Was Classic Game Room the Best Retro Gaming Show?

[@SilkyNoah]

The beauty of CGR was its purity. Mark was casual, he just enjoyed playing games and talking about them. No goofy editing tricks or gimmicks, no score or tally system, just a dude who enjoys cool games. Shame that the KZbin scene has changed so much (and the internet as a whole lets be honest) over the past 10-20 years.

[@SonofSethoitae]

I always liked how positive he was. Mark, for the most part, talked about games he really liked and played a lot. It was a nice antidote to all the guys doing the Angry Nerd thing

[@riomigz1305]

That's true. His style was more laid back and that's what I enjoyed about cgr and cgrundertow's videos.

[@HollowRick]

​@@SonofSethoitae TRUXTON ;D

[@belstar1128]

In the later episodes you could see he was not enjoying it anymore.

[@lukeautosymbol2668]

The style of CGR videos is straightforward and no-nonsense. To this day, CGR is my go-to for when I'm interested in picking up a retro game.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

UPDATE. He brought the show back.

[@SantaAzulCTZN]

He recently made new episodes on KZbin.

[@legendsflashback]

Yup

[@brobocop8293]

He's actually cranking em out pretty regularly.

[@johnnyover]

And removed “the last one ever” from CGR Undertow.

[@ThePokemaster8]

i miss cgr i was so sad when he decided to stop doing video game reviews. Ive been on youtube since like 2010 and ive watched him pretty much ever since. it was a lot of great content and i learned a lot about retro gaming from him with me being only 24 now he had a lot to give here on youtube.

[@joshylord]

Yeah I'm on the exact same boat as you. I was trying to find him months ago, couldn't then just remembered about him again

[@belstar1128]

Yea i was also a younger guy who got interested into retro gaming. but i don't think mark realised that his stuff appealed to younger generations too. i have even seen people who are even younger than me saying they watch cgr as young kids.

[@Lalo-dh8xq]

He's back at making CGR videos!

[@ThePokemaster8]

@@Lalo-dh8xq and they are great! I saw on my sub feed and I was so hyped!

[@richardhutnik]

Mark, who was arguably the first, showed how difficult it is to make a living at it doing what he did reviewing the obscure.

[@OdaSwifteye]

He did it to early and then when he returned in 2007 he coasted on the new wave of people going to youtube to find out what to buy Timmy for Christmas. As the meta evolved for video game reviewing becoming less like the AVGN and more like Stop Skeletons from Fighting Mark didn't offer enough entertainment or information.

[@belstar1128]

Yea its not reliable youtube was made for hobbyists.

[@MB20978]

He innovated and then stubbornly refused to evolve one single bit but expected to keep reaping equal rewards as everyone else evolved around him. I used to love him so much but in time he really burned his good will amongst many fans (particularly those of us who were funding him through patreon to keep the show going on KZbin) and shot himself in the foot. In it’s last days, CGR Undertow with Derek became the far superior channel. RIP to both. Good times were had.

[@DieHardjagged]

You are kidding right? At one point he consistently made 10.000$ a month through his Patreon.

[@mikenewbold1699]

it was easy you idiot at the start avgn made a whole company out of it lol

[@ArcadeDude44]

Mark's CGR is what got me into watching KZbin. I for one would love to see him come back

[@SeekerLancer]

He's going to be the narrator of Shmup Junkie's upcoming Toaplan documentary at least.

[@gamingfan197]

His channel is active again but is a podcast show and uploaded his music

[@TheGorillafoot]

Same here. As soon as i saw his show I was hooked. This is what I liked about the retro community. There is nobody lilke that now.

[@vesselinkrastev]

Come to think of it, I think it was because of his channel that I created an account so I could subscribe back in the day.

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@pizzamon795]

I wanted to believe him when he said he was on a quest to review EVERYTHING

[@xbiker321]

I loved CGR Undertow. Derek's style of humor was right up my alley. That final video definitely made me tear up.

[@javierortiz82]

Undertow had great writing, I think it aged better because it pushed for a more artistic POV, which makes it more unique.

[@fdevlin5932]

Ok Derek

[@Shutter-Writer]

I remember Classic Game Room doing multiple walkthroughs helping out gamers. Honestly the nostalgia from hearing their intro with that squirrel

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@robertwarf3316]

Hey CGR is back, baby

[@farhadinho9]

Yeeeaaaarrggh!!🎉🎉🎉

[@mangaas]

His channel is what made KZbin like "TV" for me, with a consistent upload schedule and format.

[@twerpLord64]

Nice to see CGR and Mark finally mentioned in a positive manner, with all the drama-obsessed nerds hating on Mark like he's a war criminal or something, we really needed this video. The controversy was addressed perfectly here, so thanks for this

[@ricardomauricioaraya7625]

What are the dramas? I didn’t know there was hate towards him? Is it just what is mentioned here, or is there more?

[@ssssssssssssssssss50]

Hated because he stopped reviewing games?

[@helrem]

What controversy?

[@kennysdead500]

@@ricardomauricioaraya7625 Basically what's mentioned. Silent Rob went off on Mark some years ago for spamming random videos for money

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@KMACKTIME]

Derrick was the best. He could have been huge in the space if they pushed through the down times

[@AkhileshYadav-bb7ti]

He is back now

[@DrPepperone]

The cartridge in wrong system gag never gets old!

[@BulldozerBilly]

In 2012 I graduated high school with no major plans, unknowingly awaiting for the world to slap me in the face as adulthood slowly crept around the corner to find me. But in those sweet years of extended childhood, I dove into retro gaming. It started with Silent Hill 1 and took me to places like FF6&Symphony of the Night. While the rest of the world was waiting for games like GTA5 and AC:Blackflag I was contempt with playing Resident Evil 1-3psx on my PS3. I watched ALOT of Classic Game Room back then, for hours on my bed with my Nook tablet. CGR helped guide me through the awesome world of retro gaming. Any time I hear Truxton I'll think of Mark, and I can't think of their names but I did love the guy who loved Final Fantasy and JRPGS and the long haired guy with the high voice. Those memories will never go away! Awesome that you did a video on them man!

[@minimobilereview6570]

it was the ultimate retro gaming channel and I do miss it so

[@michaelschwartz8730]

I only discovered CGR a few months ago. Since then, I've watched practically every video. Yes, CGR is still viable

[@drunkensailor112]

Watch the old stuff together with Dave. That is hilarious

[@xanzibar]

This is insane to me. I started watching his vids in 09 when I was like 12 and the channel hasn't crossed my mind in well over half a decade. I looked it up for some nostalgia and to see someone discover the channel recently makes me both happy that old content is still enjoyed and sad about the nature of KZbin with it's constant need to push new things and carelessness towards the past. So many dead channels with unarchived videos. It's sad.

[@belstar1128]

Its hard to find his old stuff its buried deep into youtube. but he made so much stuff its a gold mine of forgotten content.

[@nothingsacred8684]

​@@belstar1128 There's a Playlist of every game review in order, starting with his two seasons with the other guy.

[@billcook4768]

Just the other day Truxton was announced for the MegaDrive Mini 2, and my first thought was for Mark. CGR was by far the best in its day, and I still check out the old videos all the time.

[@jmullner76]

You aren't the only one who yelled "TRUXTON" when they say it on there.

[@davemustang8173]

Just the word Truxton sends me back to my childhood watching Mark talk about how cool it was

[@pinballwiz45b]

Truxton, also on Steam!

[@Pichuscute]

I think CGR was really just dealing with a lot of problems most youtubers didn't have to deal with until years later and ended up also trying to find solutions much earlier than everyone else. As a result, people soured to monetization changes, because they weren't yet commonly used (and so weren't well understood). I'm sure the fact that he was running a small business, as opposed to most other channels that are run more as hobbies or as solo projects, meant there was much more financial stress on everything too. He was doing advertising in videos before most youtubers had sponsorships, he tried patreon exclusive content before most people were even using patreon, etc. It's a shame it worked out the way it did, but I definitely don't blame him at all. Very thankful for all the content he and his team did make over the years and hope Mark enjoys doing whatever he's doing now.

[@SilkyNoah]

Exactly this. CGR was one of the earliest channels I can think of that got totally screwed by the monetization system in place on KZbin. Patreon, moving platforms, advertising merchandise in videos, etc... This are just common things in the online entertainment scene now but back in 2013-2015 it really jolted fans. Not to say Mark hasn't had some part in all of this, the way the website was handled and the direction the channel has taken are different animals entirely.

[@belstar1128]

Yea he pretty much announced the decline of youtube.

