Classic Gaming Expo UK 2004

Shiuming Lai attends an unexpected smash hit retro event in Croydon

In the US of A, there's a hugely popular classic gaming convention by the name of Classic Gaming Expo, or CGE for short. It was with some skepticism that I looked upon a newly-announced UK-based event of the same name, but bearing no affiliation to the one established across the pond. Although the Atari ST was, at its peak, the best supported gaming platform in the UK, "retro" computing and gaming in this country seems more commonly associated with the earlier 8-bit era, specifically the Sinclair Spectrum and Commodore 64, and then Sega and Nintendo consoles.

The CGEUK web site initially didn't give much indication of Atari content, showing a heavy bias towards the other machines. I half-expected a handful of the ubiquitous 2600 console scattered around as a token but not much more. How wrong would I be! Despite lack of official attendance from the MyAtari team, due to my only thinking of it about a week before, Atari would be well represented by Rob Perry's crew with the Gamebase ST project, and Nick Harlow of 16/32 Systems with his ever impressive retail range.

Like JagFest and Retrovision, CGEUK was to be an all-weekender, but this time I was only free to attend the Saturday. It was a fine day in late July, I drove to Subiton Station to meet James Joell of Nexus Gaming Magazine, who'd travelled up from Portsmouth for this event. Some tyre screeching later, we were in Croydon (I have to go there regularly in my job), outside the Fairfield exhibition hall. After some confusion about where to park and several laps around the block, I noticed Rob Perry's car in the car park in front of the hall. Then I had the courage to ask the stern-faced Sandi Toksvig look-alike parking attendant where we could park. "I can park you right here for £3," she said, and moved a traffic cone out of the way for us. Cool!

I'd never been to Fairfield Hall, so first impressions really counted. Inside, there was a cafeteria, beside which was UK Retro, running a big stand full of '80s electronic gadgetry and a competition to win an Atari 2600, not to forget a fully working Sinclair C5 which was later to provide much amusement. Apart from a bar opposite UK Retro, I didn't immediately notice much happening on this level so went up the central stairs to the balcony.

The first floor started looking more interesting. Classic arcade cabinets were available to play, and there were stands offering retro icon T-shirts and merchandise, plus a couple of stands that looked conspicuously desolate for the duration I was there (not sure if classic gamers are that interested in buying CD scratch repair machines costing several hundred pounds, or DIY game construction kits, no matter how good they are! The glut of wonderful nostalgic items on show must have surely overwhelmed any desire for "new" products). Still no sign of Gamebase ST or 16/32. The web site had mentioned a lot more than I could see here so I looked around. There were corridors on either side. In one, UK game industry veteran Andrew Oliver (of Codemasters' Dizzy fame) was giving a lecture, while in the opposite corridor there were stands full of Spectrum stuff and multi-format magazines. It was here I found Retrovision regular, Matthew Allen, chatting and lending a helping hand.

I couldn't believe this was all I came to see, so went back down to ground floor. Sure enough, in a large hall behind UK Retro, this was where all the action was going on! The hall's own lighting was subdued, adding extra atmosphere to the rows and rows of bright and colourful games blasting out from screens everywhere. In the far corner of the room were the Gamebase ST and 16/32 Systems stands. Rob Perry's wife, Letitia, was not content to sit in the "computer widow corner" and instead was right in the action, beating me on Activision Tennis (best £2 I ever spent). Well done, Mrs Perry!

By this time, Rain, Ciaran and Steve from the Retrovision/Yak Yak Llamasoftie forums had joined us, Ciaran being a local lad as well, wasn't a difficult decision for him to come here. For lunch, a group of us followed the local tour guide to the Miso Noodle Bar for a light and refreshing lunch, very reasonably priced and best of all, most tasty. Mine went down so fast I can't even remember what it was. If that wasn't good enough, I got the chance to have a go on an Atari ST emulator on Ciaran's Game Park. It really doesn't get better than that! We needed the break as well, because it was getting rather hot and stuffy inside the hall.

