Our winners were RetroBrewz and TPA Bier Lass be sure to give them some love!

See all the submissions below!

What will you win?

The winner will be chosen at the end of the month based on the number of entries provided and the best looking picture. The prize will be determined later in the month, however you can expect some cool merch, possible new custom glass or even a game.

How to Enter The Contest

In order to enter the contest be sure to tag us on Twitter/Instagram by using #DBPG and #NOIPAMAY showcasing your non-IPA beer (extra points for including a video game too). We will be featuring our favorite photos on our site and social media throughout the month of May. Every different picture counts as a new submission, so get drinking and get sharing. At the end of the month we will select a winner who will get a special giveaway. I can’t wait to try some different beer styles with you all!

See some great examples from the previous years: Check out all pictures from 2021, 2022

What beer styles should you try during the month of May?

The obvious answer is, drink whatever style you like the most, but I have broken down a few styles that are staples for the spring time and reflect a lighter and more outdoorish (not a word) mood. There are plenty of other styles as well so don’t limit yourself to just this list. The descriptions were pulled from Craftbeer.com

Helles

A beer for beer lovers, the German-style helles is a malt accented lager beer that balances a pleasant malt sweetness and body with floral Noble hops and restrained bitterness. The helles is a masterclass in restraint, subtly and drinkability which makes it an enduring style for true beer lovers and an elusive style for craft brewers to recreate. The German helles reminds beer lovers that the simple things in life are usually the most rewarding and worth pursuing.

Some examples: Hofbräu Original, Hell Lager (Surly Brewing Company), Victory Helles Lager

Kölsch

Crisp, delicate and oh-so-drinkable, the German-style Kolsch is a beer hybrid, meaning that its production and subsequent beer drinking experience saddles qualities of both lager beers and ale beers. These light and refreshing ale-lager hybrids are perfect for warm summer days and have become a favored style by American craft brewers and beer lovers alike. In addition to their thirst quenching ability, they also are a fun beer to enjoy with food, including traditional German sausages and kraut.

Some examples: Ballast Point California Kölsch, Sierra Nevada Kölsch, Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler

Cream Ale

The American cream ale is a mild, pale, light-bodied ale, made using a warm fermentation (top or bottom fermenting yeast) and cold lagering. Despite being called an ale, when being judged in competitions it is acceptable for brewers to use lager yeast.

Some examples: Public House Cream Ale, Neshaminy Creek Cream Ale, Naked Brewing Cream Ale

Pilsner

The Bohemian pilsener has a slightly sweet and evident malt character and a toasted, biscuit-like, bready malt character. Hop bitterness is perceived as medium with a low to medium-low level of noble-type hop aroma and flavor. This style originated in 1842, with “pilsener” originally indicating an appellation in the Czech Republic. Classic examples of this style used to be conditioned in wooden tanks and had a less sharp hop bitterness despite the similar IBU ranges to German-style pilsner.

Some examples: Pilsner Urquell, Lagunitas PILS, Dogfish Head Piercing Pils

Gose

Straw to medium amber, the contemporary Gose is cloudy from suspended yeast. A wide variety of herbal, spice, floral or fruity aromas other than found in traditional Leipzig-Style Gose are present, in harmony with other aromas. Salt (table salt) character is traditional in low amounts, but may be perceptible in varying intensities. Body is low to medium-low.

Some examples: The Kimmie, The Yink & The Holy Gose, Sixpoint Jammer, Evil Twin Brewing Mission Gose

Wheat Beers

American wheat beers are some of the most approachable beers in the craft beer world, and the versatility of wheat beer allows it to be combined with a variety of ingredients or enjoyed on its own alongside a wide variety of food options. The sizable portion of wheat malt used to brew wheat beer lends a lighter, distinctive experience compared to beers brewed with barley exclusively.

Some examples: Bell’s Oberon Ale, Harpoon UFO, Sam Adams Summer Ale

Farm House Ales/Siasons

Beers in this category are gold to light amber in color. Often bottle-conditioned, with some yeast character and high carbonation. Belgian-style saison may have Brettanomyces or lactic character, and fruity, horsey, goaty and/or leather-like aromas and flavors. Specialty ingredients, including spices, may contribute a unique and signature character. Commonly called “farmhouse ales” and originating as summertime beers in Belgium, these are not just warm-weather treats. U.S. craft brewers brew them year-round and have taken to adding a variety of additional ingredients.

