News

Relive the heydays of old-school gaming from the 70s to present day at this exhibition

Who here has gamed on the Atari 2600?

Catharina Cheung
Written by
Catharina Cheung
Section Editor
Airside beyond gaming exhibition video game consoles
Photograph: Courtesy Nan Fung Group
Advertising

Whether you love or hate gaming culture, it’s undeniably a large part of most people’s childhoods and hobbies even into adulthood. From the Magnavox Odyssey – the first home-use video gaming console – to the latest Nintendo Switch 2 release, gamers have seen the rise and fall of many trends and technologies from the 70s to the present day, and you can now reminisce on them all at this exhibition on gaming, its art and designs, and collective memories.

Airside is hosting the ‘Restart! Beyond Gaming Exhibition!’, which explores how gaming extends beyond simple personal entertainment and has become an integral part of Hong Kong’s cultural tapestry. Check out the wall of gaming consoles to find vintage consoles such as the Atari 2600 from the 70s, the Nintendo Famicom from the 80s, over 300 Nintendo games from the 80s and 90s, and more – see how many of these consoles you recognise and once owned.

Bringing back to the now-disappearing arcade, the exhibition allows you to redeem coins to try your hand at ‘The King of Fighters ‘98’ and ‘Bubble Bubble’. An interactive installation also transforms visitors into game characters from different eras. If you’ve ever wondered what you’d look like as an eight-bit pixelated dude, a 2-D ‘Street Fighter 2’ character, or a 3-D player from the early years of ‘Winning Eleven’, this is your chance to find out.

Little Fighters 2
Photograph: Courtesy Marti Wong / Nan Fung Group

Hongkongers of a certain age will remember the ‘Little Fighter’ series by Marti Wong, a single- and multi-player beat ‘em up game released in 1995. Immensely popular in the 90s, its sequel was developed with Starsky Wong in 1999, and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of ‘Little Fighter 2’, the remastered game will feature an Airside-exclusive backdrop of the famous Kowloon Walled City for an added touch of Hong Kong heritage.

If you have fond memories of video games, this exhibition is a must-visit. ‘Restart! Beyond Gaming Exhibition!’ runs from now until November 9 at the Gate33 Gallery in Airside, and admission is free.

Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Hong Kong newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox

Recommended stories:

‘Space oil’ drug renamed as ‘etomidate’ by Hong Kong government

The coolest things to check out in Hong Kong this weekend (August 1-3)

G-Dragon launches Zo&Friends pop-up in Hong Kong, inspired by his own cat

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising