Community Corner
Game On! Pacman, Street Fighter Relive Glory Days at NewPark Mall
They used to be a thing of the past, but vintage video games scored a comeback during a Hot Toys tournament.
Pacman, Ms. Pacman, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Street Fighter ruled the virtual world as the hottest selling video games during the 1980s. These games are equivalent to today's Pokemon, Gods of War, and Final Fantasy.
Pacman and friends reclaimed their throne at the at in NewPark Mall Feb. 18 - 20.
"It serves as a time tunnel for those who grew up in the 80s," said Jesus Guadiana, owner of Hot Toys and organizer of the tournament.
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Guadiana highlighted his customers, who were in awe of the games as they walk into the store.
"The tournament is for these people, and seeing their reactions as they reminisce their childhood memories," he said.
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Guadiana said he welcomed kids of all ages to his event because he wanted to offer a gore-less, non-violent form of digital entertainment.
Participants paid $5 to enter. The gamer with the highest score won gift certificates to the store.
- First Place: Rus Perreira, 208,280 points.
- Second Place: Mark Perreira (brother of Rus!), 126,070 points
- Third Place: George Menard, 30,500 points
All three top scorers are East Bay residents.
The tournament is not to be dismissed as a simple gimmick at the mall. Classic game giants also attended the Hot Toys event including Franz Lanzinger, the co-programmer of Pacman, and Jeff Yonan, the co-designer of Ms. Pacman. Lanzinger and Yonan helped gamers navigate challenging levels by offering tips and tricks of their own.
Reporter Richgail Enriquez and videographer Paciano Truinfo show us more sights and sounds of the tournament with this video segment.
