GARDEN CITY, Long Island — The annual Long Island Retro Gaming Expo aims to preserve and celebrate video games from the 1980s,’ 90s and 2000s. The dedicated group of retro-gamers transforms the Cradle of Aviation Museum into a giant arcade filled to the brim with classic computers, consoles and games. The museum’s rooms and hallways are packed with fans going hands on with treasured, forgotten and obscure video games from the early days.
Many older enthusiasts come for nostalgia, but plenty of young people show up to experience a bygone era. Jay Rivera loves modern video games and credits his parents with showing him the value of retro video games early. “It’s a passed down thing from my mom and my dad. For me it’s where everything kind of started. Like the forefathers of video games.”
Pokémon fans are especially fond of the show. One of the most popular exhibits is the Poké Lab, where players can bring their old Game Boys to catch rare, legendary Pokémon from yesteryear.
n addition to the exhibits, there are special guests and panels as well as retro and retro-inspired items for sale. Long Island Retro Gaming also holds a table-top game expo in the spring.
The group’s museum coordinator, Bredan Bailey, compares people’s appreciation for early video games to that of classic films. He says, “It’s kind of like old black-and-white movies, how people still go back and watch those. They’re timeless classics.”