Member Interviews: DoctorDrPepper

[Dreggit]

Welcome one and all to the second half of the March interviews. This time, you get to see a surprise twist in this interview! Exciting! Please welcome @DoctorDrPepper and let us get this interview underway!

 

DoctorDrPepper

 

Standard Questions

How did you come up with your PSN name?

So after my xbox account was stolen I needed to make a new one to keep playing 360 games. At the time there was a free Dr. Pepper avatar picture offered on the xboxlive message place and I was in medschool, so I thought DoctorDrPepper was funny and I'd just use that picture. Eventually a few months later when I switched to PS3 and had to create a PSN ID I figured that Dr Pepper avatar was on PS3 too so I went with the same name. It was not but I was stuck with it and it just became funny enough that I've rolled with it ever since.

 

What games convinced you get your PlayStation 3, Playstation Vita, and PlayStation 4?

I actually won my PS3 for free at PAX 2008. Used it solely as a blu-ray player till my switch. Persona 4 Golden is the reason I bought a Vita but I still play it constantly. Got the PS4 at launch because I knew how hard it would be to get later so I snatched it up from a Wal-Mart on launch day. How I got a PS5 was funny too. The day they announced the launch date I was watching that stream at my office eating lunch. The second they said the date I got in my car and drove to the Gamestop that's down the street.  They said they didn't have it in their system but to come back tomorrow and it would probably be available. About two hours later when I was at work in between patients I got a phone call from the manage of that Gamestop who knew me since I come in all the time. He said that pre-orders had just opened up and were sold out in about 3 minutes but he held one for me if I could get there right now. I left my office with a patient in the waiting room telling them i had a quick emergency, drove to Gamestop, pre-ordered it and the games I wanted and drove back to finish my day. While all my friends were hunting and still are for one, I picked mine up the day it came out with no problems.

 

What are your top 5 game series and why?

Top five series in no order are:

• Persona - I love the combination of life simulator and turn based rpg plus the stories and character are so well written.
• Zelda - The GOAT series that I've been playing as a kid. Only one or two bad ones. So a solid percentage of the game that really made the adventure genre.
• Mario - And I mean the main platforming Mario, in both 2D and 3D. I'll play every Mario till I die.
• Donkey Kong Country - the only platforming series that can rival Mario.
• Resident Evil - Only been into it for a while, never played it as a kid, but now something I constantly look forward to the next piece from. I love the horror and the themes of the giant evil faceless corp twisting science to it's own end.

 

What are your top 5 games and why?

1. (Interchanging 1 and 2) Persona 4
2. (Interchanging 1 and 2) Persona 5 - Honestly I can't choose which one I like more. P5 has the better gameplay, music and style. P4 has the better story and characters, but also I sometimes go back and forth on that. I don't know if I favor one more than the other due to recency bias or liking it longer. So really, in my eyes, they're tied.
3. Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - I love lovecraftian horror stuff and no game has ever done it better than Eternal Darkness. The sanity meter stuff freaked me the hell out as kid playing this game alone at night. The bath tub scene is something I'll never forget.
4. Donkey Kong Country - Infinitely replayable, always fun. Probably my favorite platformer ever. Even the mine cart stages.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Seasons - Top down 2D Zelda is my favorite Zelda, and this was the pinnacle for me as a kid. Plus it was two games in one with a sprawling story that changed depending on what you played first. Blew my mind as a kid. 

 

Which unreleased game(s) are you looking forward to the most and why?

Resident Evil 8 village is the biggest one just because of how close we are too it. RE7 was so freaking good and I can't wait to see what they do with it next. Far Cry 6 because I love Open world shooters and far Cry has been solid since 3. Also Giancarlo Esposito is the best in the business right now for playing layered villains. Horizon Forbidden West just for how much I loved the story of Zero Dawn and want to see where it goes. God of War Ragnarok for that story and gameplay as well. Please keep the Leviathan Axe in it. The return mechanic was super satisfying. Also I wouldn't mind a The Division 3 if that's in the works.

 

Do you have any other hobbies outside of gaming?

