The 2026 expo was dedicated to the memory of longtime staff member Terry Taylor, who died much too soon earlier this year. Several staff members donned caps that read “God Bless Terry Taylor.” Indeed. I don’t recall, but I’m sure I interacted with Terry at least once in all my years at LI Retro. He was memorialized in the Terry Taylor Vectrex Corner on the first floor, as seen via this Facebook post:
My three prior recaps were spread out over three posts per year. (This is post 1 from last year.) I feel I was judicious enough in my photography and culling for a singular, self-contained recap post. To help, for the first time, I’ve utilized page jumps (a.k.a. anchor links) at the top and peppered throughout.
I was quick to buy my weekend pass when tickets went on sale in winter, and I gradually built up my biggest budget ever. (I will not divulge the amount.)
In the days and hours leading up to August 8 (I didn’t go on the 7th), I had the usual performance and social anxiety that comes with being on the autism spectrum. I prayed for the strength and coping skills to get through any and all situations. So, you can understand why I needed many deep breaths as my mom drove me to the Cradle of Aviation Museum parking lot.
SPOILER: All that worrying was for nothing. I had a great time without any hitches.
ARRIVING AT THE MUSEUM Mom’s car pulled into the lot at 9:29 AM on Saturday, August 8.
Despite the high heat and humidity, I wanted to arrive as early as possible so I wouldn’t have to wait too long on line outside.
There were two lines: one on the left for those retrieving their badges at the box office via QR code, and one on the right for those who already had badges. Of course, the left line was the longer one and my Saturday destination. I’d be on the right line on Sunday.
The museum doors opened at 10AM and I reached the entrance (and air conditioning) at 10:07.
Once I got my badge, I affixed to a lanyard I saved from a year or two before and began walking around the first floor.
PHOTOS WITH GUESTS AND CANDID PHOTOS OF THEIR TABLES
Audacity Games with David Crane, Dan Kitchen, Garry Kitchen, and John Van Ryzin On the other hand, I overcame last year’s shyness and had a enjoyable interaction with the quartet of game design legends. “We don’t bite,” David Crane reassured me after I introduced myself and gladly bought all four games – new for the Atari VCS/2600 – that each of them developed. David designed Rescue from Poseidon’s Gate, Dan Kitchen’s game was Casey’s Gold, there was Alien Abduction! by John Van Ryzin (the spiritual successor to H.E.R.O.), with Garry Kitchen and David Crane co-designing Circus Convoy. Any or all of the games can be bought online here.
David Crane and Garry Kitchen talk to attendees at the Audacity Games table
You could even try them out on separate Atari 7800+ consoles:
As mentioned earlier, Ryan Burger publishes Old School Gamer, a magazine Tristan Ibarra is now involved in, on top of his author and designer credits. We’ll learn more about them in photos of their Sunday panel.
For now, here are Tristan, Walter, and Ryan:
My Life in Gaming with Coury Carlson and Marc “Try4ce” Duddleson Coury and Try were a late addition to the 2026 LI Retro guest list, and I’m glad they were booked. They were actually the first people I saw outside the museum Saturday morning before I got in line.
Try and Coury meeting an attendee and his son (out of view) who was cosplaying as Minecraft Steve
PANELS I limited myself to two panels each on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s were later and in the Main Theatre; Sunday’s were earlier in Panel Room 2, relocated to the first floor.
…have worked in the video game industry since the late 1970s. While they are known for their iconic game catalog on the Atari 2600 ([H.E.R.O.,] Pitfall!, Donkey Kong, Ghostbusters, Keystone Kapers, Crackpots…), they also bring a boatload of experience on NES, SNES, Gameboy, C64, Xbox, PlayStation, iPhone/iPad, PC/Mac and online gaming. Everybody knows Pitfall! and Donkey Kong, but did you know they also worked on Bart vs. the Space Mutants (NES), A Boy and His Blob (NES), AddictingGames.com (online), Transformers (C64), Shockwave.com (online), Candystand.com (online), and the infamous Desert Bus game from Penn & Teller?
Garry KitchenDan KitchenJohn Van RyzinDavid CraneQ&A…
The last photo perfectly encapsulates the mood of the panel. Garry, Dan, John, and David were full of interesting, engaging, and humorous anecdotes about their time in the gaming industry, working at Activision, and the many games they design and developed. (I especially enjoyed how Garry debunked a myth about Coleco’s Atari 2600 port of Donkey Kong.) They are a winning team.
Now, if only I could find John’s H.E.R.O. at a good price. Otherwise, I’ll play it in an Activision compilation.
Saturday Panel 2, 1:30-2:30 PM Main Theatre Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson CU Podcast Live!
My initial photos were taken on the right side of the first row as I deferred to an LI Retro staff photographer. Then, I went back to the center.
Among the topics for this episode The CUPodcast (Super Show #34) were:
Ian Ferguson and Pat ContriPat ContriIan FergusonThe Q&A portion of the podcast panel included a question from G Gracin (G to the Next Level).
I did not ask a question this year, and told Pat afterward what I would have asked. Part of my annual Christmas special viewing tradition includes watching Pat the NES Punk Christmas episodes, such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Punk. (RIP Billy Chaser.) Will there be a Christmas episode this year? We’ll find out in four months.
I won’t go into detail about G’s panel since they recorded it for a future YouTube video, but I will share it in photo form.
If you’ve watched G’s streams, you’ll recognize the emotes designed by their spouse and fellow streamer Rannchann.
The 2026 Long Island Retro Gaming Expo was where I made my Dreamcast dream a reality. First, I found two controllers and a VMU from one vendor. Then, I found the console by itself (no power adapter or cables) from a second vendor. And from a third, I bought three games, including launch titles NFL 2K (released on launch day) and NBA 2K (two months after launch). You’ll see all of that (and the Sonic fanny pack) in the pickups segment.
As of publication, G’s most recent YouTube video is this one:
…a discussion on preserving and celebrating the history of video games and the community that built it. Walter Day will share stories from his years at Twin Galaxies, the journey behind his books, film appearances, and trading card series, explaining how the cards were created not just to honor champions, but to recognize the passion and achievements of gamers from every corner of the hobby. Ryan Burger will explore growing up during the rise of competitive gaming, the books, television shows, and media that chronicled gaming culture before it became a global phenomenon, and how Old School Gamer Magazine now works with many of those pioneering voices to introduce their stories to a new generation. Tristan Ibarra will discuss his path from Air Force veteran to gamer, collector, author, graphic designer, and magazine layout artist, sharing his passion for documenting the hobby and organizing its scattered history into accessible resources for fans and researchers alike. Together, the panel will reflect on the people, stories, and communities that shaped gaming culture, while celebrating the generations of enthusiasts whose dedication has helped preserve its legacy for the future.
How does that compare to my description written before thinking of citing the expo description?
For one hour, Panel Room 2 was transported to the state of Iowa. Ryan Burger and Tristan Ibarra were our hosts and they set up Walter Day to share stories galore. Ryan promoted Old School Gamer magazine and an upcoming book. Tristan detailed his The Video Game Collector’s Field Guide and his upcoming …Video Game Dictionary for the Total Noob. To that end, there were ten trivia questions with ten terms in Tristan’s dictionary. (I photographed the answers, but for obvious reasons, I’m keeping them to myself.) After Walter asked trivia questions, it was our turn to ask.
Mike Ferrara, a.k.a. HighScorsese, topped the Twin Galaxies rankings five times!One Walter quip made Tristan laugh.This question acknowledged learning of Twin Galaxies through Electronic Gaming Monthly, also founded in the Midwest (Lombard, Illinois).Journey with Patrick expressed hope to appear on one of Walter’s trading cards by attending many U.S. and Canada conventions, per a list he’s kept.
This is where I would have gone to a second post. Instead, in this same post, we begin a photographic tour of as much as I could see on each floor of the Cradle of Aviation Museum. I couldn’t get everything, and some photos were too blurry to include. The photos that remain are here.
Remembering what Norm Caruso said, I tried the Pods myself.
More from the Cradle of Aviation Museum’s Pan Am exhibit:
PART THREE
DEPARTING THE MUSEUM The commercial aircraft were the last thing I photographed after coming downstairs from the Arcade Age Exhibit. That’s when I went back to searching vendors for a few more purchases, including that model 2 Sega CD. The last game I bought was Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse. Then, I went in the museum gift shop for three more plane replicas to go with the Pan Am plane I bought last year. And that was it. I took Lyft home to Wantagh with $44 to spare! It’s the first time I’ve ever left under budget!
Requisite exit photos:
PICKUPS What did Mike get? Well, let’s start with guest merchandise and business cards:
Thank you again, Sean Chiplock.
This is the fanny pack I won from G’s charity stream. Thank you very much, G.
