Robert Belgrade

Castlevania, Shenmue 1 and 2, Tekken 5, Soul Blade

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Robert Belgrade is a voice actor and musician. He is probably best known for his work as Alucard in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. (1997). He also voiced Nathaniel `Rock` Adams in Soul Blade (1997), Pedro in Shenmue 1 (1999), Cool Z in Shenmue 2 (2001) and Joseph Schreiber in Silent Hill 4: the room (2004). He has also appeared as the narrator in a wide range of games including Tekken 5 (2004) and Tekken 5 Dark Resurrection (2005).
With two dozen games under his belt, Robert is still quite active in the industry. More recently he voiced the character of Orlok Dracule in Koji Igarashi`s Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (2019) and multiple roles in the popular game Lunacid (2023).

Autograph 8x10: $50
Premium Authograph: $60
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $70
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $80
Voice or Video Recording: $60

Guy Cihi

Silent Hill 2

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Guy Cihi is an award-winning industrial designer with a business degree from Harvard University. He co-founded several EdTech companies and the Endeavour College of Natural Medicine. Guy appears in games and films, most notably voicing James Sunderland in Silent Hill 2 and Nathan Barnes in Forgotten Memories.

Autograph 8x10: $50
Premium Authograph: $60
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: ?
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $70
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $80
Voice or Video Recording: $60

William Corkery

Sonic The Hedgehog

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

William Corkery is an actor based in San Diego. He has been doing voiceover and acting in film and theater since he was a young boy. He is best known for Tails in Sonic Heroes, Reese Worthington from the Backyard Sports series, and Pete from his guest spot on Drake and Josh. His biggest influences are Jim Carrey, Jack Black, and Richard Horvitz.

Scott Dreier

Sonic The Hedgehog

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Scott Dreier is an American actor and singer. He is the voice of Knuckles the Echidna in the Sonic the Hedgehog Sega video game series in such iconic games as Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Battle, Sonic Advance 3 and Sonic Heroes. Scott is also known for his television work including Harold the Herald on Disney’s The Suite Life on Deck as well as his work on shows ICarly, The First Family, Malcolm in the Middle, Coop and Cami Ask the World, and ABC’s The Rookie. Scott is also a singer and recording artist. His first self-titled album features a duet with TV’s Katey Sagal (Futurama, Married with Children). Scott just released his 3rd album of holiday jazz standards simply named “Christmas”, Scott Dreier with Andy Langham.

Ryan Drummond

Sonic The Hedgehog

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Ryan Drummond is an actor, performer, singer, clown and is best known for his role as the original voice of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise from 1998 to 2004. Ryan also has many on-screen credits including BAYWATCH, POINT PLEASANT, TWO GUYS A GIRL AND A PIZZA PLACE and your favorite Cheerleading movie, BRING IT ON. Ryan has also voiced countless characters in over 75 video games unrelated to SONIC. For example, Eliot Ballade in Blue Stinger, Kevin Kertsman in Illbleed, Rick Arlen in Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned For Danger, Pizza Boy in Twisted Metal 4, Jonathan Carnahan in The Mummy, Multiple Characters in Backyard Baseball, Football, and Soccer, and he has recently voiced the Doctor in Mafia: Definitive Edition.
Drummond has also voiced many of your favorite Halloween animatronics and decorations. His voice can be prominently heard every Halloween season - scary!!

Michael Guinn

Castlevania, Silent Hill, Ridge Racer, Time Crisis

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Michael Guinn, aka Michael G., is an actor, musician, and writer, formally trained at the University of California. He arrived in Tokyo in the late '80s, just before Sony developed the original PlayStation. After a hit Sony Walkman commercial, Sony signed him, shortened his name to Michael G., marking the beginning of a prolific stretch in Japanese media and video games. He co-starred alongside Michiru Akiyoshi on Club de Tokio, a popular Friday night show on J-Wave, performing under the moniker "The Famous Bartender" and improvising character voices live on air. His performances on the show led to early voice roles in arcade games.
Having voiced dozens of video games, he's perhaps best known as Harry Mason in Silent Hill (1999) and Dracula in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997). He also played the narrator in Tobal 2 (1997), the knife-wielding villain Sherudo Garo in Time Crisis (1995), and the announcer in Ridge Racer (1995) - the first PlayStation game released in the U.S.

