[Gabbin' with Gamers] Santos from SoNytendo

Joining The Switch Effect on a special Sunday edition of Gabbin’ with Gamers is Santos, gamer and admin for the Facebook Group, SoNytendo.

Santos, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m a lover of the 90s. I love everything handheld gaming and I’ve been a gamer since I can remember. I run an eBay/Etsy/Instagram page called srpersonvintage where I sell clothing from the 90s, rare gaming gems I come across and parts of my gaming collection. I’ve been collecting for over a decade now and I’ve been able to acquire some great pieces due to making some great friends in the gaming communities (locally and on Facebook) and helping each other out.

What was the first console/game you ever owned?

My first console was the Sega Master System which I only owned for a short period of time before replacing it with the Sega Genesis. I then got the Super Nintendo with Yoshi’s Island which is one of my all-time favorite consoles and one of my favorite SNES games.

Growing up, what’s been your fondest video game related memory?

My fondest memory would be the day before taking a Christmas trip to El Salvador and getting my gift of a Game Boy Color with Pokémon Yellow early. I remember always having to convince my cousins to let me borrow their Game Boys to play Pokémon Blue and Red, so Yellow was one of my most anticipated game releases. The Game Boy Color was the start to my love of handheld gaming.

How long have you been collecting video games?

Gaming has been a huge part of my life, but I would say that I first started “collecting” back in 2006 when I started rebuying the games I grew up with. Growing up we would go to El Salvador every three years and my parents often would convince me to leave my old games and consoles with my family members and in exchange they would buy me the newest gen console. This lead to one of my biggest regrets of leaving them my entire SNES collection, only to be told a few months later that they threw everything away because the games wouldn’t turn on. I gave away and traded a lot of great games that I loved so I’ve spent quite a long while hunting them down again.

Out of your entire collection, what’s your favorite piece?

If I have to pick one specific item then I would probably say my CIB copy of Earthbound (my first rpg). Otherwise I’d have to say my Pokémon collection because Pokémon has been a huge part of my life.

What’s the “holy grail” item you’re still longing to add?

I already own my holy grails (like Earthbound, Pokémon Box, Wild Guns, Chrono Trigger, FFVI), but the game that I hope to one day own and would love to find at a garage sale but don’t want to pay market value for would be a complete copy of Mega Man X3. It holds a special place in my heart because I remember playing it like crazy at a family member’s houses and putting tons of hours into it. The mech suits and upgrades easily made the game one of my favorite entries in the series.

Aside from being a gamer, you are also an admin for the Facebook group, SoNytendo. For those unfamiliar, can you describe the group?

Sonytendo is a quickly growing group that was created by a group of four friends due to our shared love for the PS Vita and our love for everything Sony and Nintendo. It is a place where you can keep up with Switch/gaming news, share photos of your collection, trade/sell or just talk about everything from NES, PS2, Switch, and PS4. It’s a community where it’s all about sharing your general love for gaming, regardless to your console of preference.

What do you enjoy about being an admin?

Being able to help create a unique community for passionate gamers.

It’s time to “switch” gears. Let’s talk briefly about the Nintendo Switch! What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s newest console?

I love it! I can play it on my trips out of town, while at the office when I need a break from work, relaxing on the couch or while lying in bed. I think it is the breath of fresh air that gaming has needed for a long while. The constant thing that is pushed on us gamers is that we “need” 4K & 60fps or a game is not good. The Switch has proven that it’s all about the experience and the gameplay; you don’t need big budgets or need to see every individual facial hair on your favorite characters face to enjoy a game. Some of the best games out there are indie games and I’m glad that the Switch has given them the spotlight they deserve. It’s interesting that the Switch is reaching a different market of gamers that aren’t into the performance race and I recently heard that professional sports teams are purchasing them so that they can all play together on the road. The portability and the focus local multiplayer is what makes the Switch easily one my favorite consoles.

Preferably Switch titles, but what upcoming game(s) are you most looking forward to?

I am looking forward to the recently announced game Coven of Dusk (aka Labyrinth of Refrain) that is being localized by NIS America. It’s been a highly requested localization ever since its release in 2016 on the Vita and it’s even more exciting that it’s coming to the Switch. Additionally:

Owl Boy
Wild Guns Reloaded (you get to play as a dog!!!)
No More Heroes: Travis Strikes Back
The World Ends with you Remix
Mega Man X Collection
Bayonetta 3 (the first 2 were incredible)
…and who isn’t excited about Metroid Prime 4

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to share?

The thing I encourage to all gamers is for them to keep their minds open and to try different genres, consoles and new things. You would be surprised about the great games that you have not experienced yet or even heard about and a great place to learn about them is in sonytendo. So, if you love gaming and want to join other people who also enjoy gaming then come join us!

Use the links below to join SoNytendo on Facebook as well as to follow Santos on Instagram.