An Ipswich shopping centre is set to transform into a retro gaming heaven for a one weekend only celebration of all things classic.
An Ipswich shopping centre is set to be transformed into a retro gaming heaven for a one weekend only celebration of all things classic.
The Bring Back Retro team will be occupying a unit in the Sailmakers Shopping Centre as they seek to bring people together through the power of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming.
Gamers at the event on November 9 and 10 will have a chance to play classic Sega, Nintendo and PlayStation consoles, as well as a Commodore and an original Atari 2600 from 1977.
Miles Power, 34, who lives in Ipswich, said: "I've been searching for a place where we could do an event indoors and I got in touch with Sailmakers on the off-chance.
"The centre manager, Mike Sorhaindo, was really up for it and he's kindly let us use one of the empty shops which is really, really cool.
"At events we tend to find that people in their 40s and 50s who grew up with many of these consoles enjoy getting involved."
The games will be displayed on 1990s CRT TVs, which will also show music and TV ads from yesteryear to add to the nostalgic experience.
Mr Power added: "We had a black and white TV at one event and a bloke came up and said it was the exact same one that he had when he was younger. It's so good to hear stories like that.
"But it's not just about nostalgia. Kids really enjoy playing the older consoles as they're so simple to play."
The game-mad dad set up the business following the death of his grandmother, when he organised a 24-hour gaming marathon to raise money for Ipswich Hospital.
The business has since gained interest from fantasy expo Comic Con and is regularly booked for weddings and birthday parties.
Mr Power added: "Come along and make sure you bring your mates so you can remind them how to win at GoldenEye."
Mr Sorhaindo said: "We're really excited to be hosting our first ever retro gaming weekend at the centre.
"It's going to be a real trip down memory lane for shoppers who remember classic games consoles such as the Mega Drive and SNES.
"But it's not just about nostalgia, this is an event for the whole family. Children will no doubt love trying something new on something old."
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