Autograph 8x10: $50
Premium Authograph: $60
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $70
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $80
Video or Voice Recording: $60

Grant Kirkhope

Voice of Donkey Kong

Composer for Golden Eye 007, Perfect Dark, Mario + Rabbids, Donkey Kong

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Grant is an Ivor Novello and World Soundtrack Award winning, BAFTA nominated Scottish composer who has created the soundtrack for video games that have sold more than 40 million copies. From "GoldenEye" to "Banjo-Kazooie", "Viva Piñata" to "Donkey Kong", "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning" to "Civilization: Beyond Earth" and "Perfect Dark" to "Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse". He’s worked on "Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle", "Yooka Laylee", "Dropzone", "Ghostbusters", "World of Warcraft: Shadowlands" and "Minecraft Dungeons". He is also the composer of the infamous "Donkey Kong Rap" from the Nintendo video game "Donkey Kong 64", which was featured in the recent "Super Mario Bros. movie".

Autograph 8x10: $30
Premium Authograph: $50
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $60
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $70
Video Recording: $60

Thessaly Lerner

Silent Hill

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

A voiceover talent since 1998, Thessaly Lerner is best known as the Teen Girl in The Sims 2 franchise and Lisa Garland in Silent Hill 1 and 3. Her other retro videogame credits include Violet in Cel Damage, Psychonauts, the Urbz, Pyopop Fever, Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playground, Everquest 2 and more. Additionally, Lerner is the writer/producer/director/creator of Dreamworks TV’s animated series, Astrid Strudelman, the Unicorn Whisperer and 5 narrative podcasts with over 4 million downloads. Lerner is also known as Rainbow Valentine, a counterculture historian/podcaster and The Ukulady, a musical comedian/performance artist campaigning for the Downfall of Evil.

Autograph 8x10: $50
Premium Authograph: $60
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $70
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $80
Voice or Video Recording: $60 | Sim-lish Ukelele Song on Video: $80

Liz Mamorsky

Silent Hill: Dahlia Gillespie

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

International artist Liz Mamorsky voiced the iconic character Dahlia Gillespie in one of the truly greatest video games ever made: Silent Hill! Other video game voice credits include Sam & Max, A Vampyre Story, multiple Baten Kaitos games and countless The Sims releases amongst many other games! Besides her voice work Liz is a phenomenal artist with many exhibitions and collections - and some of her art event made it into the set of Star Trek: Voyager!

Katie O’Hagan

Resident Evil

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Katie O’Hagan is best known for providing the voice and motion capture of Mia Winters in both RESIDENT EVIL 7: Biohazard and RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE. Most recently she has lent her voice to the Korean MMORPG Blade & Soul as The Twilight Queen, Mirae, and Sochi. She is an accomplished film and TV actor although not always easy to spot, as she is often either covered head to toe in special effects makeup or doing the animation voice-over. Katie is a dual citizen of Ireland and the United States, and she currently resides in Los Angeles.

Autograph 8x10: $30
Premium Authograph: N/A
Quotes (every 6 words): N/A
Photo (selfie) at table: $20
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: N/A
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $40
Phone Calls, Videos, Voice Recording: $80

Mike Pollock

Sonic The Hedgehog

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Mike Pollock has been the voice of Dr. Eggman in the Sonic the Hedgehog video games since 2003. He’s also been heard in Ultimate Muscle:The Kinnikuman Legacy, Kirby: Right Back At Ya!, Pokémon, and Berserk, as Sir Hardin Thicke on Howard Stern’s Master Tape Theater, and in commercials for IHOP, Hooters and Pepsi.

Autograph 8x10: $60
Premium Authograph: $80
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $80
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $100
Voice or video recordings: $100

Paula Rhodes

Resident Evil

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Paula has been honored to bring a wide range of characters to life including villains in the Resident Evil franchise, two of Barbie's sisters, Polly Pocket's BFF, a kooky crone on Disney's Bunk'd, Kid Constantine for Justice League Action, Wendy Darling in the series The New Adventures of Peter & Wendy, and 100+ others. She's also an award-winning director, writer, creator of 2 tiny humans, and founding member of the 5'2" & Under Club.

Autograph 8x10: $40
Premium Authograph: N/A
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $60
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: N/A
Voice mail or video recordings: $60

Maggie Robertson

Resident Evil Village, Baldur's Gate 3, and many more!

