About GamesRadar

Sophia Tong: Editor in Chief

On the Radar: Sophia is a transplanted Canadian who decided several years ago that she was done with boring office jobs, and decided to go back to school and study journalism. She spent years writing for various websites, not knowing she could turn it into a career. Before GamesRadar, she worked at IGN for a few months and then spent more than three years working at GameSpot. Now she's ready to rule the internet with this kickass team. When she’s not busy playing random video games she likes to bake cupcakes, take embarrassing photos of her dog and take naps.

First Gaming Obsession: Beast (ASCII game on the PC)

Pro Tip: Mudding (multi-user dungeon) is dangerous. Don’t do it.

Follow Sophia on Twitter: @sophiatong

Tom Magrino: Managing Editor

On the Radar: Tom Magrino has covered the games industry since 2006. He's been compared to Steve Martin by Ozzy Osbourne and Daniel Craig by Tim Schafer. His voice, heard largely on GamesRadar’s RadioRadar podcast, recalls that of Kermit the Frog. It ain't easy bein' Magreen.

First Gaming Obsession: Legend of the Red Dragon (PC)

Pro Tip: Screen glare is best dealt with by scooting right up close to your monitor and then a draping a big, thick blanket over it and your head.

Follow Tom on Twitter: @TMag_GR

Hollander Cooper: Lead Features Editor

On the Radar: Hollander’s first memory involves dying to the goomba in the beginning of Super Mario Bros. and passing the controller to his father, who wanted to play so much that he intentionally withheld vital gameplay information (like how to jump). He’s been gaming nonstop ever since, and after working at a few different outlets and freelancing for PC Gamer and PlayStation the Official Magazine, he landed at GamesRadar.

First Gaming Obsession: Revenge of the Gator (Gameboy)

Pro Tip: Always play as a healer in MMOs, that way you’ll never have a problem finding a group! Also, if you ever get annoyed at someone, you can stop healing them. It’s like playing God.

Follow Hollander on Twitter:  @HollanderCooper

Henry Gilbert: Features Editor

On the Radar: Growing up under Florida’s hot sun, Henry found comfort indoors playing videogames while hiding out from fresh air. Following years of practice with the alphabet, he eventually learned how to put words in sentences, which inspired him to be a writer. He then came to California to strike it rich in the lucrative game journalism world. He currently lives in a studio apartment somewhat bigger than a prison cell.

First Gaming Obsession: Super Mario Bros (NES)

Pro Tip: Crouch on the white block near the end of World 1-3 in Mario 3 to get your first warp whistle.

Follow Henry on Twitter: @hEnereyG

Lorenzo Veloria: Associate Editor

On the Radar: After graduating with a BS in Business and becoming exposed to the cruel realities that he had to get a job, Lorenzo chased the corporate monster, landing jobs labeling stool samples, working in an internet start-up, and even manning the trenches of game testing. Now he’s taken refuge in GamesRadar’s cheats and guides pages learning the ropes of games journalism, and helping gamers in their struggle with achievement and trophy related strife.

First Gaming Obsession: Contra (NES)

Pro Tip: Ignore the scowl. Just bring a sandwich, a beverage brewed with hops, and Star Wars Trivial Pursuit and everything will be all right.

Follow Lorenzo on Twitter: @LVeloria

Lucas Sullivan: Associate Editor

On the Radar: When Lucas was 10, he got his first console for Christmas, the almighty Super Nintendo - and his parents worried that he would play until he passed out due to lack of sleep and/or food. This was but one chapter in Lucas' lifelong passion for all things gaming. Having grown up reading stacks upon stacks of gaming magazines, Lucas decided that he would combine his knack for writing and his love of videogames by going into journalism. After nabbing a BA in Journalism from Rutgers College and interning at PC Gamer, he joined the talented crew at GamesRadar to live out his lifelong dream.

First Gaming Obsession: Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES)

Pro Tip: Chain-spamming flatland tricks is the key to high scores in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4.

