Singularity, the 2010 first-person shooter from developer Raven Software, hit consoles at a bit of an awkward time. Coming a couple years after BioShock had rocked the gaming industry and become firmly established as a bar against which all atmospheric FPS games would be judged, many wrote Singularity off as a copycat. However, to this day there remains a sizable number of Singularity defenders who adore the time warping mechanics and dark, twisting storyline that embraces a murkier morality. Could Singularity be one of the best games period?

Outro music: Mother 'If You Believe' by Jeff Ball, mklachu, Pearl Pixel, and ZackParrish (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03258)

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

This week the wild bunch reunites to dive into the wild, wild west for a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of Rockstar Games' 2010 high noon classic Red Dead Redemption. The searchers make some surprising discoveries about whether the open range western should be considered one of the best games period or remain unforgiven.  

Outro music: Mega Man 2 'The Quick and the Blue' by The Megas (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR02090) - if you like it, check out the band's online store (http://www.themegas.com/store.html)

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

We had our first official guest on the show this week, UI designer and FarCry superfan/Pagan Min lookalike Erik Scott! Erik nominated Resident Evil 4 for its importance, for good and bad, to the survival horror genre. Join us (minus Daniel, who was out sick) as we discuss Leon Kennedy's one-liners, fish suitcases, and the rise of Quick Time Events. 

It should be noted that we encountered a number of technical difficulties while recording the show, so if you notice any odd sound changes or abrupt transitions, that's due to there being multiple recording sessions stitched together. 

Outro music: Super Street Fighter II Turbo 'Sexy Trunks' by Neostorm (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01036) 

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

You can find the talented Erik Scott on Twitter as well: @MadAdam_

For our fifteenth episode, we thought we would do something a little different and tackle two incredible games. Made several years apart by completely different teams while using the same, iconic gameplay mechanic, which is the better masterpiece: Portal or Portal 2? We devote our first versus episode to this argument for the ages.

Outro music: Portal 'Still Alive (Featuring Sara Quin)' by Jonathan Coulton and Sara Quin (http://www.jonathancoulton.com/store/downloads/) 

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

I had the pleasure recently of sitting down with documentary filmmakers David Osit and Malika Zouhali-Worrall to talk about Thank You for Playing, a film about the Green family and their struggle to make a game (That Dragon, Cancer) about their terminally ill son, Joel, while also caring for him as his condition worsens. It's a powerful, moving piece of film making. Right now Osit and Zouhali-Worrall are in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign to fund national distribution of their film. You can check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1372561818/bring-thank-you-for-playing-to-theaters-screens-wo?ref=project_tweet

Outro music: Super Mario Bros. 'Me and Mario down by the Schoolyard' by FFmusic Dj and Geoffrey Taucer (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03100)

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

Jack's in the wind for episode 14 due to illness. Boasting some of the most robust game creation tools for its time, LittleBigPlanet tapped into user created content to generate millions of levels. Is that enough to make it one of the best games period? Episode 14 is a bit of a strange beast - about halfway through the episode it takes a turn toward general game conversation. All in all, it's a pretty fun listen!

Outro music: Illusion City 'Enter the Illusion' by Jorito and Metal Man (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03226)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
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There was very little debate about whether we would talk about Super Mario Bros. 3 on this podcast. Did you know that Super Mario Bros. 3 inadvertently created Id Software, the creators of Doom? What exactly makes the legendary platformer so legendary? The three hosts go over this and a whole lot more while discussing whether or not it is one of the best games period.

Outro music: Super Mario Bros. 3 'Battle Rocks' by AmIEviL (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00970)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
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Jack returns in time to discuss GoldenEye 007 for the N64. Time has not been kind to gaming's early adventures with 3D and FPS games on consoles have aged especially poorly. Does a game have to be aesthetically pleasing and also appeal to modern gaming sensibilities to be considered one of the all-time greats? Strap in and get ready for some quality Bond-ing time.

Outro music: Double Dragon 'Bimmy Whatchu Got' by Shnabulba (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03285)

You can follow the show on Twitter: @BestGamesPeriod
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Despite losing Jack to a case of crippling mouth pain, Jeremy and Daniel soldier on through episode eleven to talk about Insomniac Games' finale to the Resistance trilogy. Though it released to mixed reviews and some heated opinions regarding its box art, Resistance 3 has managed to stand out in the minds of a significant number of its players in the years since. With Insomniac returning to Ratchet and Clank soon, maybe their PlayStation 3 title deserves a second look. Does the divisive ending to their gritty alternate history shooter have what it takes to be one of the best games period?  

Outro music: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 'La Gran Fuente de Salsa' by MrKyle (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03296)

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

For our tenth episode we cover the twelfth main entry in the Final Fantasy series. Though initially releasing to some of the best reviews of any Final Fantasy title, time has solidified XII's status as the black sheep of the series. Does its groundbreaking visuals, real-time battle system, and risky shake up of the Final Fantasy formula earn it a place as one of the best games period?

Outro music: Final Fantasy XII 'The Winds of Inishmore' by Avaris (http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01719)

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