At first, the UK might not seem the best place for video game conventions and gaming events. The UK has no major industry events (Europe’s version of E3, Gamescom, is held in Germany every year). The UK historically lacks a big Nintendo presense, and has somewhat particular tastes in games, with FIFA usually ending up as the best-selling game of the year. However, the UK has a great country-wide anime and gaming convention event calendar hosted by the Anime League.
These events are held in multiple British cities like London, Sheffield, Bristol, and Manchester. The events are colorful vibrant and you can attend for a small fee to see loads of different cosplay, join in events such as talent shows, and play some retro games with other guests. On the weekend of June 29, Smash Jump attended Norwich’s Anime and Gaming Con. Here are our impressions.
Venue and stalls
The Norwich Anime and Gaming Convention Summer 2024 was hosted at the University of East Anglia. The sprawling green campus and brutalist architecture of the buildings made for a great venue. It was a warm, humid day with on-and-off periods of rain. At the entry line, many different cosplayers could be seen, mainly from anime, but also from series such as The Legend of Zelda, Genshin Impact, Final Fantasy, and other Japanese franchises. Pokemon also had a huge presence at the event. Stalls selling Pokemon plushies and toys were visible as you entered the event. There were also stalls selling and trading Pokemon cards, scenes that have been common at events like this in the UK since the turn of the millennium.
While no actual video games were being sold, all kinds of anime and video game memorabilia including cards, posters, toys, and art were on offer. The atmosphere was great, kind of a mixture between the atmosphere of an art gallery and a university party. In terms of age ranges, these are family events, and people of all ages were enjoying the stalls, game rooms, and stage events. There were groups of teenagers and older individuals, as well as young families at the event. The main stage had various performances, and it was all colorful and loud. Generally, it is a great day out, whether you have a young family, or are simply a fan of anime and video games.
Gaming and cosplay
In terms of gaming, near the back of the event were three or four large seminar rooms filled with retro consoles, each with a classic game from that era running on the machine. From NES and Master System, all the way up to PS5, many great games were being played. Multiplayer, especially Smash Bros and Mario Kart drew the biggest numbers. However, there were enough consoles for you to easily be able to play. There were no long lines of people waiting for a turn to play. So, if you want to flaunt your skills at Smash or Mario Kart, or just hang back and chill with like-minded people, anime and gaming conventions are the place to be.
Cosplay, the act of dressing up as a character from an anime or videogame series is one of the main reasons people attend this anime and gaming convention. Maybe about half of the people who attended this event took part in cosplay. Genshin Impact was well represented. There were also quite a few people dressed as Princess Zelda or Link, and then more traditional Mario and Luigi costumes, as well as more obscure series. A few times I spotted some generic-looking elf only to be told that they were from this or that obscure anime that I’ve never heard of. Nevertheless, chatting to people in cosplay about who they are representing can be part of the fun. Everyone is always respectful and friendly.
Stage and Food/Drinks
The convention had a whole timetable of acts performed on a main stage. This includes anime tribute acts, musical performances, and a talent show open to all. While I was pondering what jokes to use during a skit based on the Kokiri from Ocarina of Time, I realized that it had turned midday, and the bar had opened so food and drinks had begun being served. The venue is, of course, a university, so the bar opening meant cheap beer, and I wasn’t the only one who had thought of this. Within half an hour, the underground bar area was full of groups of multi-color cosplayers, all in their respective visiting groups, eating and drinking, and generally having a merry old time.
After lunch, we went back up to the gaming rooms to continue playing Smash Bros. I noticed that they even had a couple of old Master System consoles that still worked. As a retro gaming fan, this particularly appealed to me since classic Sega was a great gaming era. The UEA campus is a 20-minute bus ride from Norwich train station, so keep that in mind when you visit the event in the future.
A Great Family Day Out
Overall, the Norwich Anime and Gaming Convention Summer 2024 was a fun event where people of all ages can enjoy playing video games, hanging out with like-minded people, dressing up as characters from their favorite franchises, and generally getting involved in geek culture. While it is encouraged for you to actively participate in stage shows or cosplaying, you don’t have to, and you will still have fun if you just want to chill at the event. I’d advise coming with as much money as possible as the memorabilia can be expensive, and if you have deep pockets, you could pick up some real treasures.
If you reckon you’re decent at Smash Bros or Mario Kart, the Norwich Anime and Gaming Convention is an opportunity to try and dominate the scene, as you can test yourself against others who think that they are good players (however, Smash and Mario Kart have a big component of luck so you’ll always have a chance). The more I attend these events the more I’m tempted to attempt cosplay. Who knows, maybe at the next Anime and Gaming Con that I go to I’ll finally dress as Dark Link!