[@thelawyerfrommars]

That squirrel is a classic. It brings some good 3DS/PSP memories back.

[@coochie8670]

He did 3DS content?

[@Slanderx]

Great video! I remember loading a playlist for any given console and letting it run while playing games or doing chores, etc. Your reasons for why the channel was great were spot on. He has that charismatic radio voice that's just really easy to listen to. I found his channel at a rough point in my life and the videos helped me escape from reality for a bit. Hopefully he'll come back someday, but if he doesn't I wouldn't be surprised since KZbin did him dirty.

[@stephencooley5523]

Nothing lasts forever and nor should it, Classic game room had a very good run. If your not making a living from doing something then no matter how much you enjoy doing that said thing it does get hard to continue doing it as you need money to live. Also Mark can do whatever he wants on his channel as It's his channel. I wish Mark all the very best in whatever he is doing now.

[@ScottsGameAsylum]

I loved CGR and Undertow. if it wasn't for Mark i probably wouldn't be making videos as my earliest content (now deleted) was inspired by him. Then add the more in depth commentary by the Undertow guys that arguably were proto YT essayists and you had a creative melting pot that died way too early. But im glad to see Mark has come back to YT for now. Its like bumping into an old friend you havent seen in years

[@hajime_87]

I've been subscribed and I seen a new game review up. Flight sim. After seeing that he started game reviews again (you tube didn't notify me earlier) I was like oh yeah! So yeah, like bumping into a old friend again.

[@yjzep9922]

I didn't move to daily motion with him because I used a youtube app and didn't watch content on a p.c. As far as the "hustle" aspect, i.e. merchandising.... hey. Dude is a grown man trying to make a living. I always felt the critics of that were mainly young people that didn't understand life.

[@jmac79ers]

I truly miss Mark's reviews but rather than complaining about it on his channel, i've been going through his older videos. He made tons, and they hold so much value.

[@WindowsXPFrog]

Damn, I LOVED this channel. It reminds me of 2008-2009ish internet.

[@KarcamoGaming]

I love CGR and i love Mark. His gags, his push for his merchandise, selling his collection. I miss him. Great video and great solid points. You earned a subscriber.

[@fredo3161]

Loved it. Randomly met Mark at a Monroeville convention in 2016. I was walking by looking down at vendor tables and came across his table, noticed it was CGR stuff, looked up and was starstruck. Ha ha. Holy shit, it's the CGR guy, in real life! Loved that channel.

[@NotThatJonesShow]

That last one ever video came out like 6 months into me discovering CGR it was the first time I experienced a KZbin channel getting cancelled by its show runners. I remember trying to keep up with Derrick but he just kinda disappeared from the internet after a few months. I've always felt it was a missed opportunity he never made his own game review channel.

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back, back again, Mark is back, tell a friend.

[@martinh4982]

Mark's two part review of Red Faction is absolutely legendary. It's a piece of internet history everybody should see. I'm going to go and watch it again now!

[@penismightier9278]

His review of Golden Axe Beast Rider almost made the game sound like it was fun, despite the fact that he even acknowledged in video that it wasn't that great. His review style could show the positives of any game if he wanted to.

[@RaymondStormbl3ssed]

CGR is the reason I started watching KZbin. I’ve been watching that channel since 2007 and every new video was like an event for me

[@BRIANOCONNOR2003]

Me too

[@bobby_c07]

Seems like he's slowly bringing it back. There haven't been any videos longer than several minutes but frig I'll take it.

[@bjarnibjarnason]

Before even seeing your video, I will agree that CGR is the best show about videogames ever. On point, journalistic, funny as hell and the cool thing is, when I myself stumble upon a game that I want to play, I just know that CGR has made a video about it. It seems that I agree with everything that Mark says about games, and general stuff that he says. One of my all time favorite reviews is the Playstation 2 game Black. Just pure review awesomeness.

[@heardofrvb]

Anyone getting recommended this video after seeing the new CGR reviews?

[@JuanmaSosaOrtiz]

Me. ❤

[@CDiArcade]

While CGR is gone I'm glad Mark is doing his podcast. There are few voices my age out there and it is nice listening to a fellow Gen Xer.

[@realamericannegro977]

What is his podcast about?

[@GamingTheSystems1]

I couldn't get into his newest podcasts, but his two podcast interviews with Pat Contri are extremely interesting.

