Rock River Valley Video Game Convention (R2V2) Registration

R2V2 Is BACK!

The Gaming Outsider is hosting another video game convention in Rockford, Illinois! The Rock River Valley Video Game Convention (or R2V2) is Rockford’s only video game convention, and this will be our third event!. This year R2V2 will be held at Cliffbreakers (700 W. Riverside Blvd) in Rockford for two days on Saturday and Sunday, October 12th and 13th.

The Rock River Valley Video Game Convention is a celebration of video games and offers a community event for avid gamers. Families can find games at reasonable prices, experience rare/expensive games and consoles, play virtual reality titles, and meet video game personalities.

Tickets for R2V2 can be bought in advance for a discounted price at Eventbrite.

Here’s what you can expect from this year’s Rock River Valley Video Game Convention:

Video Games Available for Purchase

Cliffbreakers offers 11,000 square feet on its main floor. R2V2 features a multitude of vendor tables, which will have video games and consoles from all generations available for sale. Whether you’re a collector or just looking for that classic game from your childhood, there’s a good chance you’ll find it at our event.

Arcade Machines to Play

For this year’s R2V2, we will providing 21 arcade machines and two pinball tables for all guests to be able to enjoy AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. That’s right, your entry tickets gives you access to our own little arcade. Every machine will be set to free play, so you can play with your friends and family to your heart’s content. Here’s the list of games that will be at the convention:

Video Game Tournaments

Do you fancy yourself a competitive gamer? Why not enter one of our gaming tournaments. Come to R2V2 and take part in our tournaments including games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rocket League, Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8. You could win prizes after showing off your gaming prowess.

Virtual Reality Laser Tag

Indie game studio Toastid Waffel will be joining R2V2 this year with Catastrophic Inversion, a cyber-themed multiplayer shooter coming soon to Meta Quest. Face off against your friends in a 6,000 square foot VR laser-tag arena. Learn more at toastidwaffel.com and check out the trailer here:

Video Game Museum

Chris Behrensmeyer, one of the hosts of The Gaming Outsider Podcast, will be providing a multitude of rare/exotic video game consoles and software for you to be able to discover and even play! Have you ever wanted to play Little Samson on the NES? Maybe you’d like to see an actual working Vectrex in real life. You’re guaranteed to see something you’ve never seen before in CB’s massive collection.

Cosplay Competition

Come dressed as your favorite video game character. Each day, we will select a best costume to win a cash prize and an R2V2 t-shirt.

After Party with LIVE Music!

On Saturday, October 12th after the first day of R2V2, The Gaming Outsider will be hosting an after-party with three live bands performing for all ticket holders. The after-party will take place in the same room as R2V2, with the show starting around 6:00 PM. There will also be a cash bar to enjoy some refreshments while taking in all the sights and sounds of live music. Check out the lineup:

Stemage

Grant Henry is a personal friend of The Gaming Outsider who goes by the stage name “Stemage“. He has built quite a name for himself in the video game music industry. His music has been used in games such as Runner 3, Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story, Rogue Legacy 2, and much more! Stemage has also collaborated with other musicians for incredible projects like Metroid Metal and Viking Guitar. On top of all of that, he composed and recorded the theme song and bumpers for The Gaming Outsider Podcast!

We are honored to have a legend in the industry performing a high-energy show for all of our guests! He’s an incredible person and a seriously talented musician. You won’t want to miss him.

Game Genie

Named after the popular game enhancer for retro consoles, Game Genie offers a full band experience playing familiar tunes with incredible flourish. If you’ve seen their live shows, you know they brings a ton of energy and humor to their craft. Check out their latest offering, which is a cover of the theme from Dr. Mario.

Jer Roque + Natalie Clyne

Jer Roque + Natalie Clyne are a piano / vocal duo who enjoy reimagining video game music in a wide variety of musical styles.

Jer Roque is a pianist whose roots in the VGM community predate the turn of the century. He infuses elements of classical, jazz, pop, and rock into his playing. Current projects include Twitch streaming, Playing With Power & Marshall Art. Previous projects include The Spoony Bards, Arc Impulse, & chocoBop. He wants everyone to know that Chrono Trigger has the greatest video game music of all time, because it does.

Natalie Clyne is a classically trained soprano and voice teacher who loves using her vocal skills to sing a wide range of musical styles. Natalie fell in love with VGM as a 14 year old girl after playing Final Fantasy VIII and hearing Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack. She has performed live at conventions since the early 2000s and contributed to VGM projects such as Chronicles of Time, SPIRA – Music from Final Fantasy X, Pixel Mixers, & chocoBop.

We are very excited to welcome Jer and Natalie to R2V2! Here’s a taste of what they’ll be bringing to the show as the after-party opener:

You won’t want to miss the video game event of the year in Rockford! R2V2 is bigger than ever, and we are very excited and proud to host this event for the third time. Be sure to purchase your tickets early to get a discount. We can’t wait to see you all there!