will be hosting a live hacking session, Retro Hardware who will be demonstrating diagnostic techniques, GamesThatWeren’t who will be showcasing a number of unreleased games for various systems, a live Podcast from Retro Asylum, a retro inspired play ‘Together in Electric Dreams’ about a dinner date between Lord Alan Sugar and Sir Clive Sinclair, a sprinkling of Cosplay and the show is already looking like one you can’t afford to miss.

 

See you at Play Blackpool – because we do like to Play beside the Seaside!

[farmer]

Charlton!