Rosie Caddick is one of the most sincere voices in the gaming scene today, championing the positivity and joy that playing games can bring with unbridled enthusiasm and energy.
Her love for retro and modern games has seen Rosie go from producing gaming content in her bedroom to travelling the world as a host of one of the most successful gaming channels around.
Since 2018, Rosie has been one of the hosts of PlayStation Access, the official YouTube channel for PlayStation UK, and her genuine passion for all things gaming has endeared her to a legion of fans, not just in the UK, but worldwide, and helped the channel to grow to over two million subscribers.
Rosie kindly took some time out of her schedule to talk to me about her career in content creation, her favourite retro handhelds, and how owning a Parappa The Rapper alarm clock isn’t always conducive to a good night’s sleep.
Table of Contents
Getting To Know Rosie Caddick
Retro Dodo: What is your earliest gaming memory?
Rosie Caddick: I’d say the first video game I remember watching my family play is Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped! When I was ready to learn how to play video games myself, it became the first game I played, so it’s always had a very special place in my heart.
But I also remember Tomb Raider, Spyro: Year of the Dragon, and Tekken 2 being a big part of my earliest memories too! So those games are also incredibly special to me.
RD: What’s your favourite video game of all time and why?
RC: Aaahhh the toughest question of all when it comes to video games! I love loads of games for different reasons, but I think my favourite game of all time nowadays is Yakuza: Like A Dragon.
I love this game to pieces! And when I revisit it, listen to its soundtrack, look back on my first time with it, talk or hear other people talk to me about it, it fills my heart with so much joy and excitement, that I can’t help but have the biggest smile on my face and say “Everyone needs to play this game!”
I definitely have a list of my top 10 games though, so I’m sure when this article comes out I may have swapped my favourite game with another one from the list! (Like Bloodborne, Ape Escape 3, Tomb Raider, Parappa the Rapper 2, Kingdom Hearts 2 – AH! SO MANY GREAT GAMES!)
RD: If you had to pick one system to play for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?
RC: PS2! I love the PS2, and with its backward compatibility, I can play PS1 games on it too!
There are so many fantastic PS1 and PS2 games I have yet to play, and so many I love revisiting. So I would easily be entertained for the rest of my life thanks to the beautiful PS2.
RD: What is your favourite video game soundtrack?
RC: I love all video game music, my Spotify is filled with video game soundtracks! But I’d probably say the soundtracks in the Katamari franchise are my favourite.
If I had to pick one Katamari game, it’s tough, but I’d probably say Katamari Forever as it has tracks from throughout the series, and it’s the one I’ve played the most on PS3. And I never get tired of its amazing soundtrack.
RD: What game are you unbeatable at?
RC: I can’t think of a serious answer right now in all honesty. But I have yet to play The Jungle Book Groove Party with someone and have them beat my score, so let’s say that!
Apart from when I was a kid and would play the multiplayer mode with my brother, but I was a kid then! I have advanced my skills over the years!
RD: Do you have a favourite retro gaming-related collectible?
RC: I have loads, but I’d probably say my Parappa the Rapper clock is my favourite. In my gaming collection, I have a little section that is just for Parappa the Rapper, as I love the Parappa universe and there’s so much gold to find with its collectibles. And the clock is so cool and unique, I’d probably say it’s my favourite!
However, it did once wake me up randomly at 3:30AM repeating “YOU GOTTA DO WHAT?!”, which I didn’t appreciate at the time. But now I look back on that memory and laugh.
A Handheld History
RD: How do you like to play games when you’re out and about?
RC: I love handheld gaming, I use a variety of handheld consoles quite a lot when I’m out and about! But my favourite is the Nintendo DS.
I have so many fond memories playing it, like having sleepovers where friends and I would just exchange Pictochat doodles to each other. There are lots of brilliant games for it, and I love how it looks! I used to have the original pink DS which came with Nintendogs Dachshund Edition, and Sonic Rush came with it in a deal too.
RD: What do you look for in a handheld gaming device?
RC: Portability with a variety of games! I simply love having a wide range of experiences on the go. Whether they’re long or short games, old or new. I love having access to gaming wherever I am! I used to take my PS Vita with me to my old job so I could play an hour of a game on my lunch break, and it was great!
A Career In Games
RD: What influenced you to pursue a career in game content creation?
RC: Whilst I was still at school, my brother started his own YouTube channel, and seeing how much fun he was having and how creative he was being inspired me to give it a shot too! One day, he invited me to come with him to visit Oddworld Inhabitants to interview Lorne Lanning. And I had such a fantastic time there, I decided I wanted to try my best to work in the games industry. I will never forget how inspired I felt after that day.
I’ve also always been a performer, taking part in loads of school plays and being in a theatre club. So seeing that there was an outlet that let me perform and be creative whilst talking about my biggest passion seemed like a dream to me!
RD: Your personal YouTube channel Professor Juice resonated with a large audience with sketches, reviews, and features that celebrated lots of gaming goodness. What was your favourite game to cover and why?
RC: That’s a tough question! I have so many fond memories covering all of the games on the channel. But I remember feeling particularly great when covering Parappa the Rapper 2.