[@belstar1128]

I didn't like the podcasts just randomness.

[@WickedGamerCollector]

Ow I remember this channel.. did watch a lot of those old reviews. Was surprised to see he totally changed his channel incl. rebranding. Thanks for the video explaining what is going on. Edit - Should he come back ? - Yes because Retro Gaming is bigger then ever 👌👌

[@penismightier9278]

He's brought the channel back and it's looking pretty good so far. I watch your videos and enjoy your style.

[@StarFoxHeroSJ]

CGR was always an important part of my day in college, and even later. He always had at least two videos a day, sometimes more, and he introduced me to some absolutely amazing games. It was a bit sad to see him go.

[@SaxcatGamingCorner]

And now he’s back!

[@PowertipBrushhead]

Awesome!

[@JolliAllGenGamer]

Mark's videos are the reason why I got into retrogames well him and Lukemorse1.

[@justbuildgunpla1315]

Lukemorse2: Electric Boogaloo

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@SylphidUndine]

CGR was one of the first channels i ever tuned too back in 2007.

[@daakrolb]

I'll always remember his review of Resistance Retribution for the PSP. Man he was right on with his praise of it, & I LOVE that game. It has a special place in my heart. I think I'll go watch that video again...

[@iced00777]

Mark's resentment of KZbin was his undoing and his alone. CGR can never come back as long as this resentment exists. What also has been revealed is his lack of interest in video games. Maybe he enjoyed it at one time, but somewhere along the way, the interest faded and so did CGR. It was a great channel. Had a good run.

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@iced00777]

@@pizzamon795 He is, but he hasn't really addressed to the audience why he left and why he's really back. I'll check it out but I have a feeling this is another short-lived comeback if he doesn't address what happened.

[@antonymcewan9987]

It was one of my favourite game channels ever and I still love watching his old gaming vids. A real personality in his own way and I miss him in my video-gaming viewing.

[@pablolodi3058]

I used to watch a lot of his content when bad times of my life kicked hard and damn, this guy had the ability to make you feel happy just making some simple funny reviews. Now that things got better, before finding this video, I was reviewing some of his videos and I felt a great sense of nostalgia from seeing my "gaming buddy". Mark, If you're reading this, I thank you a lot for being an awesome gamer and for sharing your playful view of gold times of gaming with us.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

I like your attitude in this video: expressing your enthusiasm while acknowledging people's complaints. My random replies: * There are some unhealthily obsessive people who comment on any video Mark posts, attacking him for not doing the game reviews anymore and obsessed with ancient squabbles like some guy from the Middle East donating games to the channel that were later sold (people obsessed with this even though they aren't the guy from the Middle East, so they weren't affected in any way and, as you say, donating something to someone is not a contract requiring them to keep it in their house for the rest of their lives). This behavior borders on stalking. Just because they watched some guy's videos years ago does not make him their property to feel continual resentment over his not doing what they want him to do until he dies, following him around insulting him for years, commenting on everything he does. That's sad and sick. I can guarantee that one or more of them will eventually show up here and accuse me of being Mark posting under a pseudonym, because that's what they do to anyone who objects to their rude comments on his new videos. * I don't think Mark should crowdfund anything at this point. If he really wants to start doing the old channel again, I think he is going to have to do it himself without support for quite awhile until people will trust him again after so many stops and starts and abrupt changes of course. * I preferred CGR Undertow myself, as the videos were shorter and more focused. (I do see the appeal of the looser style of Mark's videos that some such as yourself enjoyed more.) I became a fan of Undertow years after it ended, because when I started really getting into collecting games for old systems, whenever I would search KZbin for an old game, more often than not an Undertow video would pop up and help me figure out if I wanted to get it.

[@jmullner76]

The people that complain that he "wants to make money doing this!"... uh yeah... and? Your entertainment doesn't come free.

[@nordicwarrior5014]

@@jmullner76 His videos are fully monetised. Stop simping for grifters.

[@backslash_iii]

I discovered CGR too late - they had already come and gone, but it's hands down my favorite retro review show. Any time I want to take a look at a game in depth they're still the first channel I search.

