Classic arcade hits, console greats, pinball and more – Play Expo London is a two-day retro fest! Packed to the brim with pure plastic enjoyment, Play Expo is a joy for seasoned gamers and newcomers – a place to rekindle those fuzzy feels, and a place to discover new delights.
Remember the days of vigorously blowing into a plastic shell, eagerly knowing what’s about to come. Chirping chiptunes, colourful pixels and hours of pure bliss! Retro gaming is an absolute treat; and games from over 20 years ago are still very much playable today. Tapping into those classic experiences can zip you back to those moments of pure joy and relaxation; there’s just nothing quite like it. In the days of touch-screens and headsets, it’s great to strip it back to basics.
Cartridges, chunky controllers and glowing arcade booths? Yes, please!
Replay Events have been dabbling in the joys of retro gaming for a while, with hugely successful Gaming Markets. Picking up retro deals is always a delight, but how about a place to play the greatest hits? Enter, Play Expo! The UK’s biggest retro gaming convention. After a great run in Blackpool, Manchester and Glasgow, it was finally London’s turn to dive into those retro feels!
Two Days of Retro Gaming at Play Expo London
Play Expo London hosted hundreds of old consoles and arcade booths, plucked out of over 30 years of history. Housed in what used to be a newspaper factory, there were just so many treats to devour. Whether it’s a throwback to a beloved childhood memory or experiencing a slice of the past for the first time, there was definitely something for everyone!
Arcades were bustling back in the ’90s; a haven for the best fighting, racing and mole-whacking games. These days, in the UK at least, arcades are relegated to beach piers – so having some of the best games in once place is a delight. Highlights included the notoriously tough Sega Rally, PC classic Outrun, and the must-play Nintendo game that started it all, Donkey Kong! On the console front, a whole heap of much-loved greats – from Sega Mega Drive to the original Japanese Famicom (NES)!
A New Generation of Gamers
One of the absolute joys of being part of retro gaming events like this is seeing a whole new generation discover these classics! Parents showcase some of the adventures they grew up with, and kids dabble with retro hardware for the first time. YouTube, Instagram and Twitch have helped keep these memories alive – and seeing youngsters impressed and wanting retro consoles is a testament to how timeless these games are.
The TeeChu Booth at Play Expo London
We brought some of our best designs to a little booth within the big retro vibes that echoed around the halls of London’s Printworks. With a small space to showcase our collection, the only way to go is up! This time we reworked the booth design slightly, using the nifty storage cubes to build more of a stand – with plans to take this even further next time.
During past events a lot of you wanted to see more Yoshi and Kirby designs, so the adorable critters made it in teeny badge form! From the much-loved Pixel Racer design to Kanto vibes with two Pokémon-inspired tees, we wanted to bring on those retro feels! Nintendo craft some of the most timeless experiences – and it’s an absolute pleasure to draw inspiration from these games.
A big thank you to everyone who came up to our booth, showed interest and went away with an exclusive piece of retro! It’s always an incredible feeling to be part of gaming/geeky events, even in a small way. Meeting likeminded folk, learning something new and just catching all those retro vibes is an absolute pleasure! It has been a tough journey so far – and looking at ways to develop the brand even further for next time. Your feedback and suggestions are a massive drive for us to keep building – keep grinding those EXP points!
Thanks to Suze for taking some brilliant snaps & footage, James & Georgie for helping out on the stand and Les for bringing us to PlayExpo!
Till next time!