Accidentally already answered this but, pro wrestling, reading, exercise and weightlifting, cooking and LARP. Also I have a podcast with some friends from Mega64 and some friends from Australia called Gaming Cult Podcast. Check us out wherever you listen to podcasts. It's weird as hell.

 

Top 5 TV shows, Movies, and/or anime, why, and would you recommend them to people?

Top 5 Movie in order:

1. Hackers - My favorite movie of all time. Cheesy as hell, but super rewatchable. Saw it as a kid stuck with me. Hack the Planet.
2. The Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift - I'd put the whole fast saga here but I usually just say TD as it would be cheating, just put them all. Tokyo Drift is the closest we'll ever get to a Persona live action movie.
3. Blazing Saddles - Mel Brooks is timeless and this is the best comedy ever written.
4. Hot Rod - The Lonely Island didn't write this but it's soaked in their style. Love it.
5. Newsies - Best musical of all time.

 

Top 5 shows:

1. Newsradio - Best sitcom ever made. Although I do qualify that with I stop watching after Phil Hartman's farewell show after his passing. I just can't watch after that. I get sad.
2. Mr. Robot - 4 seasons packed tight of the best drama TV has ever seen.
3. Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (MXC) - I could rewatch this on loop forever.
4. Reno 911 - The State is a classic but this show is pure improv masterclass.
5. Jackass - That was a formative show for my teenage years that probably defined what it meant to be a teen in the early 2000's. 

 

Not really an anime fan but I'll say I have watch and like Cowboy Beebop for it's style. DBZ when I was in 8th grade because everyone watched it. My Hero recently because some friends turned me onto it. There's this one season show called Keijo about girls competing in a sport when they try to knock each other off platforms using only their boobs and butts. It's not a hentai I swear. It's absurd but taken hyper seriously and that's what's funny about it.

I'm throwing one more in for me which is top five best franchises:

1. Fast and Furious - Best movie series ever made. The continuity is flawless.
2. The Marvel Cinematic Universe - I love every single thing they make (Minus Guardians of the Galaxy 2 which I found not funny and too reliant on bad writing and jokes) because of how much everything weaves in and out of the bigger picture. I love continuity.
3. SAW - I love horror where things are games or trap and also once again great continuity and callbacks.
4. Star Wars - With the exception of 7,8, and 9, I love star wars. I love the originals, I love the prequels, I love the shows, I love the games. I just wasn't a fan of the three new ones. But Madalorian might take a spot on that top 5 shows one day once it's done.
5. On Cinema at the Cinema - I needed a place to put this because it's an entire universe of web shows and specials and podcasts and a movie and so much lore. Tim and Gregg made something special that I can't wait to see return soon.

 

Top 5 favorite music bands/group/artists/composers/ost?

Best band is The Aquabats. Loved them since high school, will never stop loving them. Seriously the best band in the world. Then probably Weird Al, Kesha, and The Arctic Monkeys. Buckwheat Groats forever. Favorite video game soundtrack is Persona 5 everything, so P5, P5R, P5D and P5S.

 

Your favorite platinum and why?

So as a point of pride it's Plants vs Zombies on Vita for my perseverance. I was originally playing it on xbox when I got hacked so I never finished it. Then I got it on Vita on PS+ but it glitched before I finished it and I had to delete my save and start over. a couple years later I tried again and the same thing happened. Finally in 2017 when I started hardcore platinum hunting I did it all a fourth and final time and finally got the platinum. I earned that one after everything it put me through.

 

Your least favorite platinum and why?

Not counting crappy cash-grab plats like My name is Mayo or Little Adventure on the Prairie, the worst had to be Rage 2. That game was busted and broken to hell. Barely playable. Repetitive and not at all fun. And those stupid bug drones and their system of being untraceable and randomly moving to another location if they are spotted and not blown up. Hate that game. Should never have let a friend talk me into buying it.

 

Have you ever been tempted to switch over to the Xbox/Nintendo/PC gaming ecosystems?

• Xbox - ha ha ha hell no. Never again after what they did to me.
• Nintendo - I'll still play the big games when they come out but if its not a Mario or Zelda or something like that, I don't really care.
• PC - no interest really.

