☆ Retro Games Collector Talks Grandstand 3600, The Lords Of Midnight and Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwiches - Video Games Memories ☆ #GamersUnite #Retrogaming

Today we invite a Spectrum Fanatic and Retro Gaming community legend @RetroGamesCollector in the Freezer to answer some cool questions on his retrogaming past present and future...

1. What's your earliest video gaming memory?

My earliest gaming memories come from my summer holidays in Seaside town amusement arcades in the mid 70s. Back then there were a mixture of amazing electro-mechanical video games like Jet Bomber, Killer Shark and Boot Hill, all of which I remember my Dad and I playing.

2. What was the first video game console that you owned?

It was a Grandstand 3600 Colour TV game with 3 variations of Pong to play, plus a target game to shoot at with the 'Stack' lightgun it came with. We used to spend hours as a family on that huddled round our old valve colour TV.

3. How did you get into the retro gaming scene?

Seems I've always been into retro really. I think it all really got going around 1993/94 though when I consciously made a decision to start collecting old consoles and computers after finding a boxed Atari woody at a car boot sale. 

I had my first retro based website up and running by the mid 90s and haven't stopped blogging about retrogaming since.

4. What's your favourite video game of all time? 

Wow, I was hoping you wouldn't ask a question like that. So hard to answer… so many games… My answer changes every time the wind changes direction I think! If I had to pick one though at the moment it would probably be The Lords of Midnight on the ZX Spectrum. I spent so many hours playing that title and its one I think I had most fun with.

5. What's your favourite console of all time?

As many know already I am a die-hard Spectrum fan but as you asked which console was my favourite… again, this answer changes like the wind but at the moment it is probably the Atari VCS/2600. 

There are so many fantastic homebrew titles being made now that really push the hardware to it's limits, far further than anyone could have imagined possible originally.

6. What's your favourite arcade game of all time?
 

Easy peasy this one. Sit down Star Wars. Sounds a bit cliched as it seems to be everyone's favourite nowadays but this really blew me away when it hit the arcades and it still plays beautifully today.

7. What's your favourite sandwich? 

Peanut butter and nutella. Gastronomically speaking I'm still 8 years old. Yum.

8. What do you order from an Indian Restaurant? 

I try anything and everything but it will always be ordered alongside a Peshwari naan. I have a sweet tooth you see ;)

9. What's your favourite beer?

I love my craft brewed ales and I love so many but if I have to choose only one it would be beer from a local brewery to me (Saddlers) of which my current favourite is a golden ale called Worcester Sorcerer.

10. What current generation video games do you play (if any)?

My most recent current-gen acquisition is PSVR and I am blown away by it all to be honest. To my mind it is the biggest leap forward in terms of how we play our games since consoles were conceived and I'm now convinced it is the future.  

11. Who's your fave person to follow on Twitter? Put me on the spot why don't you? ;) 

You are all wonderful *sits on fence* :D

12. What's your favourite video game genre?

I like immediate gratification from a game so shoot-em-ups are the ones I go to mostly. Oddly though I also love a good text adventure on my old micros so who knows? 

13. If you were a console, which one would you be and why?If I had to be a console I think I would have to be a current gen. 
The future of gaming is exciting too and I would love to be part of what comes next.

14. Can you recommend a good retro gaming shop?

Ahem, retrogear.co.uk obviously. Other than my shameless plug, a friend of mine has recently opened a retro games store called 'Get Gaming' in Lower Gornal, Dudley (DY3 2UB) and I can't recommend that enough.

15. If you were going to do a Cosplay tomorrow, what would it be and why?

I'd put myself in a plain yellow box and go as the main character in Adventure on the Atari 2600.

16. You once sent me a Crystal original XBOX for the cost of postage! I've never forgotten that and I think that is the kind of stuff that separates the retrogaming community aside from the other video games communities, would you agree?

I have had so many kind deeds done for me by fellow retrogamers that I'm convinced we have one of the nicest, most relaxed communities going. 
I do like to pay this forward whenever I can :D