Pixelated Pat [Contri] pin
Old School Gamer Magazine Issue 43, Mike Ferrara and Justin’s cards
Walter Day trading cards and his autobiography
The two bags full of games and signed cards from Audacity Games
This is just what I bought duringLong Island Retro Gaming Expo. I also bought many other things online to supplement some of my purchases. I won’t list them all, but they include VGA and power adapters for the Dreamcast and an Atari 7800+ to play those Audacity Games games. Furthermore, a VMUPro that I preordered months ago arrived Monday as I was wrapping up the first draft. (That process took six hours!)
CONCLUSION I’ve thanked many people throughout this post, but I owe a huge thanks to Ryan Shapiro, Joe Vincent, George Portugal (whom I didn’t get to see), and the rest of the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo staff for your support and accommodation. I am deeply grateful.
I’ll conclude this recap with the front and back of my badge and event program, the latter of which includes a photo of the late Terry Taylor.
In 2004 and 2018, the mode of transportation for Dad and I was LIRR trains. In the latter case, we spent more time traveling to Shinnecock Hills than attending the U.S. Open there. I was too worn out and we were so far away that I just wanted to go home. And I thought we’d be taking trains again in 2026. Instead, Dad drove to one of a few automobile parking lots for shuttle bus service to and from the course. Our destination was the “blue lot” on the former site of Calverton Executive Airpark.
Seconds later, we exited the L.I.E. Five minutes after that, we exited the northbound William Floyd for NY 25 east.
We turned into Calverton Executive Airpark at 10:27 AM.
Five minutes later, we were guided to a parking spot, walked to the checkpoint, and boarded a shuttle bus.
The USGA opted for late tee times on Saturday. The first pairing teed off at 9AM and the last wouldn’t begin their third round until 3:45 PM. This meant a low passenger capacity departed the blue lot at 10:39 with Dad and I seated in seats 5 and 6 (second row left). The east-southeast ride took about 45 minutes and was peaceful except for the music playing in my earbuds via my iPhone 17 Pro, which was the source for all photos in this recap.
I got a great photo of Shinnecock Canal ten minutes from the golf club entrance.
There was also a blurry photo of one of the early holes, but you don’t want to see that.
Dad and I exited the shuttle bus at 11:27 AM and would spend the next five hours within Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
The first 2 1/2 hours were spent walking around as much of the course as possible. Let’s get two photos of me out of the way, one taken by my dad and the other a selfie:
The gallery below begins at gate 1 (11:28 AM) and ends at the 1st hole green (1:50 PM).
The first five U.S. Open champions at Shinnecock HillsRaymond Floyd in 1986Corey Pavin in 1995Brooks Koepka in 2018 (repeat; won at Erin Hills in ’17)Bryson DeChambeau at Winged Foot in September 2020What time is it?Far from tee time for those atop the leaderboardThe clubhouseIt was sunny and dry, but windy.One of many NBC Sports cameras throughout the courseThe 8th hole greenBud CauleyBud Cauley’s birdie try at 8Neal Shipley made his birdie!Joaquin Niemann and his caddie departing the 6th holeRussell Henley and 2016 U.S. Open champion Dustin JohnsonI forgot whose ball this is.D.J. and his brother/caddie AustinMax Greyserman and Pierceson Coody on the 5th hole greenAt the 6th, Pierceson Coody’s tee shotMax Greyserman’s tee shotJacob Bridgeman’s tee shot at 16…followed by Dylan WuChris Gotterup in the fescue at 15Chris Gotterup and his caddie Brady StocktonChris Gotterup’s playing partner was amateur Eric Lee, seen on the right.Peter Ulhlein’s tee shot at 15…followed by Caleb SurrattNeal Shipley back again on the 12th hole green with his caddie Greg DyneBud Cauley’s tee shot at 13Neal Shipley’s 13th hole tee shotMichael Kim and Laurie Canter on the 13th greenA closer look at the clubhousePhotos at the practice green…So much for watching the remaining pairings start their third round.A distant view of the 1st teeZac Blair and his caddie Nikolas Kroisi walking to the 1st fairwayMax McGreevy’s second shot from the 1st hole fairwayZac Blair on the 1st hole green..and Max McGreevy
There are so many golfers (and caddies) in the photos above and below that I couldn’t possibly link to them all. Instead, I’ll link to this page on the U.S. Open website. Thanks, however, to Google for helping me identify the caddies.
Dad and I decided to set up on the right side of the 2nd hole tee to watch the last 11 pairings. Then, we’d head for home.
These photos were taken between 1:56 and 4:01 PM, and occasionally divert to the 1st hole green.
The first pairing Dad and I saw at the 2nd tee was Niklas Nørgaard and Alex Fitzpatrick.Alex is the brother of 2022 U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.I looked back to the 1st green for a photo of course reporter Roger Maltbie.Putting in the previous photo was Brian Harman, seen here at the 2nd tee.Brian’s playing partner was Scottie Scheffler.Brian Harman’s tee shotScottie Scheffler’s tee shotScottie would shoot a 69 and make the final pairing of the final round.2011 U.S. Open champion (and repeat Masters champion) Rory McIlroy was paired with Maverick McNealy.In a touching moment, an Irish father asked if his sons could sit by the ropes to watch Rory tee off. I courteously obliged.Maverick McNealy had the honor.Then, it was Rory’s turn.Back on the 1st green, a long putt from Akshay BhatiaBhatia was paired with Keith Mitchell.Akshay Bhatia’s tee shotRyo Hisatsune and his caddie Taiga TabuchiGary WoodlandGary’s caddie (and my uncle Jim’s fishing buddy) Brennan LittleWaiting for Mitchell and Bhatia to leave the 2nd green…Ryo Hisatsune’s tee shotGary Woodland’s tee shotAmateur Ryder Cowan out of the University of Oklahoma (“Boomer Sooner”)Cowan was paired with William Mouw in the third round.Ryder Cowan’s tee shot (He and Jackson Koivun ended up co-low-scoring amateurs)William Mouw’s tee shotSahith Theegala and Sam Burns would shoot 70 and 71 in the third round…Burns would shoot 67 on Sunday (more on that later), while Theegala regressed to a 73.Sahith Theegala’s tee shotSam Burns conferred with caddie Travis Perkins before his tee shot.Sam’s tee shotJustin Thomas and his caddie Matt “Rev” MinisterHarry Higgs with his brother/caddie AlexHarry Higgs’ tee shotJ.T. advised by RevJ.T.’s tee shotTom Kim and his caddie Joel StockCollin Morikawa and his caddie Mark UrbanekCollin Morikawa’s tee shotTom Kim’s tee shotXander Schauffele and his caddie Austin KaiserOut of view behind caddie Will Dennis is childhood best friend Sam Stevens.My dad and my left arm were seen on NBC after Sam Stevens’ tee shot.Xander Schauffele’s tee shotOnly one pairing left, led by 36-hole leader Wyndham Clark. He pared the 1st hole.Matt Fitzpatrick bogeyed.Then, Matt and Wyndham approached the 2nd tee.Matt’s caddie is Daniel Parratt while Wyndham’s caddie is David Pelekoudas, a.k.a. “Big Wave Dave.”Matt’s tee shot…and Wyndham’s tee shotMy last photo before departing
The walk back to the blue lot shuttle bus took 20 minutes, with a stop for a cookie and Sprite along the way.
The next New York area U.S. Open is at Winged Foot in 2028, the same as the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Bethpage Black.
The ride back to Calverton Executive Airpark was closer to 30 minutes than 45, but at full capacity. Dad and I sat near the middle of the bus while still on the left side.
It was 5:04 when we got “back to civilization,” as I quipped upon exit.
Thank you, as well, USGA and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Overall, I had a wonderful time.
Little did I know I was part of a mass exodus from the course that thinned the crowds by the time Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark finished their rounds just after 8PM. Well, maybe if the tee times were earlier, we’d have stayed longer. 3:45 for the last pairing? Shinnecock Hills is on Long Island’s East End, not the Monterey Peninsula like Pebble Beach Golf Links, home to next year’s U.S. Open. So what if it was the second-longest day of the year? Also consider that most attendees commuted from Nassau County (like me and Dad) or one of New York City’s five boroughs. Shinnecock isn’t as convenient as Bethpage Black. If everyone stayed for the end, I figure we’d all get home between 10:30 PM and 12:30 AM, depending on where we live. The final tee time on Sunday was 2:30 PM. Much better.
In Saturday’s third round, Wyndham Clark overcame bogeys with birdies, an eagle, and many pars. The result was an even par 70, remaining at -7 for the championship. His partner for the final round on Sunday was Scottie Scheffler.