Some examples: Ommegang Hennepin, Boulevard Tank 7, Hill Farmstead Arthur

Bocks

Traditional bock beers are all-malt brews and are high in malt sweetness. Malt character should be a balance of sweetness and toasted or nut-like malt. “Bock” translates as “goat”!

Some examples: Yuengling Bock, Gunther’s Bock, Tröegs Troegenator

Sours

The acidity present in sour beer is usually in the form of lactic, acetic and other organic acids naturally developed with acidified malt in the mash, or produced during fermentation by the use of various microorganisms. These beers may derive their sour flavor from pure cultured forms of souring agents or from the influence of barrel aging.

Some examples: Victory Sour Monkey, Rogue Just a Pinch, Avery Apricot

We can’t wait to see all your beers, Cheers!

Comment below on who your favorite submission is.

I recently finished reviewing all 15 Oktoberfest beers that I was able to find around me, you can read that article here. While I did enjoy that challenge I am truly looking forward to reviewing all of the following beers. My goal will be to keep this as a sticky post which will be updated every year that way I can track the best Pumpkin Beer. Please be sure to comment on any beers I may have missed, which will be alot at first, and let me know your thoughts on these spicy brews.

• Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale: (4.2/5)
• New Belgium Atomic Pumpkin: (2.9/5)
• Sam Adams Jack O Pumpkin: (NA/5)
• New Holland Ichabod: (NA/5)
• Free Will Brewing Pumpkin Pie Mash
• Free Will Scarecrow
• Heavy Seas The Great’er Pumpkin
• Shipyard Pumpkin Head
• Elliotville Pumpkinville Latte
• Southern Tier Pumking
• Erie Brewing Johnny Rails
• Evolution Craft Brewing Jacques Au Lantern
• Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale
• Saucony Creek Maple Mistress
• Jolly Pumpkin La Parcela
• Dogfish Pumkin
• Devils Backbone Munchen Pumpkin
• Flying Dog The Fear
• Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
• Neshaminy Creek Dunkless Dunkel
• Conshohocken Nightmare on East Elm
• Southern Tier Pumpking Nitro
• Southern Tier Warlock
• Two Roads Roads Mary Baby
• UFO Journey to Planet Pumpkin
• Evil Genius Trick or Treat
• Blue Point Brewing Company Mother Pumpkin Ale

Quick history lesson time. Celebrated every year, minus the past two due to COVID, in Munich Germany the first festival was established as a celebration of the marriage between the crown prince of Bavaria, who later became King Louis I, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. The festivities lasted five days and included a horse race called Theresienwiese. This festival would be repeated every year which would include an agricultural fair and eventually temporary beer halls. Fast forward to modern times and this festival is celebrated in Europe and the US alike over a 15-16 day period, usually beginning in mid September. It is commonly reported that at every event over 2 million gallons of beer is consumed…this makes us proud.

Now lets talk about the beer itself. The Oktoberfest style is actually made up of various styles that are served during the festival. The dominant and most popular style associated with Oktoberfest is the Märzen. Interestingly enough Märzen translates to March beer which is now usually only served in September. To add to the confusion you may also see Dunkel’s, as well as other German lagers being labeled as Oktoberfest too. Either way you should be expecting a beer rich in malt with a caramel or biscuit flavored finish. Usually these beers go from 5.1% to 6% ABV. A great and easy drinking lager that is perfect for Fall weather and some warm Bavarian pretzels.

Now for this “contest” and I use that term lightly I will be comparing and ranking every Oktoberfest beer I can get my hands on. I have a solid list below, which will be updated with each review, but if I find anymore over the next few weeks I will gladly add more entries.

Be sure to follow along and comment on your favorite Oktoberfest, Prost!

