Video Games Live

Video Games Live is an extraordinarily energetic symphony performance that should hold some appeal for anyone who appreciates good music. Show organizer / presenter / performer Tommy Tallarico amps up the crowd and expresses his love for the medium, presenting a good case for video game music s cultural relevance. Hard Rock Live was a fine venue, and VGL presented local musicians, which made it just a little bit cooler. All around worthwhile and recommended.

I saw VGL at the Paramount for their second show ever, and the first in Seattle. It has been updated nicely, with some classics pieces still being played. There was a lot of history and lots of enjoyable tunes. I brought my girlfriend who isn't into games or the orchestra, and she really enjoyed the show. She said there was more warmth and feeling to the music at this event than she had experienced at a pure orchestra event prior.

I didn't know what to expect when my husband and I decided to take our 14 year old son and his friend to the show. I definitely didn't think I would be as engaged as I was. It was great to see the boys enjoying the music as much as they did. What a wonderful way to expose children to orchestral music. It was worth every penny. Well done!

The show was great, lots of great music. Would have loved to see the portal segment!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the most entertaining and engaging shows I've seen. High quality classical music + video games. Super.

I loved getting to hear music from games spanning from my childhood to what I play now. VGL made me realize how much the music from those games left an impression on me and evoked such strong emotions. The more games you know the better the concert is but I think anyone would appreciate all of the music. Thanks to Tommy and company for bringing this show to life. I would recommend to anyone that is a fan of games to go watch these guys.

Great for first timers who've never been, or the enthusiast. I've been to one before, and it was 80% the same material. It was great to see Starcraft II music before the game is released.

It was very impressive. To hear the music of your favorite games of all time were amazing to hear being played by a live orchestra. To hear the music from games as old as Pong and new as upcoming DIablo III was a great variety. They played games to involve the fans and there were chances to win prizes. The games played on big projector screens to enhance the experience along with neat lighting effects. It's one of those things where you have to be there to appreciate it, watching it on youtube doesn't do justice.

In short, it was just an amazing show. Music of all kinds, from all eras, and from all the greats. The only disappointment was that they didn't play anything from God of War. Short of that, it was easily one of the best shows I've ever been too. From Mario Brothers to Final Fantasy to Halo, they played all of the greats. In addition to the music they had fun little games like space invaders and a guitar hero contest _with_ the audience, which was hillarious. I can't wait for it to come around again!

If you love video games or symphony music in any way, video games live is definitely up your alley. A completely entertaining show.

A great celebration of video games as art, and an ensemble that truly made the event amazing.

Video Games Live was an amazing event. The music, the video, the singing, the lights, the special guests, the personalities. I highly recommend it to all ages. It is an evening out, under the stars which you will always remember.

I enjoyed Video Games Live, especially the first half of the show, which focused on earlier video games. The orchestra and choir were very good, the conductor was fun to watch, the presentation was often innovative, and everything was done in a spirit of joy. Five stars for the first half. The second half tended more toward modern games, which often have realistic soundtracks. Since the orchestra sounds like the game, I don't see the point. I would have given this another star, but I am penalizing the MC for talking too much, making the show about himself, and being in love with playing the guitar impressively on every single number whether it needed him or not. Self-indulgence gets old fast, and we all had to sit through a couple hours of it. Two stars for the second half (but five for the orchestra/choir).

Video Games Live blew my mind. Even if you're not a "fan" of orchestrated music, you'll enjoy this show. They have lights, visuals, and they interact with the audience. If you call yourself a gamer, go to one. You owe it to yourself.

Nothing can really describe the feelings of nostalgia and amazement when you here one of your favorite old video games rendered by a full orchestra. It really is something that has to be experienced. Combine that with the enthusiasm and experience that Tommy and Co. bring to the formula and it's an amazing synergy. I can't recommend it enough.

I was unaware of VGL's existence up until a week or so into March 2009 when I opened up an issue of LA Weekly and saw an ad for this event. I looked it up online and was totally intrigued by the concept of having the music of my favorite video games (of past and present) played live by a full symphony orchestra! Less than 24 hours later, I went on Ticketmaster.com and bought my tickets. VGL was seriously one of the best concert experiences I've ever had-- Highly recommended for gamers and non-gamers alike!

