The YouTube gaming space is an interesting place. There are plenty of quality entertainers in the form of let's-players, speedrunners, reviewers, and so on.
But as with any other competitive entertainment platform, there are so many popular YouTubers and commentators that some of the more interesting ones covering niche markets sometimes just fall through the cracks. Some would call these personalities "underrated," but really, they're more "underappreciated."
So to call attention to some of those diamonds in the rough, we did a list just like this a while back, and we felt it was about time to do a follow-up. It's time to shine a greater spotlight on the supporting cast of this online community -- and those that are just as important as the big names in the business.
Let's meet the contenders!
NOTE: Some sections of this list are NSFW.
Scarfulhu
Scarfulhu is a more soothing gaming YouTuber. He is almost exclusively a reviewer, so he isn't a Jack-of-all trades sort of channel (like many others). But for the most part, he enjoys dissecting point-and-click adventure games, a niche that's continually growing in popularity.
His frequent discussions regarding puzzles, pacing, and overlooked gems from the LucasArts and Sierra eras (as well as the modern day) make for very relaxing videos. On top of that, Scarfulhu does occasionally have live actions skecthes, but they're much calmer and drier than your typical frantic and hyperactive YouTube personality, which is a nice change of pace.
This all compounded by his -- once again -- dry sense of humor, as well as his delightful Northern English voice and accent. That and the scarf, can't forget the scarf.
Scarfulhu also occasionally reviews movies, usually outstandingly poor animated films and mockbusters such as Ratatoing and Elf Bowling: The Movie. On one occasion, he even wrote a comedy skit that ended up being performed by the famous YouTuber TomSka.
Scarfulhu is just a pleasant guy with an equally pleasant channel to watch. On top of that, his is also a very clean channel, with very little language or violence. So if that's a draw for you, then there's that too.
Arlo
Yes, Arlo is a puppet that hosts a YouTube channel. And yes, he is just about as clean and family friendly as you'd expect... for the most part. In the end, this works in his favor, as Arlo talks about Nintendo related content roughly 99% of the time, whether it be news, reviews, or speculative/retrospective opinion pieces.
Arlo also chimes in on other companies from time to time, and does reviews and live reactions as well. He's spoken in defense of Super Mario Sunshine, reviewed plenty of games, from Yooka-Laylee to Resident Evil 7, and had plenty to say about the Switch -- all while talking through his fuzzy blue puppet.
Sure, the puppet idea is a gimmick, but it's a good gimmick; Arlo's look and feel would be very difficult to mistake for pretty much anybody else. Plus, you always know what you're getting into with him, and if he ever changes things up in terms of appropriateness, he makes sure to let you know right away.
His family friendly nature doesn't stop him from being negative, mind you, as Arlo never sugarcoats his opinion on anything. He was among the first to deride the first trailer for Paper Mario: Color Splash and was bluntly honest in his review of Star Fox Zero.
Arlo has some quality videos, some interesting discussion topics, and an appealing puppet face greatly articulating it all. Give him a look.
Yuriofwind
If you enjoy curious gaming history, in-depth analysis, and snarky cynicism aimed at those who most deserve it, then you'll find quite a lot to like about Yuriofwind.
Yuriofwind is a dedicated gamer who takes interest in both the historic and the inane. He covers cut video game content and tales of what-could-have been in his series "Gaming Mysteries", where he goes over betas of popular games, as well as games that were never released.
But without a doubt, his most entertaining segment is the wonderfully titled "Bullshit Creepypasta Storytime". It's here that Yuri is at his most sarcastic, snarky, and hilarious. I mean Yuri's other stuff can often be funny, but if this show hits you just right, it can leave you in stitches.
He combs the internet for the most uniquely terrible video game Creepypastas, doing his best to refrain from the ones that are badly written, and then reads them aloud to piece together their convoluted plots.
He rips into such classic tales of spooky ghosts like Mario Kart Black, Pokemon Dead Channel, and Animal Crossing YOU DID THIS.
He's also got other miscellaneous bits of content scattered around his channel, such as the odd one-off let's play or first impressions video, and his third main series, "Obscure Gaming", discusses forgotten gems, ports, and foreign bootlegs.
He also has a very sarcastic and self-deprecating sense of humor. He's quick to make fun of himself and others no matter what he's talking about, and he can get outright savage with his burns. But he never goes too far with his criticisms. Whenever he says, "Fuck you" it's very possible that there's also a quick "I love you guys" just around the corner.
