Every time June rolls around in Tacoma, the nerds gather and have more fun than should be legal. Focusing exclusively on classic arcade games and pinball offerings, this convention is known to regularly draw over four thousand total collectors and like minded folks interested in some nerdy fun! It also features show rooms full of great things, vendors, and all manner of raffles and prizes. The dual hotels housing it are also lively, and there are many a microbrewery within walking distance! What more could you want than drunken geeky fun?
This past year featured the makers of Pirates of the Caribbean Pinball, who told everyone what it was like to work with Disney and related things. Pinball champ Raymond Davidson was also in attendance, who went against Robert Gagno for the title this year. This is alongside other big names in the field, and even things reserved more for hobby folks and the like.
As usual, there were about 430 total games on the show, 400 of those being pinball, and the remaining 30 being classic arcade titles. Classics from Nintendo, Midway, Atari, and Williams rounded out those, as well as some much needed DDR from Konami.
This is certainly a strong niche in being largely focused on pinball, but it’s one that people are willing to travel all over the world to participate in. If you’re at all a bit interested or nerdy, it’s a great place to be, and will likely open up an entire world to you that you’d have no way of knowing otherwise!
Summing Up How This Year’s Con Went
There really aren’t all that many pinball conventions. This is definitely one of the best and biggest, and features tournaments that draw people from all over the world. While pinball is the strong focus here, if you’re into gaming of any kind like the classic arcade variety, there’s also plenty for you to enjoy here too. Whoever you are, you’ll be welcome to like minded people and plenty of folks that have interests just like you.
If you’re in the Washington area or looking for a fitting vacation, this place is a must see on your list if you can manage to get out there and register in time to attend! We highly recommend it to everyone.