Oktoberfest Beers to be ranked

• Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest: Score (4/5)
• Victory Brewing Festbier: Score (4/5)
• Founders Oktoberfest German-Style Marzen: Score (3.9/5)
• Ayinger Oktober Fest-Märzen: Score (3.8/5)
• Spaten Oktoberfest: Score (3.8/5)
• Neshaminy Creek Creekfestbier: Score (3.8/5)
• Warsteiner Oktoberfest Marzen: Score (3.8/5)
• Tröegs Oktoberfest: Score (3.7/5)
• Yards Unter Dog Oktoberfest: Score (3.7/5)
• Great Lakes Oktoberfest: Score (3.6/5)
• Two Roads Ok2berfest: Score (3.5/5)
• Sam Adams Oktoberfest: Score (3.5/5)
• Firestone Oaktoberfest: Score (3.5/5)
• Shiner Märzen-Style Oktoberfest: Score (3.5/5)
• Devils Backbone O’fest Lager: Score (3.4/5)
• Flying Dog Brewing Dogtoberfest Marzen: Score (3.4/5)
• Weihenstephaner Festbier: Score (3.3/5)
• Yuengling Oktoberfest: Score (3.3/5)
• Leinenkugel Oktoberfest: Score (3.3/5)
• Sam Adams Festbier: Score (3.3/5)
• Flying Fish Oktoberfish: Score (3.3/5)
• Funk Brewing Funktoberfest: Score (3.2/5)
• Hofbräu Oktoberfestbier: Score (3.2/5)
• Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest Amber Marzen: Score (3.2/5)
• Goose Island Marzen: Score (3.1/5)

Submit your Tier List in the comments!

https://tiermaker.com/create/best-oktoberfest-beer-962416 (Retired)

So who won #NoIPAMay?

We had a ton of great submissions so we decided to chose to winners for this month.

The first MVP goes to PeekaBoozie on IG for her numerous submissions and dedication to trying out new beers. Huge shoutout to her and we are glad that she has won one of our shirts!

The second MVP goes to our buddy Alex P who sent in numerous beer and gaming pictures that really celebrate the spirit of this page. As a true gamer we are happy to send him the code for RetroMania, enjoy bud!

Thank you to everyone who joined in!

Once again thank you to everyone who joined in our contest, it was a ton of fun and we will likely do another one next year. Stay tuned because we will also be running other contests in the future. Cheers!

What will you win?

The winner will be chosen at the end of the month based on the number of entries provided and the best looking picture. The prize includes;

• 1 of our new shirts (Click Here)
• Digital Copy of RetroMania for Xbox
• Our undying love

How to Enter The Contest

In order to enter the contest be sure to tag us on Twitter/Instagram by using #DBPG and #NOIPAMAY showcasing your non-IPA beer (extra points for including a video game too). We will be featuring our favorite photos on our site and social media throughout the month of May. Every different picture counts as a new submission, so get drinking and get sharing. At the end of the month we will select a winner who will get a special giveaway. I can’t wait to try some different beer styles with you all!

What beer styles should you try during the month of May?

The obvious answer is, drink whatever style you like the most, but I have broken down a few styles that are staples for the spring time and reflect a lighter and more outdoorish (not a word) mood. There are plenty of other styles as well so don’t limit yourself to just this list. The descriptions were pulled from Craftbeer.com

Helles

A beer for beer lovers, the German-style helles is a malt accented lager beer that balances a pleasant malt sweetness and body with floral Noble hops and restrained bitterness. The helles is a masterclass in restraint, subtly and drinkability which makes it an enduring style for true beer lovers and an elusive style for craft brewers to recreate. The German helles reminds beer lovers that the simple things in life are usually the most rewarding and worth pursuing.

Some examples: Hofbräu Original, Hell Lager (Surly Brewing Company), Victory Helles Lager

Kölsch

Crisp, delicate and oh-so-drinkable, the German-style Kolsch is a beer hybrid, meaning that its production and subsequent beer drinking experience saddles qualities of both lager beers and ale beers. These light and refreshing ale-lager hybrids are perfect for warm summer days and have become a favored style by American craft brewers and beer lovers alike. In addition to their thirst quenching ability, they also are a fun beer to enjoy with food, including traditional German sausages and kraut.

Some examples: Ballast Point California Kölsch, Sierra Nevada Kölsch, Leinenkugel Canoe Paddler

Cream Ale

The American cream ale is a mild, pale, light-bodied ale, made using a warm fermentation (top or bottom fermenting yeast) and cold lagering. Despite being called an ale, when being judged in competitions it is acceptable for brewers to use lager yeast.

Some examples: Public House Cream Ale, Neshaminy Creek Cream Ale, Naked Brewing Cream Ale

Pilsner

The Bohemian pilsener has a slightly sweet and evident malt character and a toasted, biscuit-like, bready malt character. Hop bitterness is perceived as medium with a low to medium-low level of noble-type hop aroma and flavor. This style originated in 1842, with “pilsener” originally indicating an appellation in the Czech Republic. Classic examples of this style used to be conditioned in wooden tanks and had a less sharp hop bitterness despite the similar IBU ranges to German-style pilsner.

