This week on The Free Cheese, April fools!

We approach the end of our Game of the Game of the Year list with another title added. We talk about when gameplay from spin-offs finds its way back into the mainline series and then share stories about when box art led us astray or led us to play.

This week on The Free Cheese, gimme fuel, gimme five.

We talk about the best fifth games in a series and see how many collectibles it takes before we break. 

We explore the depths of Metroid Dread and talk about how Back 4 Blood has changed since it’s initial beta.

This week on The Free Cheese, preparing for the hurt.

Konami?

Just ahead of Metroid Dread we talk about playing through classic games with modern conventions and contemplate when that goes too far. We share the least requested characters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and figure out what gets us in the mood for the respective games we're playing.

This week on The Free Cheese, ruining birthday parties since 1996.

We make some new changes to our Game of the Game of the Year list and reminisce on another from the best in 2016. We talk about revisiting PlayStation games in new ways and how the right combination of mechanics and systems can create an endless gameplay loop.

We make our final predictions for a new Super Smash Bros. fighter and lament the end of a long journey through one developer's library.

We celebrate the 35th anniversary of Castlevania with some talking points around how to replay your favorite games and still keep them fresh. We let the Rot carry us deep into Kena: Bridge of Spirits and discuss (again) why PlayStation 2 is still the best of video games. Oh, and we're all playing Magic: The Gathering.

This week on The Free Cheese, delete your social media.

Our video game marketing discussion continues with a conversation surrounding how marketing instills a fear of not being part of the club and if we aren't there at launch, we missed something. We talk about where this can benefit us, like visiting Final Fantasy XV years after its release.

We also check out the newest set in Magic: The Gathering and the mechanics it brings to the game for the first time, while opening up more on card games and when it's fun to gamble in video games.

This week on The Free Cheese, heaven is a place on Earth.

We wonder when marketing goes too far and what we want in the lead to a new game release. We try to find the balance between leaks and corporate condescension as we prepare our guidelines for how to market your video game.

Ahead of new card game releases, we design our perfect trading card game and realize it's probably a board game. Finally, we go home.

This week on The Free Cheese, the road to XV begins.

It’s the annual Sonic Amateur Games Expo and we’ve played a bunch of submissions from the community. We talk about our favorite interactive elements in video games. Then, we check in with Pokémon Black and Sonic Colors Ultimate.

This week on The Free Cheese, who else should go in the monkey ball?

After a new update to Phasmophobia we discuss the difference between changing and fixing a game, as well as our favorite bugs in games. We talk about weird origin stories for getting us to play one thing in particular. We share stories of the first video games we remember buying with our own money and put a final word on our discussion surrounding remasters. It's a big show and we fit in time to rank NieR: Automata on our Game of the Game of the Year list.

This week on The Free Cheese, chicken nuggets in costumes.

We unpack our discussion on remasters yet again after the rerelease of Quake and the announcement of BloodRayne Betrayal: Fresh Bites. Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare leads a discussion surrounding how the aesthetic of a game can draw us into it. We use the surprise of time spent in Pokémon Unite to talk about games we've gotten lost in without realizing it. Finally, we figure out what PlayStation's Halo could be.

This week on The Free Cheese, who's that Pokémon?

We begin by turning the clocks back one year to see where we were then. We spend some time considering how to remove microtransactions from games and imagine how Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will play without them. Finally, do we get more excited for a remaster than a sequel?

This week on The Free Cheese, please don't kill George Clooney.

We celebrate the 35th anniversary of Metroid the only way we know how. Marc shares tales from the Back 4 Blood beta, Matt details the changes in the Pokémon Unite meta, and Joe uncovers the truth behind Dark Souls et cetera.

This week on The Free Cheese, the doctor is dead.

Marc is knocking on Death's Door while Matt ranks up in Pokémon Unite and Joe is reborn in NieR: Re[in]carnation. We catch up on delays from the week and how we're progressing in Dark Souls, while offering the future of old video games to you for free.

This week on The Free Cheese, mouth tattoos.

With the release of Pokémon Unite, we've each taken our first steps toward The Pokémon International. Marc checks out The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD to see if it works with buttons. Matt begins the quest for another Dark Souls platinum. Joe finds branching paths in Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.

