Folks, as you may or may not have been aware, I have been away from the computer for a little while trying to get things back together in life.  It was like someone took a video game apart and said put it together.  For someone who has never done that, it was very challenging.  It was just an analogy.  But new things are happening and I am happy to be back in the groove of things.  This is basically all I will post on this.  I mean hey, I get to say what I want.  It’s my blog 🙂 But let’s get right to the nuts and bolts.

This Wednesday, Old School Gamer Magazine will be heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the Midwest Gaming Classic April 13-15.  I can’t tell you how excited that I am to be going to this.   There are going to be many famous gamers and companies there that I can’t even keep track anymore.  Stay tuned for photos.  This is basically why I am doing a special Keep Calm blog today.  But one of the several greatest honors that I will have is being able to pick up Walter Day and take him to the convention.  There is a small list of video game greats that I have always wanted to meet.  He was on my top 10 list.  Don’t worry, I won’t freak out like a fourteen year old seeing Britney Spears or who ever they go ballistic for these days.  But the question is why do names like Walter Day, Tim McVey, Brett Weiss Richie Knuckles and Billy Mitchell mean something to me?

Not just because they write for the magazine, but because they, like me, grew up around the same games that I still play today, and they do it so well.  In fact, better than any average video game player.  I had a serious addiction when I was younger to video games, but I never ever focused on, “Hey, I bet I can break a record on this machine!”  These people knew that there was more to the games than just waiting a dot or jumping over a barrel.  After hundreds of quarters and hundreds of blisters on the hands, each player got to their goal and are now forever immortalized in the Twin Galaxies world record charts.  That is just down right amazing.

During the Galaga Tournament last week on Twitch, I was texting McVey because he was there breaking yet another Nibbler record.  I know, some of you will still ask “What the *#!@ is Nibbler?!?!?!”  But the Galaga tournament was just insane.  I watched as Andrew Barrow beat Armando Gonzalez.  And man was it close.  In the end, Gonzalez ended his game at level 255.  255?!?!?!  I can’t event get past level 12.  There is total dedication to a game when they get that far.  But anyway, I was asking McVey what game I should try to break a record on.  He first said, well definitely not Galaga.  And I said or Nibbler or Donkey Kong.

Then I sat and thought about it.  Is there that one game that I am really good at that I could possibly break a record?!?!…………………………………Nope!!  I tried Dig Dug, Galaga and also Pac Man.  Yup, I suck!!! And I dare not try to break records on the Midway games.   I did however notice that the Twin Galaxies does have a world record board for the Stern Pinball machines on the Playstation 4.  Am I really that bad at games?  I mean I used to know tons of moves and finishing moves for Mortal Combat 1,2 and 3.  And I was pretty good on Killer Instinct 2.  But there was not one game I can say I can sit down and just flat out kill it!  I think I am going to have a conversation with Knuckles and Day at the convention.  I want to be good at something.  Wait, is there a world record for Pong?!?!?!  I may try Space Invaders but that would take forever.  I guess for now, I’ll just sit back and…..

Keep Calm and Insert Coin

Brad Feingold (118 Posts)

Brad has been a die hard arcade fan ever since he can remember. From the first time he played Space Invaders, to the first time he played Pacman, Brad has always had a love for video games. Hanging out at either the Great American Fun Factory in the mall, or spending the night in front of the glowing games at the local roller rink, he was always thinking about when he can spend the next quarter. He also worked at Babbages, which is now GameStop, for over six years. Mostly because they had a really sweet checkout policy on new products and great discounts. But since he had the Atari 2600, he has never looked back and owned some of the greatest home machines, NES, SNES, GENESIS, Turbo Graphix 16, GameBoy, Game Gear, Lynx, Playsation 1,2,3,4 and Vita, XBOX, Gamecube, and N64...just to name a few. Brad is also a reviewer for Mobile Beat Magazine as well as a freelance videographer, part time disc jockey, performing artist and photographer. But has a true love is for video games and Star Wars, as he is a member of the 501st Central Garrison. His ultimate dream is to own a fully working pinball machine and arcade machine. Difficult to say which one, but a Star Wars one would be nice start.