A chat with developer, author, retro-gaming enthusiast, and YouTuber John Riggs (NostalgiaO’s: Breakfast Cereals of our Saturday Mornings, Chew Chew Mimic, Cereal Cafe, Gleamy the Cube, Yeah Yeah Beebis II, youtube.com/@JohnRiggs) as part of our The Pixels Interview Series! This interview was conducted in writing by MattLotti.
Matt: You’re heavily involved in the pixelated world, but also have a lengthy career in radio. What guided you towards that profession and has it played a role in your other businesses? Are there any voicework roles or dream projects you’d love to be a part of, either within the gaming community or otherwise?
John: After high school, I worked in retail for a few years. I didn’t mind it but knew I wanted to do something else. Our local trade school had ‘radio broadcasting’ as a class there, and I loved talking to people, so I went for it. It was also the local hiring center for new employees, so I got a job within the school year of taking that class and have loved it every since. There’s a lot of radio philosophy and psychology I use all the time on my Youtube channel, as well. I’d love to do more voice work in video games in the future.
Matt: The retro-gaming community is a passionate one, keeping old classics and little-known gems in pop culture discussion decades after they first released. In your experience as a content creator and from attending multiple conventions, do you feel like the gaming community embraces older titles just as much as new technology? Do younger gamers, for whom these retro consoles came out before they were even born, still show interest?
John: I see plenty of both. I know a few older gamers who aren’t into the new consoles and I see plenty of younger gamers playing classics as a form of video game appreciation, to see where their favorites came from. I think it’s great.
Matt: Speaking of conventions, I imagination travel further complicates an already packed schedule of radio work, YouTube, and development on your indie game projects. With these varied responsibilities, especially alongside family life, how do you balance it all? What advice would you give to aspiring content creators new to the juggling act?
John: It’s all time management. There are several things many typical people do that I don’t like: I don’t go to the movies, I don’t play every AAA game that comes out, and I don’t binge-watch series on Netflix. That’s all time I could be filming or editing. My radio job knows I travel for conventions, but when I do, I might take a Friday off of work, then do the event Saturday and Sunday, fly back Sunday night, and I’m back on the air on Monday.
Then after work I can edit those convention videos.
Matt: You also highlight a myriad game stories and indie shops in your travels. These are some of my favorites, as you celebrate small businesses and encourage your viewers to do the same. In this Amazon-centric age we live in, do you feel like local game stores are important for the health of the retro gaming community? In that vein, does having these older games on physical media play a part?
John: I don’t know the business side of owning a game store, but I do see more and more having non-gaming items in there, like Funko pops. I get it, so I don’t mind. Whatever keeps the lights on. I love gaming stores, as they’re often run by gamers, themselves, so they know and appreciate retro gaming. They’re also a great way to bring other gamers in their towns together; people they may not have known they were there. I love the stores that do trade-nights. Some have even started their own conventions. Love to see it.
Matt: Your YouTube channel also focusses on indie titles, especially those with a retro flavor. As a fan (and developer!), what do you think keeps this style of game so appealing? Is it simple nostalgia talking, or something deeper?
John: Not just nostalgia – which does help, especially new indie titles inspired by games we grew up with – but just the basic simplicity of the design. I’ll take any game where I can use a D-pad and two buttons for jump & attack over a game where I need to use every button on the controller for a different technique. I love those ‘pick up n’ play’-style games without having to learn an entirely new system.
Matt: Speaking of your YouTube channel, what are your favorite kinds of video to make? What sort of preparation goes into crafting these pieces? Any advice for those looking to venture out into the YouTube creative wilderness?
John Riggs: Any video where I talk about a bunch of games all at once, like when I rank games or look at games released by different years. It lets me have a chance to replay and talk about some games that many may have forgotten about. There’s a lot more out there than just Zelda and Mega Man.
Matt: I gotta ask – Open Cart Surgery – what’s the most foul, nasty, nigh-Eldrich-in-appearance cart that’s crossed your path? How’d you tackle the beast and was its resuscitation a success?