 

If you could have one game from any gaming generation be remade or re-released, which one would it be and why?

PERSONA 4 GOLDEN IN THE PERSONA 5 ENGINE TODAY PLEASE. Would love a PS5 remaster of Alpha Protocol. I never got to play the Legacy of Kain series but I've always heard good things so a remake of that would be sick.

 

How far are you willing to go for a platinum?

I grinded out 20 to 25 extra hours of Yakuza LAD for the true final millennium tower. I bought a shitty android tablet on sale at Walmart to platinum Ticket to Ride. I have a Gamefly account just for renting stuff like My Riding Stables: Life with Horses. I imported a Japanese copy of Control and a European copy of Persona 5 Royal just to get to platinum two of my favorite games of the PS4 generation again. So pretty far, I'd say.

 

What feature (besides backwards compatibility) do you think the next console generation should have?

I mean a year ago I would have asked for exactly what we got with the trophy tracking percentages of collectibles. We just got the PS5 so I don't think this question really applies anymore. But please change back the trophy menu to the scrolling down instead of the cards horizontally. I dislike it. And I miss themes. Corn Love Forever is the only theme I used for years and sometimes I turn on my PS4 just for that smooth jazz and great corn footage.

 

What is your favorite thing about PSNP?

Stat tracking, leaderboards, guides, and the community.

 

What is your least favorite thing about PSNP?

I miss the community events. There hasn't been a big fun one since the Monster Hunt. I platinumed a lot of games I never would have due to the fun events like Monthly madness, @eigen-space's Gaming by Numbers, the various holiday ones, the spelling ones, the #stayhome at the beginning of quarantine was a great one. @Stedde has been doing his monthly ones but the competitive edge is running thin. I like the fun weird ones. Like when @FielVeredus did one based on the Thai new years Songkrang festival was GREAT. Bring back the just for fun with weird themed events where it makes me find games to fit I'd never think of just playing.

 

Is there anyone in the PSNP Community you would like to give a shout out too and if so why?

First of all @Dreggit for putting it together. @B1rvine for the Christmas Scavenger hunts for the last two years. The MOST fun I've had on this site. I'll take first one year dude. @eigen-space, @Dr_Mayus, @SpaceCoresDad, @XX_FTW, and anyone else who has ever run one of the events I'm talking about, and everyone who asked a question. Y'all are what makes me come back to check these boards every day.

 

PSNP Community Questions

Taking into account Dr Pepper was previously owned by Cadbury and Easter is two weeks away, what's your least favorite Easter candy and why is it Cadbury Eggs?

Cadbury eggs rule. Black jellybeans the worst. 

 

 I once saw a category in Jeopardy for "Pokemon" and peed a little from excitement and knew all of the answers. If you were on Jeopardy, what category would stimulate this sort of response for you?

I just like answering any and all trivia. Nothing would make me want to urinate myself though. But I guess if they ever did a wrestling trivia category on Jeopardy I'd get those all easily. And Human anatomy, but that's just because I know it all. The only subjects on Jeopardy I don't like and almost always get wrong are usually the arts questions like painters, classical music, poetry, stuff like that. But gimme science, history and geography any day.

 

If you were in a zombie apocalypse and were surrounded by thousands of zombies with only a knife and an AK-47 which of these cheat codes would you put in and why (You can only use one)? 

• Infinite Ammo
• Unlimited Stamina
• A cheat code that turns your knife into a light saber that incinerates everything it touches to ashes (one hit kills)

Unlimited stamina - That's what finally gets anyone killed in the zombie movie. Eventually you gotta stop and they don't.

 

As someone who had to Google "LARPing," how did you get into that hobby, and what was the best LARP that you were a part of?

Was listening to Dan Harmon's Harmontown podcast and some guy they brought on stage from the audience. He talked about larping and it was up here in the PNW. Found it was close enough to drive to. Went on a total lark cause I was bored. Fell in love with it and never looked back. That guy from the podcast is now a friend of mine.

 

Who is a really interesting side character (from any video game) that you think deserves their own game (and does not have one already)?

Make a spin off of FF7 remake as a beat'em up starring Tifa. She was the most fun to play in that game.

