MakeUseOf Hits Classic Game Convention MAGFest 12 With Video

Anyone who in even remotely into classic video games has heard of MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival), which takes place each year in Maryland, USA. But there’s more to the convention than just the retro stuff. In fact, there is something there for any kind of geek, even those who could not care less about video games. There’s cosplay, gaming tournaments, one-of-kind art pieces for sale, concerts, DJs spinning 24/7, and so so much more.

This year, I decided to make the drive from Connecticut to MAGFest, a drive that took about 5 hours each way, and I must say, it was worth every boring second spent sitting behind the wheel of the car. The fun truly never stops at MAGFest, and if you love video games and can reasonably make your way to Maryland, you should definitely go next January.

Some Highlights

Personally, my favorite part of MAGFest is the panels. Popular YouTube personalities like the guys from Retroware TV, The Angry Video Game Nerd, Blistered Thumbs, and plenty of others take to the stage to take questions from the fans and teach about their particular area of expertise. Additionally, some famous voice actors also hosted what ended being my favorite panel at the event called Voice-A-Palooza. We had Wes Johnson, Jon St. John, Ellen McLain, John Patrick Lowrie, Matthew Mercer, and Arin Hanson acting out scenes from Doctor Who, saying random phrases written by fans in the voices for which they are known, and so much other hilarity happening.

Another highlight of the show is the massive arcade room that featured hundreds of machines, all of them free. It’s open 24/7, so whenever you are waiting for a panel, you can just run in, play a couple of games of Windjammers, or whatever arcade suits your taste, and get back to doing whatever you were doing.

For collectors, MAGFest has a giant vendor area where you can snag some of those rare games that you don’t see out in the wild. Sure, some are a little on the expensive side, but if there’s something you need to complete your collection, you can probably find it at MAGFest, as long as you are willing to shell out a few bucks.

Video Time

The experience of MAGFest is one that is hard to describe. It’s four days of seemingly never-ending video game fun, and I think the best way to let you live out the experience is through video. So with that, here is an eight minute video showing off the arcade area, the concerts, the vendor area, and even a hand-on demo with an awesome upcoming indie game from Skymap Games called Bacon Man. If this doesn’t make you want to attend MAGFest next year, I don’t know what will.

Conclusion

After the amount of fun I had at MAGFest this year, I can guarantee that I will be in attendance next year, and I hope you will too! If you come, make sure to stop by and say hi, maybe you just might be featured in next year’s video. Have you ever been to a classic gaming convention like MAGFest? What was your experience like? Hit the comments section below and let us know!