We outline a semester in video game school and give you your required reading list. Finally, we share more games from 2008 that should be brought back from the dead.

This week on The Free Cheese, delays and surprises.

We talk about the recently announced Nickelodeon All-Stars Battle Royale and how Square Enix sold out of a digital game. We discuss Valve's Super Nintendo Switch, and take a guess at what 7 Persona announcements are imminent.

This week on The Free Cheese, Shigeru Miyamoto took a bath 40 years ago.

We weigh in on the newly announced Nintendo Switch OLED and reflect on other handhelds that may or may not have used OLED technology. We also explore video game's best party as we wonder what happened to Ridge Racer.

This week on The Free Cheese, more free marketing ideas for Mountain Dew.

PlayStation picked up a few new studios while Konami announced a partnership. We check out Mario Golf: Super rush and close the book on Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart in this week's episode.

This week on The Free Cheese, we’re going for the gold. Or the platinum?

It seems like E3 was a year ago at this point as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of Quake and 30th for Sonic the Hedgehog. We check in with Final Fantasy VII Remake - Intergrade while checking out SEGA’s Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. We talk about new games in the River City Girls franchise, the potential home for The International, and what it’s like to be a superhero in a simulation.

This week on The Free Cheese, KeighlE3.

We run down our favorite games showcased between Summer Game Fest and E3 2021 and then discuss what it means to be revolutionary when designing a video game. Our discussion stretches back through our touchstone moments in game history where something truly new happened and continues with talk about how iteration is not a bad word.

This week on The Free Cheese, no news!

It's E3 season and you're hearing everything somewhere else already. Instead of repeating headlines, we're focusing on what we've been playing and catching you off guard with some surprise questions.

This week on The Free Cheese, we apologize to Yuji Naka.

The return of E3 and Summer Game Fest mean the return of 15 predictions announcements that are coming soon. We also reveal the next three characters joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate before Sakurai doesn't retire and catch up with one of cinema's greatest tragedies.

This week on The Free Cheese, we talk about Sonic's stomach.

E3 is fast approaching and publishers are lighting the fires with some early announcements. We catch up on the 35th anniversary presentation for Dragon Quest, as well as the 30th anniversary kickoff for Sonic the Hedgehog. We get news on some new sequels and talk about Valve making its own Sega Nomad.

We are gathered here today to bring you our full thoughts and impressions on Resident Evil Village. For the first time in a while, we have all completed a game together and are excited to discuss where we think it ranks among the rest of Resident Evil games. Plus, we offer what we think the future of the series may hold.

This week on The Free Cheese, should amiibo still exist?

Game of the Game of the Year continues as we rank Super Mario Odyssey. We prepare for Summer Game Fest and the anniversary of Dragon Quest. We try to figure out if we like Scarlet Nexus and Resident Evil 2. Finally, we check in with the latest from Call of Duty: Warzone live from inside Nakatomi Plaza.

This week on The Free Cheese, please put the gun away.

We're ready for the season of announcements with the official announcements of The International and QuakeCon. Sega is looking into reviving some of its dormant IPs while Koei Tecmo is turning its into pachislo.

After six months, we check in with both of this generation's new consoles and share our first thoughts on Famicom Detective Club as we each wrap up Resident Evil Village

This week on The Free Cheese, we believe in Quake.

It's our 400th episode! We briefly reminisce on some of our favorite moments from our time together and introduce a new recurring segment for 2021.

We're all playing Resident Evil Village and share our early impressions of its technical performance and overall setting. We check back in with NieR Replicant and Returnal. Then, sharing our thoughts on Nintendo's investor's report and things we're excited about for E3.

This week on The Free Cheese, there's more Square Enix than you think.

We talk about NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139..., Returnal, and make guesses at what Monolith Soft is working on once it has 300 employees on staff. We have some opposing thoughts on the Mortal Kombat movie but all agree that losing another studio to Call of Duty: Warzone is a tragedy.

This week on The Free Cheese, we're still making PSN recommendations anyway.

We talk the reversal of PlayStation's decision to shutdown the PS3 and PS Vita stores with the soft launch of Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS and PC. We share impressions on Before Your Eyes and the first Resident Evil Village demo, and we take a trip to Yusnaan with Lightning.