I was shielded from most of the unruly fans on Saturday, but I heard them loud and clear (and obnoxiously rude!) on Sunday. Sure, it was Scottie Scheffler’s 30th birthday. Sure, he was going for the career grand slam. Sure, you can root for Scottie. What you shouldn’t do is root against someone like Wyndham Clark, and with the same fervor directed at European golfers last September at Bethpage Black during the Ryder Cup. I doubt stems from Wyndham punching his locker after missing the cut at last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. This was actively rooting for someone to fail, heckling him right before swinging or putting, haranguing “GET IN THE BUNKER!” on every tee shot, and cheering derisively at every bogey. No wonder Wyndham told Mike Tirico “New York didn’t really like me” during the trophy presentation. Yes, that’s right: Wyndham Clark survived all the aforementioned crap, a charge by Sam Burns that came one birdie short of a tie, and won his second U.S. Open championship. He did so wire-to-wire. Thank goodness that wire didn’t fray.
Wyndham Clark is the third consecutive U.S. Open champion at Shinnecock Hills to win this major for the second time: Retief Goosen in 2001 (Southern Hills) and ’04, Brooks Koepka in ’17 (Erin Hills) and ’18, and now Clark in ’23 (Los Angeles Country Club) and ’26. Congratulations, Wyndham. This New Yorker likes you, and loved the heartwarming moment with your dad after you won. It was a very happy Father’s Day.
Getting back to fan behavior, this is the second time in nine months that the world has witnessed unruly New Yorkers at a major men’s golf tournament. These bad apples, no pun intended, have given the majority of fans (people like me and my dad) an unshakable negative reputation. Yep, we Yanks are all drunk a-holes, aren’t we? (No!) God forbid these fans resurface at Winged Foot in two years; or worse yet, at Bethpage Black for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. If it happens there, I guarantee this region will never host another women’s golf major, and that would be a shame, especially considering changes to the PGA Tour in 2028:
The PGA TOUR has already lined up an initial set of 10 of its expected 15 PGA TOUR Championship Series regular season events for 2028. The remaining events will either be filled by existing events or new markets under consideration, such as Boston, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end. If you’re wondering, Dad and I got home around 6:15 PM and watched the rest of the third round on TV. I searched my DVR in vain to see if we were on TV. Outside of those few seconds after Sam Stevens teed off at the 2nd hole, we went unnoticed by NBC’s Canon 4K cameras.
Bethpage Black’s next big event will be the 2024 Ryder Cup. [All Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups were pushed back a year due to COVID-19.] The last thing I’d like to hear that Sunday, whether in person or on TV, is the “Olé” song, indicating Europe won again.
Not only did I hear that song endlessly in person on Friday, September 26, but it was sung as Europe defeated the U.S. 15 points to 13. The U.S. teams lost too many foursome and four-ball matches Friday and Saturday to make a complete comeback Sunday. (10/2 UPDATE: Europe clinched when Shane Lowry, who you’ll see front and center in a few photos, halved his singles match with Russell Henley with a birdie at the 18th hole. That gave Europe a 14-11 lead over the U.S., rendering all other matches inconsequential.)
Even though my dad Bill and I were deferential to visiting European fans and respectful of Team Europe golfers, vice captains, and captain Luke Donald, the loss still hurts. So, this won’t be an in-depth recap, at least not verbally, and I won’t link to any media articles. The extensive gallery below will speak a thousand words per photo. That includes photos of players, caddies, vice captains, and captains of both teams. (St. John’s University alumnus Keegan Bradley was Team U.S.A. captain.)
Having played the Black many years ago, my dad can attest it is the most difficult of the four color-coded courses – Red, Green, and Blue are the others. That makes it perfect for major golf championships. Bethpage Black previously hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Open and the aforementioned 2019 PGA Championship. It also hosted The Barclays, a now-defunct first leg of the FedExCup playoffs, in 2012 and 2016.
The four men’s golf majors are won by individuals. This Ryder Cup was the first time Bethpage Black hosted a team championship with bragging rights on the line for one country – the United States – or one continent – Europe.
Perhaps it was foreshadowing when my dad purchased Friday tickets shortly after Rory McIlroy won The Masters on the evening of April 13. Either way, we were going. Good thing, too, because I’d purchased a hat and short-sleeve polo from the Ryder Cup online shop in March. I proudly wore those at Bethpage Black, per these selfies with and without my dad:
We were prepared for enhanced security checkpoints due to President Trump’s presence. However, we were nowhere near him and only passed one checkpoint at the entrance without needing to empty our pockets. I brought along a portable phone battery charger that I’d bought on Amazon in advance of our trip, and it really came in handy. Three charging sessions – two on-site, one on the shuttle bus ride back to Jones Beach State Park – ensured I wouldn’t miss much photographically.
To that end, let’s get two other key photos out of the way before I let the rest of them speak a thousand words each.
Fighter jets flew over as “The Star-Spangled Banner” concluded at the 1st tee. This was my view from the 2nd fairway.
Fans cheered and chanted “U.S.A.!” as Air Force One flew by on its approach to nearby Republic Airport. President Trump sat in a designated area in the grandstands by the 1st tee for the start of afternoon four-ball matches. The U.S. only got 1 1/2 points from the four matches, winning one match 6&5 and tying another. The score through Friday: Europe 5 1/2, U.S. 2 1/2.
(This parenthetical was written Sunday at 11:53 AM. The fighter jets just made one last Bethpage Black flyby, whizzing over my house seconds later.)
Food and non-alcoholic drinks were free! Dad and I ate lunch before going to the 2nd fairway and then I had dessert before we waited between the 15th green and 16th tee. I washed down each meal (cheeseburger, two two-packs of Grandma’s chewy chocolate chip cookies) with a can of Bubly cherry seltzer sparkling water, otherwise having two bottles of Aquafina pure water.
I bought one thing from The Ryder Cup Shop on the way back to the Jones Beach general parking shuttle bus: a screenprint pin flag. I’ve gotten one for each major event at Bethpage Black and hung it on my wall. Even in defeat, I’m keeping it up.
I said my dad and I were deferential to any European fans we encountered and were respectful of Team Europe. (My dad’s friend Mike even worked as an attendant in Team Europe’s locker room.) If only every fan was the same. The arrogant harangues by some U.S. fans, not all of them drunk, made me wince. Team member Sepp Straka moved from Vienna, Austria, to Valdosta, Georgia, when he was 14, played for the University of Georgia, and talks like a native southerner. Didn’t matter to those fans. I feel the harangues played a karmic role in Team Europe’s win. I’ll keep what/whom I feel also played a karmic role to myself. Inside the ropes, however, Team Europe was just better. Full stop. (“Period” is a U.S. thing.)
Side note: Other Europeans who are U.S. college golf alumni include Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg (“O-berg”) (Texas Tech University) and Jon Rahm of Spain (Arizona State University). I won’t fault any fans who gave Jon flack for defecting from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf. My mind blocked out any criticism toward fellow LIV defector Bryson DeChambeau of the U.S. (University of Texas), but he probably got it, too. Honestly, I’m detached enough to be a LIV Golf agnostic, even with the matter of who funds it. To date, I’ve only seen parts of two tournaments, including highlights of one in Miami.
Okay, enough digressions. Now, the rest of the photos.
