Thank You, Billy

I apologize in advance for the lack of photos and text formatting.

For my 40th birthday in 2012, I made some changes when it came to video gaming. I wanted to, in the words of James Rolfe, go “back to the past”— and that meant (re)building a library of Nintendo Entertainment System games. I had jumped feet-first into the “retrogaming community” along this journey, finding a home in a place called Retroware as I posted about my latest finds.

Part of the Retroware experience was checking out YouTube videos from creators under the site’s umbrella. Pat the NES Punk, Lazy Game Reviews, and The Game Chasers were just some of the YouTube channels that I discovered. The Game Chasers, in particular, resonated with me at the time because the videos were about chasing down games at flea markets and other places… which was exactly what I was doing. And the stars of that ongoing series, Billy and Jay, always had fun adventures to follow.

The Game Chasers wasn’t necessarily a “serious” show. It was funny, and even immature at times. I was fine with this approach, because laughter was great for a guy who was dealing with lots of personal life changes at the time and welcomed any chance to laugh and have a bit of fun… even vicariously through someone else. In-between the laughs, the guys came across some gems on their adventures, and some of these wound up on my radar as I was collecting. I never had the stones to haggle with sellers, as Billy and Jay did, but I did have moments where I caught sellers “slipping”… like finding a copy of Turtles in Time for just $15.

It’s hard for me to believe that now, Billy is gone. He passed away on the day that I’m writing this, some 6 years my junior. Any time someone I know passes who is younger than me, I struggle with it… but Billy’s passing comes after a sudden and unexpected health emergency that medicine could not fix. I struggle to accept that he’s gone, and I grieve for his family, his friends, and his fellow fans who are trying to come to grips with this loss.

All I can do is share my memories and experiences, as I struggle to process what’s happened.

First, Billy was incredibly kind to me as a fan, from when I first started watching and commenting on Game Chasers videos in 2012 straight on through when I would drop by streams of his in the early 2020s. He didn’t have to take time out to respond to me as a commenter on YouTube or Retroware, but he was so genuine and gracious to me. In my own health scares in the past, Billy would offer kind words of support and keep me focused on getting through the struggles. When visiting his streams in the early 2020s, he would always ask how I was and how things were, knowing that I had managed to turn my life around after some tough financial times.

I also had a couple of chances to meet Billy and Jay in person at RetroWorld Expo. Billy knew exactly who I was and talking to him felt like talking to someone I’d known for a long time. He was as much fun to be around and had similar energy in person as he did in front of the camera— it never felt forced or fake. I was always grateful for those precious minutes, though I never thought to say “Thank you” for the hours of joy and happiness that The Game Chasers had brought to me.

And I’m really regretting that now. I never thanked Billy for the impact he had on me and for his kindness toward me. I take some solace in the likelihood that he probably knew, given our interactions, but I still wish I’d said something.

Billy’s passing is a reminder to not take anything for granted. We never know how much time we have, so we need to take advantage as best as we can.