The Weird World of PlayStation Magazines - Caddicarus

Overview

Caddicarus revisits the official UK PlayStation magazines (and their PS1/PS2 era demo-disc bundles) like they’re an archaeological find—part nostalgia trip, part “how did this get published?” deep dive.

Main plot / through-line

• He starts from his earlier PS1 demo-disc video and explains that the magazines were the real hidden treasure: they came with demo discs and also added stories, screenshots, interviews, walkthrough-style help, competitions, and exclusive “cheat books.”
• As he flips through issues, the tone becomes increasingly “this is wonderful… and also deeply weird,” especially once the PS2 magazine pivots toward attracting “lads.”
• The recap ends with a verdict: the magazines are both charming and historically awkward—like a roller coaster of real passion, classic writing, and then a very uncomfortable slide into sleaze and objectification.

Highlights & notable jokes/reactions

• The “magazine history lesson” that turns into silliness

  • He mocks random fake “magazine” examples, then fast-forwards to the real point: how the official UK PlayStation magazines were a gateway to PS1 demos.

• Games + community energy

  • Despite reading alone, the magazines feel social—letters pages, competitions, and “you’re not the only one obsessed with this” vibes.

• Ridiculous ads and wrong info as comedy gold

  • He reenacts/remarks on absurd and invasive advertising—from bizarre gadgets to ads that feel like they’re from a parallel universe.
  • He repeatedly points out concept screenshots that are wildly outdated or incorrectly attributed, turning it into a running bit: the magazines preserve misconceptions for posterity.

• Cheeky features and grand competition stories

  • A monthly competition with cash prizes up to £1,000.
  • A standout winner who dressed as Parappa the Rapper for his wedding ceremony in 1998.
  • A sponsored “multiplayer PlayStation bus” touring the UK for public play.

• The review column jokes

  • He shows that older review scores sometimes make no sense, turning “A–Z” and score re-reviews (including platinum re-reviews) into humor about how tastes and games aging work.

• The “weird PS2 era ads/content spiral”

  • Once the PS2 magazine redesign begins, he says it becomes “dumber,” more crass, and eventually sleazier—like it’s chasing a different audience than gamers.
  • He spends major time on phone/wallpaper content and hotline-style pages that feel vulgar and repetitive.

The big uncomfortable centerpiece

• The video’s sharpest escalation is the “rate your mate” segment (women only), encouraging readers to submit risque pictures for a chance at a prize—then having the magazine “rate” them.
• He frames it as manipulative and gross: it’s not just “people being horny,” but structured, gamified, and socially awkward—especially because it’s placed inside a PS2 gaming publication.
• He also calls out letters/arguments in the magazine’s editorial responses that defend or minimize the tastelessness, saying context matters and the jokes stopped reading as jokes.

Ending / closure

• After the worst period, the magazine gradually crawls back toward self-awareness and nostalgia, even poking fun at its earlier embarrassing choices.
• Final tone: don’t try to “cancel” it—understand it as a product of its era.
• He ends on “it was wrong, but fascinating,” comparing it to how modern creators can’t really remake older comedy without changing the culture around it.

Main personalities (appear in the video)

• Caddicarus (narrator/host)
• Stephen (chef) (PS1 magazine “competition/entry” style persona shown)
• Tony Youssef (mentioned via a contrasting character)
• Hideo Kojima (briefly mentioned as becoming “boss” for an issue)
• People named via magazine features/letters:
  • Ben (featured for playing Killzone early)
  • Melissa (letter about a Crash Bandicoot movie cast)
  • Wendy (letter name)
  • plus other examples surfaced from letters and contributors