This week on The Free Cheese, chyeah chyeah, chel chyeah.

We’re fresh from another Resident Evil showcase and counting down to all and every available hours for a new demo of Village. We check out Oddworld Soulstorm and Prime 2D, while chasing the elusive target in Hitman 3 and revisiting Bionic Commando.

We celebrate the 15th anniversary of Mother 3 by remembering the game and people behind it, and looking forward to an official release.

This week on The Free Cheese, let's remake Final Fantasy VII Remake!

We're talking the latest new releases, from Gran Turismo 5 to Saints Row IV and we hear the latest on Cyberpunk 2077 after its latest patch. Bloomberg's latest report on Sony has us questioning the future of PlayStation and we start to line up sponsors for E3 2021.

This week on The Free Cheese, that feels like Sega.

We spend a week with Monster Hunter Rise and get lost in the world of Wario while new PCs arrive and carry us into the future of Apple Arcade.

This week on The Free Cheese, was that game bad this whole time?

We share our experience with Monster Hunter Rise, Tekken 7's latest character, and the Ancient Gods expansion for Doom Eternal. We also talk about a handful of games out now and coming to mobile, along with some exciting fighting game announcements.

Finally, we share a shortlist of games you should start buying before PlayStation shuts down the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita stores.

This week on The Free Cheese, step into the zone with Opa-Opa.

We celebrate the 35th anniversary of Fantasy Zone by remembering Sega's first mascot. We also talk about the "co-op" Ada Wong campaign in Resident Evil 6, how to make a bad Need for Speed game, and check in with the world of Marvel's Avengers.

This week on The Free Cheese, free chairs?

When was the last time you went to a junkyard? What was the last thing you threw from a rooftop? These questions and more find their answers on this week's show.

We share more discoveries from within Loop Hero while Marc takes on more of Resident Evil 6 and Matt and Joe discover the different ways to play basketball.

This week on The Free Cheese, a podcast so nice we recorded half of it twice!

We celebrate the launch of Loop Hero and the 4th anniversary of the Nintendo Switch by finally scratching that ever present basketball itch.

This week on The Free Cheese, it's 1986.

We each played 35 minutes of The Legend of Zelda to see how far we could get and how the game feels in 2021.

This week on The Free Cheese, can you smell TI?

What a wonderful week for a Nintendo Direct! We catch up on the highlights from the week along with the future of Miis and share what we think of brand new video games, like DOTA 2 and Batman for NES. We also get first thoughts on 30XX.

This week on The Free Cheese, welcome to the land of treasure.

We begin our 20th anniversary celebration of the Game Boy Advance by accident and lament what could have been a live-action Link. We share impressions for Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and talk a lot more about Loop Hero.

This week on The Free Cheese, what are you ordering?

We build the future of Tomb Raider and combine the power of two of video games greatest heroes to create Samus the Hedgehog.

This week on The Free Cheese, yes.

We step into some survival horror this week with a run through Resident Evil VII and a peek into the latest from Bloober Team, The Medium. Gabe Newell outlines the future—seriously, not just for video games, but the future of programming ourselves.

We take a stab at the future of Nintendo merchandising and close out with a dive into what we've been playing on our phones.

This week on The Free Cheese, Virtual Marc!

Marc steps into virtual reality with his new Valve Index, while Matt wraps through the underbelly of Dark Souls in search of the Platinum Trophy.

This year, we’re changing a bit of how our awards are chosen and announced. We’re limiting the entire process to a single, shorter episode. We’ve worked behind the scenes using a spreadsheet and some math, with a bit of wiggling one way or another to determine the winners of each category.

As we read through each category, we’ll name the winner and two runners up. Then, we’ll share some of our experiences with each game and why it deserved the award.

We’re going to spend a few minutes throughout the episode to celebrate some of the games that stuck with us the most in 2020. These might not have been released in 2020, but they meant something to us when we played them. In between rounds of award winners, we’ll each share a game that meant something to us and why.

When we reach Game of the Year, we will read our current list of nominees and deliberate the winner as we would in previous years, eventually crowning a winner.