[@FacundoNicolasmartinezAndroid]

I have very good memories of clasic game room, it is a spectacular channel where very good reviews were posted, which covered many many jokes that were very good. I used to watch it when I was younger, before eating, I would come home from school and I loved to get on the computer and Watching classic game room was spectacular and his reviews were barbaric I always waited for him to see him I always expected him to upload videos He and his other channel were really spectacular and I would love for him to come back it would be spectacular or even a special or I think when GTA 6 comes out at some point I'm going to make a video, you have to do it, it's one of your favorite sagas and the whisper of GTA of all those you leave was the best, I hope you come back

[@noemedmedia]

Thanks for this! I am one of those who miss CGR, even today. Back in the day, I was also was of that entitled ilk that scoffed at payed content, or visiting another site - I just didn't understand how difficult it can be to have a living based on an algorithm. I will always remember one video Mark made before he left for good: He lamented the trends that the tech companies wanted ultrashort videos and how that was not suitable for game reviews. Sounded like science fiction to me at the time - but now "shorts" are everywhere. I hate them!

[@PaperBanjo64]

Shorts are only good if they got a hot goil in them, otherwise they suck!

[@BigB4074]

So funny to see this, I just recently saw he posted some random video and it made me very nostolgic, and i went back and watched a whole bunch of his videos. I truly miss those and the CGR Undertow were great as well. Sad that it's over but it's something i will always remember fondly.

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@mazze84]

TRUXTON! Mark is the man! Miss that dude alot, when it comes to retro review

[@XR1000]

CGR Reviews are timeless and i find them immensely useful as I build up my arcade. Agree its the best for sure. Salute.

[@KitDoctor]

I only found their channels in the past year but I've loved watching their reviews. There is something magical about those earlier youtube video days that their videos always capture. I would absolutely patronize them if they came back with any kind of campaign.

[@crtgamer2355]

This guy was the real OG gaming channel and he doesn't get the respect he deserves, I loved it and so glad he is coming back, WOOOOOOOO!!!

[@cika3leches]

I used to love the banter between David and Mark back in the day. The Kazumi Ninja review and Seaman videos immediately come to mind

[@xkmatech]

Mark and CGR are the reason im into the retro gaming now. started watch him back in 2010. btw those people who are complaining about pushing merch in the video, they must also hate watching Linus LTT. LOL then again, its a matter of taste.

[@mccoy1369]

CGR was one of go to reviewers. Love his content. He really did have his own unique and interesting review style that was entertaining. Thanks for the upload.

[@bitdevice]

Early CGR and LGR was the peak of KZbin.

[@rabbidlobo]

I love CGR, his videos were entertaining and informative.

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@aziz_light]

Some of the funniest reviews were the wacky reviews. Bags of chips, food. Which console had the heaviest power brick. Going off topic during a review was often hilarious. Putting the wrong game in the console gag, always cracked me up.

[@Randolo10]

I used to always eat lunch watching CGR, great times. loved every truxton or vectrex mention.

[@jkajmo]

I know I'm really late to this video but that's cuz I just found your channel less than a year ago. CGR & Undertow were amongst my first retro channels I've discovered, along with Cinemassacre, GameSack, Metal Jesus & Classic Gaming Quarterly. Honestly I really love your channel & I think you have a really unique voice & pace. I agree that CGR was amongst the best. The Undertow channel was particularly my favorite because the 7th gen (& 5th) is my favorite & they did so many games for that generation. There are so many retro channels but your channel totally hits all the right notes & I hope you keep on making these videos.

[@Sylveryse]

It was the fact that he just stopped doing videos about games with zero warning and abandoned all the original fans (including me) that pissed me off.

[@Anna_Rae]

I’m not exactly in the prime demographic for retro games. But I grew up watching a lot of videos from CGR undertow and having a lot of fun seeing all these retro games.

[@humanice2]

I completely agree, I miss Classic Game Room and CGR Undertow, both were great and I watched a lot of it in my teenage years to early 20's I did notice the low view count on CGR Undertow, most videos only had around 4-5000 views, I had a feeling the plug would get pulled from that channel but it's also just people's fault in general, why wasn't it more popular with other people, I was a big fan and watched a lot of his videos

[@brooksrownd2275]

Classic Game Room was one of the first youtube channels I subscribed to, about 2013/2014 just when it was about to die. It sparked me to really got into the retro games with MAME, building a quality arcade control board, getting a couple "flashback" consoles, and some PC oldies on GOG. I was really confused when the game reviews stopped and the comic book and drawing stuff took over.