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Award-winning actress Maggie Robertson took the gaming world by storm with her voice and motion capture performance portraying the iconic villain and fan favorite, Lady Dimitrescu, in Capcom's RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE (2021). With a performance that was lauded by fans and critics alike, Maggie became an overnight sensation and the subject of press interviews, fan art, memes and even thirst tweets. Maggie found herself at the center of the awards arena in the gaming and voice industries and the recipient of a BAFTA Game Awards nomination for best "Performer In A Supporting Role". Her award wins include "Best Performance", The Game Awards, "Best Performer", The Golden Joystick Awards, "Outstanding Video Game Character", SOVAS Voice Arts Awards, "Best Acting In A Game" from the NY Video Game Critics Circle's NY Game Awards and "Outstanding Achievement In Character" from The DICE Awards.
Maggie stars in the multi-award winning Dungeons and Dragons based RPG BALDUR'S GATE 3. She provided the voice and performance capture for fan fave, Orin The Red, one of the game's main villains, opposite J.K. Simmons and Jason Isaacs. The three comprise the game's evil triumvirate. Maggie received her MA in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music & the Dramatic Art (LAMDA), joining the ranks of other notable alumni like Benedict Cumberbatch, David Oyelowo, Brian Cox, Ruth Wilson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and John Lithgow. After graduating, Maggie moved to Los Angeles and has been acting in film, television and games since then.

Autograph 8x10: $50
Premium Authograph: N/A
Quotes (every 6 words): N/A
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: N/A
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $80
Phone calls, videos, and voice recordings: $80

Jeff Schine

Resident Evil

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Jeff has been an on-camera and voice actor for over 2 decades…with over 100 credits spanning film, television, commercial, animation, and video games. Of his many projects as a VA, he is best known for his role in "Marvels Avengers" as Capt. America, Javier Garcia in Tell Tales “The Walking Dead” and Chris Redfield in “Resident Evil: Village.” Jeff and his wife have one daughter together.

Autograph 8x10: $40
Premium Authograph: N/A
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $60
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: N/A
Voice or Video Recording: $80

Nicole Tompkins

Resident Evil, Poppy Playtime

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Nicole Tompkins is a Texas-born actress whose work includes theater, film, voice over, video games and television. Best known for starring as the iconic Jill Valentine, Nicole lent her voice and full performance capture to bring the role to life in Capcom's remake of the fan favorite game Resident Evil 3. Nicole reprises her role voicing Jill Valentine in the upcoming RESIDENT EVIL: DEATH ISLAND CGI film from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment releasing Summer 2023. In 2022, Nicole performed two notable roles in Resident Evil Village playing both Daniela Dimitrescu and Elena, as well as Jack’O Valentine and Aria in Guilty Gear: Strive and Silga in Sony Interactive's Horizon Forbidden West. Most recently, she performed a leading role, Sarah Baker, in Keoken’s Deliver Us Mars which released in February 2023. She can also be seen this year in Genshin Impact and Tactics Ogre: Reborn. Other past roles include Idril of Gondor in the critically acclaimed video game Middle Earth: Shadow of War; Older Scarlett in season five of the hit FX show “American Horror Story” alongside Chloe Sevingey and Wes Bentley; and leading roles in feature films OPENING NIGHT with director Jack Henry Robbins, AMITYVILLE TERROR, DARKNESS IN TENEMENT 45, and ANTRUM: THE DEADLIEST FILM EVER MADE.

Autograph 8x10: $50
Premium Authograph: $80
Quotes (every 6 words): $20
Photo (selfie) at table: $40
Autograph 8x10/Selfie Combo: $70
Premium Autograph/Selfie Combo: $100
Video Recording: $80

Jeffrey Weissman

Back To The Future 2 & 3, Pale Rider, Saved By The Bell, Johnny Dangerously

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Jeffrey Weissman (born October 2, 1958) is an American actor. He has appeared in dozens of motion pictures and TV shows, most notably as George McFly in Back to the Future Part II and III and as Teddy Conway in Pale Rider. He has guest starred spots on Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Max Headroom, Dallas, The Man Show, and with Dick Van Dyke on Diagnosis: Murder and as Screech's Guru on Saved by the Bell.
Weissman is a teacher of commedia dell'arte and film technique, with students including both professionals and newcomers to the arts. He also teaches acting for film, directing, writing and improv at San Francisco School of Digital Film Making. (from Wikipedia)

