Video Games Live – Not just "Bleeps and Bloops"

From Metal Mario to Samus Aran to Cousin Daisy from Katamari Damacy (Me – Elisa Elshamy who got her spotlight in the nytimes), along with many other video game favorites and fans were lined up Sunday night at the Beacon Theater in New York City for Video Games Live 2009. The line covered about 3 blocks and went across the street as gamers anxiously awaited to see and hear the most memorable moments from their favorite games orchestrated

Video Games Live composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall

live on stage. The hall opened at 7pm sharp for some pre-game fun including a Guitar Hero tournament, entering a draw to win a Nintendo DSi, and time to take photos with cosplayers.

The event opened with the cosplay contest won by Mario and some humorous video clips. Tommy Tallarico, director of Video Games Live came out to give a brief intro to how it all began saying that when he first mentioned the idea of composing video game music live on stage everyone

Talented video games pianist Martin Leung

thought he “was completely crazy”. However, this turned out to be quite contrary and the show has been a huge success since its debut in 2005.

Tommy Tallarico got video game creator Ralph Baer via Skype to talk to the audience and share some thoughts. Footage from Baer’s groundbreaking development, Pong was played on screen. Baer created Pong back in 1969, which led to the birth of one of the world’s leading industries in entertainment and culture.

The orchestra directed by Jack Wall opened with music from all-time favorite Metal Gear Solid with some live action to go with it. The famous Snake hideout – a cardboard box appeared on stage and shortly after popped out the talented pianist Martin Leung. Other segments included music from

Adorable Laura Intravia plays the flute as Link

Kingdom Hearts, Shadow of the Colossus, the Super Mario Series, Final Fantasy and Halo. Two new segments played for the first time making their breakthrough in New York were Mega Man and Chrono Trigger/Cross.

Let’s not forget the Legend of Zelda segment where gifted, beautiful, and even funny Laura Intravia came on to the stage as Link with fairy companion Navi. Intravia opened the Zelda segment playing the flute with

My Katamari Cousin Daisy Cosplay

well-known tunes from the game. Leung came back to give us more Mario and even played requests shouted from the audience right on the fly. Tallarico jammed on his guitar as Guitar Hero tournament champ awed us with a fascinating level expert performance on the big screen.

Video Games Live overall was a wonderful experience for me. I had a lot of fun, and got to re-live some of the most unforgettable moments from my favorite games. I recommend everyone to go sometime, as Tallarico put it best – there’s a lot more to video game music than just “bleeps and bloops”.

Michelle Perl as Samus Aran

Check out videos of Video Games Live in New York @YouTube