[@titowrestling]

The Daily Motion move killed them. They should have stayed and fought KZbin, as we would have had their backs. Wasn’t the same after that, and their enthusiasm was gone. I really liked Derek’s work for Undertow and am still sad that he walked away.

[@eversosleight]

I did hear several ppl hurt over him selling their donations. An idea might be too have done some giveaway(s), or somehow feed this back into the community rather than just profit off of others. I'm not saying he did that but that was an argument I've heard people say and talk about. Great assessment!

[@coochie8670]

People had the choice to donate though, you can't be upset when you're just giving random people on the internet money. If anything they should learn to never to donate to KZbinrs.

[@davemustang8173]

CGR around 2010 was AMAZING. KZbin wasn't cluttered with a billion "gaming" channels, and the Retro phase of gaming was in full swing with emulators and stuff. It was a glorious time to be young

[@simonklotz8817]

i even was a Patreon back then.. i miss him so much. Let's watch some good old CGR, thank you.

[@norris5754]

I'm glad that he's returned to KZbin! I remember binge watching CGR Undertow a lot as a kid.

[@ripoutyourprejudice]

CGR failed because it got TOO BIG. What made old 1999 - 2000 CGR good was how small it was, which made it manageable. The duo of Mark and Dave having fun talking about a game with personalities rubbing off each other. I still have all of the old Classic Game Room episodes and revisit them to remind myself of the good old days

[@belstar1128]

Yea all the undertow stuff was unsustainable.

[@jonleibow3604]

There seems to be a generation gap in terms of how people reacted to CGR. Those of us who grew up in the 70s and 80s seem to be able to relate to Mark's Gen-X laid-back style and humour of not taking things too seriously. But in the comments I see lots of younger people liked CGR too which is good to see. Unfortunately, CGR just doesn't jive with the modern "hit like and smash that subscribe button!" KZbin.

[@winlover37]

CGR was the first KZbin channel I ever watched, got on here back in 2009. I really miss CGR still.

[@PaperBanjo64]

I like the older style KZbinrs better, I don't need to be told to like and subscribe, if I like the channel I'll subscribe.

[@belstar1128]

Yea i was a younger guy born in the 9s and i still liked cgr but i did notice he was becoming out of touch at the end like a lot of older people.

[@reviathan3524]

This is one show I haven't heard in a while. I loved Mark's voice. It's really a perfect fit for production type. Not to mention any long time fans will know Muhammad, a Middle Eastern fan who'd always donate review materials to CGR.

[@crhat23]

Man, you nailed this. There's so much vitriolic content about CGR out there, but this is so balanced and captures what made the show special.

[@gapgameplay2681]

Great video! Really enjoying ur content. The loss of CGR and CGR Undetow was so sad. I still regularly go back and rewatch videos there. Just nice and fun. Great to hear it might be coming back. Would be awesome to also see Derek on YT again... you never know.

[@waberdoop]

Thank you for this video! Mark had a lot of influence on me during my transition from high school to college. He’s the reason why I got into shmups, pinball, and arcades games in general. At least we have the old videos still for now.

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@alexcampos8718]

Mark's reviews were the best. I may just binge everything! Check back with me in the year 2085.

[@ZeOHKay]

CGR was the first retro gaming show I ever watched, and it played a big part in getting me into retro games. Those videos are what led me to get the Timesplitters games, Bushido Blade, my Dreamcast and a ton of others. The Undertow videos got me into even more games like Bombastic. Hell, I remember when they got General Lotz to do a few reviews for Undertow, which was cool as hell! So, when I heard that Mark was stopping CGR AGAIN, it was definitely sad. And while I'd like to see him return to CGR at some point, I'd also understand if he was just done with game reviews entirely.

[@ThrillingDuck]

This was really interesting. I discovered CGR at the tail end of its lifetime and suddenly had this insurmountable mountain of content to chew through, but I had none of this context. I actually didn't even realize it was effectively a dead channel until after I'd been candidly stumbling upon assorted niche video reviews from it for a few years and happened on The Last One Ever in my recommendeds (which was not new at the time I saw it). I was much more familiar with the Undertow channel and Derek, but Mark was always incredibly charismatic when I saw him, and as soon as you started describing his characteristics I knew exactly what you meant. Especially the bizarre way he could leap from the game to something unrelated. This is insanely specific, but I still remember his review of SMT Devil Survivor 2 being littered with random He-Man jokes, and really enjoying it for what an odd pairing it was. Overall, I do prefer more traditional analytical reviews, but there are already so many of those on KZbin. I absolutely think there's a place for more unique channels like CGR. I'd love to see it return one day, but I'm also happy with the library of videos we have. It was an era for sure.

