The YouTube gaming community is huge, and with so many different content creators, it’s a struggle to find one who’s actually worth watching. This list of the most awesome YouTube gamers should set you on the right path.
1. Anita Sarkeesian
Anita Sarkeesian’s ‘Tropes vs. Women in Video Games’ series closely examines the inherent sexism that has been so prevalent in the video game industry, dissecting everything from the Mario games, to Castle Crashers, to Hotline Miami. Anita tackles this subject with eloquence and intelligence, and considering the amount of hatred she has inspired from a particularly idiotic section of the gaming community, her bravery for continuing to put out these videos and remaining an active presence on Twitter and the like is admirable.
2. JonTron
The infrequency of JonTron’s videos is a little disappointing (his last true upload was 7 months ago), but apparently he’s now knuckling down and will be releasing some more content in the near future, which is good news because he’s a crazy, cuddly genius. Mixing a large dollop of offbeat humour with a light sprinkle of insightful commentary, JonTron’s reviews of games of old have inspired many imitators, but none have proven to be more hilarious.
3. Smooth McGroove
Of all the many acapella artists on YouTube, Smooth McGroove is surely the most downright cool. Having first been introduced to him via his incredible reinterpretation of Guile’s Theme from Street Fighter II, Mr McGroove has now proven he is far more than a one-hit wonder thanks to covers of everything from the Moon level theme from DuckTales (featured above) to Sonic The Hedgehog’s Green Hill Zone, all using nothing more than his mouth.
4. Boogie2988
‘Francis’ is a scarily believable character created by the mind of YouTuber Boogie2988 – so believable, in fact, that many gaming websites have picked up his videos and run them under the assumption that he is real. Francis is well-known in the YouTube gaming community for “raging” over whatever latest controversy arises in the industry, and does so with such vitriol that it’s no wonder why so many were convinced that his anger was genuine.
5. Fitzthistlewits
Fitzthistlewit’s video game reviews are essentially short, barbed shots at the gaming industry in general – his Halo 4 review is nothing more than him insincerely fawning over the game whilst eating Doritos. While he’s hardly the most prolific content creator in the YouTube gaming community, it’s all about quality over quantity, and you’ll struggle to find anyone on the site as witty as Fitz.
6. Game Grumps
Compared to most of the other content creators featured on this list the Game Grumps certainly have the easiest job, as they’re essentially just a Let’s Play channel with higher-than-average production values. However, it’s the chemistry between the Grumps that makes their videos so appealing. While the Grumps suffered a loss recently when JonTron jumped ship from the channel, his replacement Danny has proven to be a worthy successor, with him and Arin (famous for his animations under the pseudonym of Egoraptor) providing some hearty chuckles against a backdrop of retro video games.
7. BitSocket
For those who remember Consolevania, channels such as BitSocket are a dream come true. Yes, BitSocket shares many similarities with the cult BBC show, including the wonderful Scottish accents, but that’s no bad thing. Combining reviews with hilariously on-point sketches, BitSocket videos don’t generate the same kind of traffic as the other YouTuber gamers featured in this list, but they more than deserve it.