John: I didn’t film it, but did it live (so I guess it is on film somewhere) – at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo I fixed a copy of TMNT: Turtles in Time that had serious water damage. I replaced the board completely, but the rom chips still worked. I’ve seen games from a house fire and ones found in a dusty barn. Fortunately, nothing too grotesque. No games with a family of spiders living in them or anything. Not yet, fortunately.
Matt: As a game creator, you’ve released a variety of titles like Cereal Cafe, Yeah Yeah Beebis 2, and the more recent Chew Chew Mimic. From where do you draw inspiration for game ideas, and what’s involved in their development?
John: Sometimes I’ll just get inspired seemingly out of nowhere. I think for Chew Chew Mimic I saw a small forum of people talking about how much they hate Mimic chests in games. I thought it’d be fun to sympathize with the Mimic, since it seemed so hated, so I kinda went that route. I also love tapping into shared memories and feelings that people may have, but never talk about. Like in my next Genesis game that’s almost done, where you have to impress ladies by putting away stacks of chairs after a church meeting. The more chairs you carry, the more impressive you are… stuff like that. Anything that gets a laugh or a smirk is good with me.
Matt: What are some of the biggest challenges when it comes to game design? Are there any major hurdles to developing the same game across multiple platforms?
John: For me it’s that I can’t code, so I always work with someone who can, and I can help with most anything else or at least find someone who can. I’m decent with art, ideas, production, marketing and plenty of other things, though. It’s always a few of us working on stuff together.
Matt: As someone with a passion for retro games, it’d be a dream-come-true to create my own video game. I imagine this holds true for countless folk. What advice would you give a first-time developer as they embark on this quest?
John: Like me, you don’t need to know how to code. I had a friend who was a chef. I mentioned I’d love to do that, but I’m not that good with baking. He said you don’t need to know how to do everything. If you know how to do one thing well – making sauces or steaming veggies to perfection – you’ll always have a job. Same could be said for game development.
Or, when in doubt, there’s plenty of help using NES Maker and GameMaker studios.
Matt: Let’s say you had the chance to revive any long-lost or dormant video game franchise with your own new entry. What series would you pick and why? Would you keep it similar to the original, or shake things up for 2024?
John: We have plenty of Kirby games, I’d love to make a new Adventures of Lolo. I’d keep it as similar to the original as possible but maybe more items in stages, depending on the stage, of course.
Matt: On top of all this, you’re also an author. Quite the Renaissance Man! What led to the creation of NostalgiaO’s: Breakfast Cereals of our Saturday Mornings? Do you still keep up with all the funky new cereals coming out?
John: I do keep up with all the new cereals, yes. I don’t always buy them like I used to, and I rarely actually finish a box of new cereal. They’re often just gimmicky to sell the new movie or something they’re based off of, but I do love cereal still.
Matt: Alrighty, let’s wrap things up with a fun (though admittedly cliche’) question: If you were stuck on a desert island with a fully-functional NES, what 5 games would you bring with you? Tried-and-true classics? Underrated oddballs? Or a mix?
John: Oh, a nice mix. Super Dodge Ball, as it’s a game I can pick up and play anytime. Super Tecmo Bowl and Tetris for unlimited replay value. Final Fantasy for a longer game experience. And probably Kickle Cubicle, as I couldn’t imagine not having that game handy.
Matt: Thank you so much for your time! I really appreciate it. Do you have any final questions or parting words?
John: Thank you for having me. Keep supporting these indie devs on these projects when you can. When people stop buying, that’s when devs will stop making these great games. And if you can’t support with cash, sharing these projects on social media goes a long way.
Matt Lotti has explored the realms of paper and pixel in equal measure. An avid collector of both Magic the Gathering and classic NES & Gameboy, he feels imagination is the kindling that keeps the fires of gaming alive. This holds true to both classic titles and new adventures. What matters most is the creative energy involved. Each experience is a new story, and all stories deserve their time around the campfire. So grab an ale and settle in. After all, it’s dangerous to go alone. Matt Lotti can be found on Twitter @Intrepid_tautog.
