We love the guys at Fangamer, and not just because they love 1UP. No, we love their devotion to their craft, and to promoting the fandom of great games. The company got its start showering affection on Nintendo's 16-bit classic EarthBound, but they've since branched out into much more diverse ventures -- not just other Super NES games (including Donkey Kong Country and Chrono Trigger), but even totally different fan favorites like Minecraft.
We're certainly not alone in our appreciation of Fangamer, as demonstrated by the wall of their PAX East booth, which is covered in (totally sanctioned) fan graffiti. The usual elaborate displays of hand-sculpted art is absent from the booth this year, but in its place is something that's quite possibly just as a good: a gumball machine that plays a part in an on-the-sopt interactive trivia prize game. Visitors to the booth can buy a couple of tokens to drop into the machine, which will reward them with a tiny capsule containing a small prize and a slip of paper containing, among other things, a game trivia question. Answer the question correctly and you're rewarded with a selection from Fangamer's impressive array of stickers. It's simple, but it's a great example of a company built around the concept of community playing to its strengths.
As for what's next -- could anything actually hope to match the slick Mega Man-inspired E-Tank mugs they rolled out last fall? -- Fangamer boss Reid Young told me briefly about a number of upcoming ventures to debut in the months ahead. The Fangamer faithful can expect to see a Minecraft documentary, a book on the history of one of their favorite series, and some merchandise tie-ins to one of the few Super NES games to match Chrono Trigger in popularity.
Then, I dropped a coin in the gumball machine and won a frog button.
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