This week we play a cruel trick: Doom (1993) or Doom (2016) which game should be inducted into the canon of The Best Games Period? Doom has changed the face of gaming arguably moreso than any other shooter in video game history, but does the original hold up in the face of its modern refinement? Which one wins out in this winner-take-all debate to the death!? This battle for the ages is argued by Daniel Jones and special guest Joseph Lopes

You can follow Joe on Twitter @pixelsnthoughts asfa 

Outro music: Doom 'Army Worthy of Phobos' by HeavenWraith (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03433)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Red Faction released in 2001 for the PlayStation 2, PC, and N-Gage. In this Honorable Mention, Daniel mostly discusses the widely acclaimed PS2 version of the title, which strove to make a name for itself in the shooting genre by implementing environmental manipulation. 

Outro music: Phantasy Star II 'The Demon Star' by Sir_NutS and Stephen Kelly (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03625)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

The Dreamcast was home to some of the strangest games of the early 2000s. In 2001, Crazy Games released Illbleed, a title that truly helped the studio lived up to its name. Illbleed follows a young girl named Eriko Christy who, having been traumatized by her father growing up, no longer feels fear. Eriko's condition comes in handy when she must travel to an insane horror theme park riddled with devious traps to rescue her missing friends. Illbleed may have failed to find a significant following its release to lukewarm reviews, but it has slowly gained a cult following over the years that admires its off-kilter scenarios, hilarious, B-movie writing, and strange mechanics. 

Can a game that seems laughably bad be so good that it could be considered one of the best games period?

This week we are joined by Matt Conn, founder of GaymerX and MidBoss, and John "JJSignal" James, the director of 2064: Read Only Memories, both of whom jointly nominated Illbleed. 

Outro music: Chip's Challenge 'Da Funk You Know 'Bout Chip?' by That Andy Guy (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03620)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Back in 1995 Nintendo decided that it wanted to expand Mario into the realm of RPGs. Who better to work with than the premier RPG developer of the time, Square? The two companies pooled their knowledge and the project was developed mostly by Square with oversight of Shigeru Miyamoto himself... however, 1996's Super Mario RPG isn't really a game that Nintendo would ever consider releasing today. The content ranges from laugh-out-loud slapstick and wordplay to some surprising moments of innuendo - all within the universe of Mario.

Does this singular, niche RPG deserve to be called one of the best games period? 

Chevy Ray Johnston, the developer of the upcoming indie RPG Ikenfell, joins us to help answer that question! You can find Chevy on Twitter, @ChevyRay, and learn more about Ikenfell on its website: Ikenfell.com

Outro music: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars 'Honky Town' by Wiesty and XPERTNovice (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03535)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Thatgamecompany had a deal with Sony in the late 2000s. The Studio, founded by Jenova Chen and Kellee Santiago, would make three games for the PlayStation 3's fledgling PSN service. The deal began with a remake of Chen's Flash title Flow which was then followed by Flower. The final part of Thatgamecompany's Sony trilogy was known as Journey and stands as perhaps the most well known art-house game on the planet. The title garnered a staggering number of awards for its visuals, unique, emotional gameplay, and player interaction, even earning the coveted game of the year spot from numerous publications. Austin Wintory's soundtrack catapulted the game into the mainstream consciousness as the only video game soundtrack ever to be nominated for a Grammy. 

Though it released five years ago and the game industry has covered a lot of ground since 2012, we now look back and ask: Is Journey one of the best games period?

Outro: Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal 'Journey's End' by pu_freak (http://missingno.ocremix.org/music.html)

And while you're listening to our closing track this week, why not head over to check out Austin Wintory's discography? We promise you won't be disappointed!

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

From humble beginnings as a Flash game back in 2008, Super Meat Boy sprang forth from the minds of Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes after a brutal development process that placed everything on the line for the duo of Team Meat. The plucky platformer stole the hearts, minds, and wallets of gamers when it helped to ease mainstream gamers into the indie scene back in 2010. 

Can its pinpoint platforming and blistering difficulty propel it to the pinnacle of gaming? Is Super Meat Boy one of the best games period?

Outro: Super Meat Boy 'Spoiled R0TT3N' by Ben Briggs (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02158)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Many thought that the Call of Juarez series had run its course following the disastrous release of Call of Juarez: The Cartel. The backlash it received from its critics and audience seemed like it was the death knell for the western series. Then a little downloadable game released in 2013 as a final send off to the series called Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. 

Gunslinger taps into the schlocky fun of Borderlands, the blistering action of a light-gun arcade shooter, some narrative mechanics from Bastion, and the story of a pulp western. It balances all of these elements astonishingly well, with a handful of flaws. 

Outro music: Dark Souls III 'All for One' by RoeTaKa (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03598)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

InFAMOUS, the 2009 super-powered open-world action title, made huge waves when it released as a PlayStation 3 exclusive. The game came courtesy of Sucker Punch, the creators of Sly Cooper. It follows the adventures of Cole McGrath as he either cleans up the streets of Empire City or terrorizes its citizens. McGrath seems to be responsible for a massive blast in the center of the city, which starts him on a journey to clear his name and uncover the truth of what happened. 

Does inFAMOUS deserve to be held up as one of the best games period?

Outro music: Katamari Forever 'Tales from Arctic Katamari Roundabouts, and You and I, in Cherry Blossom Season' by Star Salzman (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03586)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time released in 2003, and it presented a new standard that action-adventure games still strive to achieve to this day. The titular prince and Farah, his sometimes-ally, have a relationship dynamic that felt lively and real, few games prior to 2003 had achieved such a portrayal. The influence of The Sands of Time can be felt in titles like Braid, The Last of Us, and BioShock Infinite.

With a legacy that stretches back almost 15 years, is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time one of the best games period?

Outro music: The Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance 'Central Park (Metal Mix)' by Commando 64 (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02273)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod

After Bungie concluded their work on Halo: Reach, they turned their eyes toward a game that a small segment of the company had been fleshing out for years. That game would eventually become Destiny after overcoming numerous development challenges. Destiny's devs had to contend with a malicious engine that required obscene amounts of time to load changes, stratospheric expectations, a rough split with its long-time composer, and the decision to scrap the entire story with less than a year left of development time. The stakes were high. But when Destiny released to the public, Bungie thought they had a winner on their hands - Destiny was, after all, the most pre-ordered game in history! Unfortunately, the critical reception was mixed. 

Looking at Destiny several years after its launch and subsequent revisions - is it one of the best games period?

Jason Pfitzer from Northern Heart Games joins us this week to discuss! You can follow him on Twitter: @JasonPfitzer and check out his upcoming game called Pinbrawl, a competitive, four-player pinball melee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlIkn9y4Ucw

Outro music: Destiny 'Hope Rising' by Jillian Aversa and zircon (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03002)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Support us on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/bestgamesperiod