Review: Game On Expo 2016
Review: Game On Expo 2016
Game On Expo held in the Mesa, Arizona Convention Center is one of my all time favorite conventions in the valley. While it may not be the largest convention in our sunny state, it has charm 
with it’s focus on all things video games which is a great break up from the typical comic book and anime conventions. Last year we had the chance to go to it’s first ever Game On Expo and it was such a blast! We’re honored to have gotten press passes for this weekend and we tried with every fiber in our being to get great coverage!
Guests
The guests at Game On Expo were wonderful as they had Steve Downes, the voice of Master Chief in the Halo series and Jen Taylor who voiced Cortana in the same franchise. Everyone spoke
highly of them all weekend for being so kind and welcoming to their fans, it being a smaller convention allowed for more personal experiences with the guests. Personally, I saw these guests quite a few times in the convention and also eating dinner at the hotel and they were nothing short of amazing. Darin De Paul Also came who voiced such characters as Reinhardt from Overwatch, and various other influential characters from major titles.
I have to give Game On Expo all of the credit for involving YouTubers such as The Completionist and Pro Jared! YouTubers have become so large that they often compete with the fame of movie and Television stars and I had to admit that I flipped out when they announced that they would be coming since I watch their content almost every day! Their guest list was packed with great guests that really surprised me because they are such a small convention!
Staff
The staff of Game On Expo last year were great people and somehow they seemed to have found even better folks to help out! Every single experience I had with the staff at Game On Expo was met with kindness, professionalism, efficient and yet they somehow remained so down to earth! While I had little to no problems at the conventions, the small ones I did have were quickly dealt with. I can not say whether it was training or the people themselves but something about the staff was just so great!
Cosplay
Cosplayers from all over the valley came out to Game On Expo to have a great time! Among them were Courtney Leigh Creations, Amer Brite, Natalie Arvizu, Schrei 205, Ryan Michael Laxamana, Heartless Aquarius, Fire Team Phoenix and so many more! They brought out some of their best costumes to show off to fans and guests alike! Fire Team Phoenix for one went in a group filled of Spartans in honor of Steve Downes and Jen Taylor! The two Halo voice actors took time to talk with their fans while also talking moments to sign their gear as a sign of appreciation of their support.
On the other end of the spectrum, various cosplayers dressed up in Overwatch costumes to honor Darin De Paul for his work as Reinhardt! Although the game only came out a few months ago, cosplayers wasted no time getting suits together to show off their love of the online shooter! Another big theme amongst cosplayers was Pokemon! While many cosplayers dressed as their favorite pokemon, the coslayers that stand out the most would have to be Krash and ElfyAubrie for their renditions of a Pokemon Guy trainer with a Crobat!
Gaming
We can not write a review of Game On Expo and NOT address the fact that there were so many wonderful games to play for free! Whether you’re a fan of new games or old, Game On Expo had
something for everyone in their arcade! Â Personally, I loved Killer Queen, which was introduced to me by my friends. The game is available only on the machine and there are only 12 in the world! The game focuses on a two teams of 5 players who focus on winning a match with one of three possible victory options. The game takes about 2-5 minutes and is simple to learn which makes for wicked awesome fun!
Other games available were Guitar Hero, Mario Kart, Super Smash 64- 4, Street Fighter V, and so on. There were so many areas to play games and so many games themselves that you hardly ever had to wait for long to jump into a game with friends! Last year I was surprised by their set up but did feel as though it was a bit cramped, this year they completely resolved those space issues by expanding to the Marriott.
Their table top areas had games upon games to play at your leisure. If you were alone or with a group, the staff at Critical Threat Comics were there to assist! My one regret of the expo was not being able to spend more time there and enjoy rolling some dice with friends! I even spotted The Completionist partaking in table top gaming which only made my regret deepen!
Overall
Overall, I was very impressed by everything Game On Expo had to offer it’s attendees this year! Even if you were not completely invested in video games, there was a little bit of everything to enjoy! Not to mention they offered a group on for Game On Expo that reduced the price of admission drastically for all those who might need financial assistance. It really felt as though the owner of Game On Expo cares about his expo and the experience of his attendees! It’s refreshing and a huge reminder of what a great convention feels like!
If you want to check out more of what Game On Expo had to offer check out their website!
Photography credit to Deegan Marie Photography and Photo Arcade
Game On Expo
Pros
- Great Guests
- Affordable With Group On
- Tons of Free Games
- Wonderful Cosplay
- Awesome Venue
Cons
- Lack of Food Options
- Needed More Unique Vendors
Chicano | Fighting/Writing for Diversity | DM since 08 | Anime Lover | Site: https://www.thegeeklyfe.com | info@thegeeklyfe.com | http://twitch.tv/that_deangelo | https://linktr.ee/deangelomurillo
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