Over the past four decades, video games have owed so much of their success to their ability to immerse players. As industry enthusiasts, we talk about immersion a lot, and we're always seeking new ways to improve on that: better graphics, dynamic mechanics, more intelligent NPCs, and realistic enemy AI.
All of these updates look to the future, but how do we get immersed in the past? That's what Noah Enright of The Scenic Gamer aims to do. We had the chance to sit down with Enright and talk a bit about The Scenic Gamer TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram channels, as well as his success streaming on Twitch.
The concept is simple enough: bring a CRT television out into the world and play games where they're set, such as The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on a sandy beach or Super Mario Baseball above the MLB playoffs.
When I discovered Enright's content on TikTok, it resonated with me immediately. I love getting immersed in the stories I'm experiencing, whether that's downloading Firewatch onto my Switch to play while on a camping trip or enjoying Sea of Thieves by a local beach. Modern gaming has made these moments easier to obtain, but there's still a rather large roadblock to bringing these moments to retro games: the hardware and lack of portability.
Emulation is one answer to this problem, but Enright goes the extra mile to bring out a retro TV and console to different locations so that he can enjoy these games on original hardware while appreciating the sights and sounds of nature.
"I've been a life-long gamer, and I've always wanted to do something with that besides just gaming," Enright said. "I play retro games in the most scenic and amazing places, and places the games are based on. I came up with the idea when I was at a garage sale one day and decided to buy an old retro TV for a dollar."
Though Enright launched The Scenic Gamer accounts just a couple months ago, he has already amassed over 36,000 followers on Instagram and 16,000 followers on TikTok.
In tandem with his brother, who works as his manager and editor, he has been able to grow the channel at an incredible rate. When asked about preparing his setup, I found his answer relatable to many millennial gamers like myself.
"I've been a collector for quite some time," he said. "So I already had all the retro game stuff."
What Games Has The Scenic Gamer Brought Into the World So Far?
So where exactly did Enright's travels bring him?
"I've been to some pretty amazing places so far playing some pretty cool games." —Noah Enright, The Scenic Gamer
An avid baseball fan, Enright knew he had to celebrate the Dodgers making it to the playoffs and the World Series in true gaming fashion, making some new friends along the way.
"I was playing Mario Baseball above Dodgers stadium. This family came up to me and asked if they could play with me. So I was playing with these kids above a playoff game and enjoying Mario Baseball! You kind of have to get out of your shell to play these games in public."
Local to Los Angeles, Noah has plenty of great scenery nearby to work with, but these projects have motivated him to travel to other exotic locations. From a local Wendy's to far-away national parks, this adventure has motivated Enright to step out of his comfort zone and explore incredible places around the country.
"The farthest I've been has been spots in Utah, that's three states away, and we went to Zion National Park," Noah said. "We got a campsite and set up the TV and GameCube by a valley and some mountains and made the perfect backdrop for some of those games. We played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – that opening was absolutely beautiful. And we streamed LEGO Star Wars under the stars."
Noah told me how growing up, he and his brother would play LEGO Star Wars games together, so having the opportunity to do that in the scenery of Zion National Park was amazing. This particular trip took place on Enright's birthday weekend, making for an extra-special memory to celebrate another trip around the sun.
Power & Portability: Behind the Scenes with The Scenic Gamer
One of the most common questions for The Scenic Gamer is how does he power his setup? A portable battery covers his power needs, but getting to the different locations is still a challenge. He loads everything he needs into a big wagon—TV, console, controllers, recording equipment, snacks—and hauls them to where he needs to get to.
"Pulling the wagon through the sand is tough," he said. "I've been to some mountains where I've had to pull it through weeds and all sorts of hills."
As one might expect, the natural world isn't always forgiving when it comes to the retro tech he's carrying around.
"I was at the beach streaming Super Mario Sunshine and it got really windy and sand blew everywhere. It got into my GameCube; these are the unspoken things you don't see that are behind the camera that we need to deal with."
The GameCube Enright uses is the one he's had since childhood. Unfortunately, the sand blowing into it did create some technical problems, but he's in the process of taking the GameCube apart to see if he can fix it.
I hope he's successful, because there are a lot of other journeys for him to take as he continues to pursue these dreams.
The Scenic Gamer Looks to the Future
When asked of future plans, he very excitedly told me about some of the places he hopes to get to someday.
"I would love to travel across the United States and do a tour of different games in different spots," he said. "And out of the country – Japan is top of my list of places to go. A lot of the games I'm playing originated there. I would love to just get out there to some of the big Japanese cities and in the countryside to play games there."
If you'd like to follow Enright's journey and cheer him on along the way, you can check out any of his social media channels. Most recently, he traveled around Los Angeles playing Grand Theft Auto V in the real-life locations from the game.
If you'd like to follow Noah and support his initiatives, you can follow him over at:
Dan is a Boston-based writer who has been with TechRaptor since the end of 2020. He has been working in the online writing, editing and SEO space for nearly… More about Dan
