I was sitting at my pc, thinking of how to best introduce today’s guest, when I asked myself: “What makes you want to watch his videos?” Well, he is an 80s kid and I find him relatable.
“Is that all?” No, there is a lot more, actually… He is not just an 80s kid, he is THAT COOL 80s KID you always hoped to meet and befriend at your local arcade!
It is my absolute privilege to feature my favorite TikToker for the “We are gamers” series. Come on Matt, time to spread the joy!
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1. Welcome Matt and a big “thank you” for accepting my invitation. For a starter, please introduce yourself to RGL’s readers.
Thanks for the invite. A big Orlando hello to everyone. I’ve been gaming for a very long time, and I’ve loved games all my life, going on four decades now. Of course I don’t get to game as much as I used to these days, what with work and family, but I still get in as much gaming time as I can.
I also play games with my daughter now that she’s a little older. Minecraft and Roblox are the main games we play but I’ve also introduced her to some classic games like ToeJam & Earl on Sega Genesis. Gaming with your kids is especially awesome.
2. What was the first video game you ever played?
Wow that’s a good question. It’s been a long time. Honestly hard to remember, but I think it was either Pac-Man or Donkey Kong in the arcade. Would have been early 80s.
3. What about the first gaming system you ever owned?
First gaming system at home was the Atari 5200, with an adapter to play Atari 2600 games on it. 5200 games were much better but I had WAY more 2600 games.
4. Were you an arcade gamer? If you were, what about your favorite titles back in the 80s / 90s?
Endless charm…
Oh yeah. HUGE arcade gamer. I grew up in a small rural town in western NY and even there the grocery store had arcade games like Double Dragon and Shinobi. Every chance I had when my family went into the city to the mall I would stop in the arcade to play.
And of course we also had Chucky Cheese (back when it was still good). At the arcade I would play games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Turtles in Time, X-Men (Konami version), The Simpsons, Street Fighter 2, Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, T2, Operation Wolf, and Virtua Fighter (among many others).
5. I am going to name a few video game genres: please tell me your favorite retro title for each of them:
A) Adventure
A Link to the Past
B) Fighters
Mortal Kombat II
C) Platformers
Super Castlevania IV
D) Puzzle Games
Tetris
E) Role-playing games
Secret of Mana
F) Racers
Road Rash
G) Sports Games
NBA Jam TE
H) Shooters
Life Force
I) Any other games whose genre I did not mention?
Too many to mention.
6. While growing up, what gaming system did you have the most fun with? Are you still a regular gamer?
I think my favorite was the SNES, even though I loved all my systems, including the C64. And yeah, still strongly a retro gamer, perhaps now more than ever. I love discovering games I never played back in the day, and I have a new appreciation for Atari 2600 games I didn’t have back in the day.
7. What is your relationship with the online gaming world? Do you play online with your friends/family members/random gamers?
I really like online gaming although I don’t do as much of it as I would like. These days I play mostly COD and Halo Multiplayer. I still like to play couch coop as much as possible. Halo and Gears of War are really good for that.
8. What are your finest memories related to video games?
Playing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the arcade, and Super Castlevania IV, Super Ghouls and Ghosts and Super Mario World on SNES. Also dominating at Mortal Kombat II in my local arcade. Great feeling to clear out a whole room of players with a single quarter.
9. What prompted you to start a TikTok page?
Matt’s TikTok page: Gamatroid
I was having trouble gaining traction on some of the more established platforms like Instagram and YouTube, and I heard TikTok was gaining a lot of users. Thought I’d give it a try and I had more success getting discovered than on any of the other platforms.
Today I have a great community and following 25.7k strong, and I hope to keep growing and growing as long as I keep making compelling content.
10. What is the goal of Gamatroid?
The main goal of Gamatroid is to provide my community a window into their childhood memories and reminisce about their own fond gaming memories. I also enjoy introducing retro games to people that they may never have seen or played before.
11. Last but not least: any future plans or secret wishes?
I plan to keep growing Gamatroid on TikTok and other platforms to spread the joy of retrogaming and spark long forgotten memories. Thanks for letting me share my story with you and RGL’s readers.