This week on The Free Cheese, another anniversary?

We hear predictions from our friend Ako and celebrate NieR Automata's final secret. We learn about how Miis integrate into Breath of the Wild and figure out how to sleep inside of Gengar.

This week on The Free Cheese, twenty twenty-one.

We look forward to what we expect in 2021 with our latest run of predictions after reflecting on what we expected from 2020.

We also take some time to share positive outlooks on Sonic Forces and hear all about brand new Game Gear games from M2. Finally, we get the final word on Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

This week on The Free Cheese, Matt writes Sonic fanfiction.

More of what you love: conversations about video games. We're talking Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Deep Rock Galactic, with a trip through some fighting games along the way. We also check out Umurangi Generations, slowly uncovering its layers beyond a simple photography game.

This week on The Free Cheese, money please!

We check out the demo for Bravely Default II and wave goodbye to Cyberpunk 2077. Matt takes over a small town in Yakuza: Like a Dragon while Marc finds the true successor to a 3D Sonic game in Crumble and Joe grabs the Wii Remote for Samus' final first-person adventure in Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

This week on The Free Cheese, and the award goes to...

We recap some of our favorite announcements from this year's Game Awards along with a rundown of headlines from the week including the new release timeline for Halo Infinite and an upcoming Digimon wearable.

Marc and Matt take the first steps into Cyberpunk 2077 and share the good, the bad, and the buggy. Meanwhile, Joe readies himself for Breath of the Wild 2.

This week on The Free Cheese, Mario Paint.

Together, we discuss the stack of industry shakeups that were announced this week along with a brief and literal pulse check for the PlayStation Vita.

Catch up on what it means to complete your first palace in Persona 5 Royal, what it feels like to finish Demon's Souls, and how to survive on the Oregon Trail in 2020.

This week on The Free Cheese, excuse me, Princess!

Marc closes the curtains on Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity while opening a box of Digimon cards. Matt discovers the roots of FromSoftware as he edges deeper into Demon's Souls. Joe finally learns what it means to steal a heart with Persona 5 Royal's first dungeon.

We also make it to the end of our own dungeon as we wrap up another ongoing segment.

This week on The Free Cheese, don't give him Sonic.

During a slightly slower week of news we dive a bit deeper into Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Hades, and Pokémon Sword: The Crown Tundra.

We also share our first impressions with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity and how it fits into the lore of The Legend of Zelda.

This week on The Free Cheese, push to puff!

It's new console week and we have Matt's first impressions with both as well as a series of rapid-fire questions that get to the bottom of what we really want to know.

We also talk about Marc's first week with Genshin Impact and Joe's time with Tekken 7 and its fourth season.

This week on The Free Cheese, did we find Brittfaceyo?

With the launch of next generation consoles only moments away we make sure to catch up on all of the vampire news you could ever ask for.

We also bring a close to our ongoing segment, "Who Would Win in a Fight?" and continue with the second round of "Another Night, Another Dream" in between a heavy week of news.

Finally we check in with Pokémon Sword's DLC and call the Chicken Police.

This week on The Free Cheese, Happy Halloween!

We share our ideas for other game franchises that could learn from Breath of the Wild and try to figure out how to name new Final Fantasy characters.

Marc keeps things spooky with Phasmophobia and Handy Harry's Haunted House Services, Matt enters a Rocket League tournament, and Joe returns to the world of Pokémon.

This week on The Free Cheese, someone remembers to unmute his microphone.

A slower news week lets us explore some different topics. What's a positive example of a game that feels like its from the PS2 era? Name a game that was overshadowed by something when it initially released?

We also discuss Halloween events in video games and how to catch a ghost.

This week on The Free Cheese, where’s Okami?

Listen in as we talk PlayStation 5 UI and the new initiative from the Video Game History Foundation. We look back on where we were a year ago and close out on some of the games we’ve been playing recently.

Also, it’s the final round in the quarter finals of our ongoing segment chronicling the best of the bad in video game’s greatest villains.

This week on The Free Cheese, we figure out how to save the Switch.

We talk about which purple character should have ended up in Mortal Kombat and run down all the PlayStation 5 news from the week. We also check in with the recently released Pikmin 3 Deluxe Demo.