Some examples: Pilsner Urquell, Lagunitas PILS, Dogfish Head Piercing Pils

Gose

Straw to medium amber, the contemporary Gose is cloudy from suspended yeast. A wide variety of herbal, spice, floral or fruity aromas other than found in traditional Leipzig-Style Gose are present, in harmony with other aromas. Salt (table salt) character is traditional in low amounts, but may be perceptible in varying intensities. Body is low to medium-low.

Some examples: The Kimmie, The Yink & The Holy Gose, Sixpoint Jammer, Evil Twin Brewing Mission Gose

Wheat Beers

American wheat beers are some of the most approachable beers in the craft beer world, and the versatility of wheat beer allows it to be combined with a variety of ingredients or enjoyed on its own alongside a wide variety of food options. The sizable portion of wheat malt used to brew wheat beer lends a lighter, distinctive experience compared to beers brewed with barley exclusively.

Some examples: Bell’s Oberon Ale, Harpoon UFO, Sam Adams Summer Ale

Farm House Ales/Siasons

Beers in this category are gold to light amber in color. Often bottle-conditioned, with some yeast character and high carbonation. Belgian-style saison may have Brettanomyces or lactic character, and fruity, horsey, goaty and/or leather-like aromas and flavors. Specialty ingredients, including spices, may contribute a unique and signature character. Commonly called “farmhouse ales” and originating as summertime beers in Belgium, these are not just warm-weather treats. U.S. craft brewers brew them year-round and have taken to adding a variety of additional ingredients.

Some examples: Ommegang Hennepin, Boulevard Tank 7, Hill Farmstead Arthur

Bocks

Traditional bock beers are all-malt brews and are high in malt sweetness. Malt character should be a balance of sweetness and toasted or nut-like malt. “Bock” translates as “goat”!

Some examples: Yuengling Bock, Gunther’s Bock, Tröegs Troegenator

Sours

The acidity present in sour beer is usually in the form of lactic, acetic and other organic acids naturally developed with acidified malt in the mash, or produced during fermentation by the use of various microorganisms. These beers may derive their sour flavor from pure cultured forms of souring agents or from the influence of barrel aging.

Some examples: Victory Sour Monkey, Rogue Just a Pinch, Avery Apricot

We can’t wait to see all your beers, Cheers!

DBPG: How long did it take for your hand to recover after that silver surfer play through
Bootsy: Oddly enough, that game is tiring on the entire arm. I use a “spastic” approach that starts in my upper arm and works its way down. The hand was just fine!

DBPG:How much play doh did you wind up eating in the Splat video?  How many takes did you need for that?
Bootsy: No play doh was actually eaten in the Splat filming. I had to chew on it to make it look convincing, and it was salty and disgusting. I was happy to put my head through a Topple board in “Donut Disaster”, but I wasn’t going to trivialize my intestines for “Splat”.

DBPG:  How many instruments do you play?  Do you do all of the composing on the original songs for Board James?  Does James play the drums with you on any?
Bootsy: I play a number of instruments, but not all of them very well. Guitar, ukulele, and drums are the main ones. I’ve written all of the Board James songs except for “Shark Attack” & “Splat” – those were the actual jingles. They’re so memorable that we felt we needed to stick to the actual songs there. James and I haven’t played or recorded music together. We don’t live close to one another, so it would be a huge hassle if we tried.

DBPG:  Neither of us can sing to save our lives.  Did you have any vocal training or were you born a good singer?
Bootsy: I was in chorus in 8th grade and we were forced to sing songs from the Lion King soundtrack. That was the extent of my training. I wouldn’t say I was born a good singer at all, I just kept working at in my own time to get to the point where I didn’t feel like I was embarrassing myself.

DBPG:  Mentioned in a video before that you are a big coffee drinker, how much cups would you say you down each day?
Bootsy: I worked as a campaign manager for a political campaign last year, and I drank way too much coffee – like 4 or 5 cups a day, which is a lot for me. It was a stressful job. But normally, I’ll drink about 10oz a day. I try to limit my caffeine intake because I hate being kept awake at night. I enjoy the Kona blend from Wawa (a convenience store chain in the northeast) whenever they have it.

DBPG:  Shark attack video – where did you find that 1920’s swimsuit?
Bootsy: We were supposed to film that episode on the beach, but there was a huge storm that day on the Jersey Shore, so that victorian bathing suit doesn’t make much sense in retrospect. I found it for cheap on some costume store website, I think.

