The wonderful Emily Reese, from the lovely Level with Emily Reese podcast, joins the show this week to discuss the only Grand Theft Auto title that captures the spirit of the 1980s complete with neon lights, drugs, and crazy fashion. Equal parts homage and satirical jab, Vice City spurred a flurry of lawsuits, accusations of inciting genocide, and might be the best Grand Theft Auto game to date. 

Outro music: Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers 'An Enjoyable Face Remodeling' by shaboogen (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03387)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod

Or download the podcast from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thebestgamesperiod

You can find Emily Reese on Twitter: @LevelwithEmily

Or on her podcast Level with Emily Reese: http://lwer.podbean.com/

FUS RO DAH! This week Jack, Jeremy, and Daniel tackle Bethesda's sprawling open-world RPG, Skyrim. The 2011 title released in an incredibly buggy state, but became one of the first major cases of post-release patching. Critics heaped acclaim onto Skyrim, praising the Norse designs, revamped gameplay mechanics, and the vast world. It also helped to popularize the Steam Workshop. Does Skyrim hold up after several years later with a revamped release coming in a handful of months?

Outro music: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim 'Whiterun' by mellogear (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02636)

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

2005's God of War set a new standard for the action-adventure genre over the next several years. The PS2 classic rolled in game of the year accolades and catapulted Sony's Santa Monica Studio into the limelight as one of their most important internal studios. With a new God of War on the horizon, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit the original Greek tragedy to see if it really was one of the best games period. 

Outro music: Pokémon Blue Version 'Conundrum' by DjjD and Source X (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02729)

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

When BioShock launched in 2007 for Xbox 360 and PC, it transported players to a world lost to time and some not-so-subtle Randian-inspired madness. Players navigated a city embroiled in self-obsessed insanity brimming with otherworldly powers and twisted human forms. One part horror, one part action, BioShock was one of the first hugely popular mainstream titles that people could point to and say, "This game? It's not only about mature action; it's about mature ideas, too!" Nine years later with a remaster on the horizon, is BioShock one of the best games period?

Outro music: Super Smash Bros. Melee 'Hank Jankerson's Wild Ride' by LongBoxofChocolate (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03376)

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

Amidst the blockbuster games of 2013 like BioShock Infinite and The Last of Us, a little game from an indie studio almost single-handedly established a genre. The Fullbright Company's Gone Home was met with critical acclaim, commercial success, and spawned fairly divisive opinions in the general audience. We actually discussed Gone Home when it came out and revisiting it proved to be an enlightening experience. Join us as we decide whether Gone Home is one of the best games period!

Outro music: Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure 'Another Sky' by Rexy (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03379)

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

With schedules being what they are, sometimes coordinating a full episode of The Best Games Period can be difficult. When we can't have a proper discussion, we will be breaking off to do these short mini-casts to talk about fringe games that we might not otherwise be able to talk about on a full episode.

This week Daniel helms an episode of Honorable Mention with an impassioned plea for people to appreciate the N64 cult classic Turok: Dinosaur Hunter. Innovating the FPS on consoles, embracing the limitations of the hardware, and diving head first into the silliness of its central concept, the original Turok could have been the springboard for a larger franchise. While that dream of dinosaur slaying was never realized in subsequent installments, the Dinosaur Hunter's first steps were magical for Daniel Jones.

Outro music: Turok 2: Seeds of Evil 'Port of Adia Drum Mix' by Darren Mitchell (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00157)

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

This is a singular episode of The Best Games Period where Jeremy and Daniel talk about the various reveals shown at the E3 press conferences and what each of the major developers and publishers are bringing to the biggest gaming show of the year. Also they touch on issues related to VR that appeared on the show floor, Father's Day, and generally digest all the E3 news with some friendly banter.

Outro music: Super Mario 64 'Ripples of Hope' by Chimpazilla and Emunator (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03366)

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

The gang returns this week to talk Grim Fandango, the adventure game that launched Double Fine. The 1990s adventure classic may have once reigned supreme, but it was also one of the last adventure titles from the now defunct LucasArts. With the recent re-release of the Tim Schafer classic about a skeleton with a heart of gold, we decided to play it and see if we thought it really was one of the best games period.

Outro music: Grim Fandango 'The Enlightened Alaskan' by Mazedude (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01690)

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

With schedules being what they are, sometimes coordinating a full episode of The Best Games Period can be difficult. When we can't have a proper discussion, we will be breaking off to do these short mini-casts to talk about fringe games that we might not otherwise be able to talk about on a full episode.

This week, Jack goes solo and talks briefly about OverBlood, an early PS1 survival horror title that isn't even remotely close to being one of the best games period. However, it slips up so spectacularly and has aged so poorly that it comes back around to being worth playing and marveling over.

Outro music: Mass Effect 3 'Saving Earth' by Kaiyoti (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03350)

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

The second most sold game of all time, Wii Sports dominated gaming culture and beyond when it released on the Wii back in 2006. Bundled with the Wii and sold on the promise of bringing gamers and non-gamers together, Wii Sports made waves for being the harbinger of a new wave of motion controlled games that would change the landscape of gaming forever. While the promise of what the Wii could deliver ultimately fell shorter than what many had hoped, Wii Sports remains as a fond memory for many. Is it one of the best games period?

We ran into some technical difficulties with Daniel's audio this week. Apologies if the somewhat garbled sound detracts from what is otherwise a very fun episode!

Outro music: Bayonetta 'Lady in Black' by Dj Mystix (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02527)

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