STACK #244 February 2025

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What’s your earliest video gaming memory?

Honestly, the Windows XP Space Cadet pinball and Minesweeper apps. I binged those for hours when internet wasn’t such a thing!

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FEBRUARY

What’s your all-time favourite game or game series?

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It’s a strong tossup between Stardew Valley and The Last of Us . Very contrasting games, I know, but both are so complex and in depth in so many ways and have some amazing features you can get lost in.

JANUARY 2025

’ s ROVING REPORTER

1 SUPER MARIO

PARTY JAMBOREE

What have you been playing most lately?

2 MARIO KART 8 DELUXE

I finally got my old Nintendo 3DS back from my sister after years and I’ve been bingeing Super Mario 3D World for a few weeks now!

3 DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS HD

BIANCA ARCHDALE @ JB Mile End, SA

You can only have one games console from any era – what would it be and why?

4 EA SPORTS FC 25

5 CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 6

What’s the best thing about working in games at JB?

It would have to be the Nintendo DS. I have so many good memories playing my DS as a kid, hiding it from my parents at night, drawing in PictoChat with friends and making sure my Nintendogs were thriving. It’s the most nostalgic for me.

Being the first to see when new games get released, and being able to engage with customers and team about exciting new releases!

6 NINTENDO SWITCH SPORTS

7 MINECRAFT

GAME EXAM Are you up to answering all eight of this month’s game related posers? 1. What was the livelihood of the father of Henry in Kingdom Come: Deliverance ? 2. What was the name of the successful games company that Sid Meier cofounded in 1982 with “Wild Bill” Stealey? 3. Who was the protagonist of the first three Yakuza games? 4. Which of the Fallout series games did Obsidian Entertainment develop? 5. What was the first arcade game to be licensed for the Atari VCS (aka 2600) console? 6. On which games console did Monster Hunter first release? 7. What’s the name of the dragon that Spyro freed in The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning , who later became his love interest? 8. What was the name of the highly rated 1986 golf game by Bruce and Roger Carver?

8 SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS

9 SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER

10 ASTRO BOT

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ANSWERS on page 18

1 What was the first game that you played? Pong , or one of its variants. I was really little at the time, and there was this restaurant near a lake where my parents used to take me. They had arcade machines there, and I got to try it out. Later, some kids in my area got home consoles with all these “sports” game variants, and that’s where my early gaming memories really began. 2 What was the last game that you finished? The last game I finished was The Last of Us Part II: Remastered . That game was such an emotional rollercoaster – again! It was my second playthrough after playing the original version. I also just wrapped up on the story campaigns in WWE 2K24 afterwards. 3 What’s your favourite video game/series of all time? Without a doubt, it’s The Last of Us. Both games have such compelling storytelling, memorable characters, and deep emotional moments. It’s the kind of series that stays with you long after you’ve put down the controller. 4 What do you think is the most underrated video game of all time? One game that I think deserves more attention is 2021’s Guardians of the Galaxy . It’s single player only, so it might not be for everyone, but I had such a great time with it. The humour was spot on, and I laughed throughout the entire campaign. It’s one I often recommend to people

Head of marketing on Farming Simulator 25 at GIANTS Software. MARTIN RABL

5 What’s the game that you most wish you’d worked on? As a big Marvel fan, I think it would be amazing to work on a Marvel title. Of course, having the license is just the beginning; it takes a great team and a solid vision to really make something special. While I’d love to dive into a Marvel project, I’m also very happy working on Farming Simulator!

The Last of Us

FEBRUARY 2025

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