The Immortal John Hancock – Interview

A couple of weeks ago, I was able to interview one of YouTube’s most beloved game collectors. John Hancock currently sits at 89K subscribers and is still growing at a steady pace. John has been collecting a long time and is a part of the renowned Metal Jesus Rocks Crew. He has multiple complete collections to his name, and his channel acts as a fantastic insight into some of the more obscure retro systems. 

I’d like to first thank John for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer my questions. 

What’s your earliest gaming memory?  

I remember using a bar stool to play Space Invaders and Asteroids in the arcades. My dad bought out family a pong clone(Radio Shack TV scoreboard) and I played that with my brother. Our first console.  

What made you decide to start creating content on YouTube?  

I wanted to share my game collection and help other people collect video games. I had many of the classic consoles and I had many people that had questions collecting the old games.  

How do you manage to balance your gaming and content creation with family life?  

Honestly, it has been hard at times. I took most of December off to be with family and they loved it. Even simple videos take hours to produce. This last year I was spending 20-25 hours a week making content. Around a full-time job and family, this was a lot. My advice is to always listen to your family and focus on them. Everything else is extra. Balance is the key and I have learned to manage it a lot better in recent months.  

What would you consider to be your go-to genre?  

My go-to is the action platformer. Titles such as Ninja Gaiden, Kickmaster, Mario 3 and Castlevania solidified my love for those types of games. 

Are there any genres you actively dislike?   

I am not a huge fan of the JRPGs for the sole reason my time for them is limited.  

You’ve got two hours to yourself to game, which console do you switch on?  

I would play the Sega Genesis. It was the first console that I earned with my own money. I was really into it and followed it throughout its retail lifespan. I got to experience many of the great titles through renting, and later started collecting for it in college. 

If you had to convince someone to start collecting for the N-Gage, what would you say? What separates it from other gaming-capable phones from the time? 

If you are looking for a primitive cell phone gaming experience before iPhone, this is what you need to play. It is a cross between a PlayStation and Game Boy Advance minus the awesome libraries. It was really offering some great early 3D gaming on a phone. For the time, it was impressive. Too bad the phone design totally stunk and was a failure from the start.

What’s the rarest game/system in your collection?  

Pre-Production Star Wars Arcade for the Atari 400/800 Video Sport 900PC Series – a pong clone that took carts.

What’s the weirdest game/system in your collection?  

The View Master Interactive Vision. The View Master uses VHS tapes as its main media, so it’s a weird combo of tech of the time, combined with 8-bit graphics to offer children’s entertainment. It is hard to explain and something that needs to be played in person. 

What made you decide to get involved with PRGE (Portland Retro Gaming Expo)?  

I wanted to support a game expo that was close to where I lived. After attending classic gaming expos in Vegas, I wanted to see one created for the general public.  

What’s the craziest fan experience you’ve had?  

I was invited to the wedding of a couple who both were fans of the channel. I was not able to go but was honored to be asked. 

If you had to pick just one, which lesser-known game would you recommend, and why? 

I really like Jewel Master on the Genesis. It plays like a Rastan game but has its own unique weapon system. 

Thanks for reading! You can support John at the following locations: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/swlovinist 

https://twitter.com/swlovinist 

https://www.facebook.com/immortaljohnhancock/ 

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