View more photos in the "Video Game Girls Burlesque @ Bordello" slideshow.

Erin Broadley

Lucy Fur as The Legend of Zelda's Link and Princess Zelda

It was geek night at Bordello last Saturday when burlesque troupe Devil's Playground hosted its first Video Game Girls event. Combining arcade-inspired tunes and performances from gamer heroines, the show was grown-up fun for those who spent the bulk of fourth grade figuring out the shortcuts to Super Mario Bros.

Erin Broadley

Jason Payne and Bon Harris if Nitzer Ebb turned classic video game themes into electronica lounge songs

Opening the night was a performance from Nitzer Ebb members Bon Harris and Jason Payne. With Harris in a sweater vest, Payne in a propeller beanie and both in taped-up, thick frame glasses, the EBM stalwarts played a set of reconstructed video game music. Samples from Donkey Kong and other beloved games were twisted into beat-heavy jams fit for a night at the industrial club as the duo moved in a stiff, robotic fashion that resembled the Tri-Lambs homecoming prize winning routine.

The dancers arrived armed and outfitted for an arcade battle combining old school games with newer fare. Who gets to tap their name into the list of top players? Check out our rankings below.

Erin Broadley

Courtney Cruz as Metroid's Samus Aran

Character
Samus Aran
Game Series
Metroid
Costume
An abbreviated Varia Suit consisting of a helmet, mega shoulder pads, a golden colored corset, matching boots with a serious platform heel and, of course, an arm piece that shoots beams.
Skills used
Shooting beams across the club.
Execution
Samus Aran may not have curled into a ball on the Bordello stage, but shooting beams across the club while dancing out of a Varia Suit was more than enough to impress this crowd.
Score
4

Erin Broadley

Gia Rose as Street Fighter's Chun-Li

Character
Chun-Li
Game Series
Street Fighter
Costume
Straight up Street Fighter II style with a short, blue cheongsam, spiked wrist cuffs, white boots and hair worn in two buns tied with white fabric.
Skills used
Kicks and lots of them.
Execution
When Chun-Li crouches in the middle of the stage, watch out. She will jump up, lean back and unleash a flurry of kicks, spin and kick some more and turn her hair sashes into lethal weapons. If M. Bison were on stage, he would be a dead man.
Score
3.5

Erin Broadley

Lucy Fur as The Legend of Zelda's Link and Princess Zelda

Characters
Link and Princess Zelda
Game Series
The Legend of Zelda
Costume
For Link: Elf green dress and cap, slingshot. For Zelda: Gold crown, gold cap sleeves, white skirt. For both: Pointy ears, sword, shield.
Skills used
Sword fighting, slingshots
Execution
It's the hero's journey, a young boy enters with a slingshot, sword and shield preparing for his quest to locate the hidden shards of the Triforce and save the princess. But, before he can even start his mission, he morphs into Princess Zelda. Props to dancer Lucy Fur for segueing between gender roles seamlessly.
Score
3.5

Erin Broadley

Audrey Deluxe as Super Mario Bros. Princess Peach

Character
Princess Peach
Game Series
Super Mario Bros.
Costume
Peachy pink ball gown, crown, cupcakes.
Skills used
None, really.
Execution
She's cute. She's regal. She's everything you would expect from the fairest damsel in the Mario Bros. world. But, she could really benefit from a power parasol. You never know when King Koopa will try to kidnap the princess again.
Score
3

Erin Broadley

Eliza Bane as BloodRayne's Rayne

Character
Rayne
Game Series
BloodRayne
Costume
Black and red PVC corset, stiletto-heeled boots, oversized blades.
Skills used
Weaponry
Execution
BloodRayne's half-vampire protagonist is a rage-filled killer, but outside of some blade-spinning, this performance played up the 1930s cabaret aspect of the game more than the copious bloodletting. A little fake blood and some stiletto heel wielding would intensified the action here.
Score
3

Missed out on Video Game Girls? Devil's Playground will be repeating the show on June 3 at Bordello during the E3 video game convention.

Tags:

Bloodrayne, Metroid, Nitzer Ebb, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros, The Legend of Zelda, Video Games