16-Bit Gladiators

A good game can often become great thanks to the colorful characters that play along with (or against) us. Guest host Luke Hawkins joins us to rank some of our favorite sidekicks and non-playable characters in gaming.

The newest Metroid game is finally upon us, so Jay swings by to give us his initial impressions of the first half of the game. Does it top Super Metroid, or fall closer to Other M? Minor spoilers ahead, but nothing you haven't seen in the trailers.

It's been 35 years since the original, and almost 5 years since the last entry in this OG Nintendo series. And with a new 2D sequel just days away, we're taking a look back at all of the games featuring our favorite intergalactic bounty hunter.

What dresses in all black, is a master at stealth, carries throwing stars, and is extremely lethal? And also lives in the sewers and eats pizza? And also is Batman (maybe)? The answer is the topic of this week's show, as we explore some of our favorite games starring ninjas.

From organizing falling blocks, to solving intricate Rube Goldberg machines, this week we're talking all about games that tickle your brain and make you feel smarter (or, in some cases, very very dumb).

The Nintendo Switch and Valve's forthcoming Steam Deck are the culmination of decades of evolution in portable video game systems. This week we honor the handhelds that paved the way, from the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear, to the venerable Nintendo Game Boy and all of its successors.

We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nintendo's 16-bit juggernaut, and taking a look back at the hardware, they hype, and of course, the games.

Whether you're slapping a plastic bass in Guitar Hero, or stomping on a grid of colored arrows in Dance Dance Revolution, there's no denying the appeal and popularity of music based rhythm games.

Inspired by the recent 2020 Olympics, this week we're tackling the topic of sports games. Special guest Tes Akinpelu tags in, and the crew gives our mini-reviews of The Suicide Squad, Marvel's What if...?, and the trailer for Star Wars: Visions.

What happens when you take the side-scrolling, map-dwelling action of Metroid, and mix it with the RPG elements of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Well, you get a genre of video games that continues to iterate some 30 years after the originals.