Nolan Bushnell

Co-Founder of Atari

Appearing: Saturday ONLY

The Portland Retro Gaming Expo is honored to welcome one of the founding fathers of the global video game industry. In 1972, Nolan Bushnell created an industry when he co-founded Atari and gave the world Pong, the first blockbuster video game. Today his design credo—that games should be “easy to learn and difficult to master”—is inspiring a new generation of developers. A prolific entrepreneur, Bushnell has started more than 20 companies, including Chuck E. Cheese’s Pizza Time Theater; Catalyst Technologies, the first Silicon Valley incubator; Etak, the first in-car navigation system; and uWink, the first touchscreen ordering, entertainment and check-out system at restaurant tables. In the process, he pioneered many of the workplace innovations that have made Silicon Valley a long-standing magnet for creative talent. Bushnell was the first and only person ever to hire Steve Jobs, which he details in his and co-author Gene Stone’s 2013 book, Finding the Next Steve Jobs. In October 2023 he released his second book, Shaping the Future of Education, which he co-wrote with Dr. Leah Hanes.
He is currently chairman of ExoDexa, a gamified education company, and an advisor to companies in the gaming and eSports spaces. Additionally, he sits on several boards, focusing on games, robotics and other advanced tech. A true icon of the digital revolution, Bushnell was named one of “50 People Who Changed America” by Newsweek. A biopic about Bushnell, tentatively titled “Atari,” was acquired by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company and is in pre-production.
Nolan appears only on Saturday!

David Crane

Atari and Activision

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

The legendary David Crane joins the 2025 Portland Retro Gaming Expo! David designed and programmed many Atari 2600 classics like Pitfall!, Freeway, Decathlon and many more. He also co-founded software giant Activision, later worked at Absolute and created games for the NES and Super NES.
A long-time fan favorite, we're happy to have him back at the show, along with his Activision colleagues Garry and Dan Kitchen!

Michael Cranford

Creator of "The Bard's Tale"

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Legendary Michael Cranford created the popular "The Bard's Tale" on the Apple II and the follow-up "The Bard's Tale II - The Destiny Knight" - both of which got ported to tons of other systems. After almost 40 years Michael created the long awaited classic 8-Bit RPG game "Shadow Snare" for the Commodore 64 and will showcase, playtest and panel-present this at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo.

Tom duBois

Video game artist (Konami)

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Tom duBois is a celebrated American illustrator whose iconic cover art helped define the visual identity of Konami’s classic video games during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His dynamic, action-packed illustrations brought titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, Contra III: The Alien Wars, and Super Castlevania IV to life. Working often as an uncredited freelancer, duBois created some of the most memorable and culturally impactful artwork in video game history. His signature style blends bold color palettes, dramatic lighting, and exaggerated perspective, capturing the energy, narrative, and intensity of each game. His cover art played a defining role in the Western branding of Konami, influencing the first impressions of countless players and contributing to the lasting success of these franchises. In 2019, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds commissioned him for the album cover of Ghosteen, introducing his style to a new generation of fans.
World Premiere: this is the first time Tom duBois appears at a convention!

Mike Edwards

Game Designer, Programmer, Founder of BRAM Inc.

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

In the early 1980s, the home computer boom opened the door for a wave of small, independent software studios. Among them was BRAM Inc. of Seattle, founded by Mike Edwards and a close friend with a shared mission: create unique, action‑packed games built around the joy of two‑player play. Their debut title, Attack at EP‑CYG‑4, outperformed expectations and set the stage for Mike’s breakout hit, Zombies - a pioneering 3D top‑down dungeon crawler that pushed the limits of the era’s hardware. The game caught the attention of Dan Daglow at Electronic Arts, who was so impressed that EA acquired the game and released an enhanced version under the title Realm of Impossibility, earning widespread acclaim.
Join Mike Edwards as he revisits the Wild West days of early home‑computer game development in the Pacific Northwest, sharing stories from a time when creativity, experimentation, and a whole lot of improvisation shaped the future of gaming.