Follow Lucas on Twitter: @Ljrepresent

Ryan Taljonick: Associate Editor

On the Radar: Ryan’s parents always scolded him as a child for spending too much time indoors playing video games. “Go outside,” they’d chide, “and use your imagination.” Upon deciding that outdoor adventuring was for babies, Ryan instead used his imagination to build incredible amusement parks in Theme Park (much to the dismay of his father, who had hoped young Ryan would grow up to be a baseball star). He went on to study journalism at Central Michigan University, and has since worked as a staff editor for PlayStation: The Official Magazine, @Gamer Magazine, and now GamesRadar. Also, cartwheels are his preferred method of locomotion, which is problematic because he cannot pull one off successfully. 

First gaming obsession: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project

Pro Tip: Wanna make some easy money? Give your WoW account to a raiding friend, then steal it back months later and sell it on eBay. 

Follow Ryan on Twitter: @RyanTaljonick

Marcos Sanchez: Social Media Manager

On the Radar: Marcos is a huge competitive fighting game player that soon realized that spending an ungodly amount of hours honing his Street Fighter III: Third Strike skills would not provide a steady income, especially considering the high cost of living in the bay area. Since mastering his many unblockable set-ups, and corner traps, Marcos now finds himself at GamesRadar, ready to take on the community at any video game challenge! 

First Gaming Obsession: Street Fighter II (SNES/Arcade)

Pro Tip: Never, ever do wake-up Supers or Ultras. It never works. 

Follow Marcos on Twitter: @ness2d

Amber Fariss: Data Producer

On the Radar: After being a former video intern at GamePro for a semester, she decided to see what GamesRadar was all about as a video intern there as well.

First Gaming Obsession: Disney’s Aladdin (Sega Genesis)

Pro Tip: You can probably use food to bribe her instead of money.

Follow Amber on Twitter: @afariss2

Justin Towell: UK Associate Editor

On the Radar: Justin's been on the UK GamesRadar team since early 2006, back when all this was just fields. Before that, he worked for regional weekly newspaper The Somerset County Gazette, reviewing games whenever he could, even though he only ever got sent 2D fighting games from SNK. Oh, and Viewtiful Joe. That was a good day. He earned a degree in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth, but only recalls taking pictures of squirrels in the park and gambling Lovehearts and chocolate bars on the results of house tournaments on PES 2.

First Gaming Obsession: Treasure Island Dizzy (ZX Spectrum+)

Pro Tip: Run home behind a taxi and save a tenner.

Follow Justin on Twitter: @CatGoneCrazy

Darren Wells: AU Editor

On the Radar: He’s been playing games since he was knee-high to a joypad, and writing about them for almost as long. Darren Wells has worked across some of Australia’s biggest games titles, and currently sits in the big chair at Official Xbox Magazine Australia. From Pac-Man to Pikmin, he’s played them all, and comes to the GamesRadar team with a portion of his brain dedicated to useless games trivia (Mega Man is blue thanks to the limited NES colour palette) and a fondness for lolcats.

First Gaming Obsession: Moon Patrol (Apple IIe)

Pro Tip: When in doubt, button mash.

Follow Darren on Twitter: @DarrenWells

Christine Caruana: AU Editorial Assistant

On the Radar: Not entirely decided how she wanted to spend her life, Christine completed a course in Music Business when she finished high school. She tried her hand at promoting local gigs working with Rivetting Promotions and Beyond Repair Promotions. Deciding she enjoyed writing up the press releases more than putting on the gigs, she turned to the pen. Spending 3 years freelancing for Drum Media and Loud Online Magazine, she has now spread her wings and moved on to games journalism, joining the team at GamesRadar.

First Gaming Obsession:  Donkey Kong Country (SNES)

Pro Tip: Luigi is and always will be better than Mario. Like Luigi and you will go far in life.

Follow Christine on Twitter: @Christine_2310