This week on The Free Cheese, Steve blocks the way!

Gather around and listen to tales of surviving when not playing video games. We talk about Super Mario Bros. 35 and checking in with the weird side of the 3DS library.

This week on The Free Cheese, taste the cumin!

We’re here to talk 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Mafia: Definitive Edition, and Rocket League’s entry into the free-to-play space. We check in with Tokyo Game Show 2020 and a new company from old Blizzard folks. Also, it turns out Microsoft bought something else.

This week on The Free Cheese, we believe in generations.

It’s finally time to discuss the full launch details of the PlayStation 5 and the games launching alongside the new platform on November 12.

Matt checks out Hypnospace Outlaw, welcoming the comfort of a late 1990s internet in favor of a chilly campground. Joe continues with Xenoblade Chronicles while exploring Super Mario 64 as part of the 3D All-Stars collection.

May the fox be with you.

This week on The Free Cheese, tell me your tire fantasy.

We finally have a release date and details for the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. We weigh in on the best way to buy and our favorite designs of this generation’s new consoles.

We also check in with Mario Tennis Aces, step closer to the finale of our recurring segment “Who Would in in a Fight?”, and talk about the first tenth of a 100-hour JRPG.

This week on The Free Cheese, old is new is old again.

We’re excited by the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 and with the announcement of Super Mario 3D All-Stars it feels like we’re back in the late 90’s all over again.

We also check out Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions, get ready for the release of new video cards, and follow up to last week’s game recommendation.

All that and so much more awaits you inside.

This week on The Free Cheese, did Madden call Snoop Dogg a cop?

Another week, another Nintendo Direct mini brought to you by Lunchables. We finally get an official spill of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War details and Matt is fresh from the fields with a look at Madden NFL 21.

We recap some highlights from Gamescom, figure out what Joe will play next, and try to imagine what new Switch hardware will take the form of.

This week on The Free Cheese, oops! All superheroes!

We discuss the reveals of both Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Gotham Knights, along with some other excitement from DC Fandome.

We also check in with Microsoft Flight Simulator and Battletoads during their launch week and get ready for what’s next in Call of Duty and NHL.

This week on The Free Cheese, let’s celebrate Quake.

The days of not having any skateboard video games to play are long gone. We take a trip through time and go shopping, while planning the future of video game television.

We both lament the fun of PC gaming and weigh in on the battles of billionaires.

This week on The Free Cheese, unlock another episode when you buy the Battle Pass.

We share our first impressions of Fall Guys and detail the latest changes to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone.

Additionally, we close the book on A Plague Tale: Innocence and look forward to whatever Rocksteady is up to with Suicide Squad. We talk about this week’s State of Play and the news that cloud gaming isn’t making its way to all devices just yet.

This week on The Free Cheese, we talk about good game feel. 

We kick things off with news from Activision and a look at Modern Warfare just before the season ends. We compare and contrast it with Halo and discuss the move for Halo Infinite to have free multiplayer.

We travel back in time to France during the Black Plague and learn how to fight rats with fire, then further back to feudal Japan to follow the wind. 

We check our pulse on a few titles, old and still coming. Then we close out with the first installment of a new segment. 

This week on The Free Cheese, name your favorite 360 game, GO!

We reflect on the Xbox Games Showcase and the surprise Nintendo Direct mini from the week.

Matt shares his first thoughts on Ghost of Tsushima while Joe samples some of the Summer Game Fest demos.

This week on The Free Cheese, candy hurts.

As we ready for the Xbox Games Showcase this week, we get back into The Master Chief Collection and bring along a new, old friend. Matt takes third place in Motorsport Manager while Joe heads West of Dead for a little while.

We also talk about some news from the week and how Xbox is preparing for the future of video games. There’s a lot of Xbox on this week.

This week on The Free Cheese, this generation sucks.

We talk about how modern video games have fallen into a formula and how we’re finding ways to break the formula. We also look back at the Game of the Year so far.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Satoru Iwata, recorded on the fifth anniversary of his death.

