I recently had the chance to speak with rising voice in retro gaming, Top Hat Gaming Man, who has been shining a spotlight on many more obscure and less discussed aspects of retro gaming. Take a look below.
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JB: You have talked extensively in your videos about the games you have played when you were younger. What systems stand out the most to you of the ones you played then, and what games stood out on those systems?
THGM: I started out with an Amstrad CPC464. I received it from my Uncle as a hand me down at age three in 1989. I had a lot of fun playing games such as Who Dares Wins 2, Roland in the Caves and Arkanoid. A few years later I emulated my Uncle once again, picking up a Super Nintendo after watching him play Street Fighter 2 in his bedroom. I enjoyed all the heavy hitters released in Europe on the system during its life cycle.
JB: You were a pro wrestler in the UK for many years before getting into YouTube. What prompted the change?
THGM: I wrestled all over the UK for many years and still accept match bookings for special attraction matches. I hit 30 years old and decided I wanted more in my life. Over the last few years since my big birthday, I have established my channel, traveled the world for a whole year (visiting five different continents), went back to University and gained postgraduate qualifications, had my first child and have established a new professional career away from YouTube. I have been busy, busy, busy! You only live once after all!
JB: Who are some of your biggest influences as a content creator? You have done several videos with Guru Larry and have referenced Slopes Game Room, did they pique your interest in becoming a content creator?
THGM: It sounds cliche but it has to be AVGN, he pretty much defined retro gaming videos on YouTube. I was actually collecting old games before YouTube existed but James Rolfes show introduced me to the fact that I was not the only weirdo out there who was doing it.
JB: What fandom do you feel is the most rabid and insane?
THGM: From my experience in terms of rabid fandoms, it has to be Nintendo by a country mile! I cover all different elements of gaming history, however, Nintendo seems to have a larger proportion of fans out there who are not mature enough to accept that not everyone in the world has the same opinions and often starts slinging mud and throwing out childish insults. The ZX Spectrum fandom can be a bit special too, the platform is surrounding by a lot of strange obsessive people.
JB: What countries do you feel are the best for gaming, and why?
THGM: The best country in the world for gaming is the United Kingdom by a country mile! There is just more domestic choice here than anywhere else on the planet. Our Retro gaming is so diverse due to both games consoles and microcomputers performing great here in the past. You never quite know what you are going to find!
JB: What game system that you still need to get your hands on, do you want the most and why?
THGM: I am really slowing down when it comes to console procurement, however, if I could have one system at the moment, I really want a fully modded Amiga CD32 simply due to the fact that it is backwards compatible with so many different Amiga games and software. Modded platforms are very expensive though!
JB: What is a system you would advise everyone to stay away from and why?
THGM: If I was to advise someone to stay away from a particular platform it would have to be the Gamecom. I have played through the whole library and it is difficult to find any fun from that one. Even the Megaduck and Supervision deliver a much more engaging experience!
JB: You have done several list videos, but often listing 50 or so games at a time. How did you come to choose that number?
THGM: I chose to produce Top 50s as you can be a lot more comprehensive and include a lot more detail than with smaller lists. I hope by doing so that most viewers will discover some new games to try out when watching those videos. Longer videos analytically really help the channel out too!
JB: What is your favorite system to import for and why?
THGM: I suppose the Virtual Boy! Simply because the platform was never released in Europe, the library is small and you can only get the proper 3D virtual boy experience by using real hardware. The small cartridge size also keeps postal costs down!
JB: Your handhelds around the world series is one of the better gaming series on YouTube. What inspired that series specifically, and what have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of it?
THGM: Handhelds Around the World was simply born through circumstance! I realized that I would be traveling for a year and knew that I would have to change up my channel formula if I wanted it to survive whilst I was away, so I covered gaming experiences on the go. Later this year I shall resume another long period of travel so the show will be returning!
JB: What advice do you have for those starting out on YouTube now?
THGM: My advice for anyone starting out on the platform would be to be consistent, be different and put out content with a similar tone every week. However, I would strongly advise that YouTube is only worth pursuing if you are really self-driven as the grind is tough if you want growth.
JB: To go back to my earlier question about gaming in different countries, what stands out to you the most about the attitudes to gaming in other countries. And to go even deeper, what do you think of the differences in the US attitude to gaming and the UK attitude? I myself have noticed different views between my home country of Canada, and the way Americans view gaming.
THGM: The main things that really stick out between British Gamers and American gamers is that most Americans look at gaming on consoles and microcomputers as two completely different experiences, however when I was a child if you were playing a game on a Mastersystem or Commodore 64 it was a computer game, regardless! I noticed at their conventions they only really seem to have console games and there is a severe lack of games on cassette tapes.
JB: What is next for Top Hat Gaming Man?
As mentioned earlier in this interview my plan is to travel and explore the world full time again. I am currently putting all the necessary safeguards in place to begin shooting Handhelds Around The World once more. Last time around I had to live off of a remortgage, so I had a finite amount of time to do it in, this time around I have my channel to support me so, in theory, can travel as long as I like!
JB: Do you have anything you would like to say to the readers of Real Otaku Gamer?
THGM: All I want to say really is that I would love anyone reading this to take the time to come over and check out my channel, I have some of the most unique videos on the Information Super Highway, yeeeeaaaaaaahhh.
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You can follow Top Hat Gaming Man on Twitter here , and you can check out his YouTube channel here. We thank him again for this interview