Yes, we are gamers retro folks and as such, I love making lists, but you know what? I think I have made enough for the moment. I have come to a point where I feel I have to give back the love and support I have received from the gaming community.
For this reason, starting from today – and in addition to lists and reviews – I am going to give exposure to my fellow gamers, the ones who have always encouraged me and from whom I took inspiration for my blog posts and YouTube videos.
Today’s guest is one of the YouTubers I most look up to. I love his contents and I admire him for his intense dedication to his project.
In times like these, he is conveying an extremely positive message: do not let circumstances discourage you, take your precautions, but keep doing what you love!
With that said, I will leave the floor to Mark, now. Enjoy!
(Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that – at no additional cost to you – if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. For more info, please check my affiliate disclosure page.)
1. Welcome Mark and many thanks for accepting my invitation to be interviewed for the blog. For a starter, please introduce yourself to RGL’s readers.
Hi RGL peeps!
My name is Mark Bond, i live in Hucknall, Nottingham. I am a personal trainer and martial arts instructor and I run a Youtube channel called Gaming Crazy.
2. What was the first video game you ever played?
The one and only Double Dragon!
The first video game I ever played was Double Dragon back in 1987, in an arcade in Ingoldmells,
which is where I grew up. My entire life back as a kid was always surrounded by arcades and games.
3. What about the first gaming system you ever owned?
The first games system I owned was an Atari 2600 which at the time i only had 5 games: Kung Fu Master, Gorf, Q-bert, Space Invaders and Centipede.
4. Were you an arcade gamer? If you were, what about your favorite titles back in the 80s/ 90s?
It is great having the home consoles but I have always been an arcade gamer. Arcades today are not what they used to be, but still a lot of fun.
5. I am going to name a few video game genres: please tell me your favorite retro title for each of them:
A) Adventure
B) Platformers
C) Puzzle Games
D) Role-playing games
E) Racing Games
F) Soccer/Football
G) Sports Games
H) Any other games whose genre I did not mention? And what about your favorite games
of all time?
Favourite retro title for each genre is a tough one as i like so many games, but here goes:
Adventure Tomb raider Playstation
Platformers Super Castlevania IV SNES
Puzzle game Tetris Gameboy
RPG The legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past SNES
Not much a fan of RPGs, but The Legend of Zelda: a Link to the Past is one of my favourite
games. A lot may say it is more adventure than RGP, but I think I would class it as adventure
RPG, easy compromise.
Racing games Outrun Arcade
Football Fifa Soccer Sega Megadrive
Sports Super Sidekicks Neo-Geo/Arcade
Additional favourite genres:
FPS Doom Any platform
Gun games Operation Wolf Arcade
Fighting Street Fighter 2 SNES/Arcade
Beat em ups Double Dragon Arcade
6. While growing up, what gaming system did you have the most fun with? Are you still a regular gamer?
The Snes still holds a special place in many gamers’ hearts…
My favourite games console growing up and still is my favourite today is the SNES. There is a ton of great games I still play today such as Street Fighter 2, Super Castlevania IV, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World, Alien 3, Final Fight and many, many more.
7. What is your relationship with the online gaming world? Do you play online with your friends/family members/random gamers?
Online gaming is something I used to do a lot back in the days of the PS3, playing games such as Soul Calibur 4, Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe and Blur with friends and random gamers.
I only play online via my YouTube channel Gaming Crazy now for Gaming Crazy game challenges. I find online gaming too serious, I play for fun and a laugh, not many online gamers are like that.
8. What are your finest memories related to video games?
Those were the days…
My finest memories of gaming have to be the arcade days in the 80s and 90s. The 80s playing games such as Double Dragon, Shinobi, Kung Fu Master and Afterburner with the sit down machine that moved.
The 90s seeing how games were evolving in the arcades. I remember seeing Ridge Racer for the first time in the arcades, the machine was a full size car with a giant screen.
I also remember seeing Virtua Fighter for the first time, being shocked and blown away by its 3D graphics. The 80s and 90s were a great time for arcade games!
9. What prompted you to start a YouTube channel?
Gaming Crazy channel homepage
Gaming Crazy YouTube started in April this year, it was something I was planning on for a while but never got around to. It started with another YouTuber and gaming event organiser, James Jarvis of ItsMuchMore. I had previously known James from his retro games events which i was doing a video interview along with filming the events.
James and his brother Dan have put together some amazing retro gaming events with games systems such as GameCube, Mega Drive (Sega Genesis), Snes, Saturn and Atari. Unfortunately, the events are unable to go ahead due to the current lockdown, but they have an amazing YouTube channel which is definitely worth checking out.
Over meeting and filming many of the ItsMuchMore retro gaming events I have become great
mate with James and Dan and stay in contact regular. Back in April, James organised a charity event to raise money for the NHS during the first lockdown which myself with Gaming Crazy,
ItsMuchMore and YouTubers GazlovesGames, Morgan Just Games, ChazDCFC and The Brough
took part in.
We all streamed 1 hour slots through the whole day. The total raised was £1426.00 for the NHS.
Since then i have continued to do more with Gaming Crazy, building the channel and having a lot of fun with YouTube.
10. What is the goal of Gaming Crazy?
The goal with Gaming Crazy was orignally to do game videos. It started with Facebook and Instagram then went on to YouTube. Over the time working on Gaming Crazy I have taken GC into new areas one of which is game journalism.
I travel around doing interviews with everyone and anyone within the gaming industry from shop owners, arcades and gaming event organisers, film everything there is to know and show it all on the channel.
Unfortunately a lot of that can’t be done due to the lockdown, but I have managed to do a bit of
working with James from ItsMuchMore. We did some filming in Nottingham, showing what was
open during today’s COVID 19 pandemic, how the businesses are managing and what you can visit.
So the goal now with GC is to cover everything gaming, promote, advertise and bring it all on
the Gaming Crazy YouTube channel.
11. Last but not least: any future plans or secret wishes?
I honestly cannot wait to know more about Mark’s project…
Future plans for Gaming Crazy are to work more with James and Dan of ItsMuchMore and hopefully get more YouTubers involved with the work we are doing.
There are a few plans that are currently in the works, and if I can pull it off, it will be huge. There is only one other person that knows what I am talking about which is James from ItsMuchMore, but it is all top secret at the moment. Sorry for being cryptic, but I cannot say much at the moment.
All I can say is, if it does work out, everyone involved in gaming and the gaming community are going to be blown away. A clue/riddle: it was something that was once that is no more but will be back. I know it is nothing to go on but I am sure it will make many think hard.
Keep an eye out on the Gaming Crazy YouTube channel for more on this.
PS.
I really enjoy doing work with GC. It has been frustrating with the restrictions this year, but in
saying that the challenge to adapt and find new ways of doing things have been interesting,
educational in many ways and fun.
I have learned a lot with doing YouTube and editing videos also. Working with ItsMuchMore has been great and as mentioned I do want to work with other YouTubers. It is great to use gaming to raise money also, the possibilities of YouTube, if used wisely, are endless.
Thank you for inviting me to be a part of RGL, it is great getting to know other gamers and doing more with other YouTubers.
Mark Bond
Gaming Crazy
