So for anyone who doesn’t know this past weekend was Tekkoshocon and Cecil and I were there. I saw this as a great opportunity to put a lot of steps on my pokewalker. The pokewalker is a peripheral for the new Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver games for the Nintendo DS that allows the trainer to carry around on of their Pokemon with them. This device also allows you to catch other Pokemon, find items and if you find another person with a Pokewalker link up and both gain items. The last part of this is where the adventures come in. My first day I carried around a mix of Pokemon mostly ones that evolve based on mood like Eevee, Golbat and Togepi but then while at lunch on Saturday a brilliant idea came to me. At first I was just thinking about a cute Pokemon to carry around with me and the first one that came to mind was Tediursa a small little bear but then my sick mind took over and thought “How funny would it be to name him Pedobear especially with all the little prostitots running around the con. So upon that thought the adventures of Pedobear began at Tekko. I started trying to link up with as many other people as possible so that they could get visited by Pedobear. He got to meet many people through out the last 2 days and I got to make many people laugh so it was a great success. I look forward to bringing Pedobear to many other conventions and making many more people laugh with my twisted sense of humor.
Final Fantasy XIII
Well, I have now 20+ hours into the Final Fantasy XIII Game and I can say that I completely dislike the game. Now don’t get me wrong, it is a visual masterpiece and the soundtrack is epic. As far as being a traditional FF game; it is not. Only control of one character, and if that character falls in battle you lose the game. So then, why really have Phoenix Downs? The Monsters are no longer any challenge. the entire game thus far is nothing but grinding. I fear they have made the same mistake as Konami did with MGS4, and have turned it into a movie. For that is the only reason I am still playing it, because the Story and the Character development is very very good. I know a few of you have also been playing it as well. What are your thoughts?
T-Mode 2010 Overview
It has been a very long time since I have been to a small convention such as T-Mode. There was an atmosphere here of friendliness, not only with the staff, but the attendees and hotel staff as well, that was a welcomed change from the larger, oft times impersonal conventions. Though a very nice hotel, it is deep in the beautiful city of Old Alexandria, Virginia. Traffic was a bit of a nightmare, with the cities narrow streets causing backups and a general loss of direction a common likelihood. If not for the location it would almost be the idea location. While T-Mode is very nice, to the more experienced con-goer, it is really only a one day ordeal. Keep in mind though, small conventions are not about doing a lot. They are about the social experience, where you get to experience first-hand the pure joy of being a fan of the culture. Its what Otaku’s really need to do from time to time: Go back to the roots of your fandom, even if its only for a day. Its like going home.
The dealers room is not very big with only eight dealers total and a few of them better known artists. The atmosphere is quite relaxed with a very relaxed sale approach and only one major dealer (J&J). The Artists Alley was setup in the main hallway, altogether not the most ideal location. Especially when it was partly filled with booths from other, more well rounded cons like AUSA, Katcuson, and such. Up on a second floor, there is another layout of artists and dealers. Again, organization and layout is definitely an area in need of improvement. It is to be expected of a smaller convention though it is not without its perks for guests. The usual pain of crowding is a all but nonexistent in the dealer and artists alleys at T-mode. While not a concern for con goers, a fair amount of vender’s commented that there was no issue with setting up and tearing down booths even with them being in the main walkways and having to do so at the end of every day.
The T-Mode staff was pleasantly friendly. Staff remarked that attendance has risen substantially from its previous year due to their presence at Sakura Matsuri. When asked about the success of the “Passport Program”, staff stated that members with the function could attend special events such as the Breakfast with the Guest, kind of like a backstage pass.
The Table Top gaming room, powered by Games Club of Maryland, had a wide variety of rare table-top games. The room had a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere though it should be noted that there were no really main stream games going on. The video game room, powered by our friends at GPX gaming, made due with limited space amicably with a good assortment of games. They held a Rock Band contest, even going as far as to set up a digital drum set for contestants to practice on. The sheer amount of equipment was a little much. With the flow, small room, and amount of equipment it made things a tad suffocating.
Events:
Iron Artist was an interactive and creative twist on the Iron Chef television show, showcasing different artists skill sets. It was a fun and slightly addictive crowd pleaser to say the least.
Cosplay Variety Show was a fun filled event with the combined MC might of Todd and Christian Vee, a Tiko Drum intermission, and Jon McDevitt, the leader singer of Geist, as a judge on the panel.
Cosplay judging was at an almost professional level, but very mild mannered and respectful. It was well done cosplay contest for a convention as small as T-Mode.
I guess the main question in closing is, “Would I return to T-Mode?” Even though I spent only a day at T-Mode I would definitely go again. Its nice to relax and be a fan again. Its a pleasant change to merely sit and speak with fellow con-goers that have a common interest and swap opinions about the same culture you so adore.