I already adore the game, but whilst I was covering it, I remember the jokes were just constantly popping into my head, the raps and the story were really fun to talk about, and I dressed up for it which I always enjoy doing! It’s also always a blast to talk about a game you really enjoy and care about, so it was wonderful to cover all around.
PlayStation Access
RD: You’re perhaps best known nowadays as a Video Editor and Host for PlayStation Access. What’s been your proudest moment since joining the team?
RC: I have so many moments I’m so proud of, but a personal one for me was hosting the PlayStation Game of the Year Award with Ash Millman at the Golden Joystick Awards in 2023.
This was the first time I was entrusted with presenting an award, and it was a huge honour! Presenting an award was something I always thought “That would be phenomenal” when I would think about my career. And not only did it actually happen, but it was live-streamed, I presented in front of people whose work I loved and respected, and it was for the PlayStation Game of the Year.
And having the PS1 introduce me to video games, and growing up with all of the PlayStation generations, I just had a real moment after I hosted thinking, “Oh my gosh we’ve just done that!”
RD: Long-time PlayStation Access fans will know that the hosts are quite competitive when it comes to gaining Platinum Trophies in PlayStation games. What’s been your most rewarding Platinum Trophy?
RC: My most rewarding platinum is probably Cuphead, which I earned with my partner, Nico, at the same time. We played the whole game multiplayer, I was Cuphead and he was Mugman, and doing the pacifist runs on the run and gun stages and finishing bosses on the expert difficulty was especially challenging!
It took us a couple of years to get as we would both have phases of needing a little breather after a tough boss or challenge. But when we finally earnt the platinum we both felt incredibly proud to have one of the toughest platinums we’ve ever wanted to get, and for a game we absolutely adore. It was also a great joy to share the experience with him, not just earning the platinum, but playing the whole game together too!
RD: Which stream or video that you’ve worked on would you call your favourite and why?
RC: This is another really tough question, as I am so proud of all of my videos for different reasons! But my favourite is probably “That One Trophy In Yakuza: Like A Dragon That Nearly Broke Me” on PlayStation Access.
My favourite kinds of videos to make are ones where I feel like I can fully express myself, and this was a wonderful opportunity where I could. I wanted to share my experience of grinding to defeat a really tough challenge, and then express the joy I felt when I finally did it.
I was hoping that people would enjoy the odd twists my journey took, or maybe share similar experiences, and they did! I’ve even had messages from people saying that they decided to get the platinum for the game after watching my video, which is a huge honour!
And years later I am still so proud with this video, and chuffed with how it all came together.
Buddy Games
In addition to appearing on PlayStation Access, you also stream as part of Buddy Games. How did Buddy Games get started?
RC: Oh gosh that was a long time ago, but I’ll try to recall the story correctly!
Before I joined PlayStation Access, I worked at a shop in my town. And my friend Liam, who was also the assistant manager at the time, was also really into video games and watching content creators on YouTube. So when we talked about content creators’ videos and games we enjoyed, we thought we’d try making Let’s Play-styled content too.
When we recorded our first few episodes, we didn’t even have a name for the show! But we still gave it a shot, and we’re still doing it today. Since then, the channel has really grown in multiple ways, such as Nico joining us on the show, and we’re all so proud of what Buddy Games has become!
The Boyfriend List
RD: You keep an infamous ‘Boyfriend List’ of some of your favourite gaming characters. If you had a free pass to Final Fantasy VII’s Gold Saucer, which three game characters from the Boyfriend List are accompanying you for a fun night out?
RC: HAHAH, I love this question! Ummm… I’d probably say Ichiban Kasuga, the King of Cosmos, and Barry Burton.
Can you imagine how fun and chaotic this would be?! Ichiban would be having a great time on every minigame, the King of Cosmos would be amazed by all of the glamour and decoration at the Gold Saucer, and I would love it if Barry Burton quoted the first Resident Evil game in the Ghost Hotel…
Bring It Back
RD: Nowadays, modern audiences are regularly introduced to legacy and retro franchises through remasters and remakes. Are there any games you’d love to see remade and why?
RC: There are so many! But I would let out a very loud scream of joy if they ever remade the first Resident Evil in the new Resident Evil remake style like they’ve done with Resident Evil 2 and 4.
I know we already have a remake of the first Resident Evil, which is my favourite horror game ever! But I’d love to see what they would do with the tight corridors and room decor in the mansion in their new style. See how they tackle the story, like would they bring Lisa Trevor from the last remake back? See how the characters would look. And the newer remakes have fantastic gameplay which I can’t get enough of, so I’d just love more of it!
RD: What does the future of retro gaming look like to you?
RC: Hopefully retro gaming will be more accessible for modern consoles so more people can enjoy classics that they’ve heard are fantastic, but may not have the original consoles to play! There are so many amazing games on retro consoles that I think people would love, so I’m always going to think “Yeesss play more retro games, they’re greeeeat!”
Thank you to Rosie for taking the time to speak to us. If you fancy gaming on the go like Rosie with a Nintendo DS or PS Vita, then check out our favourite Nintendo DS Games and must-have PS Vita titles for portable play!
