Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson

Old Gamer’s Almanac

Leisure EN ↓ 216 episodes

Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson are doing the impossible. Each week, we add one game to our growing definitive ranking of all video games ever made. If the video game industry could just stop for a little bit while we catch up, that would be super helpful.

Author

Matt Martens and Hunter Donaldson

Category

Leisure

Latest episode

May 25, 2026

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Episodes

Yakuza Kiwami (2017) [w/ Jamie Carbone] 08.11.2022

Matt's out this week, so Hunter sat down with show favorite Jamie Carbone ( https://twitter.com/AJamieCarbone ) to discuss Yakuza Kiwami, Xbox Gamerscores, and I guess the McElroy brothers. Yakuza is sure to be a recurring series on this show, so come get to know all of the characters, side quests, and minigames with us! Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributing...

Silent Hill 2 (2001) [w/ Kimmy Martens] 31.10.2022

Happy Halloween! It's time for a proper spookin' so we played Silent Hill 2 and invited Matt's cousin Kimmy back on to talk about why it's one of her favorite games ever! Matt's unfamiliarity with the genre and Hunter's self-imposed psychological torment feature heavily as well for a game that wants to rise very close to the top of the list... Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey...

Max Payne (2001) 25.10.2022

We're back into 2001: A Game Odyssey with Remedy's Max Payne. This game is full of the grit and cynicism of the 90s mixed with dreams of where storytelling and gameplay could go in the future. Where does it's legacy stand today? And how much shock and gore is too much? Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributing to our show on Patreon . Email us your thoughts on th...

The Secret of Monkey Island (1990) 18.10.2022

We get to take a quick break from our 2001: A Game Odyssey season for one of our off topic entries: The Secret of Monkey Islands. One of the most famous point and click adventure games ever, with a recently modern remaster. So does this game still feel "old?" And does it's oldness earn it higher or lower ranks on The List? Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributin...

Aliens vs. Predator 2 (2001) 11.10.2022

Here's a fun item on the 2001 season that is a game neither of us had ever played. It's a game with a legendary asymmetric multiplayer, and we sat down for a day playing with listeners over on our OGA Discord, having a blast! Let's see how well the ranking reflects that... Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributing to our show on Patreon . Email us your thoughts o...

Patreon Bonus: Ranking Every Game Console We’ve Played [w/ EJ] 08.10.2022

Thanks to all of the wonderful people who have come to show their support of this show, we quickly had to present you with this first Patreon Goal Bonus Episode. For helping us reach $100 a month, here is us, with EJ, ranking all of the video game consoles we've collectively played. IT'S REALLY LONG and the process we chose was not very good and we won't be doing it like this ever again. But it's...

Grand Theft Auto 3 (2001) 04.10.2022

Well it's finally time. We've been talking about 2001 for a few weeks now and we could hear you screaming "But what about Grand Theft Auto 3! It mattered" Yeah sure. Here we are doing our civic duty and talking about this game.  Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributing to our show on Patreon . Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gma...

Bangai-O (2001) 27.09.2022

The Dreamcast is dead, and yet Japan isn't done putting out incredible games for it. Bangai-O by Treasure comes to America long after the damage has been done, which means it easily could have been missed by many folks. But not for us and our 2001 game odyssey. Let's dive into this delightfully weird and funny "mech game." Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributin...

Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil (2001) 20.09.2022

2001: A Game Odyssey marches onward and this week we hit up a less remembered character platformer, Klonoa! Namco brought us this earnest story in an attempt to put more heart in its writing while also providing a nostalgic feeling, slow-paced puzzle platformer. Matt is smitten, and Hunter likes it just fine. No need to get all contrarian about it! It's a good game! Mentioned in the episode: Ars T...

Super Monkey Ball (2001) 13.09.2022

Last week was the death of the Dreamcast, and this week is SEGA reborn as a games publisher sans console. Super Monkey Ball leads their foray into Nintendo systems which marks a major milestone in the relationship between the two companies as long time competitors. It helps that the game is a smash success with a dedicated following that Matt has never understood. Let's see what all the fuss is ab...

Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) [”Season 1” Premiere] 06.09.2022

WE'RE BACK. It's our third Sonic game, our umpteenth SEGA game, and our 4th 2001 game despite being the FIRST episode of our new season: 2001: A Game Odyssey. Not only do we talk about another ridiculous Sonic Adventure game, but we put it into a broader context of the year 2001. How will it rank amongst the rest of the 2001 games on our list? How will it rank amongst the other 50 games on our lis...