Ed Fries

Programmer, Vice President at Microsoft

Appearing: Sunday

Ed Fries fell in love with video games as a teen and after an early career of programming games and screensavers he ended up working for Microsoft. There he led the team that created and released the original Xbox and brought the killer-app HALO franchise to Microsoft. As vice president of game publishing, he was also responsible for the acquisition of Bungie, Ensemble Studios and Rare. In 2010 Ed returned to his roots and programmed Halo 2600 for the Atari 2600 console.
Join Ed as he celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Xbox and HALO and talks about the history and origins of these properties.

Bruce and Laura Gottlieb

Stirring Dragon Games

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Bruce and Laura Gottlieb are the founders of Stirring Dragon Games, an independent game studio focused on making adventure and role playing games with classical retro roots. If Origin Systems and Sierra Online had a baby... it would be Stirring Dragon Games. Bruce is a game industry veteran with 30yrs experience. Before going independent, he worked for companies including Rocket Science, Radical Entertainment, Electronic Arts, and Konami. Laura is a lifelong gamer with a background in business development and marketing. Their passion is creating unique games that awaken your imagination and invite you to become co-creators in the adventure.

Chris Huelsbeck

Composter, Musician

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Chris Huelsbeck is a legendary composer best known for his groundbreaking music in classic video games from the 1980s and 1990s. His iconic soundtracks for titles like Turrican, The Great Giana Sisters, and R-Type helped define the audio identity of the 8- and 16‑bit eras. With a career spanning more than three decades, Huelsbeck’s innovative melodies and technical mastery of early sound hardware have earned him a devoted global following. He continues to compose, perform, and remaster his work for modern audiences, keeping the spirit of retro gaming alive. His music remains a touchstone for fans who grew up with the golden age of home computing and consoles. We’re thrilled to welcome him to this year’s Portland Retro Gaming Expo!

Dan Kitchen

Activision and Absolute Entertainment

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

And where there is Garry, brother and fellow legend Dan Kitchen cannot be far. Dan has developed and produced a whopping 240+ games on 25 platforms! From the early Activision days working on the Atari 2600, then the GameBoy, various SEGA and Nintendo consoles, to Xbox & Xbox 360 and PC and Apple devices - there is hardly a platform Dan hasn't worked on! And Dan is still actively developing games today!

Garry Kitchen

Activision and Absolute Entertainment

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Speaking of legends... Garry Kitchen's second game for the Atari 2600 was Coleco's mega-seller port of Donkey Kong and he has created many hits since! Working for Activision he continued with the Atari 2600 and then the Commodore 64, before switching to the Nintendo Entertainment System. After co-founding Absolute Entertainment he created more NES and Super NES hits and is still active in game development!

David Oghia

Vectrex Mini Creator

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

David Oghia is a retro-gaming collector and enthusiast with a passion for preserving and celebrating classic gaming hardware. While his interests span many vintage systems, he has focused particularly on the Vectrex over the past decade following his collaboration with Julien, who has owned the Vectrex trademark for more than twenty years. Inspired by the success of mini retro consoles and by the enduring appeal of the Vectrex, Oghia led the creation of the Vectrex Mini, a fully functional, scaled-down recreation of the original console that was successfully funded on Kickstarter. The Vectrex Mini was a hit at the 2025 Portland Retro Gaming Expo and will return for 2026.
In addition to the Vectrex Mini project, David actively supports the retro-gaming community through his passion for collecting, preserving, and sharing knowledge about classic gaming systems. His work helps keep interest in the Vectrex alive while introducing a new generation of players to one of the most unique consoles ever created.
David is teaming up with Jay Smith, the father of the Vectrex, to talk about "The Past, the Present and the Future of the Vectrex.

Jay Smith

Vectrex Creator

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Jay Smith is an American engineer, inventor, and product designer best known for creating the Microvision handheld system and the Vectrex home console. Through his work with Western Technologies, he developed innovative concepts and products for many major companies, including Mattel, Milton Bradley, Kenner, and Nintendo. Released in 1979, the Microvision was the first handheld gaming system to use interchangeable cartridges, while the Vectrex, released in 1982, became a cult classic thanks to its unique self-contained vector display and arcade-style visuals.
Beyond the video game industry, Smith earned a strong professional reputation as a creative genius in the toy industry, developing groundbreaking concepts and technologies for some of the world's leading toy and entertainment companies. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his ability to combine engineering innovation with imaginative product design, helping to shape numerous successful consumer products.
Today, he remains a respected figure among both retro-gaming enthusiasts and product-development professionals, often sharing insights into innovation, invention, and the engineering challenges behind his pioneering creations. Jay is teaming up with David Oghia, the creator of the Vectrex Mini console, to talk about "The Past, the Present and the Future of the Vectrex.

