This week on The Free Cheese, pretend it's season 9.

We take a break from the weekly ranking of video games to reflect on the first quarter of the year. We discuss the games we've played for fun that we haven't talked about on the show, some of the news stories that have made an impact in 2026 so far, and then we reflect on the games we've added to The List.

This week on The Free Cheese, there's no movie?

Just in time for the delayed release of the latest 007 video game, we wander back to the early 2000s to explore Agent Under Fire. We discuss the various mission types, how gadgets play into gameplay, and what makes a good James Bond video game. Then, we rank this entry on The List.

This week on The Free Cheese, I'm gonna make these cigarettes disappear.

We take control of Sam and find out what happens when Shinji Mikami directs PlatinumGames' Bayonetta reimagined with some Gears of War. If that sounds like a lot of things happening at once, you haven't played Vanquish.

This week on The Free Cheese, it's kind of like F-Zero but not in zero gravity.

We're traveling back to a peculiar video game entry in the F1 series of video games, where its main developer Codemasters merged the world of F1 with kart racing. Just in time for the start of the season, we take a tour around the world of F1 Race Stars and then rank it on The List.

This week on The Free Cheese, I'm only here for the bumper sticker.

Just ahead of the launch of a long-awaited successor, we check out Bungie's Marathon from 1994 for an introduction to the series and what would inspire not only the upcoming extraction shooter, but what led to the world of Halo. We discuss our time with the game and reflect on other first-person shooters on The List.

This week on The Free Cheese, how high can you get?

A true PlayStation classic joins The List this week as we discover Jumping Flash for our 650th episode. We discuss its release contextually against its contemporaries, share our time spent with the game, and talk about how it embodies the spirit of PlayStation.

This week on The Free Cheese, if you build it, will they come?

How does the simulation genre stack up when things go vertical? Can we succeed in building and managing a resort in Hawaii or a business complex in Tokyo? Find out as Yoot Tower joins The List in this episode.

This week on The Free Cheese, we came out and played.

What happens when a developer with newfound fame and respect gets to make a prequel to one of its favorite movies from 25 years earlier? We find out when we add another Rockstar game to The List and see what The Warriors was bringing to PlayStation 2 in the midst of Grand Theft Auto's rise.

This week on The Free Cheese, just like mama taught you.

We wield the stylus to guide us through every recipe we can as we explore a Nintendo DS staple, Cooking Mama. Is this the perfect DS companion or just another bargain bin select? Grab your apron and find out!

This week on The Free Cheese, na na na na na na na.

We're rolling everything up this week as Katamari Damacy joins The List. We discuss our favorite stages, how a video game can maintain engagement with a simple mechanic, and the importance of a great control scheme.