General parking at Jones BeachShuttle buses drove from Jones Beach Field 4, east on Ocean Parkway, north on the Wantagh State Parkway, east on Merrick Road (exit W6), and north on the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway (NY 135) to a special ramp before exit 8.Once in Bethpage, the shuttle bus traversed side streets to a designated entrance and drop-off/pickup zone. This photo was taken after getting off the bus.Our tickets were digital, not physical. That’s why I didn’t have a ticket holder draped around my neck in the earlier selfies.The line for selfies here was too long. I settled for a candid photo from afar.Captain Keegan Bradley and some vice captains will show up in later photos. I didn’t take a photo of the other side with Luke Donald and the Europe vice captains. So, I’ll note they were Thomas Bjørn, Alex Norén, José María Olazábal, brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari.With the course map behind them, volunteers guided fans to their destinations.An enthusiastic fan with the American flag18th green grandstandsNBC Sports‘ broadcast tower (Friday’s coverage was on USA Network.)1st green grandstandsAdjacent grandstands for the 1st green and 17th teeAcross Round Swamp Road, Dad and I stood at the walkway from the 14th green to the 15th tee. This is one of two wide shots of Farmingdale Ladder 926 and East Rockaway Ladder 403 draping the American flag.Fans cheer the walk from 14 to 15 by Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele with captain Keegan Bradley (right end) and vice captains Brandt Snedeker and Webb Simpson (between Cantlay and Schauffele). Schauffele’s caddie Austin Kaiser to Cantlay’s left.Cantlay (captain’s pick) and Schauffele (qualified) were the only U.S. team to win a Friday morning foursome match.I spotted former Yankees center fielder (and jazz guitarist) Bernie Williams in the crowd, but was too shy to approach him. The fan on the bottom left wasn’t shy and took a selfie.Many groups of fans dressed in their national colors. These men wore shamrock green for Ireland (and Europe).13th green grandstandsPatrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele needed all 18 holes to win their foursome match 1 UP.Dad and I would spend nearly two hours at the 2nd hole, watching the four-ball matches play through.2nd green grandstands left entranceWe ultimately positioned ourselves on a hill overlooking the 2nd fairway. My phone can only go up to 3x optical zoom. I’d go beyond that for most of the following photos, leading to internal AI enhancement. I’m including the ones with the least amorphous blobs.U.S. vice captain Kevin Kisner fed off the cheers as he walked toward the 2nd green ahead of Scottie Scheffler and J.J. Spaun. (Both were qualifiers.)Their opponents (and victors) were Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka. (Both were captain’s picks.)Tommy Fleetwood‘s 2nd shot at the 2nd hole (Tommy and playing partner Justin Rose were qualifiers.)Fleetwood and Rose’s four-ball opponents were Ben Griffin (captain’s pick, pictured) and Bryson DeChambeau (qualifier).Fleetwood and Rose won their match.This photo features Justin Thomas (center-left, captain’s pick) and Rasmus Højgaard (right end, qualifier)Cameron Young (a captain’s pick from Scarborough in Westchester County) had a long putt for birdie……that went in, winning the hole!J.T. and Young won their four-ball match over 6&5 in 13 holes over Højgaard and Ludvig Åberg (captain’s pick).The last of the four-ball matches were Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay (captain’s picks) against Rory McIlroy (qualifier) and Shane Lowry (captain’s pick).A look at the 2nd hole monitor before walking to the 15th greenDad and I briefly sat in the 15th green grandstands……but it was sweltering in direct sunlight. At least I got some nice photos before we changed locations.We and many other fans, of the U.S. and Europe, watched the monitor by the 15th green, waiting for the four-ball matches to reach us. Three of them did.First, Scheffler-Spaun and Rahm-Straka. The latter pair were 3 UP and needed to win the hole to win the match.See why only three matches reached 15?Scottie Scheffler drained a birdie putt to extend the match.Jon Rahm also birdied to halve the hole and keep the lead 3 UP going to the 16th hole.And so begins my best photos of the day, taken on the north end of the walkway from the 15th green to the 16th tee.Scottie Scheffler, with his caddie Ted Scott close behindScottie (right) and NBC Sports course reporter Jim “Bones” Mackay (“ma-KYE”), longtime caddie for Phil Mickelson, and briefly for Justin ThomasBones (right) and J.J. Spaun (left)Sepp Straka and Jon RahmStraka (right) and Rahm’s caddie Adam Hayes (left)Random fighter jet photoBen Griffin’s caddie Alex RitthamelBen Griffin and RitthamelBryson DeChambeau’s caddie Greg BodineBryson DeChambeauJustin Thomas (left) and Europe captain Luke Donald (right)U.S. captain Keegan Bradley and Justin Thomas (left) and Donald (right)Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, who would go on to win their match 1 UP.Visual proof of Jon Rahm and Sepp Straka’s 3&2 winShane Lowry’s caddie Darren Reynolds, Rory McIlroy’s caddie Harry Diamond (I can’t tell which vice captain is on the left.)Rory McIlroy took a lot of harassment from fans, including one standing ahead of me. Kudos to Rory for whatever his measured retort was.Shane Lowry and Rory McIloryI love this photo most. Rory was looking to my right, but Shane and vice captain José María Olazábal were looking right at me. Two Masters champions (Olazabal winning twice!), two Open Champions, and one U.S. Open and PGA Champion in one photo!One more photo of Shane and RorySam Burns (left)An NBC Sports mic operator, U.S. vice captain Brandt Snedeker, Sam BurnsThe mic operator and Snedeker without BurnsPatrick CantlayAnd with that, my dad and I began the long walk back to the exit.I don’t know if this is a temporary street sign, but I like it.I had to take this photo.The setting sun made for many great photos.This is where the opening and closing ceremonies were held (and champagne flowed).Sky Sports‘ broadcast towerExiting The Ryder Cup Shop with my pin flagRory McIlroy missed a putt that would win the match. Instead, half a point went to him and Shane Lowry, and the other half a point went to Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay.U.S. fans applaud the non-lossRide sharing and LIRR infoAll aboard for Jones Beach.Back at Jones Beach Field 4, there was a mini shop for those who wanted one more thing. (I wasn’t one of them. I got my one thing, and that was enough.)Back to the car.A parting photo of the Jones Beach water tower (a.k.a. The Pencil)
It’s been a long 18 days, what with Homecoming Weekend at LIU Post (and WCWP), the Ryder Cup, and all the post-production (no pun intended). Now, I can decompress until the next big event on my social calendar.
Thank you for reading all the way to the end, and thank you to my dad for another great experience together at a New York area golf tournament.
PICKUPS As I walked around the vendor marketplace Sunday, I noticed this replica Pan Am plane in the window of the museum gift shop. Finally, after seven years, moments before going home, I stepped inside to buy that plane (seen here on Amazon).
The clerk told me his grandfather flew that model plane as a pilot for Pan Am.
Whomp ‘Em was my most expensive game of the weekend, going for $60. Counting the fried ravioli (and Sprite) I ordered from a food truck Sunday afternoon, I only went $30 over my $370 cash budget. (I bought the Pan Am plane with my credit card.)
Volleyball is my latest NES Black Box game pickup. There were 30 Black Box games released, 17 at launch, then 10, and 3 more. Alphabetically, Volleyball was the 30th. I have 20 of the 30: 11 of the first 17, 6 of the next 10, and all of the last 3.
THE END Thank you, as always, for taking this photographic journey through Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. I seem to say this all the time, but working on recap blog posts is truly a labor of love. So much work goes into them: editing the photos, choosing which ones to watermark for inclusion in these posts, making lower resolution equivalents for the blog and other social media, uploading the photos into each blog post draft, rearranging the photos in certain galleries, writing, link aggregation, coming up with SEO summaries (I forgot to make one for this post), publication, and social media promotion.
Like with Smooth Jazz for Scholars, I initially streamed the photo editing process on my Twitch channel (after showing all my pickups). I finished the “job” off-stream after Friday afternoon. I sacrificed many hours, and either truncated my treadmill runs (42 minutes instead of 70) or didn’t run at all. It was for the art. I hope you, the reader, are satisfied with the end results.
PCs: (NOTE: This gallery is a mix of photos from PC Freeplay, PC Museum, and regional exclusive computers that were part of the Retro Gaming Museum exhibit.)
I have attended seven of LI Retro’s nine years. I started small in 2017, only spending two hours there on Sunday afternoon. I was there the entire weekend in 2018 and ’19, and have used my weekend pass on two of the three days since 2022. By 2023, I had to spread my recaps out into three parts because I took so many pictures, mostly of the exhibits (as seen in 2024). That’s what I’m doing again this year.
Tickets went on sale in February and guests were announced in July. Some of those guests will be chronicled below.
You’ll be happy to know there weren’t any mishaps this year. None of my equipment was wrecked and no cups of coffee were spilled.
ARRIVING AT THE MUSEUM My mom pulled into the Cradle of Aviation Museum parking lot at 9:38 AM on Saturday.
I exited the car with badge QR code printout in hand. I had the lanyard for my badge wrapped around my neck, along with my Canon EOS R7 with RF-S 18-150mm lens and Speedlite 430EX II attached. (I only used the latter on for flash photos, and never during panels.)
This photo was taken Sunday morning, but pretend it was Saturday.LI Retro photographer Gene interviewed Glen of Glen’s Retro Show while he and fellow attendees waited for the doors to open at 10AM.Glen then turned the tables and interviewed Gene.10AM came, the doors opened, and attendees were let inside. Those already with badges entered on the right. I was on the left line.
Inside, I was ushered to the box office where my QR code was scanned and I was handed my weekend badge. I attached to my lanyard and made my way to the first of four panels I had in mind. We’ll see photos from those later in this post.
The LI Retro staff is great and I’m honored to know them. Sunday morning, I met up with staff member Ryan Shapiro and he took this selfie of us:
Thank you, as always, Ryan.
PHOTOS WITH GUESTS AND CANDID PHOTOS OF THEIR TABLES
I got a photo with John after his The Evolution of Retro Collecting panel.
Check out his LI Retro vlog:
Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson Pat and Ian have been a fixture at Long Island Retro Gaming Expo since 2019, and I never miss their panel, recorded live for their Completely Unnecessary Podcast (a.k.a. CU Podcast). Like John Lester, Pat Contri’s YouTube journey began in 2008 with his Pat the NES Punk series, a fictionalized take on his life as a video game fan and collector. Pat’s YouTube channel also includes Flea Market Madness (sometimes featuring Frank, a fellow New Jersey transplant in San Diego), The Video Game Years retrospective, the aforementioned CU Podcast in video form, and the Not So Common Podcast with Alex Faciane.