Ted Tahquechi

Atari, Accolade, and Mattel Toys: Designer

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Ted Tahquechi is a well-known figure in the video game industry, known for his work in the videogame industry during the 1980s and 1990s. His contributions have left an indelible mark on the development of classic video games, releasing 35 titles for major platforms such as PC, Jaguar, Lynx, PlayStation, 5200, and 7800 while working for Atari, Accolade, and Mattel Toys. With a career spanning over several decades, Ted has become a well-known name among retro gaming enthusiasts. Ted’s dedication to the craft didn’t stop with game design and project management. Throughout his career, he lent his creativity in sound design, voice acting, and music creation to many of the titles he and others managed. He loves to speak at retro gaming conferences, where he has shared his insights on the industry’s evolution, the challenges and rewards of early game development, and the importance of creativity in the field. His presentations often delve into the technical innovations and limitations of the time, as well as the collaborative efforts required to bring a game from concept to reality. Today, Ted continues to engage with the gaming community, sharing his experiences and knowledge with a new generation of developers. His contributions to the industry, particularly during its formative years, have earned him a place among the pioneers of video game development.

Faran Thomason

Atari, Nintendo, SEGA: Producer and Designer

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Faran Thomason is an award-winning toy and video game industry veteran. A lifelong gamer and game developer, with a career spanning multiple genres and platforms, including casual games, sports, MMO, real-time strategy, action/adventure, and first-person shooters. He has also crafted a variety of board games and electronic games. Faran has worked at a who's who of legendary game companies, including Atari, Nintendo and Sega! Notable projects include Cybermorph, Bubsy in Fractured Furry Tales, Warlocked, and Rtype DX. Recently, Faran was featured in Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration and Bubsy: The Purrfect Collection and collaborated on the development of high-end gaming collectibles, such as Jinx/Powder’s Wind-Up Monkey Bomb from Arcane on Netflix and the Homeworld 3 Collector’s Edition. On the retro side, he recently launched Lore Lords Gladiators for the Atari 2600, with Stephen Mitchell.

Gail Tilden

Nintendo: VP of Marketing Communications

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Gail Tilden joined Nintendo of America in 1983 as Manager of Marketing Communications, where she oversaw brand identity, advertising, public relations and events for the 1985 launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the Pokémon franchise in 1996! She later founded the publishing group, responsible for Nintendo Power magazine and the Nintendo.com website, and directed the introduction of Pokémon outside of Japan as VP of Brand Management. She left Nintendo in 2007 and is now happily retired in the Seattle area.

Jim Vessella

Electronic Arts

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Jim Vessella has been a Producer for over 20 years, having shipped over a dozen major titles across iconic franchises including Command & Conquer, The Lord of the Rings, The Sims, and Star Wars. In recent years, Jim has also been a driving force in Electronic Arts’ game preservation efforts, focused on the digitization of archival assets, releasing source code to the community, and bringing classic titles to modern audiences. At the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, he’ll take attendees behind the scenes of his preservation work, showcase some of the lost treasures which have now been recovered, and reveal some upcoming restored games to offer a glimpse at what may be next for EA’s growing library of available classic titles

James Asmus

Writer: Rick & Morty, Survival Street, Marvel, DC, Image

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Award-winning comic writer James Asmus has a huge portfolio of credits, including the popular Rick & Morty, Survival Street (Dark Horse), and multiple Marvel (X-Men, Deadpool etc.), IDW (Transformers), Image (Thief of Thieves) and DC franchises. Plus he wrote multiple stage plays and works as an actor and comedian.

Cameron Basquiat

College Professor, Video Game Historian

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Cameron Basquiat is a Professor in the Department of Communication at the College of Southern Nevada (Las Vegas, NV). His research interests include the intersection of Gaming and Popular Culture. He's excited to bring an academic lens to the everlasting phenomenon of Tecmo Super Bowl and examine one of his favorite video games of all time. This will be a lively, fun and engaging presentation illustrating the value of an analytical framework to our shared passion of videogames.