The Last of Us Part II is now a part of our memories but before we let it slip too far back we are here to talk openly about it. Inside, we’ll explore the themes and plot of The Last of Us Part II, share our favorite moments from the game, and ponder how the series might continue in the future.

Obviously, don’t listen to this unless you’ve completed the game.

This week on The Free Cheese, please. It’s okay.

We gather here again to talk about the new price of video games, how the video game industry has changed in a decade, and what life is like on the other side of The Last of Us Part II.

Matt goes into the Artifact 2.0 Beta while Joe plans a 2D version of Arms after playing Min Min in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

This week on The Free Cheese, keep yourself wet.

After a week playing through two games that divided their audiences, we have some feelings about making your own opinions and approaching content with an open mind.

We talk about Microsoft saying goodbye to Mixer, a new sequel to Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, and how rollback netcode is being implemented into a nineteen year old game.

This week on The Free Cheese, Matt predicts the utopian future of Pokémon.

We hear the latest in the ongoing record keeping of Donkey Kong high scores and the status of one man of hot sauce.

Matt shares his first impressions with The Last of Us 2 and how he ended up playing Motorsport Manager. Joe learns how much he agitated Matt while troubleshooting Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing.

This week on The Free Cheese, it’s time to talk about the future of video games.

We are in the wake of the PlayStation 5 event from the week and talk about what we saw, what we’re excited about, and what we still want to see more of next.

We also talk about the Destiny announcements from this week and where we both fall in with the future of Destiny.

Matt has completed Witcher 3 and found himself hopping into micro sessions with some of the newly acquired games from the massive itch.io bundle, while the updates to Call of Duty: Warzone set the path for the next season in the game. Joe played halfway through The Messenger before finding himself stageside at a Hatsune Miku concert and taking on a giant statue in a mech in Phantasy Star Online 2.

This week on The Free Cheese, Go SEGA!

We share our memories and feelings surrounding SEGA on its 60th anniversary as a company. We talk about the Game Gear Micro and “fog gaming”.

Matt continues to wander the lands as Geralt and reaches close to a complete Gwent deck. Joe continues the hunt for monsters and finds himself back in Tokyo as a soon-to-be pop idol.

This week on The Free Cheese, decades of development for Dreams.

We ready ourselves for the first look at PlayStation 5 games with a few predictions of what we expect to see. We discuss the impact of EA releasing source code for Command & Conquer and get excited about Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.

Matt finds solid footing within Witcher 3 as its narrative builds and he creates new stories to tell at the pub. Joe finally gets Monster Hunter World to click and tells you how to kill dinosaurs.

This week on The Free Cheese, Oops!...I’m a skateboarder again!

Matt enters the world of The Witcher as Joe meanders through Breath of the Wild again.

We talk about what Rocksteady is actually working on, how you can get into the beta for Artifact 2.0, and a lot of Justice League Dark.

This week on The Free Cheese, a/s/l?

We talk about the importance of emergent gameplay and its increasing importance in creating believable video game worlds, and how Unreal Engine 5 might help developers to create better worlds.

We celebrate the announcement of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater being remastered and induct another game into our Hall of Fame.

Matt closes the book on Gears Tactics and opens the bookshelf to the rest of the story. Joe goes to 3D shooter heaven with Sin & Punishment and Kid Icarus: Uprising

We’ve played Final Fantasy VII. You’ve played Final Fantasy VII. Or you should have if you’re going to listen to this episode.

It’s our full look into Final Fantasy VII Remake. We talk about what we loved, what we didn’t, and what we want to see in the next parts of the story.

This week on The Free Cheese, we remember a Nintendo friend.

Learn about Dwayne ‘Tequila’ Johnson and magical shopping carts that stop you dead in your tracks. We also talk about the potential of new skateboarding video games (again), the future of Call of Duty: Warzone, and how Mortal Kombat might go up against the DC Universe yet again.

Matt has all of the details on Gears Tactics after a solid week with its campaign. Joe checked in with Streets of Rage 4 and The Wonderful 101 Remastered while getting lost in a flooded Hyrule on Wii U.

This week on The Free Cheese, no Vin Diesels allowed!

We give our final word (spoiler-free) on Final Fantasy VII Remake and talk about the future of summer games announcements. We talk Gears Tactics and Gran Turismo for PSP, and wonder about what games we’ll see at Inside Xbox this week.