Omg like seriously? it was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life. i know im just a nerd but it and i geek out over things easily but the amazing remastering of the old school music into an orchestral setting was amazing ^_^ i loved it im going to see it again 4 sure soon

Honestly you've probably never experienced anything quite like this show. It keeps your attention with incredible live performances. The host is humorous and the music is incredible. This is not a gimmick. You cannot experience this music anywhere else the way it is experienced with Video Games Live.

It is always wonderful to listen to video game music in a different environment (ie not in front of our TV, even with a 5.1 sound system!). What Tony and his team have managed to create is a wonderful opportunity to listen to the best videogame soundtracks ever made. The show has the support of the industry, with videos of famous music composers such as Koji Kondo saying how priviledged they feel about the choice made by the audience. Actually, he should know we feel priviledged to be able to listen to his music performed by a live symphonic orchestra. I loved the show's surprise, such as the live chat with the man who created video games, a unique moment in history!

I had heard about the show a few years ago and had always wanted to go. I finally made it this year and it was unbelievable. If you love the music from your favorite games, then you must see one of their shows. My wife doesn't even care about games and she thought it was incredible. Trust me, I am going every year they come to southern California.

Being in the game industry I was excited to see VGL and to see what format it would bring to the stage. I was amazed at the response to the music of some of the older games and how the crowd really got into it. I found myself whistling a little louder every time a new song started. This wasn't just another concert of orchestration where you had to sit still and be quiet. In fact, we were urged to scream, yell,clap, whistle and laugh as loud as you wanted and to really have a good time! Without giving away too much detail, there were multiple moments of game interaction with the music and special guest stars to keep the show fresh and exciting. The beauty of this show is that it evolves and changes from city to city, venue to venue and caters to the fans! We got a few surprises and some funny moments but most of all the musicians were top notch. If you love soundtracks and the powerful feeling you get from listening to a sweeping majestic orchestration, this is a gamers dream show. Especially under the night sky at the Greek theatre.

Video Games Live was an epic event. Every major franchise was represented. Hearing Chrono Trigger, Super Mario Bros, Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, and Metal Gear Solid in a single night was awesome. So many more were played, it was an event that must be experienced by every gamer.

This was a great show. The audio and visuals were absolutely stunning. I highly recommend it to any fan of video games or classical music.

I went with friends and we all had a great time. Totally cool!

I brought my boyfriend to video games live as a one year anniversary present. It was quite amazing. The music was spectacular, the crowd was fun, and the hosts were engaging. Fine art for our generation! However, the one downfall was that my boyfriend was pick pocketed during the event. They took his self defense knife.

This was my 2nd time at VGL (I saw it in Seattle a few years back). This time around, I took my girlfriend (who doesn't play many games) and even she loved it. VGL is an experience to behold. It's a fun, geeky and really very impressive production of music, nostalgia (for us old school gamers) and multimedia. I'd love to go again next time VGL comes back to L.A. I'm sure my GF wouldn't mind seeing it again either. The cool part is, no two VGL concerts are the same. They always mix it up and play different pieces at each concert, which makes it worth going again and again. Kudos to VGL.

This is my second year attending this show. I thought this one was much better. The piano player that plays Mario songs all fast was worth the ticket alone. And it's just really cool to be able to hear all the game music played live, I don't know most of the games since I'm not a die hard gamer, but I do love live music and the game music is really good as well, so it was a good time.

I loved every part of the show except one thing---tooo much talking from the host. I would have rather gotten an overview and then watched them go to town with the music and lights. Still, I would recommend this show to anyone who loves games. All the way back to the first gaming system to anything playing today. It was overall a very unique and fun experience.

I was so disappointed that I paid for this. To my GREAT disappointment the show was almost exactly the same as the year before!!!!! How insulting that I paid all that money only to see the same show!! What were they thinking? Tommy and the conductor even wore the exact same clothes! My God how boring. I was barely even able to sit through it. Tommy told the same jokes, talk about phoning it in. Next time guys realize that you may have repeat business and design and perform a NEW SHOW! It is insulting to have people pay and get there and realize, you haven't changed the show since the year before. Loose the corny jokes too. Fresh material please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The whole show was epic! Just like the other two Video Games Live! I've seen. But it was really great this time because they finally played music from "Metroid" "Mega Man" and "Castlevania". THAT made my evening!