 

Ever visit the Spruce Goose museum? 

Meant to a couple times when I was in med school, up in Portland, but other stuff kept coming up and then moved away.

 

What is your most favorite and least favorite Dr. Pepper flavor?

So I don't actually drink very much soda. But that Dr. Pepper and Cream soda was really good. Least favorite is anything diet. I hate how they taste.

 

Have you ever been to a Pro Wrestling match? If yes, what was the most epic fight you’ve been to?

Yes been to a ton of shows. Most fun to watch was Kane vs Shawn Michaels in a ladder match. But anytime I get to sit at ringside and yell at the wrestlers (in a fun not mean way) and they react back is great. As long as you're not a jerk and know it's all for a fun experience they're cool.

 

What type of cuisine do you like the most to cook?

Japanese. Love making curry and katsu chicken. Also I love to BBQ. Always down to grill a some burgers or a steak. Also Italian is fun. A lasagna is a thing of beauty to put together then eat. 

 

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

1000000000000% extrovert. I have several introvert friends and we've talked about this before but I just can't wrap my head around being introverted. The idea is so alien to me. I love being a center of attention and just getting out there and doing whatever seems fun at the time. One time at PAX me and a friend jumped up on the Let's Dance stage when they were doing demos that no one was paying attention to and started a straight up dance party. Let's just say that 2020 has been a terrible year of being locked inside and not getting to do anything.

 

Why did you start streaming?

So on and off like a couple times a year when they baked it into the PS4. Called it Office Hours because at the time I had better connection at my office. Then in 2019 I started doing it a little more regularly because some other friends started too. Made affiliate right before quarantine started just streaming once a week. Now I do it every Monday because it's fun. Not trying to go big, just doing it to do it.

 

If you could write a slogan or put a picture on the visible side of the moon, what would it be?

Spoiler

 

What’s your go-to pizza topping?

Pepperoni and Pineapple. The GOAT pizza. Not up for discussion.

 

Who’s your all-time favorite wrestler?

All Time Roddy Piper. The best on the mic, the best heel, the best man to ever set foot in that ring. Current is Kenny Omega. He's the best wrestler alive today, with Okada and Daniel Bryan like right at he same level but I like Kenny a bit more.

 

If you didn't like Dr. Pepper sodas, would you jump into Coke, Pepsi or Mountain Dew?

Once again, not actually much of a soda drinker. It was more just a name for the joke. I do like Dr. pepper, Root Beer and Mountain Dew though. But also big shouts out to Razzleberry Peace Tea. Someone at Peace Tea corporate please contact me for a sponsorship.

 

What kind of weightlifting did you practice? Typical gym routines or do you have a functional training programming?

Six day program. Three day cycle repeated twice with a day off. First day Chest and Tri's. Second day back and Bi's. Thirds day Shoulders and legs. Abs every day and Elliptical every day, but less time on leg days. Not trying to be a bulked out monster but being a chiropractor requires a lot of strenuous activity. Gotta stay strong and limber. 

 

Does chiropractics be more alike to physiotherapy or to traumatology, in your experience? 

Chiropractic Medicine is basically biomechical treatment for pain that is cause by non-invasive injury. I'm really more akin to a mechanic that works on joints. But I have to know everything that all doctors know so if someone comes in with a problem I don't deal with I can diagnose it and get them to where they need to be. In the last eight years I've diagnosed three appendicitis cases, two kidney stones, a case of meningitis, and someone actively having a heart attack that they didn't even realize. Got them to the emergency room and they were able to save him.

 

The number of games you've played is remarkable. Can you explain a bit your cabinet and your rarest trophies?

