Chills.exe is one hell of a retro enthusiast! His Instagram is absolutely filled with none stop nostalgia. Picture after picture of pure golden years of gaming, His page mainly consists of Nintendo and retro! I simply can’t wait to interview Chills!
What is your earliest memory of video games and at what point did you know it was something you would love for life?
So both of these roll into one for me. I can’t remember which birthday it was but I was pretty young. My parents got me a DMG-101 Game Boy which came bundled with a copy of Tetris and they’re officially the first console and game I ever owned. Shortly after I got a few extra games for it like Super Mario Bros. and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers but I always found myself constantly going back to Tetris. It went with me everywhere and I really don’t want to think about how much my parents had to spend on AA batteries haha. Even today I keep going back for a few rounds - but with a greater appreciation for its design and flow.
What are your top 3 videos games and why?
Guild Wars (PC)
This game holds the top spot for most hours spent on a single game for me and it’s also the first MMO I played! It came out at the perfect time in my life when I was young enough to have oodles of free time! I clocked up in excess of 1.5k hours on a single character – my mage called Topaz J If I’m being honest the story wasn’t all that and the grind is was real but I caught the MMO bug HARD. I’ve honestly never played WoW so I guess most people caught the bug playing that game. I mostly played the PvE side, farming materials to build armor sets, completing every quest and hunting for minitures. I was pretty stoked when ArenaNet announced a sequel and I ended up putting in a good 1,000+ hours into GW2 and jumping back in every time there was an event. I don’t play it now but I still have a large statue of Ritlock Brimstone which came with the collector’s edition on my shelf
Tetris (GB)
This was the first game I ever played and was the first game I got hooked on. Over the years I’ve played multiple iterations but none of them had the magic that the first one had. In my mind it’s the perfect game and I’ll happy argue that point with anyone! It has the perfect balance of fiero and flow, the mechanics are simple but impossible to master (although I’ve seen YouTube videos which prove this otherwise!) and that theme music! There’s nothing I can say about Tetris that hasn’t already been said but it’s special to me and always will be!
VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action (PS Vita)
I spend a lot of time looking into the history of videos and playing through all the games I missed but I also spend a lot of time playing new releases and indie gems. Handhelds are fantastic for travelling and my OG PS Vita (sorry but the OLED screen is too good to give up!) is my go-to console for long journeys or holidays. Last year I went on holiday to a villa in Italy for 2 weeks with my wife’s family and spent a lot of time sunbathing whilst playing the Vita. Life was good! After bouncing off a few games I started VA-11 Hall-A and was instantly hooked! I ended up completing it and getting the platinum trophy in around 2 days and loved every second. It’s a rather simple game with lovely graphics but it was way it built and developed the story which kept me wanting to play more. The only downside is that it wasn’t longer!
What upcoming titles are you excited for?
Cyberpunk 2077 and Breath of the Wild 2!
Your personal top 3 consoles and why?
PS4
It’s my go-to current gen console!
XBOX 360
Microsoft at their gaming prime and it was the first console where I played online with friends a lot (PS2 & Dreamcast don’t count!). It has an epic library and tonne of great RPGs! Not to mention the Mass Effect & FF13 trilogies!
Game Boy (OG through to Micro)
Ever since I started gaming as a kid I’ve always had a Game Boy on me – even now my Micro lives in my satchel I use for work! The fantastic support Nintendo gave to backwards compatibility meant that each console seemed like an upgrade rather than a replacement.
Retro games have a reputation for being hard, what is the hardest you have played?
Haha Street Fighter 2 Turbo! Even The Lost Levels is easier than SF2!
What Nintendo character best suits your personality
Kirby! I inhale anything edible!
I have to ask, Goldeneye N64, Split screen, what was your favourite Cheat code?
Controversial but I never played Goldeneye when it came out so when I eventually played it without nostalgia goggles…I didn’t think it was good! I’m sure it was good at the time however it doesn’t hold up well and it’s very hard to play now if you don’t have those good memories.
What are some of the most unique collectibles you have?
Console wise I have a couple of pong machines – one being the VideoMaster SuperScore that came out in 1977. Another also released in 1977 but slightly different is the Conic TVG 406-6. That one comes with detachable dial controllers and a light gun! I don’t play these much – only now and then but there’s something special about playing on a console that was released over 40 years ago!
What is your most prized collectable and why?
This would have to be my set of 2006 Club Nintendo Hanafuda cards! Not overly rare or expensive to obtain now but it’s such a lovely set – the art is amazing and it really harkens back to Nintendo’s roots.
Have your say (say anything you want)
I’d just like to extend my thanks to everyone in the gaming community! Video games are fantastic but what really makes them special is everyone who plays and talks about them! Whether it’s on YouTube, Instagram, podcasts, wiki guides, books, magazines, forums, video game websites – anywhere! Feel free to reach out to me anytime if you want to chat!