Interviews: Sigfrid van Driel

1. Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Sigfrid van Driel. I'm 19 years old and live here in Nieuwegein.

2. What is your education level?
After the primary school I have done the LEAO (=low economic school). After that I went to the MEAO (=medium economic school), but I didn't finished that one. I rather did something I would enjoy more: working. However I want to follow a course Informatics. That is also about computers and I am – also because of my job – very interested in that.

3. Do you have any hobbies?
Except that I use a lot of my free time to play video games, I also like to spend time in drawing. I also make music together with a good friend. He plays guitar and I play keyboard. We are doing that for our own fun and we don't have plans to make music our job.

4. How did you get in this job?
Like I said before. When I quit the MEAO, I was looking for work. I saw an advertisement about a game counsellor. That seems something to me, especially because experience with video games – one of my hobbies – was required. I have had a Nintendo, so now I can use that 'experience' perfectly.

5. Do you like to be a game counselor and why?
I love to do it, because the work is so awfully varied. I'm not only in it at day but also at night. Then I prepare me for the next day or I train certain game situations.

6. How many hours are you sitting at the phone per week and how many questions do you have to answer then?
I work everyday from 11.00 to 19.00. From 11.00 to 12.00 I'm looking for some things and I'm doing some other necessary work. Exactly at 12.00 the phones begin to ring. And they will do that until 19.00. I think that I get about 150 to 200 questions a day to answer.

7. Do you also play video games in your free time?
Look. My job is my hobby. And the other way round. So also in my free time I'm busy with Nintendo.

8. What kind of games are bringing you the most fun?
Personally I play action and adventure games at turn. With adventure games you really have to think before you do something. With action games it's the reactive power and speed, which are the most important factors, properly without thinking.

9. Which video game would you wanted to be thought of and made by yourself and why?
I don't have to think long for that one. Megaman. Not only the graphics of that game are awfully beautiful, but also the variety between moments of action and moments where you have to think very well, is very big. Of course I have beaten Megaman a couple of times, but I always start over again, so beautiful is it to me!

10. Which characters from Nintendo games are you personal favorites?
Of course Megaman, that super robot. Then comes Mario himself, followed by Link, the main character in Zelda. My fourth hero is the main character in the Battle of Olympus. He doesn't have a name, because I can give him a name at the start of the game.

11. What is your top 5 of Nintendo video games?
That's not so hard for me. Here they come.
1. Megaman 2, 2. Megaman, 3. Super Mario 3, 4. Battle of Olympus, 5. Gremlins 2

12. At last. What's your favorite Game Boy game?
That is Gargoyle's Quest and I'm not the only one that has that game as his favorite for the Game Boy. I accidentally know that for sure!

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***This interview was taken from Club Nintendo 1992 #2 and was translated from Dutch to English by Ruudos.***