The great thing about the game room at Otakon is that there is pretty much something for everyone.  Fighting Games, Rhythm Games, FPSes, Shmups, Puzzle Games… if you can’t find at least one thing you are more than happy to sit down and play, then you aren’t trying very hard.

Before the Crowds Arrive…

The selection of games shown in the gameroom this year was a diverse crop, with platforms ranging from old Sega Saturns to bright and shiny PS3s and everything in between.  Simply taking a walk around the periphery of the hall would eat up several minutes on its own, but making sure to stop and look at every game along the way could easily take several hours.

Who Knew Hunters Had Rhythm?

Personally, I found plenty to occupy my time, from old favorites to things I had never seen before.  I could not resist the siren call of Puzzle Fighter 2, for instance, though I quickly discovered my years away from it had severely atrophied my skills.  Smash Brothers as well gave me a chance to shake off the dust and get my flex magic back.

The selection of shmups was also quite diverse, so though I don’t normally spend much time with them, I decided to take a crack at a few this year.  Parodius and Otomodius ended up garnering the most of my attention, and they are definitely the kinds of games you can just sit down and get lost in very quickly.  Deathsmiles, the Japan-only shmup by Cave, was also there, though I could never break through the wall of far more skilled players to actually get a shot at it.  So while I can’t give any hands-on opinions, I can assure you that it has one of the greatest boss names ever: Tyrannosatan.

These two guys beat Deathsmiles approximately 700 times.

In addition to video games, the far end of the hall was also reserved for table gaming.  There was a constant throng of people throwing down in Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, and other unidentifiable card games.  There were also some board gamers merrily making their way through rounds of Arkham Horror, and one fine gent who was more than happy to invite people to his table to teach them the ways of Cosmic Encounter.  He seemed to find plenty of eager participants, and were I not busy with journalistic pursuits, I would have gladly joined in the fun.

I’m Not Entirely Sure What’s Going On, But I’m Pretty Sure I Like It.

On the whole, the thing that really makes the game room such a wonderful place to me isn’t necessarily the number or type of games, but just the sheer joy of being surrounded by those who love games as much as I do.  While most of the gaming stations were constantly full, with plenty of people waiting to play, there were far more people who were just simply there to watch.  I know I would find myself getting engrossed watching two skilled players duke it out King of Fighters, even if I myself had no intention of playing.  Throughout the room you could constantly hear cheers and shouts of excitement for particularly heated matches, or even just the silent awe of a crowd watching someone particularly masterful take a shmup to town.

And, of course, the game room is the one place at Otakon you got to see the Vault Dweller busting out on the dance pad…

Savior and Dancer