Gary Butterfield

Watch Out For Fireballs! Podcast

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Gary Butterfield is one of co-hosts of the Watch Out for Fireballs! podcast that covers video games from every era, from retro to newer releases, indie to AAA. Each week they dive deep into a game's mechanics and narrative to figure out what works and what doesn't. Gary and and co-host Kaye Ross have delivered many fantastic panels at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo and we are glad to have them back!

Frank Cifaldi

Video Game History Foundation

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Frank Cifaldi is the founder and Executive Director at the Video Game History Foundation, a 501(c)3 charity dedicated to celebrating, teaching, and preserving the history of games. The VGHF's free-to-everyone Digital Archive opened in 2025, and has already impacted over 100,000 researchers and curiosity-seekers around the world. Frank joins us for our 40th Nintendo Entertainment System celebration, together with multiple Nintendo of America alumni.

Pat Contri

Pat the NES Punk

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Pat Contri is a game historian, collector, and online content producer best known for Pat the NES Punk, Flea Market Madness, the Completely Unnecessary Podcast, and The Video Game Years. He has produced Nintendo guidebooks for the NES, SNES, and N64. Pat Contri celebrates 15 years of being a retro gaming YouTuber! Pat will discuss his history of being a retro gaming "influencer," talk about his projects and the new N64 book, do a Q&A, and maybe have a surprise or two, including the "famous" Play the Punk Challenge!

G To The Next Level

SEGA Historian, Content Creator

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Can you believe it? Sonic the hedgehog turns 35 this year! And joining the Portland Retro Gaming Expo to celebrate this special anniversary with us is content creator G To The Next Level - SEGA and Sonic fan extraordinaire! Join G to learn more about the origins, lesser-known iterations and fun facts of your favorite hedgehog!
Visit G To The Next Level on YouTube!

Tama Hero

Pokémon Content Creator

Appearing: Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Tama Hero is a prominent video game content creator and commentator specializing in deep-dive essays analyzing the Pokémon RPGs! She is a super prominent figure in the Pokémon fan community, known for her long-standing YouTube career, her energetic and enthusiastic style, creative content, and interactive engagement with fans. Meet her at PRGE where she joins our Pokémon Anniversary celebration, together with other Pokémon-related guests!

Darren Hupke

Pixels and Polygons

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Darren Hupke runs Pixels and Polygons, the umbrella for his podcast and published works. A lifelong and avid gamer, Darren first put down his controller to create his book series 32 Bit Library that dissected and discussed the PlayStation’s library in book form a few years ago. Since then, four volumes have been released, and his monthly Retro Game Zine and weekly podcast Pixels and Polygons complement those books.
Darren's LinkTree

Yasmina Ketita

Author, Creator for Rue Morgue, The Rewind Zone

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Yasmina Ketita is a columnist and series host of The Rewind Zone for Rue Morgue Magazine, a contributor for Terror Vision, Canadian International Pictures, Arrow and Synapse Films, a film programmer at Toronto's Paradise Theatre and Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, and an avid VHS collector. Yasmina will be hosting a presentation on the history of VHS board games!

Chris Kohler

Digital Eclipse: Editorial Director

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Chris Kohler is Editorial Director of Digital Eclipse, overseeing the creation of "interactive documentary" aspects of games like Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, Tetris Forever, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, The Making of Karateka, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, Worms Armageddon - Anniversary Edition, Blizzard Arcade Collection, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection. A lifelong lover of game collecting and history, he was the founding editor of Game|Life at WIRED magazine, and is the author of books such as Power-Up: How Japanese Video Games Gave the World an Extra Life, Retro Gaming Hacks, and Final Fantasy V (Boss Fight Books).

Bob Mackey

The Retronauts Podcast

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Bob Mackey is a PRGE fan favorite with the Retronauts Podcast (together with Jeremy Parish). That original classic gaming podcasts continues its endless quest to explore the history of video games, one game at a time. They chronicle the creations that have paved the way for today's hits. From forgotten black-and-white arcade machines to modern-day remakes, Retronauts spans more than four decades of vintage gaming greatness!