WOW!!! Not "World Of Warcraft," but WOW!! This was a really great show. It brought back so many memories of times that were almost forgotten. The fact that just by playing the music from childhood games like Mega Man, Zelda, Mario, and so many others could throw me into an excited childlike frenzy is enough for me to even want to see it again! Music: Awesome, Lights: Awesome, Surprise Factor: AMAZING!!

I was smiling so much my cheeks hurt afterwards. I laughed, I screamed, I clapped. It was much more than I ever thought it would be!!

I attended VGL last year and the show was amazing. The song request from the audience brought a nice touch to the show this year. There were great song selections and I was exposed to new music. It was nice to see the history of gaming and how it all began. I wish that they would play more Kingdom Hearts selections, such as Fate of the Unknown and The Other Promise. A song I would love to hear in the future is Somnus from FF versus XIII, also (although it's from a movie) Arrival to Earth from Transformers. It has a game, so why not?

I have been following Video Games Live since its inception in 2002, and have been anxiously awaiting it to hit NYC. Well, that happened last year, and the tickets sold out almost immediately. Then when they announced this most recent leg of its 2009 tour, I was on it and got my ticket first day it went on sale. Good thing, too, because it sold out. For those of you who don't know, Video Games Live is a multimedia concert event featuring music from video games performed by a world-class symphony orchestra and chorus. Okay, you may not know the composers of many of the classic tunes (Nubuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame or Jason Hayes of Warcraft fame), but you will definitely know the tunes. The creative geniuses behind these concerts are Tommy Tallarico, a talented musician and then composer of scores of video game soundtracks including the critically acclaimed Advent Rising, and Jack Wall, whose credits include the incredible Mass Effect soundtrack. (BTW, Tommy is cousin of Aerosmith's Steven Tyler!) During the concert, Tommy emcees and shows his skills on guitar while Jack conducts the orchestra and chorus. They are an amazing team who have assembled some amazing talent for a show that left me feeling like a kid on Christmas morning. Do yourself a favor and try to catch this act. This is one that is great for people of all ages, whole families, and transcends all cultures. It's not just geek stuff anymore. Video games have become the number one entertainment media with music to rival movie scores. (Nile Rogers, Breaking Benjamin, and Incubus all composed and performed for the Halo 2 soundtrack!)

Video games live exceeded every expectation I ever had. It was just a fun atmosphere inside the theatre, no one feels like a stranger in there. Everyone there loves the art of video game music and when you see clips of your favorite game from nostalgia's past, and you hear the music, you'll get chills. The visuals and the complimentary lighting effects are breathtaking and the music will have you floating. The concert has a nice mix of ethereal orchestral music for recent games and your favorite tunes from the past. The medley that they did with all the Megaman games (ALL the Megaman games) was simply amazing. It was a great tribute to a popular series. I got to see images and hear music from Megaman games that existed before I got into video games. All in all, I'm glad I went to this event. My review isn't as thorough as I wanted it to be because I'm still floating from the experience, but I hope it's transparent that this is one of the most incredible experiences that anyone can be apart of.

Video Games Live was the most amazing event that me and my gf have ever been to! I would give this event 6 out of 5 stars. This was the first year that we went and we are already planning to go next year. This is definitely a must see! Me and my gf are both huge fans of old to current video games and this event really captured our hearts and will be remembered forever. Thank you Video Games Live for giving us such a great experience!

Great show, nice and long. Fun and entertaining great for all ages

My husband loves video games and this is one of his favorite tours. We have been to 3 Video Games Live over the years. The music is amazing, I dont know the games and just enjoy the music, the humor and the production. Its a great event for families and I love seeing young people so excited about what is basically a modern symphony. Totally recommend going if anyone you love is a gamer, this will be an awesome experience to share with them!

My bf and I are big fans of VGL and were super excited to see they were coming to Orlando. The show was a lot of fun and very nostalgic!

