Open Centre

Space Invader fever swept the count, and the world would never be the same again. Kids today look back at these early machines and laugh their socks off at the primitive graphics and simple gameplay…but could they master Mario or sort out Sonic?

Thanks to Andy Brown, collector and owner of Console Passion in Blackpool, BBC Radio Lancashire’s 2026 exhibition area was transformed into an 80’s gamers paradise – as we challenged dads from the county to bring their children and show them how we used to do it! Over a dozen consoles were on show for visitors to play on; all the classics were represented, with machines from Sega, Nintendo, Atari and Grandstand loaded with great games that time forgot. And the public rose to the challenge, with over 400 visitors challenging each other to high-score contests, beating each other senseless on Street Fighter or chasing after Sonic the Hedgehog.

BBC Radio Lancashire staff got involved as well, with the Space Invaders crown being hotly contested (for the record, it was a close-run thing between Ben Thomson and Alex Entwistle for the honours); and Gilly’s mastery of Duck Hunt was something to behold! Surprisingly, there’s a massive market in mechanical memorabilia – Andy does a roaring trade in old machines, mainly from grown-ups hankering after their miss-spent youth when Friday night meant a bag of 10ps and a few hours in a smoky arcade – and just about every console and cartridge you care to mention is out there for the taking.

For the record, it seems playing retro games is like riding a bicycle…one you learn you never forget…and plenty of people enjoyed dusting off their skills and saving the Earth from the alien menace. Retro was a huge success – and we’re already looking at doing something similar later in the year, so watch this space…