This week on The Free Cheese, we find out Sunsoft still exists?

We make recommendations for what to watch when you don’t want to play video games and we talk about some games to play when you’re looking for something different.

Joe played some of The Curse of Rabenstein and checked out Sunsoft’s Trip World for Game Boy. Matt stepped into the world of Picross with the latest Picross S4 from Jupiter.

We catch up on where we’re at with Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Final Fantasy VII Remake and report back on the updates to Super Mario Maker 2.

Finally, we discuss a report from Video Games Chronicle regarding a Horizon: Zero Dawn trilogy, yet again another Silent Hill rumor that’s totally real this time for sure just check, a new Crash Bandicoot game for your phone, and the return of the Splatfest next month.

This week on The Free Cheese, do you want a new robot friend?

We both continue with Final Fantasy VII Remake and continue to find reasons to love it. We talk about its impact on the franchise history and where it will find its place amongst the other titles.

Rumors of another Resident Evil remake kick off our news segment with stories of PS5 launch limits, eSports gambling, new tactics games and weird stories of game development.

This week on The Free Cheese, that cat ate my burrito!

We commemorate the launch of Final Fantasy VII Remake with our early impressions of the game and keep it spoiler-free.

We talk a little Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and sprinkle in some Dreamcast after a documentary stole the show this week.

Finally, we discuss the headlines from Inside Xbox, rumors of Resident Evil 8, and our feelings toward the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller.

This week on The Free Cheese, why do people drink sparkling water?

Matt and Joe discuss Doom Eternal after having both finished it and where it falls on the spectrum of Doom. We continue documenting our time with Animal Crossing: New Horizons as the eggs attack and Matt learns the Stalk Market.

Matt played through The Foundation expansion of Control and talks about new gameplay mechanics. Joe defies the future and reverts to the past with Arc the Lad and other lost memories of the early days of PlayStation.

We catch up on rumors of new Resident Evil, the future of Artifact (yes, that Artifact), how a prefecture in Japan is limiting video game time for minors, and how IGN is stepping in for E3.

Finally, we talk about the rumors behind the 35th anniversary of Super Mario and a collection of 3D Mario games.

This week on The Free Cheese, the juice that divides our darkness.

We talk more Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons as we make our way through more of both.

A surprise Nintendo Direct mini capitalizes a lot of our news cycle amidst Konami responses to Silent Hill rumors and Epic Games publishing deals that work in favor of the creator.

We also catch up on Call of Duty: Warzone and the latest updates to Ring Fit Adventure.

This week on The Free Cheese, listen to the devil’s interval.

We gather to talk about Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, as expected.

We also talk about the new details of both the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. We check in with new Game Pass Ultimate perks, the Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and broadcasting sports video games.

This week on The Free Cheese, it’s the final stretch.

Matt survives his worst fears as he edges closer to the sun and then straps his skates on to roll around the rink.

Joe keeps circling the tops of the castle in a classic while discovering what he missed by not becoming a Belmont sooner.

We talk about the future of GameStop, the potential of a new Tony Hawk game, Platinum Games’ newest studio and engine, and oh, E3 is canceled.

We also talk about gaming masks and add another source to the Silent Hill revival rumors.

This week on The Free Cheese, we learn the age of hedgehogs.

Fresh from the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo, we share our equal and opposite reactions to what we played.

Matt becomes a detective in Hollywood with the greatest investigative tool: Picross.

Joe takes control of Dracula in the last major release in a line of pachinko machines.

We talk about Stadia a little longer than Google has this calendar year and what a Butterfinger can bring you.

This week on The Free Cheese, we remember Miitomo friends.

As the Nintendo Switch reaches its third anniversary, we look back on our favorite memories with the console, make recommendations for the best of the library, and look to its future.

Matt is still swinging in the dark with no end in sight as he chases the shiny Dark Souls platinum. Joe gets back on the grind after a patch changes some of the challenge in Session.

We talk about the Xbox Series X and how we expect game publishers to treat multigenerational releases. We check in with the latest from Yacht Club Games and learn the identity of the second game tease from Platinum Games. Finally, we weigh in on some heavy hinting from Kojima Productions and one of Silent Hill’s original creators.