I would have to say that the Video Game Live concerts are awesome. The setlists are kept current and fluid as not to be repetitive or stagnate. I love the fact that Tommy Tallarico really appreciates the fans and always accepts request prior the live concerts as well as when putting the album setlist together. It is a wonderful experience for non-gamers and gamers of any experience alike.

This show was great! Such a unique experience and completely mesmerizing!

This was very nostalgic to me. I loved it overall. I wished that I could have seen more games from the past and not so many unfamiliar ones but it was still great.

Amazing experience! A must for all gamers! Really enjoyed the music and the venue was amazing.

It is so hard to make a decision about VDL because I m torn. I recognize that my ambivalence is due to it only really being the only one of it s kind so I don t want to be negative. The reality though ... is that I did not enjoy the show. Anything I did love about it was purely based off of potential but not from what was presented. I can t compare multiple shows of VDL since I ve only seen this one, but I can tell you that the music alone was not as powerful as it should have been. I ve been going to Broward Center since childhood and I know the power that a small/medium symphony can emit from that stage. Just because they ve been the longest running symphony of all time doesn t mean that they ve been the best, it just means that they haven t been properly competed with. I don t want a stuck up symphony show, but I do want a show that doesn t feel like it s playing over a track.

This concert was amazing. Very talented orchestra from our own local PA, and a wonderful experience. Security was quite intimidating, which I suppose is a good thing. I would rather have more intimidating security than a weak looking setup in today's times. As for the show, the only two things I really didn't like were the projector wobbling and the lights. Someone please try to stabilize that thing! And for how small a place it is, they should have kept the movement of the lights to a minimum. They were frequently a distraction because they would light up the side walls and swing around to hit the screen behind the orchestra, when I was really trying to see them play and sing. Overall, I was happy with the experience though.

I was not sure what this production would be like. I'm not one to play Video Games so a bit apprehensive. I LOVED it! The Phil. Orch. and background choir were superb! Back screen animations entertaining and quite in sync. Very interactive with the audience as promoted. Mr. Telerico ( pardon if misspelled) your vision for this production was spot on! I look forward to following future productions. Thank you for very entertaining eve.

This event is packed full of gaming music. But the creators bring much more to the table. Fun event!Would attend again!

Loved it, however I use the their level four album for studying. And many songs in Bonus Round are the same as in Lvl 4. To keep the Wonder and surprise, definetly go in cold. My buddy enjoyed it more than I did and he had no idea what to expect. Still awesome though!

I am not that familiar with game music but still it was great show as all the music that was played was amazing!

Absolutely do yourself a favor and go see this show. Not only is it an amazing performance but you can feel the amount of heart that goes into it from Tommy Tallarico. Its fun even if you arent into video games but, if you are then you need to go see this show!

The songs were great when they got around to playing, but there was a LOT of talking - and worse, it was a marketing pitch, self-aggrandizing and redundant. We already bought the tickets! You really don't need to convince us that game music is worth a concert that we're already at. That coulda been two more songs.

the show left me speechless, sometimes in tears. they hit every game ive ever felt anything about, games i still play today, i cant wait for them to come back.

Symphoria and conductor were excellent, lead female singer/musician talented and lovely, but lead male host/guitarist/creator has gone down over the years. Missing his cues, his timing very off... event has gone down many notches since they were here last. This show needs to be refreshed - a new host with energy and enthusiasm, more music from well known video games would be great, instead of some games that only a handful of people in the audience have heard of. I'm very sad about this, this event would be perfect for tweens/teens and their families if it would be changed up a bit. Audience LOVED the humorous video bits on screen, yet they have not expanded or changed that part in years.

First things first, just to get it out of the way - this was my first time at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair and it will probably be my last. The seats are awful, the drinks are way overpriced, and the stage is tiny. As for the show itself, it was very good, but perhaps not quite what I was looking for. If you are a fan of console video games, there's a good chance you will enjoy this. The set-list included classics themes like Super Mario Bros, Sonic, Megaman, and Castlevania - great for us 30+ gamers. There were a bunch of games I did not recognize from the Nintendo Wii era, that I felt were perhaps aimed at a younger audience (if you like those fantasy/anime style games, great! Just not my thing). Thankfully it was rounded out by Skyrim, Shadow of the Colossus, and some other "epic" games. I think I was hoping for something more....classic? The guy that runs Video Games Live is clearly in love with himself and would not shut up. He spoke between almost every song and came off as a giant tool (sorry dude I'm hear to watch music not hear you talk). His electric guitar didn't add much to the sound and his yelling, "Castlevania" during the theme was really off-putting. It made the event seem aimed at a younger audience, in my opinion. I think I was expecting an orchestra playing video games themes for a mature audience, so maybe that was my mistake.

