This week we get in the keep with none other than the man, myth and legend himself: The Mighty Smango. Not only is he the proprietor of this very website (quakefans.net for those who didn’t notice) but he also runs kentuckynerd.com, produces both Full Tech Podcast and the Retro 20 Podcast (with his son) as well as a plethora of AFPS content on his YouTube channels. On top of all that he is a server administrator for The Keep and a true renaissance man of the AFPS and retro gaming community.
This conversation goes everywhere from whats new in arena FPS (Warfork, Diabotical, DuskWorld SDK), how to stay healthy, how new games can compete with internet boobs, the best horror games, our favorite metal guitar players, breaking down the Quake Pro League and much more. It was truly my pleasure to spend the evening chatting with someone who I not only look up to but also consider a dear friend.
Quakefans
I find so wonderful about Smango is that he’s genuinely himself. He’s your basic stereotypical Kentucky redneck who loves square dancing, driving around in big trucks, playing songs on his spittoon, listening to bluegrass music down at the local Ag Hall… wait… What I meant to say was that he’s your basic stereotypical Kentucky nerd: a technology buff, certified I.T. guy and a total metal head. Most importantly, he’s a walking arena shooter and retro gaming encyclopedia. Therefore, you won’t find a bigger Quake fan than the man who made the site. Smango even sports a Quake 3 Arena logo tattoo on his arm.
A Family Man
Fans of Smango’s work are already familiar with Full Tech Podcast, but some may not know that he also runs a new podcast all about retro gaming… with his 6 year old son. The first episode is already out. Nerdy parents who are looking for good wholesome entertainment to share with their kids will likely not find a better source of old school games to play than with the Retro 20 Podcast. Episode 1 is a charming audio-graph of a passionate father sharing his love of classic video games with his son as they review Super Mario RPG together. Its truly a heart warmer and I look forward to what they come up with next.
Topics
Timestamps are once again provided by Branflakes for your listening pleasure.
00:46 Smango
09:47 Quakefans.net
13:12 Importance of accessibility
18:40 Kentuckynerd.com
25:00 Balance between mind and body
30:55 Half Life
35:14 Violence in video games
38:23 Retro 20 Podcast
40:40 Smango and Motherload’s love for games
51:38 Preserving what we know is good
52:28 Smango and Motherload’s love for games pt.2
57:06 Non-original members
01:06:45 Smango and Motherload’s love for games pt.3
Links
Smango:
http://quakefans.net/
https://kentuckynerd.com
https://fulltechpodcast.com/
https://theretro20.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVOQN_Js8j_coQwXxdEGguw
https://www.twitch.tv/smangotv
https://discord.gg/DzujHTY
The Keep:
http://inthekeep.com/