Starting with the shocking announcement from the Theory Legend himself, MatPat from Game Theory has started his countdown to his last video on YouTube. He has hundreds of videos posted between his five channels, but some will go down in YouTube gaming history.
MatPat started everything with Game Theory back in 2011 and has shaped the online gaming community since. So far, the Game Theory channel has over 600 videos, and there is still more to come with its new host. With the massive change of handing the baton over to a new host comes the need to walk down memory lane to live through some of MatPat’s best videos he’s left us with. These will range from his best theories to some of the most memorable videos that fans would not let go of.
Related: Game Theory’s MatPat Announces Unexpected Retirement From All Channels
10. Is Chrono Trigger’s Time Travel Accurate? & Dear MatPat, I Fixed Your Theory
Why not start the nostalgic trip with the very first video MatPat has released, paired with the recent redo of the video? ‘Is Chrono Trigger’s Time Travel Accurate?’ is undoubtedly not the polished videos we are all used to, but it certainly is fun to see where MatPat started after twelve years of making videos. Bonus is the remake video, Dear MatPat, I Fixed Your Theory, where the entire theory gets a modern-day makeover. The original video is so old that it still has the old YouTube and computer screen dimensions, which immediately made me start laughing. It is quite the time capsule that’s hilarious to look back on. The theory itself is solid and made better in the remake.
9. Is Link Dead in Majora’s Mask
‘Is Link Dead in Majora’s Mask?’ is one of MatPat’s classic videos and is often attributed to being many fans’ first video of his. While the theory isn’t a new revelation about Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, it is a fan favorite theory that many believe to be one of the most cannon explanations for the game. It talks about grief and its five stages that everyone goes through. In this theory, Link has died after the events of Ocarina of Time and must come to terms with his own death. It’s a solid theory, and while the video is ten years old, it is much more polished than his very first video. It is also one of the few videos where he has teamed up with another YouTuber to explain the theory, which gives it a unique twist.
8. Petscop Series
MatPat and his team are excellent when it comes to reading every single detail to get to the bottom of a mystery, and that certainly holds true for the series of videos. ‘Petscop’ is a series of YouTube videos of a fake Let’s Play in which this person finds an old and horrifying video game. The theory in the first video is dark, and it has a viewer warning at the beginning for a reason. Every video in the series builds on the last, weaving an intricate overarching theory that is intriguing and well thought out. The series is an excellent example of the theorist team’s and MatPat’s skills.
7. What Level is Ash’s Pikachu
This is a great representation of MatPat’s dedication to the craft. After watching over 600 episodes and 13 Pokemon movies, the man tackles how strong Ash’s Pikachu really is. ‘What Level is Ash’s Pikachu?’ is one of the videos MatPat suggests people go back to in his goodbye video, so to honor that request, it has made the list. This video goes into the calculations of EXP and how they translate into the anime version of Pokemon, and as someone whose strong suit is certainly not math, I appreciate the easy-to-understand explanations of how everything was calculated. It’s an interesting video to watch and acts as a bonus nostalgic trip down Pokemon memory lane for the earlier seasons.
6. Why You Can’t Save Aerith With a Phoenix Down
‘Why You Can’t Save Aerith With a Phoenix Down’ is MatPat’s answer to the almost 30-year-old question, and it goes beyond the logistics of reviving a party member with a Phoenix Down. This theory came out just in time for the first part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy to be released, and now, with MatPat’s retirement announcement a month before the second part is released and we get closer to that trauma-inflicting event, it is time for this age-old question to be brought up again. This one digs deep into the lore of the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole, and it’s a fun one to watch. Bonus points on the older version of MatPat being used instead of the classic MatPat picture, but I am happy that he returned to using the classic one for the rest of his videos.
5. Why Mario is Mental
‘Why Mario is Mental’ is a two-part series that MatPat released ten years ago, and even now, I will never be able to look at the smiling plumber the same way ever again. This one is a deep dive into all the crimes Mario has committed over all the games he has been in, even some of the most obscure that have been hidden with time. It’s an excellent watch even after a decade, and it’s hilarious to hear MatPat get censored for cursing. This was definitely a time before MatPat became DadPat.
4. Five Nights at Frddy’s SCARIEST Monster is You!
We can’t have a top 10 list without putting the original FNAF theory on it. The video that really put MatPat on everyone’s radar and was the beginning of the series he is most famous for is ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s SCARIEST Monster is You!’ This video contains a theory that is still compelling and seems the most plausible for the original idea behind the first game. Of course, after ten years, the lore has turned into a giant behemoth, but it’s always nice to go back to the simpler times. Watching MatPat mock the game at the beginning is ironic, considering how much this game is going to take over his life for the next ten years.
3. Undertale – San’s SECRET Identity!
‘Undertale – San’s Secret Identity’ is a theory that will go down in infamy and a video that no one will let MatPat forget. This video is one of his biggest controversial videos because, at the time of its release, many of the Undertale fandom were not impressed, to say the least. However, when looking at the comment section now, everyone is quite fond of the video. MatPat, in his cameo in the FNAF movie, was given the name Ness on his nametag at the request of Scot Cawthon because of this theory. MatPat is Ness is Sans confirmed.
3. The ULTIMATE FNAF Timeline
After almost a decade of covering the series, MatPat and the Theorist Team released the final FNAF timeline. It is a work of art that spans over three videos. He, along with the Theorist Team, connected all the dots to put together the very complicated story behind the successful indie gone mainstream franchise. While we could put the entire video series of FNAF as one entry on this list, the two specifically mentioned are the best to rewatch, and there are over 60 videos in the FNAF theory series.
1. Link is NOT Who You Think He Is . . .
This is my favorite theory MatPat has released, and it continues to give me goosebumps no matter how many times I’ve seen it. ‘Link is NOT Who You Think He Is’ explains the origins of Wind Waker Link and how he is the hint to the answer of defeating Gannon for good. MatPat gives an amazing way for Nintendo to retire Gannon as a villain for good, and if they don’t end the series this way, then they missed the biggest opportunity. I say every Legend of Zelda fan should watch this.