This seemed so easy to make it good but no effort or thought was put into entertaining the audience, especially kids. My son only knew of one song (since they don't play the same song twice--who knows why) the videos seemed like an afterthought or didn't make any sense. Seemed like the concert was more for the performer rather than the audience.

Video Games Live was awesome. We will definitely be going back next time!

The concert was a lot of fun with sets from a lot of fan favorites. I'm not a hardcore gamer so I didn't recognize a lot of the soundtracks, but I still enjoyed the music and had a great time. The composers and orchestra were very talented, especially Laura Intravia who composed, sang, played the flute and flute synth, and changed outfits for every song! The team did a great job putting together video clips to go along with the music and kept the atmosphere light and fun. I did leave wanting more and wishing I had heard more from games I had played, but generally wanting more is a good thing. I really only have two main points of criticism. First, I wish all of the music was played live. They used tracks for the drum set (they did have percussionists playing snare, cymbals, kettledrums, etc) and for a lot of the digital noises. It made me question if there were other tracks also being played and a bit disappointed that not everything was visible and live. The other issue was more due to the venue (NJPAC) lacking better food options (only had chips, beer, candy, and a few cold wraps). The show opened doors at 6:30 and went past 10pm which is prime dinner time for most.

I bought these tickets for me and my boyfriend as a Christmas gift, and even though it was for him, I had an amazing time as well! It combines symphonic style music with video games and creates a really amazing experience. We look forward to going again in the future, possibly in costume.

I did not expect to hear some amazing songs. I must say Donkey Kong was my overall favorite with that custom symphonic flute.

Some of the music was very good. Tony Talerico spent a lot of time talking and it detracted from the show. The musicians and chorus for the most part were not even introduced. Lost interest in the latter part of the show.

The energy was great, and the fans were excited. The best portion was when everyone sang the tune of Super Mario Bros. The music was nice, the video was nice, but I think your local venue, and your local choir and orchestra will have a large effect on the show. The music felt so small, I remarked to my wife from the second he started playing the guitar that someone should tell him it wasn't plugged in. It took me a while to realize it was plugged in, just a whisper. I was in the front row, I could hear the strings, I could hear the pick, but there was no sound. The orchestra sounded similarly, off, or not there at all. The choir connected well during the FFVII song which was awesome. It felt like we were listening to a CD play the music, and then the instruments try and match up to that music. It just felt off. At one point during Skyrim it was painfully obvious their audio was way off. You could hear the music playing and then they added a vocal roar from the game. That roar was 10x the volume of everything else and was very much out of place. In the second half both projectors became out of focus and were never fixed. So I don't know if this is Video Games Live, or Cedar Park Center, or a bit of both. I guess that was the big letdown for me, I couldn't feel the music, and I wouldn't have had the same experience watching the production on YouTube at home, maybe better because I could have turned the volume up.

VGL at the Cedar Park Center was an unforgettable night! I was able to go with friends and family and we all enjoyed it. The number of people was lover than expected though. I'm sure if VGL came to Austin at the Long Center like they did in the past the turn out would of been bigger. Other than that I enjoyed it a lot! The Austin Orchestra truly delivered and it felt like I was playing the game while they were playing the music.

Such an amazing experience!!! From the time you walked into the door until you left you were being entertained! The orchestra and light show themselves were breath taking. Got chills at how amazing it was.

Go see and hear this amazing show. It has everything for someone who loves video game music.

Video Games Live is a great symphonic concert for anyone who is interested in not only games, but also music. It kept me entertained to the end and I was really amazed that there was an encore. The only thing that bothered me the whole time was allowing people to get up during the concert to get food and drinks. I felt like I had to get up from my seat constantly to let the drunk individual next to me get more beer and as a result, people in row behind us telling us to sit down.

