Beyond Playing - Gaming Videos for Week of 12/4

Here are some of the best games related videos we’ve found on the web from the past week. Note that these are personal preference and if we missed something great, please reach out so we can consider it for next time.

Sonic Secrets and Censorship - Did You Know Gaming? Feat. Greg

Did you Know Gaming have been unearthing some wild facts since its inception. Recently there has been a focus on import games and differences between versions for truly obscure finds. This particular episode is worth mentioning due to the sheer amount of Sonic the Hedgehog facts across many of the titles in the franchise.

This channel brings out some of the best trivia in the gaming world and both of their channels, as well as their website, are recommended. It’s also cool to hear stories of Sonic’s first public appearance being on a band’s tour bus.

Oh and Ditto are definitely failed attempts at cloning Mew.

How AM2R and Samus Returns remade Metroid 2 | Game Maker's Toolkit

Here of late, I’ve been in pursuit of longform critique that would probably fit more into an academic monthly journal than on YouTube, but there are a surprising amount of content creators producing this take on games. One of the best out there in my opinion is Mark Brown, who is known mostly for his series Boss Keys, a show that meticulously dissects and analyzes dungeons from the entire Legend of Zelda franchise.

When Metroid: Samus Returns launched, Mark put out one of the most in-depth takes on the remake compared to its original Game Boy release. This is then coupled with the fan game Another Metroid 2 Remake and how each remake takes the themes and ideas from the original to interpret them in different ways. The whole ordeal is one of the most interesting releases both from a history perspective and from the view of diehard Metroid fans.

toco toco ep.49, Yoko Taro, Game Creator

Amazingly, those enjoying the games medium have the distinct advantage of learning about the creators directly, unlike say those interested in classic literature or paintings. This study of the minds behind games is something that can add a lot of perspective to titles. Toco Toco is a series that focuses on Japanese artists and the places that inspire them in a documentary style interview. They cover other artists aside from game designers, but the ones on designers are great since it can sometimes be a challenge to learn about a developer in another region.

Yoko Taro, who most recently was one of the forces behind the monumental Nier: Automata, has plenty of quirks to entice people into learning more about this strange dude in a creepy helmet and more than enough sheer brilliance to create a newfound love for his work.

Several game creators are featured in toco toco, providing a unique approach to learning more about those artists.

Games You Might Not Have Tried: Horror - Find New Games for Halloween - Extra Credits

With the sheer amount of games published daily that can clutter up storefronts, sometimes the simple act of finding something interesting to play can be a huge challenge. Luckily, there are several channels with segments that are dedicated to finding gems in the piles. Some of the best recommendations come out of the folks at Extra Credits, a channel committed to proving that games matter.

There is a whole playlist of Games You Might Not Have Tried, but this one on horror has a ton of good choices. Many of the games featured in this series are things that may not even be good, but could have some merit of some kind, especially for developers or people in games media.

It’s a deep dive into the various libraries across all systems!

Random PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Bullsh*ttery (part 2)

I’m the type of player that has a tendency to shy away from multiplayers games, which is reflected in the type of content I enjoy watching videos on. This is likely due to the fact that I’ve rarely had a good enough internet connection to play those games properly. That being said, SovietWumble and his crew are some of the funniest players I’ve seen in years.

Editing is quick and witty, making for both visual gags, as well as the laughs from the organic situations these players find themselves in. A lot of these videos are also taken as a collective best from various livestreams, so those looking for more can always find them on Twitch.

The ZFClan are all a funny bunch, definitely give them a try if situational comedy mixed with multiplayer gaming sounds appealing.