Hardcore Gaming 101

ToeJam & Earl (and ChainStaff!) 21.07.2026 2h 5min

Join the HG101 gang plus special guest Robbo, as they discuss and rank-err, revisit, the groovy duo's funky roguelike for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Then stick around for ChainStaff, a violently quirky action-platformer about having an alien parasite attach itself to your head! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be ZACK & WIKI: QUEST FOR BARBAROS' TREASURE — Capcom's point-and-click pirate puzzler for the Wii! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Classic intro music by muteKi. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Quest 64 (and Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos!) 14.07.2026 2h 15min

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG CONCLUDES! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank the N64's infamous three-dimensional RPG. Then stick around for Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos, an SRPG that features very distinctive, bouncy visuals! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be WACKY RACES (MAC) — an FMV betting game, based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

The Final Fantasy Legend (SaGa) (and Half-Life 2: Episode One & Two!) 07.07.2026 2h 20min

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG REVS UP SOME CHAINSAWS! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank Square's first handheld RPG. Then stick around for Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two, enduring proof that Valve can't count to three! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be THE BOUNCER — Square's early PS2 beat-em-up! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC (and Top Banana!) 30.06.2026 1h 39min

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG SOARS TO THE SKIES! Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Saralene, as they discuss and rank the second entry in Nihon Falcom's Trails series. Then stick around for Top Banana, an unrelenting onslaught of audiovisual cacophony! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be DOUBLE SWITCH — the twisting, mechanically-complex spiritual successor to Night Trap! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Virtual Hydlide (and Marble Drop!) 23.06.2026 2h 8min

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG FRAMEDROPS ONWARD! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank an open-world RPG with an arcade-style sensibility. Then stick around as returning special guest Phil Salvador joins for Marble Drop, a puzzle game about dropping all the correct marbles into all of the correct holes! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be PSEUDOREGALIA — a dreamlike 3D platformer that won first place in the Metroidvania Month 19 game jam! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Lost Dimension (and Diablo!) 16.06.2026 2h 27min

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG CONTINUES! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a tactical RPG about saving the world with psychic powers. Then stick around for Diablo, a game that redefined the action-RPG! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be KAISOKU TENSHI: THE RAPID ANGEL — a comedic beat-em-up that can doom you to a bad ending within the first 30 seconds! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Phantasy Star IV (and Fallout: New Vegas!) 09.06.2026 2h 46min

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG ZOOMS ON! Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Ghaleon Unlimited/Chris Hatala, as they discuss and rank the last trace of Phantasy Star's existence as an offline RPG. Then stick around for Fallout: New Vegas, a game about how terrible it would be to deliver mail in a nuclear apocalypse! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be MOON CHILD — a true story about how you have the power to be his friend! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Popful Mail (Sega CD) (and Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel!) 02.06.2026 2h 45min

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG HAS RETURNED! Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Ghaleon Unlimited/Chris Hatala, as they discuss and rank Falcom's action-RPG that introduced the world to a new adjective. Then stick around for Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel, a visual novel that brings fans exactly what any traumatized mech pilot would want - dating! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be TOBU TOBU GIRL DELUXE — a homebrew Game Boy Color platformer, that teaches us an important lesson about pets and gravity! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

The Citadel (and Magical Date: Doki Doki Kokuhaku Daisakusen!) 26.05.2026 2h 29min

FPS Through the Ages draws to an explosive close! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2020s first-person shooter that blends classic and modern FPS elements into a gory cybernetic thrill ride. Then stick around as returning special guest Sean Seanson joins for Magical Date: Doki Doki Kokuhaku Daisakusen, an arcade game about wooing girls based on your ability to do basic math! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be RIPPLE DOT ZERO — a Flash-based penguin platformer, inspired by the 16-bit era! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

SUPERHOT (and Muppet RaceMania!) 19.05.2026 2h 1min

FPS Through the Ages moves when you move! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2010s viral hit that attempts to redefine the first-person shooter genre. Then stick around for Muppet RaceMania, a kart racer with a surprising amount of platforming mixed in! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be TRICKY QUIKY GAMES: DIE SUCHE NACH DEN VERSCHOLLENEN SEITEN — an advergame platformer featuring the most famous chocolate milk-promoting rabbit in existence! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Half-Life 2 (and 3D Dot Game Heroes!) 12.05.2026 2h 26min

