20th

May 2021

The Little Engine That Could: Why Unreal Was More Legacy Than Gameplay

Enter Unreal (1998) as we explore its alien world, epic visuals, and the first Unreal Engine—the tech breakthrough that reshaped PC gaming for decades.

13th

May 2021

Mushroom Kingdom Hearts: The Nintendo–Square Collaboration Behind Super Mario RPG

Team up in Super Mario RPG (1996) as we explore Square and Nintendo’s unlikely collaboration, quirky characters, and the RPG experiment that sparked Mario’s spinoff legacy.

6th

May 2021

Before Redemption Came Revenge: The History of Red Dead Revolver

Ride out with Red Dead Revolver (2004) as we trace its Capcom origins, Angel Studios’ journey to Rockstar, and the spaghetti western roots of a legendary series.

29th

April 2021

Mama Said Knock You Out: How Super Smash Bros. Took Nintendo’s Icons into the Arena

Brawl with Super Smash Bros. (1999) as we trace Sakurai’s secret prototype, HAL’s accessible design, and how Nintendo’s crossover fighter grew into an esports phenomenon.

22nd

April 2021

It’s Mario! But In The Palm Of Your Hand!: How Super Mario Land Made Mario Portable

Shrink down with Super Mario Land (1989) as we explore its quirky R&D1 design, Daisy’s debut, and how this handheld oddity launched new Mario legacies.

15th

April 2021

The Bi-Polar Shoot Em up: Black, White, and Brutal: The Legacy of Ikaruga

Switch polarities in Ikaruga (2001) as we explore Treasure’s ex-Konami roots, its bullet-absorbing twist on shmups, and the punishing elegance of this cult classic.

8th

April 2021

1st Place Podium Finish: Why Nürburgring 1 Was the Starting Line for a Genre

Take a lap with Nürburgring 1 (1976), Dr. Reiner Foerst’s pioneering first-person racer that set the stage for Atari’s Night Driver and the future of driving games.

1st

April 2021

This Means War! In Space!: The PDP-1, Hacker Culture, and the Making of Spacewar!

Fire thrusters in Spacewar! (1962) as we trace its MIT origins, PDP-1 hardware hacks, and how it sparked hacker culture, multiplayer competition, and decades of influence.

25th

March 2021

The Pandemic We Should All Be Afraid Of: How Resident Evil Defined Survival Horror

Enter the mansion with Resident Evil (1996) as we trace its Sweet Home roots, fixed-camera scares, infamous localization, and the survival horror blueprint it created.

18th

March 2021

A Descent Into The Depths: The VR Legacy of Descent

Spin through claustrophobic mines in Descent (1995) as we explore its 6DOF gameplay, VR hardware support, and how it connected to the broader history of virtual reality.

11th

March 2021

Focus On The Journey, Not the Destination: Companionship, Minimalism, and the Emotional Power of Journey

Climb the shining mountain with Journey (2012) as we explore its troubled development, silent multiplayer, mythic symbolism, and how it moved players without words.

4th

March 2021

You Killed My Father. Prepare To Die.: The Cinematic Legacy of Ninja Gaiden

Slice into Ninja Gaiden (1989) as we explore its cinematic cutscenes, brutal difficulty, and how Tecmo rode the ninja craze to create an NES legend.

25th

February 2021

Silent But Deadly: Fog, Cults, and the Psychological Terror of Silent Hill

Step into the fog with Silent Hill (1999) as we uncover Team Silent’s misfit origins, its use of fear and atmosphere, and how it redefined horror beyond jump scares.

18th

February 2021

Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A: How the Konami Code Opened the Door to a Culture of Cheats

Lock and load with Contra (1987) as we break down its co-op chaos, infamous difficulty, and how the Konami Code turned it into gaming’s ultimate cheat legend.

11th

February 2021

Destroying Friendships Since 1998: How Mario Party Redefined Party Games

Roll the dice with Mario Party (1998) as we explore its minigame mayhem, blister-inducing controversies, and how it sparked decades of party game chaos.

4th

February 2021

Is This the Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?: Architecture, Psychology, and the Making of The Sims

Play house with The Sims (2000), Will Wright’s groundbreaking life sim. We cover its quirky design, cultural impact, critic reception, and our favorite Simlish-filled memories.

28th

January 2021

You Can't Take Our Women: Chewing Bubble Gum, Kicking Ass, and the Rise of Duke Nukem

Blow it out your… speakers with Duke Nukem 3D (1996) as we dig into its interactivity, crude humor, controversies, and the chaotic legacy of gaming’s brashest antihero.

21st

January 2021

Beat Em Up! Beat Em Up!: The Legacy of River City Ransom

Brawl through River City Ransom (1990) as we trace its Kunio-kun roots, quirky localization, RPG upgrades, and why this NES beat ’em up became a cult classic.

