In our latest Antstream Arcade Twitch Superstar feature, we chat with another one of the wonderful people spreading the retro gaming glory of Antstream Arcade via streaming platforms. This week, we proudly present Mappyman, AKA Scott, answering questions on his gaming history, favourite games, Antstream Arcade and more. You can catch Mappyman on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/mappyman and on Twitter as @mappyman.
On with the retro inquisition!
Antstream Arcade: Hello, Scott! What are your earliest memories of gaming?
Scott: Hello! I remember late nights playing Adventure and Moon Patrol on the Atari 2600. My grandfather would also code old games like Snake, Gorilla and Space Invaders.
AA: Wow, what a cool grandad! Was the Atari 2600 your first console?
Scott: Yep, with a stack of games. It was such a thrill to take it over to play it on my uncle’s 500-pound monster screen.
AA: It sounds like gaming was a family thing for you – but what game first captured your imagination?
Scott: Crystalis for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It’s an action/platform/RPG that resembles Zelda, but it’s very unique. You get all kinds of spells, the boss battles are tough, and you can even ride a dolphin! It was the only time I actually called the Nintendo Power Helpline to figure out a puzzle – in those days, you didn’t have walkthroughs or guides!
AA: No, we didn’t! On the spot time, part one: what has been your favourite era for gaming?
Scott: While the Super Nintendo was where I really sank my teeth into some RPGs, I feel like the PlayStation era is where things got going. I was able to trick my system into playing imports which opened a whole new market of games I had never seen before. Arcade ports and rhythm simulation games such as Bust A Groove became more available.
[image] bust a groove cover
AA: On the spot time, part two! What’s your favourite game of all time, and why do you love it so much?
Scott: Final Fantasy was the first RPG I played, but I fell in love with Final Fantasy IV (II in the US) and played it to 100% completion – yes, even the Pink Puffs and Adamant Armor! Since its release, I’ve replayed this fantastic story on every system it has been released on, going through its amazing story and characters, and I am always thrilled by Square Enix’s additions. It also sparked a joy for game soundtracks, and I’ve attended multiple Final Fantasy Symphonic Orchestras since.
AA: How do you choose which games to stream?
Scott: I’m very fortunate to have a local library that rents videogames. I’ll rent out games for a week and play the new stuff on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. I’m part of a speedrun group called SalsaShack, and we will collectively take on racing each other – being able to enjoy games with a solid crew is the biggest reason I got into speedrunning. It’s a friendly scene where everyone is trying their best and also sharing their knowledge of game mechanics and glitches.
AA: What do you think of Antstream Arcade?
Scott: I love it! The first response I get when I tell people about Antstream Arcade is, ‘is it legal?’ and it’s astounding how such a vast library of licensed arcade games is available. I grew up in the arcades, and more and more, I’m seeing the arcade/barcade scene growing again. This gives me a chance to practice and perfect a run, so when I get to the arcade in person, I’m making those high score charts! I also love the tournaments. I check in daily to grab my gems and am always peeping at the current tournaments – and Giant Slayers – to see if I’ve got what it takes. Even if I don’t know the game, it’s worth giving it a shot to see if I can rank anywhere in the top numbers.
AA: As a valued member of the Antstream Arcade streaming community, do you have any recommendations on how we can improve?
Scott: A big request would be if you could see just how some of those high scores happened! Captured footage of the top scores would be neat to see how they accomplished such a feat. Multiplayer would also be great, especially for fighting games and arcade madness such as Metal Slug.
AA: We’ll get on it! Finally, Scott, AKA Mappyman on Antstream Arcade, on a scale of 1 to 10, how geeky are you?
Scott: I was actually looking at a Venn diagram explaining Nerd/Dork/Geek, and I’ll put myself at a solid 7. While I have a great passion for gaming, I’m also very extroverted and usually out at parties and social events multiple times a week. Growing up, I would buy all the limited editions and rare games, go to anime conventions and even cosplay! I’ve definitely been a 10 most of my life.
That sounds unquestionably like a 10 to us! Our thanks to Scott for his time – stay tuned for another Antstream Arcade streaming superstar profile soon!
Want to check out the latest news for Antstream Arcade and chat to streamers such as Mappyman? Then head over to our Discord server: https://discord.gg/antstream. See you there!