Through the magic of remote play and the fact that a lot of time at my office is waiting for patients either get here or get done with therapy before I see them I get to play a lot of shit games through the day. I know many people don't like the rise in the Raitalaika specials if you know what I mean, but I just like to make the numbers go up. Plus most of the shmup ones are really fun. I have 11 ultra rare plats. In rarity order from most rare to least they are, Titan Souls, which was a personal challenge to myself just to see if I could do it. Injustice 2, because I got lucky with the cat call before they fixed the towers. Lost Sea, which was just a damn fun but long as hell rogue like. Alpha Protocol, I don't know why this is rare but it rules and everyone with a PS3 should try it.  Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time which I think is from the PS+ effect. The Escapist, which I get, it takes some real weird setting up to do some of the trophies. Civ 6, because it's Civ 6. Amnesia Collection due to PS+ and the all collectibles trophy. Metal Slug anthology for difficulty alone. You Don't Know Jack because of the online portion. And lastly the Ricky and Morty VR game because of that god damn battery charge game. Screw that minigame and whoever invented it.

 

Name 3 games you still remember longingly form your hunt, and 3 others, that you honestly never wanted to play if you knew beforehand that they were so bad.

Every game I've mentioned already (with the exception of Rage 2) could go in that first part, so let me shout out three more games I haven't mentioned.

1. Dishonored on PS3 - because ghost glitched on me at the end and I didn't wanna run it again, so I put it of and put it off for 7 years, until last September when I finally sat down and platinumed the game that had been on my account unfinished the longest.
2. Fallout 3 - Another game I was in the middle of when my Xbox nightmare occurred. I never went back and then 8 years later I bought it on PS3, and said I am gonna conquer ever part of this game and see what I was missing after all this time. A fantastic game.
3. The Walking Dead Saints and Sinners - is the #1 reason to own a PSVR. As much as I love Astrobot Rescue, that might have worked as a normal game. S&S is what I wanted as a kid when VR was the "future" or games.

 

Three I never would have started if I had know what it entailed (Rage 2 for sure but out of games I haven't mentioned yet)

1. Bound by Flame - Everything I saw said it was a subpar game but not that hard to plat. The game is damn near unplayable. It controls like shit and runs worse than anything I've ever seen. Abandoned it after an hour.
2. Outer Wilds - Everyone i know talked this game up as the best thing ever but I had space flight. I bet the actual mystery of the time loop rules but I absolutely hate flying that spaceship and to get the platinum that landing on the sun trophy looks far beyond my capabilities. Bought it without research because of all the good press. My own fault. Maybe one day.
3. Star Trek Bridge Crew - This one isn't the game's fault. I bought it to play and plat with friends. They promised we would do it together then they bailed on me. I would love to go back and plat this game but I got no friends to do it with.

 

Which game character do you most identify with / are you most like.

I don't really "identify" with fictional characters much. I wanna see where the story takes them so I feel pretty disconnected in that aspect from them. But the one whose journey I wanted to see play out the most was Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima. That game is probably the best open world game of the PS4 generation.

 

Is there a game that doesn’t fit the answers to any of the other questions, but you just want to gush about how much you love it anyways?

I FUCKING LOVE DONUT COUNTY! PLAY THIS GAME! IT'S SO FUN AND CHARMING AND THE MUSIC IS FIRE!

 

Are you aware that here in the UK, one of the supermarkets has its own brand DrPepper knock-off, called....

• wait for it....
  • DrThunder? 

Yeah we have that too in Walmart. Like every supermarket has it's off brand soda with a Dr. Something line. Here's a photo of a bunch of them I found on google:

Spoiler

 

What are your top 5 WrestleMania events?

1. Michaels vs Razor Wrestlemania X ladder match.
2. Edge vs Mick Foley Hardcore match Wrestlemania 22.
3. The Danie Bryan Saga Wrestlemania 30.
4. Michaels vs Taker series Wrestlemania 25 and 26.
5. TLC at Wrestlemania 17, the one where Edge spears Jeff Hardy while he's hanging from the belts.

 

What are your favorite things about WWE going on right now?

Nothing. I don't watch WWE anymore. I'm all into AEW, New Japan, Impact, Shimmer and Tokyo Joshi Pro. Shouts out Maki Itoh. Cutest in the world. I should probably start finding a way to watch ROH again too but they are harder to find online.

 

Which is your favorite game song?

Beneath the Mask - Persona 5

 

 

Do you boost yourself with soda every time you play, or all day, while working too?

Nope, just water mostly. Not really a soda drinker. Y'all really like to talk about soda.

