CLEVELAND — It’s “game on” for a nostalgic event in northeast Ohio.

The Cleveland Gaming Classic is back in action with vendors, tournaments and a free play arcade.

Last year, the event was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It gave Kevin Cabarello a chance to catch up with an old friend, Mario.

“It’s lighthearted and fun,” he said of Super Mario Bros. 3, the Nintendo Entertainment System classic. “You can always just kind of go back to it and have a good time.”

He relived a part of his youth at the Cleveland Gaming Classic. 

“It was a simpler time,” he said. “It’s just fun.”

Meanwhile, Jordan Willis and Louis Buennagel tried for touchdowns in Tecmo Super Bowl, a nearly 30-year-old game. 

“It’s a really good game,” said Willis. 

“We’re sick of new games,” said Buennagel. “We used to play this when we were kids.”

The event provided a space for camaraderie among people with a shared interest. 

“I’m amongst everybody,” said Jennifer Wheeler with Creative Design Studio. “With my kind of people."

Wheeler said she owns several game consoles and enjoys creating crafts featuring familiar faces. 

“They really like them, they get really excited when some of their favorite characters are made,” she said. 

Characters like Sonic the Hedgehog brought Taylor Jennings back to when she played with her brother as a kid. 

“And he was such a sore loser,” she said. “He used to unplug the cords when I was winning.”

Event attendees enjoyed the chance to press pause on adulthood. 

“The older you get, the less time you have to invest in things like video games,” Cabarello said. “So when I do get a little bit of time, I just want to go back and play stuff I played as a kid.”

A portion of the proceeds from the Cleveland Gaming Classic will be donated to United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland.