June’s challenge was a throwback to the SEGA Megadrive – a survival challenge on Sonic 1. Players battled against their nerves and coordination to get as far through the game as possible and collect as many points as they could without dying. It seemed a few people were reminded just how hard older games could be, as only three of the participants managed to make it past Stage 1! There were 3 levels per stage, and Stage 1 level 3 was the biggest run-ender for the competitors - Dominick Seago set the bar here first and was quickly followed by Lee Worth, with Alex McAlister being the third to reach it with the highest point score of 25,000, putting him in third place overall.

Teyte Rombach from GSS took first place, tying at the same level reached as ATC’s Emily Naylor, but sealing his win by securing 1000 more points for a total of 29,000. It was a very close challenge, and even with a few practice rounds to adjust to the controls there were still plenty of ways for the game to catch people out.

The Virtual Reality set made its appearance once more, with attendees giving their best go at Vader Immortal and testing their reflexes (and stomach strength) flying an X-wing in Star Wars Squadrons. Pizzas and fun were had all around and other Sonic games in the SEGA Megadrive collection were tried out too in a short break from the challenge.

Thank you once again to the Barrel and Bean staff for feeding and watering us and for hosting us for our monthly event. The cinema club room has been a great place to host these more casual events, and we intend to keep them going throughout! The VGEA has been in contact with the E-sports club from Akrotiri to discuss some community nights on games like Rocket League and Call of Duty, helping to broaden our options for fun social gaming opportunities in future.