Alongside the many Charlie Brown/Peanuts Christmas TV specials, it’s an annual tradition of mine to watch Pat the NES Punk Christmas episodes every December. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but the first two are the most sentimental. Incidentally, I can’t look at R.O.B., the original face of the NES, without hearing the Punch-Out!! opponent “voice.”
A big component of this year’s LI Retro was print media’s role in video game preservation. Pat’s Ultimate Nintendo series does its part. I have been a loyal reader since the Guide to the NES Library, which I bought from Pat (along with Pat the NES Punk DVD sets) in 2019. I helped fund Guide to the SNES Library later that year and last year, the latest book (as seen behind Ian, me, and Pat): Guide to the N64 Library. Pat, Ian, and an all-star lineup of reviewers break down every release for Nintendo’s first three home consoles. I used the Ultimate Nintendo app after each day of LI Retro to add any NES pickups to my collection. (Buy Ultimate Nintendo books here.)
Thank you to Kristen for taking this photo:
I returned the favor by having Kristen pose with Pat and Ian:
Adam Koralik Sunday afternoon, “Mike Camera” and Adam Koralik met a third time. (That’s my server name on his Discord.) Adam’s trusty Sega Pluto prototype was part of the Retro Gaming Museum exhibit and he was more than happy to discuss it with attendees and have them try out its few playable games.
And of course, I had to get a selfie:
More exhibit photos can be found in part two of this year’s recap.
Matthew Sussman While I did not meet actor Matthew Sussman, the original English language voice of Meowth in the Pokémon anime, he was a big draw, as seen in this Saturday photo.
I learned from an attendee in line outside the museum Sunday morning that Matthew is a fellow photographer, also in the Canon ecosystem. His camera of choice is the EOS R6 Mark II.
Ryan Burger Ryan is the publisher of Old School Gamer Magazine, a literal mom-and-pop operation, at least at conventions. On staff at LI Retro were his wife Becky (who took the photo below), and their daughters Paige (the manager) and Rachel.
Ryan graciously gifted me with Old School Gamer Magazine Issue 46, which I held in our Sunday morning photo. You’ll see it again among the pickups in part three. Ryan was part of the third Saturday panel I attended: The Role Print Media Plays in Video Game Preservation. One of Ryan’s fellow panelists was…
Leonard Herman I remain grateful to The Immortal John Hancock for introducing me to Leonard Herman at their joint 2018 panel. It inspired me to buy Phoenix IV and many other books. I have become good friends with Lenny and his table manager Patrick Wong, and a fixture at any panel Lenny is part of. (If I got the title wrong, either of you can let me know and I’ll edit post haste.)
Lenny is putting the finishing touches on Phoenix 5, to be released in two volumes in 2026 via Jeremy Parish’s Press Run, a division of Limited Run Games. (Jeremy and two rotating Retronauts co-hosts rounded out Saturday’s print media panel.)
Leonard Herman speaking with Joe Santulli of Digital Press (NOTE: Pat and Ian’s table was on the second floor Saturday, but moved downstairs Sunday.)Phoenix 5 galleys
Lenny with Patrick Wong on Saturday:
Patrick took our photo on Sunday:
One of the books I bought two years ago was ABC to the VCS, and I think Lenny would be proud that I bought five Atari VCS/2600 games this year. I was inspired to do so because I sought out any games programmed by the quartet of…
Dan and Garry Kitchen, David Crane, John Van Ryzin Regrettably, I was too shy to approach Dan, Garry, David, or John, but I bought Ghostbusters (designed by David, programmed for 2600 by Dan), Donkey Kong (programmed for 2600 by Garry), and Pitfall! (by David). I couldn’t find H.E.R.O., designed by John. And because of my shyness, I didn’t buy any of their new games made for the 2600.
Dan and Garry Kitchen, and David Crane are seated from left to right. John Van Ryzin is standing in the right corner of the photo.
I forget if Dan Kitchen or Ryan Burger was playing Casey’s Gold in this candid photo Sunday morning.
That takes care of the guest photos. Photos with fellow attendees are coming up after a look at the quartet of panels I saw.
PANELS
Saturday Panel 1, 10:30-11:30 AM Panel Room 2 (now upstairs in The Sperry Classroom) John Lester (Gamester81) The Evolution of Retro Collecting: From Hobby to Industry
Saturday Panel 2, 12-1PM Main Theatre Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson CU Podcast Live!
I got the first question right: Which game was released for the NES licensed, unlicensed, and licensed again? I raised my hand and answered “Pac-Man.” I was right, and earned a sticker. As a supporter of The Gaming Historian (and yes, I read a quote in a video), I chose a GH Patreon supporter sticker to go with the one I have from my days as a supporter.
“King K. Rool” asked if Pat and Ian knew of a suggestive glitch in Donkey Kong Country.
As usual, I had a question: playing off the Gaming Historian sticker, I asked if Pat or Ian had been in touch with Norman Caruso since he announced last April that he was giving up pursuing the YouTube channel full time. Great news: Norm is still creating. He co-hosts An Old Timey Podcast with his wife Kristin.
Pat was surprised that we went the entire Q&A session without invoking the ill-fated vaporware known as the Intellivision Amico.
As of publication on August 21, the full episode is up, with the Phil1Up Collects video discussion heard starting at 1:15:30. NES trivia and the Q&A are not included. I will update with video clips when posted.
9/29 UPDATE: Sorry for the delay. There is one video and here it is:
Moderator Luis Aguasvivas introduced himself, then had the panelists introduce themselves.Ryan BurgerLeonard HermanJeremy ParishBrian ClarkKevin BunchLenny talked about Phoenix 5 and collaborating with Jeremy ParishJeremy weighed in, as wellRyan on Old School Gamer MagazineLaughing at a quip from LennyRyan noted that if Back to the Future came out today, Marty McFly and Doc Brown would be in 1995. That also got a laugh. Paraphrasing Marty in the first film, I jokingly said “Guess you guys aren’t ready for Gracie Abrams yet.”During Q&A, Ryan gave each questioner a copy of Old School Gamer Magazine Issue 46.After the panel, we see attendees talking to Brian Clark, Jeremy Parish……and Ryan Burger.
One other tidbit from this panel is Jeremy Parish lamenting that his early 2000s articles for now-defunct websites cannot be accessed because they weren’t archived.
I devoted most of my Sunday to photographing the exhibits and freeplay areas, buying any games I didn’t buy on Saturday, mingling further with guests, and actually playing freeplay games for the first time in years. (Oh, and I bought fried ravioli from a food truck; another first for me.)
So, the one panel I saw that day had to be Lenny’s.
Sunday Panel, 3-4PM Panel Room 2 Leonard Herman The History of the History of Videogames
What was that game shown in an episode of The Streets of San_Francisco?Answer: Clean SweepAfter initially buying a Magnavox Odyssey 2, Leonard bought an Atari VCS.Lenny’s first articleABC to the VCS was going to be released in 1983, but the infamous crash put that on hold.ABC to theNES was only considered, not written.The evolution of Phoenix…How did Rolenta Press get its name?Magazines that reviewed PhoenixFor the second edition, Leonard used a video capture device called GrabIt to make in-game freeze frames.For the third edition, photos were taken with a Sony Mavica MVC-FD5 digital camera. I used a Mavica in one of my high school classes.I bought these books at Lenny’s table in 2023.The road to Phoenix IV…Many famous names signed the preview edition.Phoenix 5!In two volumes!One of the galleysQ&A timeStuart Feldhamer asked a question.Afterward, Stuart retrieved his early editions of Phoenix loaned for LI Retro.And bringing things full circle, Luis Aguavivas shook Lenny’s hand and complimented him on his works. John Lester was also at the panel.
9/29 UPDATE: Leonard posted video of his panel. (Of course, you see me front and center snapping away.)
PHOTOS WITH/OF FELLOW ATTENDEES
My friend Timothy (a.k.a. Sho):
Timothy and C.J. (I forget which vendor she was with):
CONCLUSION I mingled for a bit after in the guest table area after Leonard Herman‘s panel, then returned to the vendor marketplace for more games to buy. I texted my mom to come pick me up, said my goodbyes, and exited the Cradle of Aviation Museum:
My last photo of the weekend before getting in Mom’s car, bound for home
When I got home I took photos of my weekend badge…:
I still need to use that QR code.
…and pickups, starting with merchandise:
Thank you again to Ryan Shapiro and the LI Retro staff for gifting me with a backpack, pin, sticker, program, and t-shirt. I greatly appreciate the gesture after the mishaps I endured over the weekend.
