Classic arcade champ duels with game's creator in U.S. National Video Game Team® contest

DENTON, Texas - June 21, 2016 - PRLog -- Fans at last weekend's Let's Play Gaming Expo witnessed a rare case of a classic arcade champion doing battle with the creator of the game.

The Plano, Texas event featured a "survivor" tournament on the arcade classic Joust, sanctioned by the U.S. National Video Game Team®. Lonnie McDonald, a world recognized champion on the game, won the tournament. His reward was the opportunity to play one-on-one against John Newcomer, the creator of Joust, in front of the Let's Play crowd. McDonald came out on top of Newcomer in two straight games. The contest took place on Sunday, June 19.

"We're all about uniting the past, present and future of video gaming and this is a shining example of that," said Patrick Scott Patterson, co-owner of the U.S. National Video Game Team®. "Giving the players a chance to meet and even compete against one of the pioneers of this industry is something I'm thrilled to have been able to bring to this event."

The U.S. National Video Game Team® was the original nationwide eSports team, originally running from 1983 until the mid-1990s. The original team's accomplishments include the founding of Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine, some of the earliest pro gaming endorsements and a 1988 television broadcast for a Nintendo tournament. Patterson, along with founding member Tim McVey, have recently revived the concept and obtained the trademark. McVey himself is the subject of new film Man VS Snake: The Long and Twisted Tale of Nibbler, which covers his retro gaming accomplishments in detail. This contest marks the second competitive event sanctioned by the new version of the Team.

The U.S. National Video Game Team® Twitter can be found at https://twitter.com/USNVGT.