The Free Cheese

This week on The Free Cheese, we charge by the bomb. We took a trip to a local arcade and share the experience of the modern arcade. We reflect on the arcades of yore and the games that used to draw us to them. Finally, we look ahead at what is to come of arcades and what we hope the future holds.

This week on The Free Cheese, six more weeks of Syphon Filter. The final entry in the Syphon Filter series becomes the first to join The List. We recap our understanding of the series' plot, highlight some of the differences introduced in this game, and discuss how it fares against the PSP library at its time of release.

This week on The Free Cheese, we can't leave without our buddy Superfly. After reviewing and ranking Quake and Quake II over the last two seasons of the podcast, we follow it up John Romero's Daikatana. Wielding the titular weapon (as briefly as possible), we travel through time and fight the power before it ends us all.

This week on The Free Cheese, no fair, she drew more guns than me. We return to the launch of the PSP to check out how Konami diverted the Metal Gear Solid games and created something more suited for portability. Metal Gear Acid joins The List this week once we get over the fact that we move by cards, shoot by cards, and do everything else by cards.

This week on The Free Cheese, we have obtained the metatron ore. It's time we take on the role of Leo Stenbuck and climb into Jehuty. If that makes any sense to you, you already know how much fun we had this week. If not, come learn about Zone of the Enders with us. We discuss our time with the first game in the series, how it's connected to other Konami properties, and rank it on The List .

This week on The Free Cheese, I'm yours forever. We're revisiting our Game of the Game of the Year , only this time we're together. Our fourth and final Wii Sports Killer for Season 12 enters the conversation as we discuss the new additions to Tetris Effect Connected, breakdown its individual modes, and reminisce on other games that made us feel something.

This week on The Free Cheese, the road is rainbow. We play Super Mario Kart in this episode and discuss how it started not only the kart racing genre but also opened the world up to crossovers. We compare the first entry to our favorites and talk about where it sits in the history of SNES games.

This week on The Free Cheese, is he on fire? Our first baseball game makes The List with MLB Slugfest 20-04. Just in time for the start of the season, we check out how the alternative to modern simulation baseball games holds up.

This week on The Free Cheese, you can't hack this boss. We finally check in with a game we've talked about for years to see how Starbreeze's Syndicate reimagines the classic strategy game. Can Brian Cox and Rosario Dawson save the story? Does Detective Vision™ enhance every game? Let's find out and rank Syndicate on The List!

This week on The Free Cheese, did you think that the book was better? We point and click our way through Harlan Ellison's I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, exploring each of the game's characters and stumbling our way into different endings. We discuss the central themes in the game, some of the surprises we found, and explore how the game feels to play for the first time in 2024.

This week on The Free Cheese, you have to get more of them. Our two panel members play through Pokémon Gold Version and Pokémon Silver Version. We visit Johto in this episode and discuss our third of four Wii Sports Killers. While only the second in the core series, the pair of games were originally intended to be the final games in the series and brought a significant number of additions to the g...

This week on The Free Cheese, time is a key to creation and a vessel for destruction! What happens when Atlus translates its Megami Tensei series into something to compete with other monster collecting RPGs on Game Boy Advance? The DemiKids are born! We take a look at the first and only DemiKids games to release in North America. We explore where they differ from other Megami Tensei games, how the...

This week on The Free Cheese, play some games, dork! We join the WarioWare corporation five seconds at a time, punching, mashing, picking, and jumping all the way to the top. In this episode, we break down the essence of what makes WarioWare so intriguing and easy to learn. We look at how the game is able to satisfy each element of playing a video game and see where it ranks against other Nintendo...

This week on The Free Cheese, everything is upside down. We revisit what we consider the title synonymous with Sony's original vision for the PlayStation Vita just in time for the platform's twelfth anniversary. While Gravity Rush would later receive a port to PlayStation 4 and a sequel on the platform, its beginnings on Vita are definitive. We discuss the game's unique gameplay, its influences, a...

This week on The Free Cheese, three sentences in three languages! Our second Wii Sports Killer™ is introduced this week in Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Nintendo Wii. We discuss its role as one of the Wii's best titles in the library, some of our favorite levels in the game, and how Yoshi adds to 3D Mario.

This week on The Free Cheese, who will rule the world? First, we do some homework. Then, we try to take over the globe. Civilization VI marks our first 4X entry on The List and gives us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes as we play. We share our tips for getting started in a Civilization game and stories about some of the victories and losses we endured.

This week on The Free Cheese, are your thighs sore? Nintendo continued its series of fitness video games with Ring Fit Adventure, creating a full role-playing game that happens to use your body as the controller. In this episode, we set goals for 2024 with Ring Fit Adventure, discuss the broad gameplay and scope of the game, and share the impact that the game has had on us so far.

This week on The Free Cheese, we are back in Greek mythology! Our first MSX game joins The List with Konami's Knightmare. We take control of the hero Popolon and battle through 8 stages, one line at a time. Knightmare transforms a traditional arcade shooter into an epic adventure but where does it lie within Konami's legacy?

This week on The Free Cheese, infinite spiders! We add our first game to The List for Season 12, another of Compile's catalogue. The Guardian Legend combines top-down shooting with top-down exploration. We discuss how the blend of genres works to create something new and where this game ultimately falls in the history of the NES' library.

This week on The Free Cheese, how do I become the demon? We begin our journey through Season 12 and toward potentially dethroning Wii Sports from its high perch above The List. Bungie's Halo: Combat Evolved takes the spotlight as our first of four games chosen to become the new number one. We cover the campaign, our favorite moments and weapons, and talk a bit about the sound and enemies within Ha...

This week on The Free Cheese, this ball is crystal clear We begin Season 12 with our annual predictions show. After reviewing last year's predictions and spending one final moment reflecting on 2023, we look forward to 2024 and cast our predictions for the year. We also introduce our first annual round of group questions. We highlight a bit of what to expect in Season 12 and then close out the epi...

This week on The Free Cheese, it's the end of Season 11 - Part Two. As we conclude Season 11 and bring 2023 to its end, we each share our favorite games from the year. We discuss the games we liked the most from the new additions made to The List and close out with a small tease of what to expect in Season 12.

This week on The Free Cheese, it's the end of Season 11 - Part One. In the first part of our two-episode finale, we'll be revisiting The List with new math and a brand new way to rank each game that you can try at home! We'll also discuss some of the trends in 2023 that we found ourselves noticing and aligning with.

This week on The Free Cheese, but it's got two screens. We're closing our three-part console ranking series with ten final additions to the list of consoles. At the beginning of this episode's recording, our ranked list of Consoles was: PlayStation 2 Nintendo 3DS PlayStation Xbox 360 Game Boy Advance Sega Dreamcast Xbox Super Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo Wii PlayStation Portable PlayStat...

This week on The Free Cheese, it's cold outside. Our final month of Season 11 begins with a walk through winter. We're talking about Christmas in video games, special holiday events, and games that just generally evoke a winter sensibility.