Cosplay Dating Game

Cosplay Human Chess

Want to show off your skills or try something new? Check out the AnimeNEXT Video Game Room! We have a wide range of games, classics and new favorites alike, not only from America but also imported games from Japanese. Whether you like fighters, shooters, music games, or even puzzle games, you'll be able to find something you want to play in the Game Room. And this year, we will be open all night on Friday and Saturday. So if you can't sleep and you're looking for something to do at 3 am, come on down!

And if you want to challenge yourself against other attendees, come to our tournaments! We will have competitions on all 3 days for a number of various titles, such as Gears of War, Rock Band, and Puzzle Fighter. Plus we have our two featured tournaments: our Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament, which has qualifiers on both Friday and Saturday, and the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 tournament, sponsored by Bandai Namco. Come by the Video Game Room for our full listing of tournaments and to sign up!

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 Tournament

Do you think you're faster than Kakashi? Stronger than Jirobo? More inventive than Naruto? At the AnimeNEXT 2008 Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 videogame tournament, you'll have a chance to find out--and win a copy of the game in the process!

Sponsored by Namco Bandai, the skillful contestants of the PS2 tournament have a chance to win exclusive promotional merchandise including posters, figurines,T-shirts, and even a copy of the PS2 videogame! We'll be putting up tournament rules and information in the Video Gaming forum closer to the date of the convention.

To find out more about the Naruto Ultimate Ninja 3 game, visit the Namco Bandai website. For all the tournament rules and information, check back for more information as we get closer to the convention!

LARP or Live Action Role-Playing is back at AnimeNEXT this year. Just pick your favorite anime, manga or video game character and join in on the crazy fun throughout the weekend. You can play as much or as little as you like. Think Naruto could help Card Captor Sakura capture a few clow cards? Why not? Want to know what would happen if Abel Nightroad faced off against Alucard? So do we! In a LARP you can hunt for the Philosopher's Stone, put the bad guys in jail or teach those meddling do-gooders a lesson. Either way, it promises to be one weird, wild weekend.

LARP FAQ

WHO CAN I PLAY?
Nearly all anime characters. There are always exceptions, but we'll deal with those as they come. Manga characters are allowed; however in case an anime of the series exists, the anime character will trump the manga one and we will go with that. Videogame and webcomic characters are allowed, but on a case-by-case basis. (For example: a few people have expressed interest in Phoenix Wright characters. They will be available!) So be sure to ask before you pre-register if you're looking into an videogame character. If an anime exists of the game (i.e., Street Fighter, Disgaea), we'll go with that.

DO I NEED TO COSPLAY AS MY CHARACTER?
No, you do not have to cosplay your character in order to play in the LARP. This is a very common misconception and is probably the question we're asked asked the most. Cosplay is not necessary--however, it is encouraged, if you decide to do it, because sometimes it can help you get into character.

HOW LONG WILL THE LARP TAKE?
The game will go on all weekend, starting early Friday with character pick-up and going over the rules and continue until an hour or two before the convention closes on Sunday. You're welcome to play as much or as little as you like. Different events will be running for characters to participate in. It's not necessary to stay at the game all weekend, and it will not be running overnight. Your GMs need sleep, you know!