I built up a $400 budget for merchandise, games, and maybe even consoles or accessories. I also brought two games I was unable to sell on eBay in the hopes of selling them to a vendor in the marketplace. I only got $10 for Knowledge is Power (PlayStation 4) and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition (PS5), but I was just glad to get rid of them. After struggling with games like the PS4 port of Celeste and (in my debut stream) the Xbox One port of Dark Souls: Remastered, it seemed pointless to keep games in my collection that I was terrible at or had no desire to play. (The Spider-Man games fell into the latter category.) So, my budget became $410.
I spent $105 on merchandise, with all but the My Life in Gaming t-shirt purchased Saturday. (I brought the M2: Complete Works Blu-ray for Coury and Try to sign after buying from them last February.)
That left $305 for games. I went to an ATM for an extra $40 (plus a $4 surcharge). Combined with a $5 bill from my wallet, I went $45 over budget. I’ve done worse in prior years, so I consider that a victory.
I successfully haggled with each vendor, saving me at least $50.
I finally bought individual carts for Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt, on the combo cart that came with my Zapper Set in February 1990, and I bought the triple combo cart for the Power Pad Set.
The games in alphabetical order, with purchase day in italicized parentheses:
Lunar Pool(Saturday) – I originally bought this on eBay in December 2021 as part of a seller lot, but made a small tear in the label while rearranging cartridges sometime after that
This wasn’t the end of buying, though. I passed up on To the Earth and Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? for NES (the latter game had a cracked a shell). When I bought the triple combo NES cart and World Class Track Meet from one vendor, she offered the Power Pad. Just as I was about to buy, a young man behind me lamented that he wanted it. So, I graciously declined and let him buy it. And I couldn’t find a copy of Ridge Racer 6. I rectified all of that on eBay in the days after LI Retro.
Wednesday, August 14, I bought To the Earth and Where in Time…?, I snagged a Power Pad on Thursday, August 15, and bought Ridge Racer 6 on Saturday, August 17. As of publication, I only have the Power Pad and To the Earth, which I photographed Monday, August 19 (updated at 4:05 PM August 21 with Ridge Racer 6 and on August 24 with Where in Time…?):
The vendor marketplace photos were taken both days while the exhibits were all taken Sunday.
Let the tour begin.
FIRST FLOOR Walking in:
Vendor Marketplace:
I had a nice conversation with Tessa on Sunday before buying Tekken 3.The Glen’s Retro Show table featured a light gun that can be used on modern TVs.Jeff (left) was there to promote the light gun, a GRS Sinden Target Pro.
Virtua Cop on a Disney TV. Who’da thunk it?I was in the area too early for tournaments.NFL Blitz and Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!, two classics. (Admittedly, I like Blitz more, especially 2001.)
INTRODUCTION 2024 was my sixth year at Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, held in the Cradle of Aviation Museum, on the right end of Museum Row in East Garden City. This was also the first year that Flagstar bank had naming rights. That’s evident in the first photo below, taken as my mom pulled off Charles Lindbergh Boulevard at 9:45 AM on Saturday, August 10.
LI Retro, the expo’s shorthand, launched Friday, August 9, at 4PM, but since the expansion to three days (or 2 1/2) in 2022, I’ve forgone the Friday leg.
Tickets went on sale all the way back at the end of December and I was quick to secure my weekend badge, even though it would be months before attendees even knew who the guests would be.
If you remember my disappointment last year when spotting Clint Basinger (LGR) walking through the vendor marketplace after the expo while editing photos, I was pleased to see he was a guest this year!
Two other notable guests were Warren Davis, the creator of Q*Bert “and other classic video arcade games” (as his book title notes), and legendary Nintendo marketer Gail Tilden. I was not able to attend Warren’s Saturday evening panel, though I met him at his table in the morning as you’ll see in that portion of this post. Gail had a free-form panel on Saturday evening and an interview panel on Sunday, the latter of which I attended.
Ahead of Saturday morning, I packed a printout of my badge retrieval code, my Canon EOS R7 with RF-S 18-150mm lens and Speedlite 430EX II, TASCAM DR-05X, and stenographer pad with pen. (I never used those last two.) I was anxious that my compulsive nature would lead to as many photos as last year. The bad news is I was right. The good news is the total over three cameras (you’ll read the why of that quantity later in the post) was 697 photos. This time, however, 617 were chosen to spread out over three blog posts, not counting scans or photos taken after Sunday.
ARRIVING AT THE MUSEUM Several paragraphs ago, I said I arrived at the Flagstar Cradle of Aviation Museum at 9:45 AM Saturday. After my mom dropped me off in the parking lot to the left of the roundabout, I took an establishing shot of the museum, unaware that my folded badge code printout was visible in the bottom left. So, I took another shot Sunday morning:
The photos in this gallery are from Saturday.
Badge retrieval areaA staff member instructs attendees waiting in line.He got a kick out of this Link cosplayer’s sign.Seconds before 10AMEntering the museumA hearty welcome after my bag check(NOTE: Lucas Thomas, Nintendo Force magazine founder, is seen entering on the right in the penultimate photo. Little did I know I’d see him again Sunday afternoon.)
On the way to the guest table area, I ran into Timothy (a.k.a. Sho), a fellow My Life in Gaming fan. We met in person in 2019 and I had to get a selfie this time:
GUEST TABLE PHOTOS
Entering the guest area, with additional vendors on the opposite side, whom you’ll see in the second post; Panel Room 2 is out of view to the right
Photos in this section were taken Saturday and Sunday. You can tell which day by what we’re wearing.
Warren Davis Warren and I didn’t talk much – so, no magic tricks – but I introduced myself and gladly bought a copy of Creating Q*bert for him to sign. I told him on Sunday that I bought a copy of Q*bert’s NES port in his honor. He thanked me for that. (More on pickups in the third post.)
Clint with his Panasonic SuperDisk PalmCam PV-SD4090, the subject of a future LGR video. Maybe you’ll see the selfie we took with it. (8/23 UPDATE: Yes. Video added below.)Prior to that selfie, I took one with my EOS R7. Dissatisfied with my appearance, I made tweaks in Photoshop.
8/23 UPDATE: Today, that future video became a present video.
The LI Retro portion begins around the 10:20 mark and the selfie compilation includes me, Coury Carlson, Adam Koralik (more on him in the John Hancock segment), and Frank Cifaldi.A screenshot of our selfie
Thinking Clint would be at the expo on Sunday, as well, I brought my PlayStation 3 copy of Duke Nukem Forever to sign. Alas, he had left after Saturday.
A recent LGR video made me think of my psychologist of 27 years, known to patients like me as Brad. In the mid ’90s, Brad had an Acer Aspire. If I remember correctly, it was the same color as Clint’s. (Brad retired in 2018 and I’ve had another therapist since 2019.)
9/6 UPDATE: Clint went into greater detail about LI Retro in the vlog below.
John included a pin and sticker, which I put inside the Block ‘Em Sock ‘Em case.Adam Koralik returned this year as a paid attendee. I go by Mike Camera on his Discord and introduced myself as such on Sunday. He recognized me immediately. I had to get a photo with him and his good friend John.
Check out John’s LI Retro vlog. He saw exhibits that I missed, and thus won’t be seen in my second post.
So, of course, I was thrilled to see them again this year, and ask a question for the third year in a row at their panel/podcast recording.
G Gracin bumping fists with Pat and Ian on SundayG brought their Sonic the Hedgehog Interactive Camera for selfies in digital file and thermal print form.G handing the thermal print to PatThey got a selfie with Ian, too.Pat and IanFind out why my smile is subdued in the “Mishaps” portion of this post.Before they departed on Sunday, I snapped a photo of Pat, Daniel Greenberg, Ian, Frank Cifaldi, and Daniel’s wife Alex.
9/2 UPDATE: The latest Flea Market Madness video is embedded below photos of the CU Podcast panel.
G Gracin and Greg Sewart didn’t have a table, but did have a Saturday panel. (Check the “Panels” section of this post for photos.) I posed with them in this photo on Sunday.
I also got the Sonic selfie treatment, in digital form…
…and in thermal print form. I scanned that (left) and used Photoshop’s photo restoration filter to limit the vertical banding (right).
G posted a few YouTube Shorts at LI Retro:
[The first short was removed in 2025.]
There really is so much to see at Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. John Hancock and G saw things that I missed.
I really liked Greg Sewart’s Ridge Racer series retrospective:
Since you saw Daniel and Alex Greenberg (Winterion Game Studios) in Pat and Ian’s photo gallery, here is a photo Alex took of Daniel and me after Pat’s CU Podcast Live panel.
Let’s skip ahead one table to the My Life in Gaming duo of Coury Carlson and Mark “Try4ce” Duddleson:
This was last photo of the weekend taken on my EOS R7. Again, the explanation is in the “Mishaps” segment.I brought my copy of the M2: Complete Works Blu-ray for Coury and Try to sign. Try signed the cover first……then Coury.A photo with the signed coverSunday, since shirts were selling well at the MLiG table (myself included), Try decided to splurge on a rare PlayStation game: Koudelka, the first in the Shadow Hearts series.