If you love video game music, and entertainment, and nostalgia...this is for you. From the classics to the new and current games, it covers as much as it can in a 3+ hour span. Tommy Tallarico works hard to provide great entertainment and content. It was well worth every penny spent. I had a blast and will definitely be going to the next one that comes around...and every time, for years to come.

Video Games Live was fun and exciting. The symphony was amazing. I loved the lights and the video too. It was a great time!

I am a mother of two avid gamers. This is the 2nd time I have seen video games live. I was not sure what to expect the first time and had really resigned myself to just suffering through it in order for my young son to go. I was very pleasantly surprised. That was at least 7 years ago. When it came to Syracuse I jumped at the chance to take my family again. I am 41 years old and my fiancé is 60 and neither of us are gamers but we certainly enjoy arts and theatre and we had a great time at VGL in Syracuse. We took our 18 year old son and his girlfriend and our 13 year old daughter and everyone loved it! It was a great way for parents and kids to share in each other's worlds. Highly recommend that ANYONE see this show if you have the opportunity. Whether you care about video games or not and regardless of whether you have children that do. It is art, music, theatre, history, culture and fun!

Video Games Live was fantastic. There was a lights show, great music from the NC Symphony, and great visuals to go along with the songs. They touched on highlights from just about every game I'd wanted to hear from and they did a great job with each song. The overall production was well run and there were great little additions in between sets that were hilarious. It was an overall amazing experience. I cannot recommend it enough.

VGL was amazing!!! The whole family enjoyed it! Can't wait to see it again when they come back!!

This event was one of the coolest things I have been to in a long time!! We had such a blast, and will be going again for sure the next time they are close. It is for sure a must see for anyone who has ever loved a video game. ;)

Short version: The roof was blown off. Very minor quibbles. Long version: The talent that performed for us held nothing back. Hearing fantastic nostalgic and contemporary video game music as performed by these talented musicians and singers was well worth the money. The vocalist Laura Intravia laid us flat whenever she sang, especially during the Tetris choir.. woo. The host Tommy Tallarico did commendable job with shredding his guitar for Castlevania, Street Fighter II and others. Some of his humorous banter was like "okay okay we get it" but I'd give the guy a high-five for captaining this ship. Please forgive me for failing to recall the conductor's name. He had a great sense of humor, like pretending to be asleep because of Jigglypuff ^_^ . The Acadiana Orchestra REPRESENTED, thank you so much for doing this show!! The instruments were ear candy the whole night. Choir, great jobs during God of War, Skyrim and TETRIS!! The visuals, lights and video screens, they really enhanced everything, with good timing. Minor quibbles. Some of the humor was.. ehh. The bad video game titles was a little risque, not too bad but it wasn't worth the laugh if you get me. There was a little tech glitch with a monitor speaker or something, but it's a live show come on. Some of the lights shined DIRECTLY in my eyes, several times, and was a wee bit distracting. These criticisms pale to my commendations.

My son and I went to the concert. We had such an amazing time!! I really didn't know all the songs but my son did! I would recommend everyone to go see this in your town when it comes!! What a blast!

Incredible. I wasn't expecting this event to be that amazing. Turns out that they played medleys and songs from 20 DIFFERENT GAMES!!!! They performed remixes as well as perfect renditions of many classics. The amount of effort put into performing all those songs was inspiring. 3 HOURS. I should have bought VIP for the meet and greet session. There was a lot of people from the industry, and I was not expecting that. Mr. Tommy completely surprised me with the amount of contacts and people from the game industry that collaborated for this event. Sure, they had some setup issues, and some guests/sponsors on stage felt pretty random, but the core of any concert is the music and its artists. And those were perfect, wonderful. The crowd was pretty lame. Tip: You are supposed to yell and clap in a concert that has music that you like and is well performed, and this case was no exception.

The show was awesome! Great seats, close enough to see the performers on stage but not so close that you had to crane your neck up to see. The music was great! They played every song I was hoping for and even one I wasn't expecting! I would go back to see the show again in a heartbeat!

