What do two middle-aged nerds do to bond and get away from it all? We don’t go fishing, hunting, or play golf — we road-trip to retro game conventions, of course!
My good friend and fellow Twitch streamer AlfaTrion and I piled into my li’l hatchback and headed up to Barrie, Ontario, for the Barrie Game Exchange this weekend. It’s held at the East Bayfield Community Centre, and it’s popular! Each year the parking lot is full and the event is well-attended.
Both of us were in need of a break from work and life stress, so after arriving at Alfa’s to pick him up, I drove us to get some caffeine, began a playlist of videogame tunes, and we hit the road up to Barrie.
These drives are therapeutic for both of us; a chance to catch up, share stories, and make plans for game-hunting at the show itself. And, for the first time ever, we didn’t have to contend with torrential rain the entire way there! We took it as a good sign, even if some ever-present highway construction extended our drive a bit.
As soon as we arrived at the Community Centre, the buzz of the show began. A young man walked past us in the parking lot with his first catch of the day — a complete-in-box Super Nintendo — and we both nodded appreciatively at him, now eager to get inside.
The Game Exchange show floor.
Though the floor space is relatively small, it’s dense with tables, and seeing all those vendors and games in one place always feels overwhelming at first. So we employ a plan each time: one round to scope things out and take note of items that catch our eye, a second to make purchase, and (if necessary) a third to make any last-minute decisions.
We also employ “casino rules” — bring cash, and whatever you have is your budget; no cheating! It’s an important rule, trust me!
I usually only buy one or two games, so for me, half the fun is just soaking up the retro gaming atmosphere and admiring all the cool stuff. One table had a bank of BVMs (broadcast video monitors), which are now highly-sought-after retro gaming displays. You just know those were probably acquired for free to cheap before prices started to balloon, now sold for some eye-watering amounts.
A beautiful bank of BVMs.
And although many vendors will have similar items for sale, some of them create great table displays or specialize in particular kinds of games (for example, Japanese imports), which makes browsing fun. Seeing a rare game in excellent condition is always a delight, like somebody casually hanging the Mona Lisa on their living room wall.
Alfa checks out import Saturn games.
Alfa likes to shop for Sega games; Master System, Saturn, and Dreamcast especially. He has an incredible collection that I admire every time I visit his house. Since I downsized my physical game collection years ago, I focus on games for Sega CD, Wii, DS, and — if I can luck out on something complete-in-box — the occasional beloved title for NES or N64.
In the end, I scored two great finds for the Wii: Trauma Center: New Blood and Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. I’ve been wanting to play both for a long time, and I was given good deals for them that let me stay within my budget.
My whopping haul of two Wii games.
Alfa found a few more titles than me, and we both left satisfied. We grabbed a slice of pizza to recharge, stretched a bit, and then headed back down the 400 to Toronto. On the hour-long drive back to his place, we swapped stories of our hunt and our plans for our collections.
It was a good day, and I’m grateful for having the ability to travel to events like this, and for having a friend with whom to enjoy the trip. Now, I just need to find time to play these games…