14th

January 2021

Sometimes the Devil You Know....: Satire, Style, and the Controversial Reimagining of DmC: Devil May Cry

Unpack the backlash to DmC: Devil May Cry (2013) as we revisit its reveal, Capcom’s Western gamble, Ninja Theory’s bold design, and why “emo Dante” still divides fans.

7th

January 2021

We're All Going to Hell in a Handbasket: The Devil in Diablo's Design

Descend into Diablo (1997) as we uncover its turn-based origins, Battle.net’s chaotic birth, and how Blizzard forged the ARPG template through loot and demons.

31st

December 2020

2020: Year In Review

Close out 2020 with our year-end reflection on how gaming brought comfort, connection, and distraction during a year when play became more vital than ever.

24th

December 2020

Our First Christmas Minisode: Claymation, Car Combat, and Parasites Under the Tree

Celebrate the season with our 2020 minisode on Christmas in gaming, from Saints Row IV’s Santa CLAWZ to ClayFighter’s frosty fighters and Parasite Eve’s holiday horror.

17th

December 2020

Bow Down To Your Robot Masters: Rock, Roll, and the Robot Masters of Mega Man

Power up with Mega Man (1987) as we trace Inafune’s design choices, infamous box art, and the punishing NES debut that launched Capcom’s Blue Bomber.

10th

December 2020

We’re All Doomed: How Doom Brought Hell to Earth and Changed Gaming Forever

Blast into Doom (1993) as we cover its shareware chaos, WAD modding, and deathmatch legacy—while debating its controversies and why it defined the FPS era.

3rd

December 2020

Rated (E) for Eating: The Inclusive Design and Universal Appeal of Pac-Man

Chomp into Pac-Man (1980) as we peel back creation myths, ghost personalities, and the arcade explosion that made gaming’s first mascot a cultural icon.

26th

November 2020

A Tale As Old As Time: Ocarina of Time and the Birth of 3D Adventure

Step into 3D with Ocarina of Time (1998) as we explore Z-targeting, the Water Temple, timeline splits, and why this Zelda masterpiece still divides players.

19th

November 2020

The G-Man Hits the Spot: How Half-Life 2 Redefined Storytelling in Shooters

Break down Half-Life 2 (2004) with us, from the Gravity Gun and inventive level design to Steam’s rocky debut and why this FPS still looms so large.

12th

November 2020

The Age of the Dragonborn: The Meme, the Mods, and the Millions Who Still Play Skyrim

Forge your own path in Skyrim (2011) as we revisit its 11-11-11 launch, iconic moments, memes, and the thriving modding community that keeps it alive today.

5th

November 2020

Casting Votes, Pushing Buttons: The History of Democracy (in Video Games)

Explore how politics meets play in our 2020 episode, from early board games to Democracy and The Political Machine, tracing elections, education, and entertainment in gaming.

29th

October 2020

The Not-So Medal of Honor

Sneak behind enemy lines with Medal of Honor (1999) as we trace Spielberg’s influence, its GoldenEye comparisons, and how DreamWorks’ PlayStation debut reshaped WWII shooters.

22nd

October 2020

What A Co-Operative World

Rob and Dave revisit Borderlands (2009), exploring its development changes, accessibility, and pop culture nods on Pandora.

15th

October 2020

She Works Hard For The Money

Rob and Dave revisit RollerCoaster Tycoon (1999), exploring its origins, cereal box nostalgia, the joy of work-like gameplay, and the infamous Mr. Bones Wild Ride.

8th

October 2020

Praise the Sun! And Other Life Lessons.

Dave, Rob, and guest Damon Robson explore Dark Souls (2011), diving into its lore, multiplayer highs and lows, life lessons, and the love-or-hate debate surrounding this critically acclaimed classic.

1st

October 2020

Operation Just Cause is Real?!?

Dave and Rob explore Just Cause (2006), its surprising ties to Operation Just Cause, and how video games portray revolution differently from books and film. A mix of history, politics, and play.

24th

September 2020

Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate

Dave and Rob revisit 1991’s Sid Meier’s Civilization, exploring the birth of the 4X genre, its addictive gameplay, and why time feels like it slips away when conquering the world.

17th

September 2020

Just Another Mortal Monday

Dave and Rob revisit 1993’s Mortal Kombat console release, debating SNES vs Genesis, Mortal Monday, censorship, and how it sparked the ESRB. A fiery trip through controversy, console wars, and gaming history.

10th

September 2020

Never Walk Away

Final Fantasy VII and No Memory Card Horrors. Battlefield 1942 As An Educational Tool. Burnout 3: Takedown As the Perfect Way to Vent Aggression.

3rd

September 2020

Random Acts of Kindness

Super Mario Kart and Random Acts of Kindness. Illusion of Gaia and Gaming as an Art Medium. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons our Emotional Investment in Games.