DBPG:  You are a beast when it comes to hard NES games.  Are there any games from your childhood that you still cannot beat after all these years?  Are there any modern games that you have trouble with?
Bootsy: This will be a disappointing answer, but I don’t play video games very often and I hardly own any. As a kid, I could never beat the ending to Double Dare on NES, but I just borrowed it from Mike Matei recently, and I finally did it. The only modern games I’m familiar with are the Rockstar games Red Dead Redemption and GTA V, both of which I loved. I got 100% completion in Red Dead, but in GTA V, I got wrapped up in the online portion before I could get to 100% completion. I haven’t played a modern game since, though, unfortunately.

DBPG:  Ever have any drunk gaming nights with James, Mike and the boys?  Any favorites when it comes to brews?
Bootsy: We’re all very busy, so when we get together, it’s for work purposes. In the rare event that we get to drink, it will only be for a couple of beers. With that said, I tend to keep it simple with Miller Lite or Yuengling Lager. When it comes to craft brews, I lean towards IPAs. My favorites include Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA (Clipper City Brewing Company), Jai Alai (Cigar City Brewing), and Pinner Throwback IPA (Oskar Blues Brewery).

DBPG:  In the Donut Disaster video? Also who came up with the infamous “like my coffee like I like my women…with my dick in them” line?
Bootsy: It’s a line that my friend Dan said to me several years ago as a joke, and I always loved the brilliant absurdity of it. It seemed very relevant to the Bad Luck Bootsy character and the situation of the episode, so I was able to use it. I get the credit for it because I say it onscreen, but I didn’t think of it. Thanks, Dan!

DBPG: What kind of equipment do you use when making the songs?  Any brand loyalty?
Bootsy: I used whatever instruments that were lying around the studio at those times. Each song has a different feel, so they needed different instruments – whatever worked in the moment. For personal use, I really love older Alvarez acoustic guitars and Lanikai ukuleles.

We want to say thanks again to Bootsy and be sure to check out his twitter @ReallyBLBootsy or at any of the his sites here.

Mike Matei, previously of Cinemassacre was nice enough to answer our questions below.

Drink a Beer and Play a Game (DBPG): Thanks Mike for giving us the chance to ask you a few questions.

Since this article was written Mike has now

You can find Mike at MikeMatei.com or on twitter @Mike_Matei

Video Game Related Questions:

DBPG: Are you into any games outside of console video games: computer games, card games, tabletop, etc?

Mike: I assume you mean sports. No, I’m not. I’m pretty anti-sports other than I think it’s good as a means of exercise. The only thing sports related I can really tolerate is Realsports Volleyball on Atari 2600. I remember when I was a kid, getting Nintendo Power issues in the mail, and one month they sent one with a Football cover. Still goes down as one of the most disappointing days of my life.

DBPG: We know you love the WiiU but what is your favorite Xbox/PS4 game?

Mike: I’ve yet to really find anything for XboxOne or PS4 that I really love. There was one driving game I played at a friends house for PS4 which had amazing looking graphics.. I think people get the impression that I don’t like those consoles. It’s not that at all. I’m just not big into most recent first-person shooters, and that genre seems to have a stranglehold over those systems. Recently I asked on my Twitter for some recommendations for games on those systems I might like, and got some good suggestions. I just need the time to try some of them out.

The thing about first-person shooters is that I do like SOME of them. I LOVE Doom & Doom II. And Wolfenstein 3D. (Those are some of my favorite games of all time) But I can’t stand Halo or Call of Duty. So really, it’s not that I don’t like First-Person Shooters. I’m just particular about what the THEME is.

DBPG: You mentioned before that you like the WiiU because of how unique the games are compared to the rest of the current generation.  What game-play styles draw you in the most when gaming?

Mike: My favorite game of all time, The Legend of Zelda (NES) is listed as an Action-Adventure game. But I think of it more as puzzle solving. I don’t think I get more enjoyment out of any game, more then going through dungeons in Zelda. That can’t be beat.

Another one of my favorites is Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. That’s Real-time strategy. What’s funny is, I don’t care for World of Warcraft or Warcraft 3. I guess I’m just really particular.

I also love Side-scrollers, Platform, beat em’ up, tower defense and shooters (like Life-force)

As far as fighting games, I love Smash Bros but I’m not too big on Street Fighter. I was just never good at doing combo movies.

DBPG: We know that you and James are huge movie buffs, what movie based games are your favorite, if any?

