Long Island Retro Gaming Expo returns to Cradle of Aviation

Retro gaming has become a passion for two groups: people who grew up playing these video games when they debuted and young people who are just now discovering them.

“Many have fond memories of the games from when they were younger and everybody likes to revisit their childhood,” says Joel Albino, organizer and founder of LI Retro Gaming Expo, which comes to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Uniondale Friday through Sunday. “But at the same time, these games are timeless. You don’t need to have nostalgia to enjoy them because they never really lose their appeal.”

Although this is the ninth year of the expo, the event is celebrating its 10th anniversary (due to the pandemic). The entire weekend serves as a trip through the past from the early '70s to 2010. Here are some highlights of this year’s event.

Tournament time

Get your game on by signing up for a retro gaming tournament. There are different contests for various video games each day. Friday features Puyo Puyo at 4 p.m., Marvel vs. Capcom 2 at 4:30 p.m., Tetris at 6 p.m. and Shaq-Fu at 7 p.m. On Saturday, try your hand at Tecmo Super Bowl at 11:30 a.m., NHL ’94 at noon, Pokémon Generation 3 at 4:30 p.m. and a Randomized Tournament at 5 p.m. where a prize wheel with 14 random games is spun and whatever game it lands on the players have to play. Sunday concludes with NBA Jam at 11 a.m., Pokémon Stadium 2 Minigames (kids 14 and younger) at 11:30 a.m., Super Smash Bros. at 1:30 p.m., Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo at 2 p.m., Streets of Rage II at 3:30 p.m. and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 at 3:30 p.m.

Panel guests

This year there’s a wide array of panels featuring local guests like YouTube star Vinny Vinesauce and video gadget duo Wulff Den; gaming podcaster Retronauts and web host-podcaster Pat Contri the NES Punk; and Japan podcaster Diamond Feit, who will host the popular Retro Gaming Trivia on Saturday at 8 p.m.

“People really enjoy the interactivity and they get a chance to show off their knowledge of retro gaming,” panel coordinator Leroy Raymond says. “We are all nerds and that’s part of it.”

Console History exhibit

Go back in time at the console history exhibit where video gaming gets broken down year by year showing how it has evolved through the decades.

“We tell the story of video games completely from beginning to end,” chief preservationist George Portugal says. “It starts with the first official home console, the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972 made by Ralph Baer, who is known as one of the founding fathers of video games. Each year is marked by a banner and consoles that it offers. We show examples of gameplay and advertising with each one. All of it is playable and it ranges from the ’70s through the ’90s.”

This year an exhibit will be dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the first Nintendo home console released in the United States in 1985.

“At the time of its release, retailers had given up on video games,” Portugal says. “Nintendo really single-handedly brought the market back, reviving the entire industry.”

Cosplay events

Dress up as a retro gaming character and participate in one of three cosplay events: the Cosplay Fashion Show at 5:30 p.m. on Friday; the Adult Cosplay Contest at 2 p.m. on Saturday (ages 14 and up); or the Kids Cosplay Contest (age 13 and under) on Sunday at noon.

“The LI Retro Gaming Expo is a fabulous place for gamers to express themselves,” cosplay coordinator Liz Vazquez says. “It features a really nice blend of classic characters like Samus Aran, Mario, Sonic and Princess Peach.”

Free play section

The free play section, located in Hangar 3, will have over 100 playable video games on 80 home consoles broken down into different genres such as fighting, racing, drawing/art/creative, puzzles, shoot 'em up, sports, role playing and more.

“The older games have a charm to them because of their look and style,” free play coordinator George Smith says. “Even though they were limited on graphics, they had a lot of story built into them. People enjoy that simplicity.”

Arcade Age

Get the feel of an old school arcade at the Arcade Age exhibit on the second floor and an additional hangar arcade on the first floor featuring over 100 arcade cabinets in total.

“The experience of standing in front of a wooden cabinet with the CRT monitor instantly engages you,” Albino says. “With the walls on the side, it creates a tunnel vision putting you in the world of the game.”

PC games

In addition to arcade cabinets and home consoles, there will be an entire section of retro games on 60 PC computers for free play.

“We are specifically focusing on games from the '90s and early 2000s. It’s going to include all the classics like Doom, Quake, StarCraft, Chex Quest and Pajama Sam,” PC coordinator Anatoly Shashkin says. “There will also be eight PCs dedicated to the Oregon Trail, which is not available on home consoles.”

Marketplace and munchies

Go shopping in the retro gaming marketplace containing over 70 vendors selling video games, collectibles, clothing, pins, classic PC gaming materials, retro gaming art and more in the main atrium.

If you get hungry, step outside where there will be a bevy of food trucks including Extreme Empanadas, Kong Bab, No Good Burger, the Little Sicilian, Yankee Doodle Dandy’s, the Mighty Bean Coffee and Wild Bill’s Soda.