☆ The Deep Freeze Number 1 (Jan 2017) – Getting To Know The Games Freezer Staff! ☆ #GamersUnite

One of the things I loved about the gaming magazines of old is that the writing staff weren’t just nameless, faceless souls.  They felt like real people, people you could hang out and play video games with or share a beer with.

The 1st Magazine that really did this for me was the legendary Mean Machines.

How did they do this you might ask?

Well, they wrote with a sense of fun which was infectious. I reckon if someone had taken my photo back in the day, whilst I was reading Mean Machines, they would have captured a big fat smile on my face.

Long before Roast Me, Mean Machines had Insult Corner. Readers would voluntary send in photos of themselves, to be mocked. Some of the insults were brutal but so funny!

They were also not afraid to laugh at themselves or each other; the sadness of Gary Harrod was a re-occurring theme!

Each writer had a distinctive cartoon avatar allocated to them, which really allowed the personalities of Jaz, Rad, Oz and Rich to shine through. They would also publish some of the best reader comic strips depicting their hilarious adventures.

But the best way that we got to know about this awesome bunch of guys was through a monthly piece on the editorial page. This was basically a synopsis of what each of the current writers’ favourite games were that month, as well as a hilarious story about their favourite holiday or other personal experience.

So with this in mind, I thought the Freezer staff could take a page out of the Mean Machines book and let you guys know a bit more about us.

So once a month I will gather up the other members of the Freezer family to tell us what they have been up to over the last 30 days.

So here goes, let’s start with me (Pang Man) first!

Pang Man

Games played

• Super Luigi U
• Exiles End

Movies watched:

• Lion (great film, I read the article on the BBC about the true story so I knew I had to check this out),
• The Handmaiden (Excellent Korean movie, from the Director of Old Boy)
• Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (Hilarious spoof documentary from the Lonely Island Guys)

TV watched

• Westworld (great acting and twists)
• Black Mirror (favourite episodes: San Junipero, Be Right Back, Fifteen Million Merits)
• Stranger Things (a throwback to those who love the 80s)

Highlight of the month

• Giving a “Participation Award” to my colleague for “trying”. ☺

Lowlight of the month

• Having to pay my personal tax!

Most looking forward to

• Ultra Street Fighter 2 and Super Mario Odyssey on the Switch

Strangest thing that has happened to you on a journey

I once met up with my mates Chak and Kevin to go play arcades at the London Trocadero. We met at Turnpike Lane station and I went down tube escalator first. I looked back and saw 2 big guys having an animated discussion with Kevin at the top of the escalator. I assumed they Kevin friends, so I thought nothing of it.

When I got to the train platform, one of the big guys approached me and said: “How much money do you have?”

I thought to myself “That’s an interesting question. Hmm, how much do I have?” As I debated in my head the exact amount he kept asking the same question over and over again and was getting visibly angry. He then shoved me. I was confused so I shoved him back. Exasperated he walked off shaking his head.

After they had left, I asked Kevin why his mates were so weird. It was then that Kevin told me he had been mugged! Apparently, I was too stupid to realise that they weren’t Kevin’s mates at all. One of them had robbed Kevin and he had been trying to rob me, but because I was too thick to understand he had given up.

In the end, we made it to the Arcades, I had to lend Kevin some money, though.

Rich

Games Played:

• Fallout4 (I'm knee deep in this game and I can't see a time anytime soon when I'll be finished uncovering the secrets of this awesome video game)

Movies Watched:

• Moneyball (I've been meaning to watch this for years!)
• Django Unchained (It's on Netflix and it's great, Tarantino is still my favourite director of all time)
• Layer Cake (Probably the 150th time I've watched this film "Welcome To The Layer Cake Son")
• The Big Short (WOW! This film is spellbinding, I didn't want it to end)

TV Watched:

• Stranger Things (Just started watching this and I think I'm going to love it!)
• The Walking Dead (Series 4 - Episode 6 - Trying to claw my way to Series 7!)

Highlight Of The Month:

• Demolishing the greenhouse in my garden and breaking up the concrete foundations to make way for a nice water feature at some point in the summer

Lowlight Of The Month:

• Hauling 40 bags of broken up concrete hardcore around my garden!

Most Looking Forward To:

• Nintendo Switch (I'm a believer but not a pre-orderer)
• My next video game purchase which I think will be……….DOOM! (I was never into DOOM! when it first came out but after listening to the Game Of The Year Podcast from Giant Bomb I just gotta play this game)
• Stardew Valley on PS4 (I need to see what all the fuss is about!)

Strangest Thing That Happened To You On A Journey:

My story is both Strange and Scary for me. I went on a journey to Rome to watch Tottenham Hotspur Football Club play Lazio at the Stade De Olimpico. On the night before the football match, my friends and I were in a bar in the centre of Rome with a whole host of friendly American students and Tottenham fans. A great time was being had by all as we played Beer Pong and drank some of the loveliest beers in Rome.

Then all of a sudden the happy, friendly atmosphere was broken up by an almighty crash and a whole load of smoke!

It was soon apparent that the bar was being overrun by rival supporters who saw the bar as an easy target and began to smash each and every one of the windows in the bar. They then launched CS G4s into the middle of the bar which caused more panic and fear.

We managed to shield ourselves and most of the students using the beer pong table and a temporary wall of chairs. As the onslaught died down we then had an opportunity to make our escape from the madness through the broken side doors.

I'll never forget that night in Rome and it always amazes me how the atmosphere went from carnival to fear in a matter of seconds.

Bethany

Games played:

• Overwatch
• Filthy Lucre
• Battlefield 1

Movies watched:

• Age of Ultron
• Civil War

TV watched:

• Supernatural (rewatching the series)
• Blue Planet

Highlight of the month:

Traveling to one of the biggest cities in the world, Manhattan, and taking my PS4. Amidst all the beautiful architecture and history, it was still a piece of home to curl up on the sofa and play some video games.

Lowlight of the month:

Cancellation of my gym membership! 😱 But a new one is on the way.

Most looking forward to:

Warmer weather!

Strangest thing that has happened to you on a journey:

I saw a rat the size of my boot at the Long Island Ferry dock. It was out at dusk, giant and totally unafraid. The worst of it: I saw it run directly into the dining room of one of the ferry dock's restaurants!

"Stay Frosty Freezer Followers"