9/2 UPDATE: Coury and Try ended August with a new My Life in Gaming video: the second in their Multi-Games Compilations series. It’s worth watching for Try’s LI Retro t-shirt alone.
We round out this segment with the Father of Videogame History, Leonard Herman, joined by Patrick Wong and Mark Baer (middle child of videogame pioneer Ralph Baer).
A replica of Ralph Baer’s Brown Box prototypeMark played tennis on the replica with an attendee.And after Lenny’s Sunday panel, Patrick took our photo.
I spelled video game as one word because that’s how Ralph Baer spelled it and how Lenny spells it.
Leaving the guest tables behind, it’s panel time!
PANELS
Saturday Panel 1, 11AM-12PM Panel Room 2 Mark Baer and Leonard Herman Ralph Baer: His Creative Life in Electronic, Videogames and More
This strayed close to the 2023 presentation, which was the last panel I attended. So, I changed my photographic approach. Before the photos, here are the videos shown during the panel:
Despite the German title, the video is in English.
The panel concluded with the What’s My Line? segment that Mark referenced.Host Larry Blyden and Bob Fritchie were “Playing ‘Tennis'” on the Magnavox OdysseyMark and Lenny shook hands after a panel well done
Before the other panels, a diversion.
Mishaps
It was in between the Ralph Baer panel and the CU Podcast panel that I accidentally knocked my camera off a food court table, breaking my Canon EOS R7’s RF-S 18-150mm lens. The ring attachment stayed on, but the rest of the lens broke off.
It was irrecoverable. The only solution was to buy a replacement lens once I got home, and with a 5-year lens accident warranty. I’m covered if history repeats itself, God forbid.
The lens and UV filter arrived Wednesday morning and a test photo was successful.
Unfortunately, Sunday had another problem. Patrick Wong from Leonard Herman’s table prepped to take a photo of me with Pat Contri and Ian Ferguson. Ian sprained his ankle and was only at LI Retro that day. After I took the photo of Pat and Ian together, I foolishly chose to take a photo with them to the right of Pat’s table. Ian’s cup of coffee was perched on the right end of that table. As I turned to get into position for the photo, Ian warned “watch the backpack!” The warning was in vein. My bulky backpack knocked the cup over and it spilled on the upper right end of the table. The photo op was aborted, paper towels were summoned, and adjacent merchandise was checked for damage. As all that happened, I felt tremendous guilt and shame. I thought I’d become persona non grata to both of them, and God forbid, would be sued. Thankfully, none of that was true. No merch was damaged, the spill was quickly disposed of, and Pat used hand sanitizer to further clean the affected area. Then, we retreated to a safe spot away from the table for our photo op. Pat and Ian were all smiles in the photo while I was too drained to fully smile. They both assured me everything was fine and not to worry. That’s when I headed to the main theatre for the Gail Force panel.
After that panel, LI Retro staff member Ryan Shapiro gifted me with an expo backpack that contained a pin, sticker, 2024 program, and Asteroids-themed t-shirt. I’ll save the contents photo for the third post, but I’ll show the backpack here, too.
Aside from the podcasts, you’re also on Twitch every Wednesday, watching retro commercials. How did you- What made you decide to go that route instead of streaming games?
Pat responded that it spun off from his NES Charity Marathon (origin of the “Buh-lack Box!” catchphrase), and that he felt relaxed and nostalgic watching things from the past. The TV commercials or promos allow him to recall moments from his past. That led to a discussion about the significance of preserving these moments in the same way video game media is preserved. I chimed in with radio airchecks as an example, but I might not have been heard.
Pat welcomes the assembled crowd.Frank Cifaldi arrives to fill in for Ian FergusonThe Kotaku article linked above the galleryIn this photo, the topic is how Game Informer‘s archives were all thrown away.Q&A timeA shoutout to Daniel and Alex Greenberg. Daniel wrote game reviews in Pat’s Ultimate Nintendo guides.Panel/podcast completeA round of applause
As of publication, the podcast is not up in audio or segmented video form. There is, however, Flea Market Madness Volume 49, recorded on Father’s Day (June 16). It features the other Frank, as seen in the thumbnail.
3:51 PM UPDATE: There is audio of the Game Informer discussion, but not the Q&A, starting at the 1:17:25 mark of the latest podcast.
10/28 UPDATE: Video of Pat and Frank’s discussion went up six days after this post was published (August 27).
G’s introductionGreg’s introductionA question from the audienceWhat followed was a chronological journey through Sega’s console history. First, the SG-1000.The Master SystemThe game changer: The Sega Genesis, released 35 years ago last week (August 14).Game Gear and Nomad (portable Genesis)Sega CDThe 32XG bought a custom-made Neptune at LI Retro. It’s based on the never-released Genesis/32X hybrid prototype.Sega SaturnThe DreamcastAfter the Dreamcast, the panel (and Sega’s console history) was complete.Another round of applauseG and Greg spoke to fans afterward
After browsing and buying from the vendor marketplace, I went home.
I returned a little closer to 10AM on Sunday morning. I still had to wait in line for a bag check; I didn’t mind that.
In lieu of a panel I had in mind at 11AM, I re-photographed areas that were blurry on Saturday, took photos of vendors I missed on Saturday, then toured the exhibits on all three floors. Look for those in the second post.
Then, the topic switched to her tenure with Nintendo Power magazine. Lucas asked the audience to give a “whoo!” when their first issue was displayed on the projection screen above them.
Watch the video to see if I misremembered anything. Then, see the photos that I kept bending over to take.
Listen for me at the 7:03 mark.Jeremy ParishGail TildenLucas ThomasDiscussing the first issue of Nintendo PowerLJ, whom I met at a panel in 2019, asked Gail who did the claymation for the first issue’s cover.He also gave a “woo-hoo!” for the DuckTales cover, a nod to the cartoon series theme song (played at a faster tempo on the title screen).The Super Mario Bros. 3 strategy guide was technically my first issue, bought by one of my parents at Te’amo convenience store on West Merrick Road in Freeport.This was the sixth issue I had after first subscribing to Nintendo Power at Volume 70.Gail’s Nintendo Power journey ended with Volume 100.And it’s where the panel ended.Afterward, many people had questions and recollections for Gail……and items for her to sign.I just wanted a photo, which LI Retro staff member Joe Vincent took for me.
Then, it was quickly off to Panel Room 2 for my last panel of the weekend.
Sunday, 2PM-3PM Panel Room 2 Leonard Herman The History of the History of Videogames
This was the place to be: a celebration of a man who blazed the trail for videogame history. 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the original Phoenix: The Fall and Rise of Videogames.
“I just want to say this is the reason why I started seriously collecting. … I remember going up to a classic gaming expo, and this gentleman here gave me the 2000 edition, correct? Third edition [of Phoenix]. And this is what started me on my serious collecting journey. And I’m honored that I consider him a friend, a close friend, a good guy. And I want to say, like, this book changed my collecting trajectory. And you know, this gentleman is really a big contributor to getting some serious facts of videogame history in a serious book. And I’m just honored. So, I want to just thank you for all you’ve done. He needs to be remembered. And I will continue that, like how you promoted and honored Ralph Baer. That’s me to you. So, I just want to say thanks. And this is your time. Thank you so much.”
Well said, John.
The stage is yours, Leonard.
How Leonard’s Rolenta Press got its nameA letter from Ralph Baer!No Starch Press was the villain in this story.How Lenny took photos for Phoenix IVUnflattering background?Just mask it away.The paperback edition of Phoenix IV (and a bookmark)Lenny holds up the hardcover color editionWill there be a Phoenix 5 in 2025?If so, here’s the outline so far. With the help of Jeremy Parish, it will published by Press Run, the publishing arm of Limited Run Games.A shoutout to Frank Cifaldi’s Video Game History Foundation.Frank recalled he was working for GamesTM magazine when he contacted Lenny for a copy of Phoenix III.My favorite shots of Lenny were when he smiled or laughed. You could tell he enjoyed sharing his story.The many video game history books that followed PhoenixLenny promoted his Game Scholar website.
Upon closing, Lenny opened the floor to Q&A:
Ahra was among those to ask a question.Frank Cifaldi had a few questions.So did John Hancock.
The funniest question and answer came via Mark Baer:
LENNY: Yes, sir. MARK: Do you have a favorite historical figure in videogame history, by any chance? LENNY: Yeah. Nolan Bushnell. [audience laughs] If anyone doesn’t know, that’s Ralph Baer’s son. That’s his son, Mark. He’s a troublemaker. MARK: You could answer honestly.
After a few more questions, the panel ended with a round of applause.