Back at CGEUK, I felt refreshed and could concentrate on checking out the stands in more detail. I spent most of the day in the main hall, there were many specialist groups of users, collectors and even developers among those stalls selling stuff. In the very middle was a group from Bletchley Park Museum, showing a very informative display of (some working) computer equipment. This included the famous BBC Domesday Project laserdisc system, which is extremely rare due to lack of suitable replacement laser units. The part in question was on display, it looked like a stick of radioactive material or something else from a spy movie, quite bulky compared to modern laser diodes (see picture below, it's on top of the big box to the right of the monitor). I was lucky enough to actually see the system in action, it certainly showed how far ahead of its time it was. Interestingly, a working Atari TT system with colour monitor was also on the Bletchley Park stand, running the Bitmap Brothers' Xenon! I struggled to remember how to transform between land-roving vehicle and flying ship. There was even true antique equipment from the first half of the century, and massive hard disk platters the size of car brake rotors out on show.

All around the hall I saw some very cool neon-illuminated Atari Games signs like the one seen on this month's cover. There were also Nintendo ones. Apparently these were imported from Hong Kong. I'd like a MyAtari sign like this in my room!

Rob Perry was demonstrating the latest version of Gamebase ST, as well as enjoying a blast of all the new games he's bought for his Atari 2600 and Jaguar. Below you can see Songbird's Protector SE, which arrived just in the nick of time for the show!

Binary Zone Interactive was to the left of Gamebase ST, selling some very good looking artwork, the framed photographs of classic home computers caught my eye, they really captured the spirit of these great machines and I particularly liked the ones of an Atari 800XL and Atari ST of course, but I refrained from buying simply because it gave me the idea to first attempt to do my own! It'll probably not come out looking anything as good and I'll end up ordering one anyway! Not least because my own 800XL has considerably yellowed with age, but the machines in these photographs looked pristine, real PR quality shots.

Even more impressive, however, was the range of digitally restored game posters, printed using modern high resolution printing techniques that make them better than the original posters. I wanted to buy them all.

Retro Gamer magazine had a very nice stand near Binary Zone. Shaun Bebbington was manning it, selling back issues and copies of the latest issue, hot off the press. Magazines were not all Retro Gamer had to offer, there was real kit here, of particular interest was the Commodore 64 GS console, and some Amstrad machines including the failed GX4000 game console.

Next to Retro Gamer was Retrokade, purveyor of restored arcade cabinets. I spent a good session on the MAME cabinet, cramping both hands and arms playing a furious game of 1943 on an ergonomically-incorrect control set (aren't they all?). The closest to this I had played was Red Rat's version, Screaming Wings, on the Atari 8-bits.

On the subject of MAME, tucked into another corner was a MAME workshop, where you could see how to, and buy parts for, building your own bright and colourful MAME arcade cabinet. This was being hosted by the organizer, Chris, who also kindly let me up onto the balcony of the hall (where a DJ was pumping out C64 SID tunes all day long) to get a good view for photographing.

Even as the end of the day drew near, my brain was not able to take it all in. I wished I could come back the next day as well. Now was a good time to start talking about dinner - after watching one of the show organizers take the Sinclair C5 around the main hall for speed laps. Yes, I kid you not. The flimsy contraption was making terrible grinding noises like a gearbox protesting at a clutchless shift, and this guy was powersliding it, I honestly thought those delicate little wheels were going to snap off violently!

Nick Harlow had left earlier in the day to attend to other business, and Richard Stevens was too tired to come out, having to travel home and back for the next day, ready to run the 16/32 stand with Nick's mum. Nearly everyone was too tired, leaving just James Joell, Matthew Allen and myself eager to devour the food of gaming disciples - so we shot over to MyAtari's regular tandoori house for a post-gaming curry and very good it was, too!

If you missed the show, don't worry, the success of the first means there will definitely be a second, and this time Archer Maclean and Jeff Minter will be attending, too! The web site has also been updated and improved, this one looks to be another success. I certainly look forward to doing a lot more buying next time.

shiuming@myatari.net

MyAtari magazine - Feature #3, September 2004