Yuriofwind is a snarky yet lovable everyman, and he's got plenty of quality content and passion to share. Below you can watch the first (and probably one of the best) episodes of "Bullshit Creepypasta Storytime", where he tears the infamous tale of Sonic.EXE to shreds:
For those more interested in the gaming historian side of Yuri, you can watch his "Gaming Mysteries" episode on the beta for Luigi's Mansion:
Just to round things out, for those of you interested in "Obscure Gaming", here is his most recent episode, wherein he discusses an unreleased Mario game for the CDI:
Lucahjin
Lucahjin is like a cool older sister who lets you watch her play video games. That's honestly how she describes herself. A quick glance at her channel description reads:
Welcome! Think of me as your weird, older sister that's reliving all the games she missed out on in her life! Help me play through a million games for the first time, using your direction to finish them! Let's hang out and play games!
She is the first let's-player to make it into one of these lists, and she deserves it. She's the kind of content creator you can enjoy even if you don't know that much about video games -- that is her intended draw, after all.
Lucahjin has been gaming for most of her life, but she missed out on a lot of classic games, and that's where her let's-plays come in. Many of her let's-plays are done completely blind of any in-game content or events, and are recommended to her by fans based on what they think she'd enjoy.
She does let's-plays of games ranging from standard fare like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and the Mario & Luigi RPGS to more standout and bizarre games like Huniepop and Barbie Wild Horse Rescue. Generally speaking, she has an affinity for JRPGs, point-and-click adventure games, and visual novels, but both her taste and content cover a variety of genres, and not all of her LPs are blind.
A big part of the joy of her videos is watching somebody who has spent their life playing video games fall in love with classics right in front of you; and the other half is Lucah's charming personality and silly, often immature sense of humor. She's a full-grown woman with the sense of humor of a middle schooler, and this paired with her frequent displays of childlike wonder on screen, as well her delightful commentary, makes her a joy to watch. Some might be turned off by her frequent cursing, but if it helps at all, she's pretty good at that, too.
Lucahjin is funny, easy to watch in marathon sessions, and she leaves you in a good mood. Highly recommended.
MetalJesusRocks
MetalJesusRocks is just a cool guy who loves video games. It's that simple. He's a lifelong gamer who loves to collect games of all types from a wide variety of systems. For the sake of his viewers, he shows off the best and most interesting games he can find within his massive, personal library.
He makes lists of the best hidden gems and general games on a number of systems, gives his input on how to shop for and take care of your retro game collection, and occasionally digs up a fascinating piece of gaming history. We have him to thank for publicly unearthing the working prototype of the Nintendo 64 Disk Drive, long thought to be lost to time.
The best way to enjoy his channel is to just head there and start exploring. He's bound to cover your favorite console or genre at some point if he hasn't already. The man is like a librarian curator for electronic media, and he's got interesting and eclectic tastes.
Fawful's Minion
You'd be hard-pressed to find a quality gaming content creator quite as odd, yet grounded, as Fawful's Minion.
He's a countdown maker who styles his persona after Fawful, the main antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. And fittingly so: he's just as bouncy and unpredictable as the maniacal green bean by which he's inspired.
Every one of Minion's videos is distinctively his own. While his chosen topics and style of editing may remind you of a number of different YouTubers, his writing and commentary most assuredly will not. Why? Because it's off the wall and going a mile a minute. He has such a distinct and often bizarre way of stringing sentences together that deciphering what he's exactly talking about often becomes part of the fun of his videos. He constantly makes references both broad and obscure, crafs similes more colorful than a tropical fruit bowl, and conjures new and inventive ways to swear.
If there's one thing that Fawful's Minion has in spades, it's heart. When he picks a topic, he really goes all in on it. He never half-asses anything.
In videos like his "Top Ten Generation 7 Pokemon", he bases his ranking on not just personal attachment, but on design, value in story, and use in the competitive meta. Instead of making a "Top Ten Kirby Copy Abilities" video, he made a "Top 30 Kirby Copy Abilities" video series.
He can get deep and sappy at times, but you can tell he means every word he says. If you want to see some of his best and most personal work, then check out his thoughts on the Mario & Luigi RPGs.
Fawful's Minion wears his heart on his sleeve and his shoes on his head. He's never afraid or apologetic for being himself. His taste in games might not suit everybody, but there's just something so unique and special about a man so unafraid of who he is.
Fawful's Minion isn't quite like any of his contemporaries; he's got a cool style, an entertaining personality, and lots of love for video games.
And that's the list!
Thank you very much for reading it all the way through, and we hope you enjoyed it! If there were any standout YouTube gaming personalities that you think we missed -- or you found a new favorite through this list -- please feel free to let us know in the comments! We appreciate your feedback.
Published: May 17, 2017 02:48 am