Mike: Retro – Batman on NES. Modern – Batman Arkham City. Wow, Batman owned that answer. Don’t fuck with Batman.

DBPG: Are there any gaming goodies (games, consoles, etc) that you have that James doesn’t?

Mike: Quite a bit. I have a modded Atari 5200 that doesn’t use all those shitty AC adaptors and working controllers. I have a modded Game-Gear which can hook up to the television. I have a ton of home-brews, hacks and mods for various systems. My Atari 2600 collection is more complete. I have a Turbo-Duo, where James has the TurboGrapx-16 with CD attachment. A ton of other stuff too that I could spend all day trying to list. That said, James and I share our gaming stuff a lot. If he ever needs a game from me, I lend it to him and vice-versa. So I look at more of two collections that we share.

Beer Related Questions:

DBPG:What is your favorite kind of beer?

Mike: Lately Saison, Leffe, Hefeweizen and Weihenstephaner!

DBPG: What is your favorite local bar?

Mike: The Barcade!

DBPG: Between you and James who can handle their beer better?

Mike: I’m honestly more into mixed drinks then beer. James is more of the beer drinker. So I guess I’ll say him.

DBPG: Did you guys ever get drunk during the filming of any of your videos?

Mike: We’ve had a few drinks while filming on rare occasions, but have never been drunk while filming. As much as that seems like it’d be fun, filming is hard to do, and requires a lot of thought. You have to stay focused. So, no.

DBPG: How sick are you of Rolling Rock/Yuengling at this point?

Mike: I will still have an occasional Rolling Rock. But I really don’t drink Yuengling anymore. I had one earlier this year and didn’t even finish it. I used to love it though.

Site Related Questions

DBPG: What videos are more fun to film: AVGN, Board James, James & Mike Play, etc?

Mike: James & Mike Mondays are infinitely more fun to film because it’s just us playing video games. AVGN and Board James are scripted, and the filming has to be a lot more precise. Filming AVGN can be really fun, like throwing around a Bugs Bunny costumed dummy. But overall, filming while sticking to a script is mostly just a lot of hard work.

DBPG: Are you planning on making any more “hidden gem” videos, especially ones focused on more current systems?

Mike: Yes, I’d really like to. The reason I haven’t yet is that those videos are insanely time consuming. It’s like doing 10 videos in one. If I ever get the time again, I will. Right now the focus is on editing J&MM.

DBPG: What are the plans for Cinemassacre in the future? Will you continue to branch out and create your own series?

Mike: Well, I’ve already been doing my own game reviews. That basically is my own “series”. I’ll most likely just continue doing one-off game reviews. I like doing it that way because I can just review whatever I feel like at the time. If I named my show “Mike’s 8 bit gems” or something, then I’d have to stick to 8-bit games. I just don’t want to have any restrictions because of a title.

General/Personal Questions:

DBPG: If you could select 1 horror movie that would be turned into a video game which movie would you choose?

Mike: Probably the Universal Horror Movies. Like Dracula. Because there has never been a good game based on those classic characters. The Shining would be cool to see too.

DBPG: Do you still find time to collect action figures even with everything you do at Cinemassacre?

Mike: Yes. My action figure collection continues to grow at a steady pace. I already have almost all the G1 Transformers. Most recently I’ve been collecting all the Go-Bots. I think I have most of them now.

DBPG: This may be a bit generic, but what advice would you give to reviewers/gamers who are trying to get a foothold in a bloated market?

Mike: I think the key is that you have to do something REALLY original. Look at SmoothMcGroove. I never thought about someone doing video game music with their voice before that. It’s a brilliant idea that I had never seen. You gotta do something good that no one else has done before.

DBPG: Do you watch other online reviewers, and if so, who are some of your favorites?

Mike: Not much. The last thing I want to do when I have spare time is look at YouTube or game reviews any more then I already do. When I have some extra time, I try and spend it with my girlfriend or get out of my apartment.

DBPG: What is your personal opinion on the Let’s Play style reviewers and would you consider Youtube/Twitch the “modern” arcade, where you have people watching others play video games and posting high scores?

Mike: That’s interesting about it being like a modern version of the arcade. I do think it’s a great way to keep high score records. Because if it’s on video, and everyone can see it, there’s no debate about it. Back in the day, you used to have to send a VHS tape to twin-galaxies. And the public couldn’t view the tapes. So there was no way of knowing what was legit and what wasn’t. Online video is definitely great for high score keeping.

Thanks again Mike for taking the time to answer our questions!