Team Fremont.com-MGC 2007 Review

MGC 2007

Another year, another Midwest Gaming Classic in the can. It was another fantastic year with tons of people coming out for all that the show had to offer. The attendance record was broken on the first day and the sheer number of games available to play and purchase was mind-boggling.

Below are a batch of pictures we managed to snap in between our hectic schedule. If you have more, feel free to send them over and we'll post them up.

The Main Show

Once again, the main hall was crammed with arcade machines, pinball games, vendors, exhibitors...and us. Here are a couple of shots of our booth.

Did you notice the giant Diddy Kong Racing standee? A listener named Brendan drove it all way the from North Dakota to give to us. Nice! It's now proudly displayed in Moe's basement.

Next up is the Star Worlds Arcade booth. All games were set to free play, and stepping in took us back to 1984.

As with last year, there were a bunch of arcade and pinball machines set to free play and for sale. While the arcade selection wasn't nearly as large as last year, the pinball selection was really cool with a lot of vintage pinball games.

Once again, The Goat Store was onhand with a massive selection of titles for sale. John picked up a number of Turbo games from them, and Moe also emptied his wallet at their booth.

The Museum and Exhibits

Just down the hall from the main room are the rooms that held the tournaments, the museum, and the guest speakers. Two of the people that spoke at this year's event were our good friends "Trickman" Terry Minnich and Ken "Sushi-X" Williams. Discussing their time at EGM as well as their new project VGEvo, their presentation was a fascinating trip down memory lane.

The museum was much larger and more diverse than last year, spanning the entire history of video games. The first exhibit as you entered the room was an NEC console display, dubbed "Turbo Fest".

The museum covered everything from Pong to Jaguar to PlayStation 3.

The Party

On Saturday night, The Goat Store sponsored a party for Team Fremont Live listeners and forums members as well as general attendees of the Midwest Gaming Classic. It was held in a huge room right next to the hotel bar. Folks were treated to Guitar Hero running through a projector, PlayStation 3 titles like Calling All Cars and Motorstorm running on a widescreen LCD, and DS wireless matches of Bomberman Land Touch, Planet Puzzle League, and Tetris DS. Pizza was served and many drinks were consumed.

The Cataclysmic Ultra MEGA-cast...FROM HELL (OR SPACE)! (Working Title)

On Sunday, we hosted what was truly the largest podcast ever conceived. Consisting of members of five different podcasts and Sushi-X and Trickman Terry, it was definitely the highlight of our weekend. Contributors included Moe, Hilden, and myself (Team Fremont Live), M.C. Wilson and Boric Phallico from Broadcast Gamer, the "Couch Bandits" Savory Cade and Cap'n Rawkenschpiel, Gruel from VGPub: On Tap, Sushi-X and Trickman Terry from VGEvo.com, and Torgo from The PlayStation Nation Podcast. Stay tuned for the audio file. In the meantime, here are a batch of shots.

Random Images

The following are a bunch of images John snapped from his camera phone, complete with captions.

This is how Moe had to sit the entire 4 1/2 hour drive to Oconomowoc. Doesn't he look snug and cozy?

Moe's Diner in Osseo, Wisconsin.

As this madman lumbered up to me at the beginning of the show on Saturday, I wondered, "Who the fuck is this character?" It's Gruel!

Here are the troops eating at the Team Fremont booth. Dealing with Moe's strict eating schedule helped prepare me for having a baby. The second he gets a little hungry: "Waaa! Waaa!"

Thanks again to Dan Loosen and the folks at The Goat Store for putting on such an excellent show. And thanks to all the listeners and forums member who came out to say hi and hang out with us.

We'll see you all next year!

Article By: John