Racketboy Podcast #9 – PAX East Retro-Roundup Pt. 1: Arcades, Wombat, & Retro Stores
The podcast ventured to PAX East in Boston this weekend to see what the show had to offer for retro-gaming enthusiasts. There was so much going on that one episode couldn’t do it justice, so here is part one of a 2-part PAX East Retro-Roundup.
The American Classic Arcade Museum
The American Classic Arcade Museum in New Hampshire is a non-for profit shrine to classic cabinets. They brought around thirty of them to PAX, providing attendees the opportunity to take free trip into the glory days of the arcade.  In my interview with ACAM head-honcho Gary Vincent he talks about the logistics of moving 30 year old games, the mission and future of the museum, and his thoughts on PAX East.
Wombat from the CheapAssGamer CAGCAST
Stewart “Wombat†Nacht was a presenter on one of the many excellent panels at PAX East. He had lots to say the next day in our interview about the convention, his experiences with retro gaming, the history and future of the CAGCast, and what all aspiring podcasters need to keep in mind.
Joe Santulli of the Digital Press (both the store and the affiliated retro gaming website/community) had a booth at PAX East where attendees could learn about and purchase retro games and consoles.  However, probably his biggest contribution to the convention was one of the best attractions at the show: the classic console free play room. In the interview Joe explains how the room came together, the almost 20 year old history of Digital Press, the ins and outs of running a retro-gaming store, and why he’s not a typical collector.
Jamie, the owner of the Boston-area Game Underground, also had some interesting retro-wares at the show. Moreover, he is a new retro-store owner who is doing everything he can to promote retro gaming in the Boston area. In the interview he tells me his impressions of PAX East, his thoughts on how to run a successful store, and what gamers in New England have to look forward to.
Play & Download
[audio:http://racketboy.com/podcast/racketboy-podcast-0009.mp3]Show Outline
- (Sky Shark Intro – NES)
- Dave’s Intro
- Interview with Gary Vincent, The American Classic Arcade Museum
- (Star Soldier Intro – NES)
- Interview with Wombat, CheapAssGamer.com’s CAGcast
- (Star Soldier Intro – NES)
- Interviews with Joe from Digital Press and Jamie from GameUnderground
- Dave’s Outro
- (Metroid Metal – Theme)
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Wow, great installment! The audio quality is significantly better than past shows as well.
I noticed a picture on the game underground site that He has a cabinet running what looks to be hyperspin FE. And he is charging 25 cents to play it. That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen, unless of course they actually have the original roms. Haha