Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 5 May 2018

New Zealander 1st ever 'Galaga' arcade game World Champion

By NICK PERRY about 2 million points and
WELLINGTON, New Zealand three ships when — boom,
(AP) — Mastering a classic boom — Laidlaw loses two
arcade game isn't a lucra- ships. He waves at the ma-
tive hobby, so some of the chine and gets up, grab-
world's best players of "Ga- bing his lucky stuffed green
laga" were thrilled to get alien toy.
all-expenses-paid trips to "He's walked out. He's given
New Mexico to compete in up," a commentator says
its first-ever world champi- on the Twitch live-stream.
onship. "It's over, man."
The Santa Fe art collective Slapping his hand in excite-
Meow Wolf showcased ment, Barrow stands up, let-
the game at its Score Wars ting go of the joystick and
tournament in April, with a losing two ships. He extends
top prize of $10,000. his hand toward Laidlaw,
Online platforms like Twitch who sits back down and
that livestream events continues playing his final
have brought a surge of ship. "I think he's up. But he's
interest in watching others back down," one commen-
compete on video games. tator says. "No, but Barrow
While modern games like got up," says another. "Oh.
"Fortnite" dominate the Wait. I don't know what's
scene, there's renewed in- happening."
terest in the retro games In this April 20, 2018, photo, Andrew Barrow plays the game Galaga at an arcade in Wellington, "Was it a clever fake-out?"
that started it all. Some New Zealand. the commentators ask. The
300,000 people tuned in to referee rules Laidlaw con-
watch the livestream of the ___ it one of the top five clas- "g'LAR-ga" instead of the ceded. He says he got up
"Galaga" tournament. THE GAME: Released by sic arcade games — along more common "GAL-aga." to concede but when he
People who grew up play- Namco and Midway in with "Donkey Kong," ''Pac- ___ saw Barrow was down to
ing the game, like Meow 1981, "Galaga" became Man," ''Ms. Pac-Man" and THE DARK HORSE: Armando one ship thought, "Game
Wolf CEO Vince Kadlubek, one of the most popular ar- "Defender." ''If you want to Gonzalez, 44, of Los Ange- on," assuming Barrow lost
are part of that resurgence cade games. Players ma- be known as world class, les, started out playing an his ships during gameplay.
in interest. Many now have neuver spaceships to shoot you have to master one of easier, rapid fire version "It was pretty weird," Barrow
the time and income to down bug-like aliens. In the these games," he says. of the game, switching to says. "I'll give him the ben-
become collectors of clas- 2007 documentary "King of ___ the original arcade version efit of the doubt."
sic machines or to chase Kong: A Fistful of Quarters," THE KING: Andrew Laidlaw, to compete in the tourna- ___
records. author Steve Sanders calls 53, of Kirkland, Washington, ment. Gonzalez's oppo- GAME OVER: In the final,
entered the competition nents didn't know his skill Gonzalez makes the rookie
holding a 7-year-old world level: Suitably, he changed mistake of shooting down
record of 4.5 million points his social media avatar to a one of his own ships. He
on the game's tournament dark horse. fights on, drawing level with
mode, as tallied by official ___ Barrow after a 2-million-
record keepers Twin Gal- GAME TIME: Ten players point tear. He's in the zone,
axies . While growing up in compete in the knock-out feeling like he's dancing.
Colorado, Laidlaw would rounds, playing simultane- But he loses more ships and
bike to arcades to play. ously on machines lined up it's over. Barrow is the first
___ at Meow Wolf's Score Wars "Galaga" world champion.
THE CONTENDER: "Galaga" event. Laidlaw beats Day, "That was a brutal match,"
was invented eight years advancing to the semifinal Barrow says. "It was up and
before Andrew Barrow, 29, against Barrow. Both have down the whole way."q
of Wellington, New Zea-
land, was born. After play-
ing at arcades with his dad
and brother, he switched
to playing competitively
online. Since computer
scores don't count for of-
ficial arcade records Bar-
row, who is also an elite
"Donkey Kong" player, flew
to Australia to play on ar-
cade machines there after
struggling to find suitable
ones in New Zealand.
___
THE FORMER CHAMP: Art-
ist and former teacher Phil
Day, 44, of Melbourne, Aus- In this April 1, 2018, photo provided by Meow Wolf, New Zea-
tralia, is a past world record land's Andrew Barrow, left, receives his prize money for winning
holder of what he calls, the first annual Score Wars, Galaga World Championship event
with his Australian accent, in Sante Fe, New Mexico.