EGX’s Game Library Might Be Its Best Attraction

EGX
Source: @EGX

People travel to gaming conventions like EGX for a number of reasons. Perhaps they’d like to see some of the latest and greatest in video games, or to take a rummage through the merchandise stands. Maybe, they’d even like to meet some of their favourite content creators.

These are all valid reasons, and they’re certainly enough to keep me and my friends coming back for more each year, but there’s a particular aspect of the event that warms my heart, and perhaps goes unnoticed over the weekend: the Game Library. Yeah, it’s not the best name, but it’s exactly what you expect it to be, and we absolutely love it.

The Game Library is a cordoned off section of the event located towards the back of the hall, behind all the games and merch but next to the Barebones Pizza van that sells the best pizza in the land, where you can freely play one of around a hundred games from a bunch of different consoles including the PS2, original Xbox, Xbox 360 and even the Gamecube.

Attendees can browse the library’s selection of games, request one of the discs then sit down at one of the many stations available and play to their heart’s content. It’s not uncommon to walk past a section to see someone trying their best to play games like Ninja Gaiden or to find me battering people on Virtua Fighter 5. It wouldn’t be an Ash Bates article without a fighting game reference after all.

Although the library’s catalogue isn’t the most expansive in the world, it does run the gamut of gaming’s biggest genres, including racing games, flight sims, fighting games, platformers, action adventure blockbusters and hack ‘n’ slash titles. That said, if you’re hoping for a library filled with obscure JRPGs and nothing else, you’re in for a bad time.

Even without a massive offering of games, it’s still great to see some of gaming’s greatest hits from the 2000’s be available on the show floor alongside the current day juggernauts of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Fortnite, Destiny 2, The Division 2 and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. It’s gaming history being preserved, displayed and showcased for all in attendance.

Still, if you are feeling like playing something from a time before the 2000’s, the Game Library runs adjacent to a dedicated retro section that comes complete with original consoles, arcade cabinets and CRTs to boot. It’s a throwback to a time where HDMI didn’t exist, SCART leads were all that you knew and the console would only output on channel 4 for some reason.

If you’re a mature soul like me, the gaming library and the retro section offer a refuge from the world of always online multiplayer games, loot boxes, microtransactions and more, while those seeking solace from the perils of the convention itself can enjoy playing some of their favourite games in relative peace. Basically, it’s really good if you’re old or shy/looking for somewhere to have a break.

All we’re saying is that in the midst of 2 hour long queues, hordes of fellow gamers and food prices that’ll make your wallet cry, sometimes it’s best to unwind with something a little bit more familiar. If you’re attending EGX this year, or if you’re thinking about going next year, make sure to stop by. You might even find me putting on a Virtua Fighter 5 clinic. Defeat me if you can. Survive if I let you.

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