Last weekend, the Irving Convention Center (actually located in Las Colinas) hosted the Let’s Play Gaming Expo and I had the pleasure of enjoying nearly everything it had to offer. This was my first game-focused convention so you can imagine how excited I was to experience a crowd and environment that has welcomed me as an active member nearly my entire life. I found out about the expo quite a while ago. With an impending wedding coming up later this month, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to make it. Luckily, the gaming gods (thanks Kratos!) sent their blessings and gave the a free weekend to enjoy what I love doing the most, spending time with other gamers, playing, and I got to do it all with my gamer girl.

Friday

The build up to LPGE almost had me a bit nervous. How would I be able to see and hear everything there is to do? Especially with our new addictive habit we’ve developed in becoming Dungeons & Dragons players. Attendees who purchased 3-day passes were able to pick up their passes early and check out the earliest stages of the tournaments along with the Arkham Arkhade, a massive selection of classic arcade games supplied by Rogue Synapse and Free Play Arcade. It was a setup day for vendors and the rest of the building was inaccessible, so gamers were in for a calm before the storm that was to come the next couple of days. I indulged in an hour run-through the arcade and got to play some retro games by the likes of D&D, Gauntlet, and countless shooters. I sat back and watched some of the best competitive gamers in the metroplex duke it out in fighters like Mortal Kombat X, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Street Fighter, and the biggest professionally played game of the genre, Super Smash Bros. The level of play by some of the players was astounding. These people knew combinations that are meticulously designed to prevent the other player from getting a single hit in. I was impressed and intimidated. They do allow some open play if you bring your own controller. Left your trusty Gamecube or PS4 sticks at home? There was a booth that creates custom controllers right on the spot. I had no clue there were people at cons that will build your very own controller with handpicked, backlit buttons and custom tension levels. I headed home after getting the lay of the land and got some rest for the biggest day of the weekend. 

Saturday

We arrived around lunch time and the Expo was in full swing. The vendor area was bustling with retro games and cosplay booths. I picked up a copy of Majora’s Mask for just $20 bucks, which is a steal. I’ve always wondered how I would go about finding games for a Nintendo 64 I hope to pick up in the near future. They had classic games from my youth for extremely cheap! I will be attending the closest gaming expo to Dallas a soon as I make that 64 purchase. The booths felt like a retro game swap meet, with tremendous prices. There was no shortage of some usually hard-to-find games like Final Fantasy 7 and Resident Evil 2 for the PS2.

Next, we made our way up to the 2nd floor, where there was a huge tabletop board game section, more retro games for open play, developer’s rooms, and a few rooms where attendees could enjoy the history of gaming. I snapped a pic of some of the oldest computers and consoles in existence. Frisco’s own, National Videogame Museum, featured some original posters by famous gamers and artists who game. Reaper, the miniature figure company, located in Denton, had multiple table and free minis and paints to give away for those looking to create a new character for their next RPG campaign. In the tabletop section, I got a quick tutorial on how the Star Wars RPG works before we sat down for a quick D&D campaign. After our adventurers, Rinn Liadon and Vesta, completed our mission of winning yet another race in Port Nyanzaru, we made another lap before taking off. I was able to grab a bite and meet up with a few old friends, one of which was coming off a swift ass-kicking in the Street Fighter Tourney. I can only imagine how skilled the top players at the Expo actually were. Such was a humorous ending to a great day amongst my people.

Wrap Up

Though were weren’t able to make it out Sunday, we were totally satisfied with our time spent at the Let’s Play Gaming Expo. It was a blast and one of the most exciting events of the year for us. The cosplay was great, of course. Our favorites were Peach, who was so nice as to take a pic with me, and a full Geralt of Riva/Ciri couple. Peach, or @TheTKDGrl, even won Best in Show for her killer cosplay.

Overall, the Expo was a success on all levels. I highly recommend you check out it out, or any convention for that matter. If you do, you better call me, because I’m always looking for a great time with good friends and my favorite hobby, GAMING!