I had to get a photo of Leonard Herman, Frank Cifaldi, and John Hancock:
Ian Ferguson dropped by after the panel to say hello:
That is the end of post one. Head to post two for a tour of the marketplace and exhibits. Post three features a conclusion, pickups photos, and a postscript with post-expo pickups.
After my last Long Island Retro Gaming Expo panel of the weekend, I made my way to the vendor marketplace and searched for games I didn’t have that were $20 or less. I bargained with each vendor, only spending close to $200. That’s the least I’ve spent since my first year (2017). The bulk of my purchases were for the Nintendo Entertainment System, my first video game console.
The opposite view from the establishing shot in post 1
Cumulus clouds against the clear blue, sunny sky
The American flag (I captioned the other two, so why not this?)
My bag of combined pickups, led by the infamous Deadly Towers; I finally got it
Monday, August 14 and beyond
My attempt to make up for Saturday night’s severe storm-shortened sleep was unsuccessful. I woke up early Monday morning after five or six hours of sleep. Then, I went outside to look at the stars.
Back inside, as the sun rose, I unpacked the pickups from my paper bag and photographed them.
Now, I have an NES Yoshi to go with the Game Boy version I’ve had since childhood. The Power Pad games and Star Voyager were the subjects of early Pat the NES Punk episodes (including one with Alison).
“Power Pad Fun!”, Part 1:
Part 2:
Deadly Towers got the Angry Video Game Nerd treatment (via fans’ script submissions):
Wrongly assuming the 3DS and Wii U Super Smash Bros. games were the same, I only bought for Wii U when I started collecting for the two consoles in 2017 (there’s that year again). Prior to LI Retro, I saw a Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Video Games video that set me straight (Japanese with English subtitles):
Good thing I found a copy from a vendor, eliminating the need to buy from Amazon.
And lastly, my first Sega CD game – Joe Montana’s NFL Football:
To quote the infamous TV ad (parodied here), I “still don’t have a Sega CD,” but after buying my first game Sunday afternoon, I bought 12 more games on eBay between Monday morning and Wednesday night. This included eight from four-game lots, and two Sonic CD variants. The complete list (in order of appearance):
MikeChimeri.com 
My photos from round 3 of the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills June 24, 2026
Posted by Mike C. in Aviation, Commentary, Golf, Internet, Media, Personal, Photography, Sports, Travel, Weather.add a comment
WARNING: I opine on unruly fans at the end of this post.
Nearly nine months after attending day 1 of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, my dad Bill and I were on the opposite end of Long Island at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for the third round of the 126th U.S. Open. (As I type this parenthetical, the Wikipedia entry is incomplete.)
Due to COVID-19 postponing the 2020 U.S. Open and excluding fans, this was my first trip to a U.S. Open since 2018, also at Shinnecock and also for the third round. Furthermore, this was my third time at Shinnecock for the U.S. Open, and my dad’s fifth time. He was there in 1986 when Raymond Floyd won and again in 1995 for Corey Pavin‘s victory. My first time was in 2004 when Retief Goosen won his second U.S. Open.
In 2004 and 2018, the mode of transportation for Dad and I was LIRR trains. In the latter case, we spent more time traveling to Shinnecock Hills than attending the U.S. Open there. I was too worn out and we were so far away that I just wanted to go home. And I thought we’d be taking trains again in 2026. Instead, Dad drove to one of a few automobile parking lots for shuttle bus service to and from the course. Our destination was the “blue lot” on the former site of Calverton Executive Airpark.
We left the house shortly after 9:30 AM with a route that eventually found us on the Long Island Expressway (L.I.E.; I-495). Our exit was 68 (William Floyd Parkway). This LED sign was placed ahead of the exit, seen at 10:14 AM:
Seconds later, we exited the L.I.E. Five minutes after that, we exited the northbound William Floyd for NY 25 east.
We turned into Calverton Executive Airpark at 10:27 AM.
Five minutes later, we were guided to a parking spot, walked to the checkpoint, and boarded a shuttle bus.
The USGA opted for late tee times on Saturday. The first pairing teed off at 9AM and the last wouldn’t begin their third round until 3:45 PM. This meant a low passenger capacity departed the blue lot at 10:39 with Dad and I seated in seats 5 and 6 (second row left). The east-southeast ride took about 45 minutes and was peaceful except for the music playing in my earbuds via my iPhone 17 Pro, which was the source for all photos in this recap.
I got a great photo of Shinnecock Canal ten minutes from the golf club entrance.
There was also a blurry photo of one of the early holes, but you don’t want to see that.
Dad and I exited the shuttle bus at 11:27 AM and would spend the next five hours within Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
The first 2 1/2 hours were spent walking around as much of the course as possible. Let’s get two photos of me out of the way, one taken by my dad and the other a selfie:
The gallery below begins at gate 1 (11:28 AM) and ends at the 1st hole green (1:50 PM).
There are so many golfers (and caddies) in the photos above and below that I couldn’t possibly link to them all. Instead, I’ll link to this page on the U.S. Open website. Thanks, however, to Google for helping me identify the caddies.
Dad and I decided to set up on the right side of the 2nd hole tee to watch the last 11 pairings. Then, we’d head for home.
These photos were taken between 1:56 and 4:01 PM, and occasionally divert to the 1st hole green.
The walk back to the blue lot shuttle bus took 20 minutes, with a stop for a cookie and Sprite along the way.
The ride back to Calverton Executive Airpark was closer to 30 minutes than 45, but at full capacity. Dad and I sat near the middle of the bus while still on the left side.
It was 5:04 when we got “back to civilization,” as I quipped upon exit.
Thank you, as well, USGA and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Overall, I had a wonderful time.
Little did I know I was part of a mass exodus from the course that thinned the crowds by the time Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark finished their rounds just after 8PM. Well, maybe if the tee times were earlier, we’d have stayed longer. 3:45 for the last pairing? Shinnecock Hills is on Long Island’s East End, not the Monterey Peninsula like Pebble Beach Golf Links, home to next year’s U.S. Open. So what if it was the second-longest day of the year? Also consider that most attendees commuted from Nassau County (like me and Dad) or one of New York City’s five boroughs. Shinnecock isn’t as convenient as Bethpage Black. If everyone stayed for the end, I figure we’d all get home between 10:30 PM and 12:30 AM, depending on where we live. The final tee time on Sunday was 2:30 PM. Much better.
In Saturday’s third round, Wyndham Clark overcame bogeys with birdies, an eagle, and many pars. The result was an even par 70, remaining at -7 for the championship. His partner for the final round on Sunday was Scottie Scheffler.
I was shielded from most of the unruly fans on Saturday, but I heard them loud and clear (and obnoxiously rude!) on Sunday. Sure, it was Scottie Scheffler’s 30th birthday. Sure, he was going for the career grand slam. Sure, you can root for Scottie. What you shouldn’t do is root against someone like Wyndham Clark, and with the same fervor directed at European golfers last September at Bethpage Black during the Ryder Cup. I doubt stems from Wyndham punching his locker after missing the cut at last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. This was actively rooting for someone to fail, heckling him right before swinging or putting, haranguing “GET IN THE BUNKER!” on every tee shot, and cheering derisively at every bogey. No wonder Wyndham told Mike Tirico “New York didn’t really like me” during the trophy presentation. Yes, that’s right: Wyndham Clark survived all the aforementioned crap, a charge by Sam Burns that came one birdie short of a tie, and won his second U.S. Open championship. He did so wire-to-wire. Thank goodness that wire didn’t fray.
Wyndham Clark is the third consecutive U.S. Open champion at Shinnecock Hills to win this major for the second time: Retief Goosen in 2001 (Southern Hills) and ’04, Brooks Koepka in ’17 (Erin Hills) and ’18, and now Clark in ’23 (Los Angeles Country Club) and ’26. Congratulations, Wyndham. This New Yorker likes you, and loved the heartwarming moment with your dad after you won. It was a very happy Father’s Day.
Getting back to fan behavior, this is the second time in nine months that the world has witnessed unruly New Yorkers at a major men’s golf tournament. These bad apples, no pun intended, have given the majority of fans (people like me and my dad) an unshakable negative reputation. Yep, we Yanks are all drunk a-holes, aren’t we? (No!) God forbid these fans resurface at Winged Foot in two years; or worse yet, at Bethpage Black for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. If it happens there, I guarantee this region will never host another women’s golf major, and that would be a shame, especially considering changes to the PGA Tour in 2028:
Thank you for reading all the way to the end. If you’re wondering, Dad and I got home around 6:15 PM and watched the rest of the third round on TV. I searched my DVR in vain to see if we were on TV. Outside of those few seconds after Sam Stevens teed off at the 2nd hole, we went unnoticed by NBC’s Canon 4K cameras.
My next blog post will likely be three blog posts recapping this year’s Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. Until then, Knicks in 5– I mean, so long. 😀