My Top Ten Favorite YouTube Gamers

Have you ever wanted to play a certain video game but didn’t have the time or motivation to go for it?  I know I have.  I found an answer to this dilemma with YouTube.  I started out by watching videos of entire games that I believed I would never play myself.  Gradually, I discovered enough likeable personalities, game vloggers, and highly creative YouTubers to compile a list.  I’d like to share with you my top ten favorite YouTube gamers.

10) RadBrad – RadBrad has the distinction of being one of the first gamers I discovered on YouTube, though I can’t recall what was the first game of which I saw him do a playthrough.  I thought him to be funny enough that I kept tuning back in to hear his commentary on a number of video games.  The one thing that keeps him from getting a higher spot on this list is that he doesn’t always finish the games he starts.  I suspect he makes a living playing video games based on how many videos he uploads on a weekly basis.  But I also imagine he doesn’t have enough time to see all these games through to the end.

9) Cloud8745 – When I took a video game design course in college, a classmate told me about one of the most sadistic games ever made – I Wanna Be the Guy – where just about every object in the game is designed to kill you.  Curiosity led me to look up the game online, which in turn led me to the YouTube videos of Cloud8745.  His unique commentary or rants on some of the game’s scenarios made me an instant fan of his.  Sadly, he has difficulty maintaining his own YouTube channel.  Many of the videos showcasing his gaming antics have been made available by fans of his.

8) Yeti112 – He is a YouTuber who has the distinction of making animated parodies of video games, particularly the Resident Evil series.  I’m not entirely sure how or when I stumbled across a video showcasing Yeti112’s work, but I found it highly entertaining and clever.  I especially love his ‘Resident Evil Stories’ series for their running gags and humorous situations.  While he doesn’t upload new videos that often, his work is unique enough that I get a kick out of it.

7) Jordan Underneath – I stumbled across Jordan Underneath due to our shared love of the Resident Evil series.  I was drawn to his honest critiques of the games and the monsters therein.  He can be counted on to give it to you straight instead of ranting or being preachy.  While I’ve enjoyed his videos pertaining to games he’s played, he has recently turned to making dark or surreal artistic videos instead.  I know he suffers from depression; though some of his recent videos have gotten me concerned about him, I’m glad to see he’s still going strong.

6) Dartigan – What makes Dartigan a unique YouTuber is that his videos consist primarily of him nitpicking the newest or most popular video games on the market.  Granted, I’ve seen other YouTubers who do the same thing, but I find Dartigan’s nitpicks more well thought out and humorous than most.  I routinely tune in to his channel to see whatever new game he’s scrutinizing.  One of my favorite video games to hear him pick apart would be Final Fantasy XIII.  I haven’t played this game myself, but it’s not necessary to understand most of the nitpicks.

5) Proton Jon & Superjeenius – If there’s one thing I love about watching gameplay videos on YouTube, it would be listening to the commentary of the player – the more humorous, the better.  Watching Proton Jon’s and Superjeenius’ playthrough of Resident Evil 5 is guaranteed to get me rolling on the floor laughing.  Whether it’s hearing Jon make a random reference to football – which a drinking game could easily be built around — or Superjeenius’ irrational fear of computer-generated spiders, I can always count on their videos to brighten my mood whenever I’m having a bad day.  For anyone who doesn’t want to see their run-through of the entire game, I would recommend checking out their top 20 best moments.  The one downside – this is the only co-op game I’ve seen them partner up on.  They play off each other so well that I wouldn’t mind seeing them team up for another video game.

4) ZackScottGames –  He is another active gamer whose commentary I enjoy, but I’m not sure which game led me to discover his channel.  I find ZackScottGames to be very personable and he has a laugh that I find infectious.  Though he gravitates more toward kid-oriented video games, he does occasionally work in a horror game.  My personal favorite videos are his highlights of Resident Evil: Revelations or Don’t Starve.  I also love that he ends each of his videos by introducing his two cats – one of which sadly passed away recently.  If you are looking for a fun YouTuber who can be counted on to provide a good laugh, he is definitely one to check out.

3) Jazzman1226 –  I don’t know if Jazzman1226 is a gamer per se, but he or she is a master of putting together musical tributes to video games or movies.  I love how this particular YouTuber edits together clips from the various Resident Evil games to match a particular song of his or her choosing.  Of all the fan-made music videos I’ve added to my personal YouTube playlist, the majority were created by Jazzman1226 (but shout-out to the runner-up, MrAlbertWesker0).  I look forward to whatever new tributes Jazzman1226 has in store, especially if they are on par with my particular faves of “Super Psycho Love,” “Something I Need,” “The Silence,” and “Unknown Soldier.”

2) Tipster – A prolific game vlogger I discovered just a month ago, Tipster earned a spot near the top of the list for the hot-off-the-presses news he provides about the gaming industry.  He is definitely a YouTuber worth checking out whether he’s relaying info about a new game console in the works or sharing his opinion of newly announced video games.  I don’t know of very many vloggers who are as active and comprehensive.

1) Radtv5150 (with Audemas) – As with the other game commentators who made the list, Radtv5150 is one to check out for a good laugh – especially when he does a co-op game with his buddy, Audemas.  What sets Rad’s videos apart from the rest is that he easily freaks out – in ways I find downright hysterical — when faced with video game creatures ranging from crocodiles to mutated monstrosities.  And Audemas will sometimes instigate a situation that gets his gaming partner, or both of them, killed.  What’s better is that Rad isn’t the best when it comes to aiming.  In his playthrough of Resident Evil 4, he even manages to miss a very large target with a rocket launcher.

The majority of unique personalities on this list can still provide a source of entertainment even if you’re not a gamer.  Whether you’d prefer exploring the creative artistry of Yeti112, Jordan Underneath, and Jazzman1226 or laughing at the comedy stylings of Proton Jon, Superjeenius, ZackScottGames, and Radtv5150, I would highly recommend checking out one or more of these channels.  I hope you found something on my list that appeals to you.