I don't go to concerts often and have never voluntarily gone to a symphony concert. So I cannot judge this concert in any superficial fashion. All I can say is that Video Games Live at Nokia Theatre 2011 was an event I whole-heartedly enjoyed. While the line-up of pieces are from the most well-known games for easy recognition/cheer from the audience, their own arrangements on the songs provide just enough differentiation from original pieces to make it fresh. The vocalist for Snake Eater and the pianist for Super Mario performance was superb. The event is filled with its share of pleasant side-events such as letting few audience come on stage to play Frogger, couple proposing their love to one another, expert Guitar Hero challenge for Nintendo 3DS and more. Light effects and the slideshow are worth noting, they help set the mood well for each piece.

Being it was the first time I've ever been to VGL I was hoping it would be worth the price.. IT WAS .. it was incredible, 3 hours long and non stop music and video games. I got the chills quite a few times.. I will undoubtedly be going again the next time its in town..

Video Games Live is the type of show where your girlfriend will be happy she went, and you will be able to get your nerd on in one of the most amazing shows you will ever see. A combination of sound and theatre that will leave chills up and down your spine. Despite it being amped up for its 200th show, VGL is a delightful blend of music from the games you love performed by talented musicians and singers in the way that the composer originally intended.

I was quite amazed at how VGL synchronized symphony music with video games. Essentially it is like writing a soundtrack for a movie. I love music and even though the type of music is not what I listen to everyday, it was very entertaining. I thought the show had a variety of elements: interviews with composers, audience participation, video game shorts like Street Fighter vs. Donkey Kong, awareness of video game associations, video game creators, blindfolded pianist! I even knew some songs because I played Super Nintendo when I was a kid. Overall, a very fun night, and this is coming from someone whose last video game was Donkey Kong 3 on Super NES! My boyfriend enjoyed the show and appreciated it very much!

I took my two gamer sons who were looking forward to seeing this show for almost two years... and they were definitely *not* disappointed. The show spanned the highlights of the whole history of video games, starting with pong and ending with an encore from Portal. Even I, who only play guitar hero once in a while found the show entertaining - lots of different presentations from a guy playing the mario theme blindfolded to a kid playing guitar hero at the expert level to a videogame cover band to a full orchestra and choir doing the theme from civilization 4 - it really was a gorgeous, entertaining spectacle and gave me a new appreciation for the composers behind the games. For me, I would give it 3.5/4 stars, but for my gamer sons, it was definitely 6 stars! They can't stop talking about it! :)

The VGL concert was amazing... until towards the end of the second act. It appeared that there were technical issues preventing solid performances, and the sound of a speaker blowing wasn't the greatest. I believe the concert was ended abruptly due to these issues. Common songs like Mario and Sonic were missing, and I have a feeling there were part of the lineup. However, Tommy and crew recovered amazingly with the Castlevania finale and the encores that followed. The only thing holding back a five star rating was the abrupt end. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm totally coming back next year and I expect a better show.

Two hours of very impressive entertainment. A pure treat for the eyes and ears.

Awesome show! If you grew up playing video games, this is a must-see once in your lifetime.

I've never been to Video Games Live before, but I have heard of it for a while. I finally got to go, and it was really cool. It was said that VGL has over 60 different segments, and each show generally has about 20, making each show different. I would like to see this again to see the newer parts.

Well, this was a good show. This Los Angeles visit included lots of guest conductors, and YouTube performers as well. i didnt realize that every performance was different, and had thought that I would see some of the action shown in the promotional videos. This is definitely more for gamers that know every game on every system, but the music and video was really good for the novice as well. My teenage son liked it a lot, and I (41) enjoyed it as well. It was a great introduction to orchestras and fine musicianship for my son.

This was my second show - and it did not disappoint! The amount of special guests and surprises were fantastic, and it's always wonderful to see Martin Lueng perform. I can't wait til they are in town again.

One of the most crucial aspects of a game, in my opinion, is the soundtrack. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra gave my boyfriend and me one of the most memorable nights of our lives. The two men who created this phenomenal event deserve the highest praise; they definitely know how to please video game fans. Everyone, from non-gamers to simple music lovers, will delight in this extraordinary concert of visual beauty and musical genius.