FPS Through the Ages brings out the big (gravity) guns! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2000s first-person shooter that brings forth the stunning innovation of chucking objects at an NPC's head. Then stick around for 3D Dot Game Heroes, a 2D-turned-3D Zelda clone that lets you create your own player character! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be BULLETSTORM — a foul-mouthed first-person shooter that has Duke Nukem DLC for some reason! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Rise of the Triad: Dark War (and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith!) 05.05.2026 1h 59min

FPS Through the Ages patrols forth! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 1990s first-person shooter that pushes the Wolfenstein 3D engine to absurd heights... literally. Then stick around for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the movie tie-in that completes the prequel trilogy! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be PARAPPA THE RAPPER — an incredibly cool, incredibly confounding rhythm game for the Playstation! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Star Cruiser (X68000) (and BROK the InvestiGator!) 28.04.2026 2h 12min

FPS Through the Ages soars on! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 1980s intergalactic first-person shooter/RPG for the X68000. Then stick around for BROK the InvestiGator, a beat-em-up adventure that lets you punch your way past difficult puzzles! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be LORETTA NO SHOUZOU: SHERLOCK HOLMES — the only adventure game for Sega's SG-1000! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Cosmic Conflict (and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney!) 21.04.2026 2h 11min

A new HG101 event begins - FPS Through the Ages! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 1970s first-person space combat game for the Odyssey². Then stick around for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, an over-the-top lawyering adventure that no one should have an objection to! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be MEGA MAN SOCCER — the secret reason why Mega Man kicks around a ball in Mega Man 8! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Roboquest (2023) (and Planetfall!) 14.04.2026 1h 50min

Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a newer, co-op multiplayer take on the idea of a robot quest. Then stick around for Steve Meretzky's Planetfall, an interactive fiction game filled with very logical puzzles, designed to trip up anyone who is not paying attention! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be ROBOQUEST (1996) — an older, more confounding take on the idea of a robot quest! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Sonic Dreams Collection (and 20 Minutes Till Dawn!) 07.04.2026 2h 10min

Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a glimpse from the deeper depths of Sonic fandom. Then stick around for 20 Minutes Till Dawn, a Lovecraftian Vampire Survivors-esque survival game! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be GROW HOME — a massively large-scale 3D platformer where the plant you grow serves as the path upward! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Super Mario Bros. (1993) (and D.O.A.: Dead or Alive (2006)!) 01.04.2026 2h 7min

Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank the first poorly-rated Mario film. Then stick around for D.O.A.: Dead or Alive (2006), Ryu Hayabusa's most noteworthy film appearance! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION — that one fighting game based on the live-action Dragonball movie...! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (and Gearheads!) 31.03.2026 1h 52min

Join the HG101 gang, plus special guest Darren Hupke of Pixels and Polygons, and returning special guest Katherine, as they discuss and rank the Uncharted sequel that would define a generation. Then stick around for Gearheads, a truly competitive "overwhelm your foe with a whole bunch of toys on a chessboard" experience! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be DRAGONBALL EVOLUTION — that one fighting game based on the live-action Dragonball movie...! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Trespasser (Jurassic Park FPS) (and Golden Light!) 24.03.2026 2h 15min

Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a too-ambitious-for-its-own-good Lost World: Jurassic Park FPS. Then stick around for Golden Light, a Baroque-like roguelike that offers quite the meaty experience! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be CRASH BANDICOOT 2: N-TRANCED — Vicarious Visions' second effort at a handheld Crash platformer! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

Ever17: The Out of Infinity (and Your Only Move Is HUSTLE!) 17.03.2026 1h 51min

Join the HG101 gang, plus special guest Katherine, as they discuss and rank an aquatic spiritual predecessor to the Zero Escape series. Then stick around for Your Only Move Is HUSTLE, a turn-based stick-figure combat game! This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be WWF BETRAYAL — a non-wrestling beat-em-up for the Game Boy Color! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more! Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope. Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM. 2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.