[@iPlaySEGA]

Mark was my favourite KZbinr back then! Pretty sure, that CGR was one of the reasons, why i started my own channel. I miss him and his humor. Good times!

[@michaelnoronha2801]

You said cosmic carnage and it just sent chills down my spine, I grew up watching the guy so I dont remember everything but holy nostalgia haha

[@ethanwasme4307]

I'm only a year into nostalgia collecting, but can hear his intro playing in my mind hahah

[@legacy4L]

Truxton, and Cosmic Carnage I own because I was a super fan of his. Derek did great too man on the other channel. I guess you can never say never to a comeback tho. If he really knew how many people that really hold Mark as #1 I think he'd be in tears. But we must continue the mission to the never ending mission to "review everything"

[@victormihai3929]

Great review. I agree with just about all your talking points. I had missed Mark and recently went to revisit some old videos and was happy to see he's back.

[@mindseyemelodies]

the name says it all: classic game room, it was like hanging out in an extremely stocked game room and seeing the magic of what gaming was before it was turned in to mobile device gambling :/

[@teddym2808]

Gamesack is pretty darn good.

[@chicagotransitauthority3161]

I remember when his comic videos did not do well for the channel and now he’s doing music too, which they sound ok, but CGR will continue to live on with rewatches

[@Mary-eo9pd]

I loved CGR more than anything else when I was young, it was one of the first channels I watched on youtube, and I watched it religiously. I was really young for the demographic at the time, but it's given me some of the best insight into the world of retro games in the most approachable way I could think of. The show was just made by people who liked games, and it showed ❤

[@ashifabedin]

old classic game room gives me such a feeling of happiness i cant really explain

[@Ciderpunk-jj5es]

I think a lot of us still believe the show will return, somehow, even though Mark is a very busy guy with diverse interests. I thought a review of the Genesis Mini, at the time it was new, would have been his best 'in'.

[@DangerClose0608]

I would be all in. I still watch the old videos all the time and buy the older and newer merch in hopes that something pushing him back

[@lovelorn88nick]

I REALLY miss Classic Game Room. Such an amazing channel! And YES! Marks voice was literally perfect! I hope he releases his videos on DVD

[@coochie8670]

That would be strange to do. But then again, Scott The Woz released an episode of his on VHS.

[@pizzamon795]

Mark is back

[@amorathecat]

Very well done video. I also miss the heck out CGR. I used to watch all the time. I like the idea of crowdfunding it and Patreon. If done right, can really make a difference.

[@JerryTerrifying]

CGR had a patreon. The issue is Mark himself. Undertow started getting more popular than the main channel so it got scrapped. Mark blew money big time too, you'll notice the later episodes had a huge studio with an elcamino and disco ball. He wouldn't take advice from anyone and doubled down on several of his bad choices.

[@dirgofserb]

@@JerryTerrifying This is really inaccurate. CGR wasn't making enough money for Mark to hire other people, so he had to let them go in 2015. Don't invent conspiracy theories just based on speculation.

[@GamingTheSystems1]

Undertow was not removed out of jealousy. Not sure who came up with that, but Derek talks about why it was cancelled right here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bai6c56ri7F4htU

[@visitor5451]

it's interesting you mention how relaxed he is, when back in 2008-2009 I really liked him as an antithesis to the screaming angry reviewer archetype.

[@alexshadowfax1119]

CGR has been uploading long compilations of older and newer reviews for every system. It's been awesome!

[@OrderoftheWarlocks]

Listen, I'll watch your video. BUT, I came here reading your title and just wanted to say YES.

[@jkajmo]

Im so glad he's back! I'd love for the two of you to do something together

[@randomguy-rm1wf]

YO idk if this is the squirel channel if yes this channel waa back than my gaming channel like i love how they showed gameplay and everything

[@Gurk76]

Thanks for reminding me of how great CGR was! Curse you for telling me about its end. I didn't know it ended, last thing I knew was it had definitely slowed down and most of the videos seemed to be coming from CGR Undertow. I'll have to see what videos I can still track down.