I've seen this production four previous times. Each time I was highly impressed. I was dubious about the venue having never seen anything in the Pontchartrain Center, but though it was smaller than the Houston Symphony and Hollywood Bowl, where I'd seen this concert before, the acoustics and vibe of the place were remarkably well-suited to the performance. The middle of the three screens behind the orchestra could have been set higher to ensure that the choir wouldn't block the bottom of the screen when they stood. That is my only complaint. The pieces were expertly performed. The opening montage of old school video games was uplifting as ever, starting with the first pings of Pong in symphonic staccato and carrying on through the likes of Tempest, Donkey Kong, Defender and Tetris. I was highly impressed with Advent Rising, having not heard it since the first time I went to Houston for VGL in 2007. The Halo piece was well done as well. Mario and Sonic featured the same music I'd heard before but with newly edited video. What always takes my breath away is hearing Nobuo Uematsu's "One-Winged Angel" from Final Fantasy VII. A masterpiece that is played masterfully, with a little help from Tommy Tallarico's electic guitar. This particular event was full of special guests including the father of video games, Ralph Baer; the composer of the God of War soundtracks, and some folks that did the original voice on the recordings of their respective soundtracks, including World of Warcraft, Civilization IV, and Advent Rising. awesome! And of course Martin Leung was there to wow and dazzle us with piano rendition of Final Fantasy, Mario and Tetris music. The event was being filmed for a PBS special and a DVD, but that interfered little with the experience save necessitating retakes when technical issues kept the12 year old winner of the Guitar Hero contest from performing accurately during the symphonic performance of an Aerosmith song. Future performances will no doubt take this into account and won't have this issue. All in all, if you love music, this is more than a worthwhile experience. If you love video game music, this is a must! Heck, if you're even a moderate fan of video game music, Video Games Live is worth several times the price of admission.

The experience was incredible, there were times where I felt like I was back playing the video games I used to play myself. The Halo set was what I was looking forward to the most and it turned out great. My only regrets were that ODST and Reach were not included, but I'm sure VGL is working on that. Marty O'Donnell, Bungie Audio Director, was listed as a special guest, but didn't show, yet I'm sure this has nothing to do with VGL. It was my brother's birthday gift and he loved it. We both felt nostalgic and reminiscent of games we both used to play as children. Just as reference, we both began playing video games with the Atari 2600 and the first game being Pole Position.

From the epic orchestra, the inspiring light-show, the perfectly synchronized video clips, the talented performers, the special appearance by video game "creator" Ralph Baer, the 12-year old Guitar Hero contest winner playing "Sweet Emotion" live to the orchestra, and the energy that Jack Wall and Tommy Tallarico bring, this was an amazing event that surely made history for video game music! There's something for the whole family whether you've played the games or not, the music ranges from classical to operatic to flat out symphony rock. The video segments are beautifully selected and touching, there's not a single moment where I didn't feel inspired. I would recommend for anyone to check out a Video Games Live concert at some point, regardless of whether or not they play games. This concert shows just how powerful it is, and how influential it actually has been throughout past generations.

Great show, music was beautiful and you don't have to be a gamer to enjoy this show. Can't wait for next year.

It was a good show! I would go again. No issues with anyone.

Awesome show with great music. The seats were good

It was awesome. My son had the best time ever. Great for anyone who is into video games or loves music. The only thing that I didn't like. They said come early but then had us standing around waiting to get in, so we were there from 6:30 but didn't get in until 7:40.

Hands down an amazing experience for music lovers and of course video game players across all generations. I definitely would love the chance to watch it again!!!

Overall amazing experience and atmosphere! The music was spot on and the host was entertaining. If you love video games, this is a must see event!

I had a great time during the event. Music was great and they played music from a wide variety of games. Only down-side was the event beforehand wasn't really an event... it was more of 2 stations playing games. Overall a great night though.

I was not familiar with all of the songs or games prior to going to the concert, and I went with a friend who was knowledgeable of the games and the music. Both of us enjoyed it a lot. The orchestra and chorus sounded awesome and the concert overall was very entertaining. I recommend it regardless of whether or not you are an avid gamer.

Heavy on the nostalgia, good quality orchestra, accessible to the masses, good vibes from an energetic audience, a fun night.

I wasn't sure what to expect but as a mom and not into video games myself it was spectacular. Very well done and very entertaining. Very glad I went.