Paris Manga by TGS 2026 : Retro Gaming and Switch 2

Paris Manga by TGS reached its 40th edition on 3–4 October 2026 at Paris Nord Villepinte, with a gaming programme that linked familiar consoles to contemporary hardware. The supplied announcements paired Retrogaming by LudiGoodies, advertising more than 300 games, with Nintendo League, whose activities included opportunities to discover Nintendo Switch 2. Together, those proposals gave gaming a participatory role within a convention covering manga, Japanese culture, cinema, television and comics.

The attraction lay in the range of ways to take part. The retro announcement offered solo and multiplayer sessions, while the association's programme addressed beginners as well as experienced players through tournaments, challenges, quizzes and free play. For families or groups of friends with different gaming backgrounds, that combination provided several possible starting points: revisiting an older console, exploring a newer system or joining an activity centred on shared knowledge.

LudiGoodies advertised more than 300 retro games

LudiGoodies has a space inspired by the gaming culture of the 1980s and 1990s, with more than 300 games available for visitors to play. The named machines included the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Sega Mega Drive, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Neo Geo and original Sony PlayStation (PS1), alongside other consoles. Enthusiasts were to run an interactive area built around rediscovery and shared play.

That selection gave the retro offer a broader scope than a tribute to one manufacturer. It placed several console families within the same announced activity, inviting visitors to move between systems they remembered and others they might never have tried. The inclusion of both solo and multiplayer gaming also mattered: the programme accommodated individual exploration as well as the simple pleasure of playing alongside someone else.

There is a documented precedent for this return. The official floor plan for the October 2025 edition already listed Retrogaming by LudiGoodies. That earlier appearance helps explain the announcement's emphasis on retrogaming being back, without implying that the two editions used identical machines or game selections.

Nintendo League combined discovery and friendly competition

Nintendo League brought a complementary approach. In the supplied presentation, the association describes its main activity as running stands dedicated to Nintendo games at conventions and exhibitions. Its stated audience includes newcomers and committed players alike, with activities adapted to different levels of experience.

Its autumn 2026 announcement explicitly scheduled Paris Manga for 3–4 October at Paris Nord Villepinte. Across that convention season, it advertised Nintendo Switch 2 stations, tournaments, quizzes and large-screen challenges, including mouse-control activities. Equipment was supplied, and tournament registration was to take place on site on the day.

The supplied programme also included introductions, retro discoveries and recent releases. This variety is central to the association's proposition: a quiz offers a different route into gaming culture from a tournament, while free play allows discovery without committing to a competition. Its separately organised community events can sometimes charge fees to cover costs, but its convention activities were advertised as free.

A gaming relationship stretching back to 2006

One particularly revealing detail comes from Nintendo League's own account of its return for the 35th edition in 2024. The association traced its relationship with Paris Manga to the inaugural event at Espace Champerret in 2006. It recalled attending every edition before the pandemic interruption, then returning after an absence of almost five years. That history makes its 2026 participation part of a much longer relationship with the convention.

The anniversary gave that connection extra relevance. In its own announcement for October 2026, MO5, another participating gaming association, noted that the 40th edition also marked 20 years of the event. It recalled the move from Espace Champerret through Porte de Versailles to Paris Nord Villepinte, and announced original consoles and multiplayer games in Hall 7's video-game area. Gaming heritage therefore featured in more than one organisation's contribution to the programme.

Classic consoles alongside a newer Nintendo generation

Nintendo Switch 2 supplied the contemporary reference point. Nintendo launched the system on 5 June 2025, so its appearance in the October 2026 programme concerned an already released console that visitors could discover through play.

Read together, the announcements suggest a strength of this gaming programme: older and newer hardware could address overlapping audiences. Nostalgia might draw someone towards a familiar machine, while curiosity could take them towards a current release. The documented emphasis remained practical and social: accessible activities, playable games and opportunities to participate with others.

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Event recap:

Retrogaming by LudiGoodies.
Where : Within Paris Manga by TGS at Paris Nord Villepinte.
When : The 3–4 October 2026 edition.
What : The supplied announcement advertised more than 300 playable games, classic and rare consoles, solo and multiplayer sessions, and an enthusiast-led retro area.

Nintendo League.
Where : Within Paris Manga by TGS at Paris Nord Villepinte.
When : 3–4 October 2026, as listed in the association's autumn schedule.
What : Free stand activities including Nintendo Switch 2 discovery, tournaments, challenges, quizzes and free play. Convention admission remained separate.

Photos : Boris Colletier / Mulderville