Patreon and Discord Announcement! 29.08.2022

Old Gamer's Almanac is officially on Patreon and we have our own Discord server! Come hang out with us at https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx And consider contributing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac

Reranking the Top 50 Games [w/ EJ] 29.08.2022

This is it! The finale to "Season 0" (we decided this was season 0 after recording this episode, but it IS okay?). As should become a yearly tradition, we must now take a look at the works we have done and fix all of the horrible mistakes we've made to our own list. Today we sit down with all 50 games we've covered thus far and give you the one True Ranking. All previous rankings were false. (but...

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (2011) [w/ Shawn and Sun] 23.08.2022

We have done it. After roughly a year, we have made it to our 50th game to be added to this list. To celebrate, we've brought on two of our lifelong friends Shawn and Paul to talk about how storied history playing Elder Scrolls games and specifically our experiences with the series' fifth entry Skyrim. It's been rereleased some ungodly number of times and is it worth all of the hype? Well at least...

Metal Gear Solid (1998) 16.08.2022

Hideo Kojima is a titan in the industry and while he was making hits before 1998, Metal Gear Solid is the game that secured is place on the list of all-time greats. This game is important, innovative, and dumb as all get out. That checks three pretty important boxes of criteria for us on this show, so I please enjoy this episode and expect Solid Snake to do well... The List So Far: Disco Elysium C...

Journey (2012) 09.08.2022

Thatgamecompany has put out a few hits over the years, but perhaps their most celebrated is 2012's Journey. A single player puzzle platformer with an esoteric multiplayer hook: you are randomly partnered with someone online and you cannot speak to them. It makes for a magical experience, despite it's short length. So as we race for these last games to try and top the list, how will yet another IND...

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998) 02.08.2022

Does everyone remember Ocarina of Time always being referred to as the best game of all time? What happened? Did we actually just start making games better, or did everyone forget about it? Is it forgettable? Is it's forgettable-ness Nintendo's own doing? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?! Anyways, it's time to make Ocarina's ranking Definitive. (TM) Mentioned in Episode: Ship of Harkinian (I'm not gonna link i...

Portal (2007) 26.07.2022

It's actually wild that we've had nearly 50 games and haven't talked about a single Valve game yet. Portal is perhaps a strange one to start with, but it is also quick to knock out in an afternoon which makes it perfect with the onslaught of other games we have as we race for 50 games on the list. It was a part of a massive compilation of games and stood out as a marvel of game design. How does it...

Disco Elysium (2019) 19.07.2022

We've been trying to get this game onto the list since we started this show and it is finally time. Disco Elysium came out of nowhere and was an instant classic. If everything goes according to plan, this game should be remembered forever, and it starts here with the most definitive list out there. Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributing to our show on Patreon...

Soulcalibur (1999) 12.07.2022

We teased this episode recently, and someone told us Soulcalibur is the Eddie Gordo of fighting games. Matt doesn't know what that means, but it probably means he's a dumb guy for this being the fighting game that he likes. It's cool! We get it! But come listen to us be wrong about the entire genre for an hour anyways! Mentioned In Episode: DF Retro: Soul Calibur - Beyond Arcade Perfect Polygon Vo...

Inside (2016) 05.07.2022

It's indie time! Do you like children? Do you like puzzle-platformers? Are both of these things cute and unassuming in your mind. Well buckle up, because you're about to watch a virtual child die many gruesome deaths and it's unsettling and unnecessary! Here's our chat about Playdead's Inside. Mentioned in episode: What's going on at the end of Inside? Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/n...

Panzer Dragoon II: Zwei (1996) 28.06.2022

It's SEGA time! And this time it's the oft ignored Sega Saturn! Called by some "the greatest game ever made," what makes Panzer Dragoon Zwei so special? I dunno! It just...feels right. You've gotta experience it to believe it. Mentioned in the episode: https://www.panzerdragoonlegacy.com/ Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey Consider contributing to our show on Patreon . Email us...

Mario Kart 64 (1997) [w/ EJ] 21.06.2022

Hunter is in town which means it's time again to hang out with E.J. and play some couch multiplayer! We're trying to hit stone-cold classic right now, so that means it's time for Mario Kart 64! But it's hard to talk about Mario Kart without talking about ALL Mario Kart games, so stick around for a sub-ranking of all Mario Kart Games. Mentioned in the Episode: Summoning Salt's Choco Mountain: The H...

Mirror’s Edge (2008) 14.06.2022

Does anyone else remember loving this game? I remember loving this game. Am I being pranked? Isn't this one of my favorite games? Mirror's Edge definitely seemed like a big deal at the time, but then I forgot to think about it for like 8 years so now I'm not so sure what's going. So let's see if it still holds up! Mentioned in the episode: Jacob Geller's "How Does Mirror's Edge Still Look This Goo...

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe (2022) 07.06.2022

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