Let's Play Let's Plays

Let me tell you a story. I never had the “current gen” gaming systems growing up. My dad got us a NES in 1992, a year after the SNES released. It didn’t matter, I was instantly addicted to Super Mario Bros and Double Dragon. It was clear to my parents that I was obsessed with video games so they never bought me another system.

But there is always that spoiled kid in the friend group that has the newest systems. We all have had the experience of watching another kid play a cool new system judiciously dolling out the controller as he sees fit like some 10yo soup nazi. Luckily, when as new system would come out my own personal little lord Fauntleroy would sell me, or just give me the old systems. I was always a generation behind, but still obsessed.

I certainly experienced that FOMO of not having the new systems but also, I genuinely enjoyed watching people play games. Shouting suggestions, laughing at easily avoidable deaths and screaming during jump scares. I have a very strong memory of watching a friend play Silent Hill 2 and loving every creepy minute.

I remember the onset of video games being posted online. Waiting 15 minutes for the QuickTime player to load a 8 minute video of Army of Two on NextGenWalkthroughs (now WikiGameGuides … and also, defunct.).

During the mid aughts when I could barely afford to support myself, videos like these let me enjoy games I never had any chance of playing.

Still, one of my favorite (and first one I watched on YouTube) Let’s Plays of all time is actually one of the earliest Let’s Plays™ to come out of the Something Awful forums (Considered to be the progenitor of the term Let’s Play). Retsuprae’s Let’s Play of King’s Quest VI.

Originally uploaded in 10 minute chunks (remember when YouTube had a 10 minute video length limit?), this was was not considered a “true Let’s Play” by the draconian standards of SA forums (talking over cutscenes is a huge no-no.). However, it made SlowBeef and Diabetus household names (my household anyway) and introduced me to tons of other LPers via The Let’s Play Archive.

The format has grown since this era and is basically why streaming is a huge industry. Though, I initially pushed back against streaming and ‘Blind” playthroughs. To me, streaming and Blind LPs were the antithesis of good LPs: Someone who loves and is knowledgeable plays a game more thoroughly than I could ever ever hope. LPs like Chip & Ironicus’ masterwork LP of Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance.

There is no way I could ever play MGS:R to the level Chip does. I could never know how great and well-balanced a game that Platinum made without this immaculately edited LP.

A good LP shows a game so completely that I can see the craftmanship and love put into its design. There is no way a streamer can talk to chat, manage ad runs, try to be entertaining and play a game thoroughly.

I understand today that my fear of streams replacing LPs is unfounded. I enjoy watching streams today, though it is more often for the streamer than the games they play (I even got full-on addicted to watching Quake Live tournaments back in 2014).

However, the “informative LP” is a format that is woefully underappreciated in today’s YouTube climate. So, I would like to recommend, praise and talk about my favorite Let’s Plays and LPers in future posts. Even the LPs that I still love despite being filled with cringe nerd-humor. I have so many opinions I have been carrying around for years and I need to get them out of my head. You’re welcome!