Fans of old-school video games will be coming to Moose Jaw next month for the Saskatchewan Retro GameCon.
This is the first time the convention has been held to celebrate all things pop culture, with a focus on retro video games.
“Our definition of retro games is anything two consoles and back. So, as of now, that’s the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PS3 era,” said organizer Jared Dormer.
There will be three retro video game tournaments with $200 prizes for each. This includes a Street Fighter II tournament on the Super Nintendo, Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 and Super Mario 3 on the original Nintendo.
The Moose Jaw Gamers Association will host a Retro Corner with free-to-play board games, arcade games, retro games and more.
There will also be a Zelda-inspired scavenger hunt for kids.
The convention has quickly grown into a large event in Moose Jaw.
“It really grew from small, humble beginnings. We wanted to have a few vendors and start small, see what the appetite was. Within a month of posting, we grew to 58 vendors. We sold out our space,” Dormer said.
He added they’ve had interest from Alberta vendors, independent game developers from the United States, podcasters, and have sold tickets across Saskatchewan.
Vendors include comic books, retro games, jewelry, clothing, baking, food and original artwork.
Dormer said the idea started with him and his brother-in-law. They often travel to expos across Saskatchewan and Alberta but wanted something closer to home.
“We always talked about doing our own thing, and for us it was really about the video games. Every time we went to a convention, there weren’t as many video games as we wanted,” Dormer said.
“So we thought, what can we do to bring something like this back home? When we looked at other retro conventions, the closest ones we could find were Vancouver, Portland and Minneapolis. There was really nothing local that focused on the retro side of things.”
The Saskatchewan Retro GameCon takes place Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The venue has changed from the Town ‘N’ Country Mall to the Temple Garden Centre curling rink.
Admission is $10. A Super Admission for $20 includes entry and one versus tournament, while the Super Admission 64 for $30 includes entry and participation in all tournaments.
More information and ticket details can be found on the Saskatchewan Retro GameCon Facebook page.