 

Which was your hardest subject at medicine school; after taking it, do you like it or would you never want to know nothing about it onwards? 

Orthopedics. Learning all the tests and having to know them by heart, and there was a lot. Honestly now I use about 10-15 them the most but I had to know them all in case one day someone comes in with something weird and I need to know that one little piece of info. Also the guy that taught my pharmacology class was an asshole.

 

Secret Twist of the Month, chosen by @Rally-Vincent---

Quote

creativity: writing -- format: Write a limerick that has video games as a theme.

 

Howard's Deed
by @DoctorDrPepper

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I used to play games from Todd Howard,
Till he took Xbox's money, that coward.

Because I roll with Sony,

And he's a Microsoft crony

So I can't wait to see Bethesda devoured.

 

Please look forward to next months surprise twist activity that will be privately chosen by March's interviewee's

 

_______________________________________________________________

 

Let us give thanks to all that participated in asking questions to our interviewee

Spoiler

@Helyx @Beyondthegrave07 @B1rvine @LoveInHell @Rally-Vincent--- @Charizarzar @Xenoblast91 @DrBloodmoney @KenjiCBZ

Edited April 7, 2021 by Dreggit

[AK-1138]

No idea how I missed the question thread, but oh well.

 

Nice to see some love for something as comparatively obscure as Ages/Seasons. The scope of their ambition, especially while still technically running on 10+ year old Game Boy power is still impressive some twenty years on. The Second Quest password mechanic really adds tons of surprise and replay value to an already stacked pair of games in a unique and underutilized fashion. I finally grew the guts to get all the rings a few years back; a lot more fun than you'd expect.

 

DKC is the absolute biz, do 'em every year if I find the time. Blazing Saddles is a masterpiece, and I last watched it not a week ago! Nice to see we have one WrestleMania match in common, at least.

[Beyondthegrave07]

Loved the interview! @DoctorDrPepper. Made me chuckle how many Dr. Pepper questions you got despite not being the biggest soda fan.

 

I'll have a small event I'm planning to do in May (not super creative like the ones you've mentioned, but interesting). A little bit more on the serious side, but maybe that's something to look forward to.

[SpaceCoresDad]

Oh my gosh, I got shouted out in an interview! @DoctorDrPepper I'm so glad you enjoy my events. It's not always easy keeping them up to date, but knowing that at least one person out there is having fun with them makes it all worth it! Hope you enjoy the April Fools one, that didn't get as much traction but I loved writing it up.

Really interesting answers too. I'm always interested in seeing how many people love pro wrestling, and the number of Dr. Pepper questions you got was pretty funny. Good luck with your hunting! ?

[LoveInHell]

 Wait, wait, wait now we need to know what you yell at wrestling matches and what they reply back ?

[Pray_4_the_End]

6 hours ago, Dreggit said:

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem - I love lovecraftian horror stuff and no game has ever done it better than Eternal Darkness. The sanity meter stuff freaked me the hell out as kid playing this game alone at night. The bath tub scene is something I'll never forget.

 

Great interview and THIS!! Eternal Darkness is one of my favorite psychological horror games ever! Such an underrated game for Gamecube. Wish they would remaster this game for Switch or any other console for that matter, I know they had a kickstarter for a sequel/remaster or something like that years ago, but it never got off the ground unfortunately. I have fond memories of going over to my buddy's house back in my teenage years when it came out and taking turns playing that crazy ass game to completion. I almost threw a fuck'n shoe at dudes tv when those roaches would randomly start crawling across your screen as a sanity effect, ah good times lol. 

[B1rvine]

11 hours ago, DoctorDrPepper said:

@B1rvine for the Christmas Scavenger hunts for the last two years. The MOST fun I've had on this site. I'll take first one year dude.

 

Thanks for the mention.

 

I'll let you know the stakes for this year's holiday contest will be higher than ever. A PS5 will be the grand prize. One question in particular will be savage though.

[FielVeredus]

Thanks for refering! I hope I have some spare time to do kind of event like this in future as well.

[Stedde]

Challenge accepted @DoctorDrPepper.
I will try to find a challenge worthy your taste! ?