Jeremy Parish

Video Game Journalist, Retronauts

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Jeremy is a former games journalist (1UP, USgamer, IGN) and the other half of The Retronauts - the original classic gaming podcast that continues its endless quest to explore the history of video games, one game at a time. Join hosts Jeremy Parish and Bob Mackey each week as they team up with a host of expert guests to chronicle the creations that have paved the way for today's hits. From forgotten black-and-white arcade machines to modern-day remakes, Retronauts spans more than four decades of vintage gaming greatness!

Jon Reddick

GenXGrownUp

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Jon Reddick is part of the GenXGrownUp channel: The late 1970s to the early 1990s were the coolest time to grow up! We had emerging technology like home computers, video games, the first digital games plus amazing music, awesome movies and pop culture! Meet the GenX'ers behind the popular GenXGrownUp channel and find out how these guys grew older but refused to give up their love of everything Generation X. Jon is joined by George Sumpter as they team up for a new panel!

Cassandra Reeder

Author: The Geeky Chef

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Join gaming cookbook author Cassandra Reeder (The Geeky Chef) for a deep dive into some of the most iconic foods in video game history. From suspicious stews to pixelated pastries, she and co-conspirator James Asmus will explore the potions, snacks, and consumables that stuck with us long after we put down the controller. Along the way, they’ll chat about what makes these foods so memorable, how they function in their games, and how they’ve inspired real-life recipes and recreations.

John Riggs

Rigg'd Games

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

John Riggs runs the popular Rigg'd Games YouTube channel. His tutorials on how to edit and modify NES games for beginners all the way to advanced modders are awesome and a huge hit! He also frequently covers how to troubleshoot and fix broken video games. This year he talks about how to publish video games - without knowing how to write actual code! Join him at PRGE!

Andrea Subissati

Executive Editor of Rue Morgue magazine

Appearing: Saturday to Sunday

Andrea is the Executive Editor of Rue Morgue magazine and host of Rue Morgue TV. Her masters thesis on the social impact of zombie cinema was published under the title When There’s No More Room In Hell: The Sociology of the Living Dead. Since then, she has been published in The Undead and Theology (2012), The Canadian Horror Film: Terror of the Soul (2015) Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Television (2017) and Scared Sacred: Idolatry, Religion and Worship in the Horror Film (2020). In addition to writing, she is co-host and producer of the award-winning Faculty of Horror Podcast with Alexandra West. and has appeared in the horror documentary Why Horror? (2014), CTV’s Pop Life, Banger TV‘s Locked Horns and Hollywood Suite’s A Year In Film.

George Sumpter

GenXGrownUp

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

George Sumpter is part of the GenXGrownUp channel: The late 1970s to the early 1990s were the coolest time to grow up! We had emerging technology like home computers, video games, the first digital games plus amazing music, awesome movies and pop culture! Meet the GenX'ers behind the popular GenXGrownUp channel and find out how these guys grew older but refused to give up their love of everything Generation X. Jon is joined by Jon Reddick as they team up for a new panel!

Two Girls One Ship

Video Games and Romance

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

How does your video game bae stack up against the rest? Jennasis and Virvada love video games and romance, and this is a panel dedicated to analyzing all that video game relationships have to offer. They talk about specific games, favorite love interests, where video game romance started, where it's headed, and everything in between. A fan favorite returns to the Portland Retro Gaming Expo!

Brett Weiss

Video Game Historian

Appearing: Saturday and Sunday

Gaming historian Brett Weiss has been a professional writer since 1997. He’s the author of 13 books, mostly about the NES, Super NES, Atari 2600, ColecoVision, Sega Genesis, and other retro games and gaming consoles. His latest book is The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1988-1998. He's also got a YouTube show, Tales from a Retro Gamer, and has been in various gaming documentaries. Weiss has written countless articles for numerous publications, including Game Informer, Fangoria, Filmfax, the Comics Buyer's Guide, and Old School Gamer, among many others. Weiss also has a national column in AntiqueWeek called The Pop Culture Collective.

Steve Wiebe

The King of Kong, Author, Musician

Appearing: Sunday

Competitive Donkey Kong player Steve Wiebe is a two-time Donkey Kong world champion, starred in the movie "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters", is a musician and teaches math at Redmond High School in WA State. Steve joins the Portland Retro Gaming Expo for a special presenation on Sunday morning with Ryan Burger of Old School Gamer Magazine.