Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Toni Caven, who is displayed on card number 2724, from the   Superstars of 2017 Collection.  Toni is the creator of company in Finland called “Reprocade Ltd.”.  He repairs, restores and operates arcade cabinets and pinball machines.   His business has grown and now he has added jukeboxes to his list of machines he can repair.  Toni and a partner also run "Blast! From the Past" barcade-events at a local bar/nightclub.  He would like to open up his own barcade in Finland, a worthy goal for Toni.

If you can design your own game, what would it be about and who would be the main character?

I would like to try to continue the Mario vs. Donkey Kong setting from the original Donkey Kong arcade game, but as several easy-to-learn-difficult-to-master minigames designed for portable gaming devices. Boldly retro graphics with some beautiful effects made possible by the latest technology. Original music should be done by one or more of the legendary composers of the Commodore 64 games era: Rob Hubbard, Matt Gray, Fred Gray and Reyn Ouwehand with so blindingly catchy melodies you would want to get them as a ringtone :)

Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Niklas Nylund who works for the Finnish Museum of Games, displayed on card number 2723, from the Twin Galaxies Superstars Collection of 2017.  The history of Finland gaming is located in Tampere, Finland and opened in January of 2017. As the Museum curator, Niklas tries to collect and preserve the history of gaming and keep it fresh for people to visit and remember.   You can find additional info on the Museum in English at vapriikki.fi/en/pelimuseo/.  When Niklas has some time to spare he will play video games to keep himself busy. 

What are your opinions about today’s generation of video games?  How do you compare them to older, classic games?

There are many more types of games to choose from nowadays. I especially enjoy the proliferation of indie games, since they seem to focus more on gameplay than on the graphics and production values. Still, there is a time and space for all kinds of games, everything from AAA game titles with great production values to informal mobile games played on the way to and from work.

This week we go back to July 22, 2016 when Todd Rogers was gracious enought to give an in depth interview with me on his achievements and history of gaming.   Todd is on many Walter Day trading cards and can be seen at different gaming conventions around the U.S.   Hope you enjoy.  

Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Todd Rogers, who is displayed on card number 100, from the Superstars of 2011.  Also Todd can be found on card numbers 356, 397, 521, 551, 660, 1763, 1869, 2049, 2135 and 2516.  The Video Games first “Pro Gamer”, Todd has represented over 40 major software companies in his career.    Todd was inducted into the International Video Game Hall of Fame in 2010.    You can see Todd in various documentaries such as Chasing Ghosts, The King of Arcades and The King of Kong.  Todd holds over 300 world records on such games as Gorf, Dragster and Journey Escape.  

Do you remember your first video game / arcade you played and what do you remember about it?

The first memory that I have of a video game would have to be Pong (1972), and one of the first arcade game that I played would be Datsun 280 Zzzap (1976) what I remember about Pong was the idea of a game being played on your home TV and what an amazing experience that was as far as Datsun 280 Zzzap was the whole competitive side of that game as there were lines of people waiting to play to see who was the best.

This week we look back at the Spy Hunter World Champion,  Paul Dean.    This article was done on March 26th, 2016. Hope you enjoy. 

Our next Trading Card Spotlight features Paul Dean, who currently is displayed on card number 49, from the Superstars of 2011 Collection.  Paul is also featured on card number 2108, from the Superstars of 2015 collection.   Paul has had many Video game accomplishments in his career such as a 41 hour marathon of the game “Frenzy” in 2005.   In 1985, Paul broke the world record on the Arcade game “Spy Hunter” which still stands today.  Paul’s score of 9,512,590 is still the only million points or higher game recorded for Spy Hunter.  You can see Paul each year at the California Extreme Expo, which he runs various competitions open to the public.  

Are you still involved with gaming today, and what role do you play?

Yes, I still compete from time to time as well as run high score contests at California Extreme and at the Arcade Expo. I have been running high score events since 2006 and it has been a lot of fun getting the players back together each year to compete.  I have done video game panel discussions and events at the Ottumwa Iowa Big Bang, California Extreme, Banning Arcade Expo, San Diego ComicCon, Portland ComicCon, E for All, E3, The Kong OFF 2 & 3 and the Seattle Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show.  I also have a web site named spyhunter007.com which covers a lot of the competitive history of video gamer's and I post to the CAGdc classic gaming forums run by Mark Alpiger. I also follow the new Twin Galaxies site run by Jace Hall and I am a member.