The Studio has taken a step back in time to a world of blue hedgehogs, high-jumping plumbers and female bounty hunters with a new, interactive exhibition.
We have launched a retro-gaming exhibition which allows our students to discover how gaming has evolved from its humble origins to today’s sophisticated titles.
The exhibition consists of three rooms that act as ‘walk-in time capsules’ and a home for the consoles of the past. Consoles featured in the exhibition range from the Commodore 64 to a ZX Spectrum, and from a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) to more contemporary consoles such as the Dreamcast and Playstation 1.
Our Sector Skills Champion Mike Hanson developed the exhibition with help from our partners, staff and students. He said:
“We wanted to provide our students with a timeline of discovery that incorporates hands-on engagement and allows our young people to immerse themselves with a piece of the past.
“A lot of our students have never played some of the consoles that we have on display in the mezzanine and this exhibition is a great way to show them how development techniques have changed, eg. Pixel art vs. current day 3D models.”
The retro games installation works in conjunction with The Studio’s ‘Made in Liverpool’ exhibition to showcase gaming titles that have been developed in Liverpool, and many of our partners and supporters have helped us fill the exhibition space. Liverpool based game artist Bob Wakelin provided a series of signed screen prints, and Lucid Games Ltd donated signed copies of games the team had previously worked on at Bizarre Creations.
Students will be invited to explore different areas of video game history during lunch-time and their breaks from classes to expand their understanding of the gaming industry.