In the last podcast episode of the season, the Nostalgia Critic Crew returns to the Midwest Gaming Classic to discuss the good, bad, and ugly of arcade game film and series adaptations! What makes an adaptation good or bad? Which ones are the Crew’s favorites and why? Which ones are their least favorite? And why did the movie ‘Mean Girls’ get a video game adaptation? (Seriously, they might not be able to answer that one. We can’t either.)

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

Join the man known as the “Father of Adventure Games” Scott Adams, as well as David A. Rodriguez, an associate narrative director for one of today’s biggest adventure games, Diablo IV! Historian Martin Goldberg will moderate this journey exploring the differences in how early games were made compared to the games of today.

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

Your voice is more than a sound you make, and no one can share that message better than actors Carolina Ravassa (Sombra in Overwatch) and Christopher Sean (Ultraman/Ken Sato in Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising). Join them as they talk about how they got their roles, as well as how to juggle personal health and well-being.

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

Think you’ve got what it takes to become a voice actor? Enter the mines with the people behind the voices of Zane, Kim, and Pierce the Sheep from the Aphmau channel on YouTube! Select audience members will read scripts, and this awesome voice acting crew will provide fun feedback!

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

In this special hour-and-a-half episode, John Parrish (Jax in Mortal Kombat 3) and Lia Montelongo (Sindel in Mortal Kombat 3) join us to talk fitness! Picked to be digitized for their athleticism 30 years ago, they’ll share tips and tricks to stay in Kombat-ready shape for life! After the panel, step into the arena with John and Lia for the ultimate 45-minute Mortal Kombat Warrior Workout! As legendary characters from the iconic franchise, John and Lia bring their strength, agility, and warrior spirit to this high-energy fitness experience. John, known for his powerhouse portrayal of Jax, brings his background in strength training and athleticism to the workout. At the same time, Lia, the fierce and agile Sindel, infuses dynamic movement and flexibility, pushing you to your limits. Together, they’ll guide you through a fun, intense, and action-packed session designed to make you feel like a true Kombatant. Are you ready to train like a warrior? Join us for an unforgettable fitness experience that will test your endurance, challenge your strength, and unleash your inner fighter!

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

When Atari refused to give developers credit for their game designs, a number of programmers, including David Crane, broke away and started the first third party video game company: Activision. Widely considered to have made some of the best 2600 games, join programmers David Crane, Dan Kitchen and Garry Kitchen as they discuss with Atari historian Marty Goldberg what it was like in the early days of this revolutionary company, what they think about the company Activision has grown into today, and their return to Atari 2600 programming with Audacity Games!

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

Join us for an intimate behind-the-scenes look at Stern Pinball’s latest title, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye. Featuring lead game designer Brian Eddy, lead software designer Dwight Sullivan, lead artist Vince Proce, and script writer Zack Proce.

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

Are you a fan of Mystery Science Theater-style comedy? If so, you do not want to miss this, as Jonah Ray is on hand to riff the legendarily bad Atari Jaguar infomercial “The Cave” from 1995. Are you ready for 64 bits? We doubt it, but you probably want to watch anyway.

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

Jeremy Parish of Retronauts, along with Brian Clark and Kevin Bunch, are on hand to discuss the “Greatest RPG Ever!” just like they did last year with Final Fantasy VI! This year’s “Greatest RPG Ever!” is Chrono Trigger, the time-hopping, Square masterpiece that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! Don’t miss it, as they’ll explain why this time, they’re right, this is the greatest RPG ever made!

Original Panel Date: April 5, 2025

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.

Legendary arcade designer Eugene Jarvis has been making hit after hit for arcades ever since Defender and Robotron 2084, and his games keep getting better! Last year, he talked about the new Godzilla VR experience, this year he will be joined Stephen Hack and Ray Rosario from Raw Thrills to talk about some of the great things they’re up to. The future of arcade games is bright, and they’ll tell you all about it!

Original Panel Date: April 5, 2025

TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/

WHEN: April 24-26, 2026

WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203

© Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.