I was anticipating the NWCGE 2k7 Portland show for a while and in August I already started preparing for it.  And what is NWCGE 2k7?   NWCGE = Northwest Classic Gaming Enthusiasts and the event is the biggest annual video game related event in Portland.  For more info on NWCGE, please see my interview with Rick Weis of NWCGE.

  (click on program to read in new window)

Flash is required to view the NWCGE 2k7 program.

The NWCGE is mostly a swap meet style gathering of game stores, game developers and collectors who set up tables to sell their game treasures and classics.  But besides browsing the tables of games, there is also game competitions to enter if you are good at Guitar Hero or Halo 3, and also the Atari Championships and NES Championships at the end of each day.  Also there are systems hooked up throughout the expo where you can play some interesting systems for free.  New this year was some classic arcade machines brought courtesy of Ground Kontrol. 

If you've never played a Virtual Boy before, you can try it out along w/ other uncommon systems at NWCGE.

The arcade games were a popular attraction this year.

I'd been in touch with Rick Weis (see my interview w/ Rick on this page) and John Hancock who both help to run the thing and I was hearing some especially promising things about this years event.  Thanks to Video Game Wizards, this year's show had a main sponsor which gave them more time to concentrate on advertising.  And this year's NWCGE would be two days.  Last year's NWCGE was one day and boy did it seem to fly by fast. 

On the morning of the first day, I had to replace my car battery so I got there about an hour after the show opened.  I hear there was a good crowd that showed up right when the show opened.  After saying hi to past friends, I spent the first day doing most of my buying and dealing.  The second day I mainly did a lot of talking and meeting new people.  And that is really the great thing about the show.  The first NWCGE I went to was the Seattle one of 2006, so I would consider myself fairly new to these things, but I felt I was treated like an old friend, even by people I don't recall meeting from past shows.  The atmosphere at this years show was very comfortable for hanging out. 

Toby and Jeanne's tables (all three of em!) is pretty much the first sight you get as you enter and turn to the right.

Thanks Toby for returning my camera that I left on your table... and my big envelope of money I left on your table the next day...

Nick runs Video Game Wizards, the main sponsor for NWCGE 2k7.  And door guy leans over, or maybe he has to fart.

Like previous shows, there was people making the trip from Seattle to Eugene and California to be at the NWCGE 2k7 this year.  Also there was various exclusive or pre-releases put out by homebrew and independent game developers.  Lost & Found Volume 3 on Sega Saturn by Older Games, Donk: Samurai Ninja by Cryptic Allusion, and Gingerbread Man by Batari.  Gingerbread Man is especially notable as it was programmed from scratch to a fully playable Atari 2600 cart.

Special NWCGE pre-release of 50 #'ed copies of Gingerbread Man.

Gerald plays Gingerbread Man - programmed by Batari/Fred (on the laptop to right).

Roddy of Cryptic Allusion and the special pre-release of Donk: Samurai Duck for the Sega DreamCast.

Special NWCGE only release of Lost & Found Volume 3 by OlderGames for the Sega Saturn, featuring the unreleased US English version of Deep Fear.

If you have consoles on display that don't always get played too regularly, you know that dust is not a gamer's friend.  So Kelli of Deep End Gear makes the console covers you need to keep them protected.  She also is promoting the ECA (Entertainment Consumers Association), a non-profit organization committed to fighting for game consumers' rights.  If you want to get more hands on, Hydra Game Development has the Propeller kit which allows you to write and play your own games on the Hydra unit.  Very neat.

Kelli of Deep End Gear hand makes console covers.  A real sweetheart.

Demo of the Hydra game console.

At 5 PM each day, the tables closed down and the Atari Championships (on Saturday) and NES Championships (on Sunday) began.  For being pretty much out of practice, I think I did ok at Atari finishing in the fourth round.  Congrats to James, the Atari Champion who won a custom NWCGE 2k7 console cover courtesy of Deep End Gear.

James kicks everybody in about every game of the Atari Championships

Warlords in the Atari Championships.

Championship round of the Atari Championships being played on a special NWCGE exclusive Ladybug cart.

At 1 PM each day, there was a Halo 3 competition (Saturday, sponsored by NWCGE) and Guitar Hero competition (Sunday, sponsored by Guardian Games), as well as a Street Fighter Alpha competition later in the day on Sunday thanks to A Murder Of Crows.  I didn't enter any of the three as its no fun getting my ass kicked at games I've never played in my life before.

Guitar Hero competition.

A Murder Of Crows and Julian fiiiieeeeeht in the Street Fighter Alpha competition.

Danny (blurry face on the right, sorry...) runs Game Trader with the help of fierce fighter pose employee.

John, Tron and Brian.  If it wasn't for John, I probably wouldn't have ever known about NWCGE.  Go here to see John's author page and his, "The Northwest Gamer" Newsletters. 

Jon focused on his work.  Excuse me, what do you want for... hey... oh nevermind.

Nick of Bogbean and Jon make the trip up from Redding, CA.  Nice to see you again Jon.

Gerald and Julian make the trip from Seattle.  Glad you guys made it. 

Mike (on the left) runs Empire Games on 81st and Foster.

Brian and Rick Weis.

Hans, great to see you again this year.

Josh brings a huge mess of stuff from Eugene.  That's a lotta sweet promos! 

Chuck of Recycled Gamer checking out the goods. 

Kelli of Deep End Gear wins the drawing for a Xbox 360.

Anthony (on the left) besides kicking serious ass at Atari, also runs Ground Kontrol.

I know I didn't have the chance to meet everybody or take everyone's picture, so sorry to the people/vendors I missed.  Now for more information on NWCGE, please continue on to the interview w/ Rick Weis of NWCGE.

Links to vendors/sponsors:

Game Sellers:

Video Game Wizards - 9712 SE Foster Rd., Portland, OR

Guardian Games - 315 SE 3rd Ave., Portland, OR

Empire Games - 7979 SE Foster Rd., Portland, OR

Game Trader - 3205 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton, OR

Bogbean Books & Music - 1740 California St., Redding, CA

Other:

Cryptic Allusion (Independent Game Developer)

Deep End Gear (Custom Made Console Dust Covers)

Entertainment Consumers Association

NWCGE

Parallax Inc. (Makes HYDRA Game Dev Kit)

Ground Kontrol (Retro Arcade) - 611 NW Couch St., Portland, OR