This week on The Free Cheese, your mama don’t dance.

We’re here to get excited and get you excited about Animal Crossing. We recap the Direct and talk about everything there is to do on a faraway, desert, island after you’ve been kidnapped.

Matt finds a victory and a bit of confidence as the third journey continues. Meanwhile, Joe rediscovers an old classic and finds new meaning in it.

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Read about our Animal Crossing history with an old article we talked about this episode.

This week on The Free Cheese, which ports are left?

Matt cracks open another round for celebration after becoming a full ninja, plays some Xtreme football, and cuts to Camera 2.

Joe slashes his way through a sequel spin-off to a game he never finished and finds a new anime puzzle game to get lost in.

We talk about the future of E3 without its past, changes to Rockstar and The Coalition, and the long haul for Anthem.

Finally, we get the word from Matt on which Wii U ports are left and look into a rumor about DC Comics and its video games.

This week on The Free Cheese, Syndicate mobile.

Matt edges closer to the platinum trophy in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and spends a few hours creating religion in Frostpunk. Joe feels the beat in Patapon 2 and finds himself deep in the streets of Kamurocho in Yakuza Kiwami.

We talk about rumors of Silent Hill games and a new horror IP at Sony, check in with Nintendo’s financial briefing, and predict the 14 games that EA will release before next year.

This week on The Free Cheese, can I finish first?

Matt and Joe talk about Ninja Theory’s new projects and celebrate #Sonic2020 right along with you.

Joe failed to keep things going for long in Frostpunk but found better luck in Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2. Matt figured out the best way to get over finishing Sekiro is to play more Sekiro.

This week on The Free Cheese, we need a vowel.

We talk about the latest addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster along with a recap of the recent string of game delays that struck this week.

Matt beat Sekiro and finds himself lost looking for the next thing. Marc pulls out the purple to play Phantasy Star Online while waiting on its sequel. Joe enters the depths of hell in Sigil after the recent updates to Doom.

This week on The Free Cheese, keep rollin’.

We have another week of GTA Online stories to share along with the debut of a new game that you can play along with at home.

Matt got through the wall in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Marc plays as someone else in Onimusha, and Joe got into Shovel Knight: King of Cards.

We hit some headlines from the week and recap the Pokémon Direct.

This week on The Free Cheese, learn the history of the year 2020.

We fell back into Grand Theft Auto Online and started to build our digital empire on the backs of Steve Winwood songs.

Marc learns the ways of Onimusha while Matt takes his special friend to the championship and Joe rolls credits on the world of dreams.

We tally up the scores of our 2019 predictions and etch in stone our declarations for 2020.

This week on The Free Cheese, it’s all about games.

With Game of the Year behind us we spend the podcast talking about everything we’ve been playing in the last few weeks.

We touch on Code Vein, Madden 20, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, Wattam, Shadows of the Damned, Demon’s Tilt, and so much more.

We learn some new phrases and prepare for our annual predictions show next week.

The conclusion to our Game of the Year 2019 Awards arrives with the induction of another game into The Free Cheese Hall of Fame and of course, our Game of the Year.

Listen in to hear our final day of deliberations and read below to see the winners. Thank you for spending your time with us this year. Enjoy your video games!

Hall of Fame - Super Metroid

We started inducting games into The Free Cheese Hall of Fame a few years back now and our process yields a new entry: Super Metroid.

We start with a list of 30 games (shown in the table below), each of us nominating 10 that we believe should be in The Free Cheese Hall of Fame. We write them down on sticky notes and place them on the table in front of us. We then remove one each and continue around the table until only one game remains.

For our full list of games in The Free Cheese Hall of Fame, check out the Hall of Fame page.

Metroid	Pokémon Crystal	Metal Gear Solid
Tetris (GB)	NFL Blitz	Earthbound
Parasite Eve	The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild	Resident Evil 4
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3	Resident Evil 2 (PSX)	Super Metroid
Pinball (NES)	Halo: Reach	Tetris (GB)
Balloon Fight	Super Metroid	Shenmue II
Metroid Prime	The Sims	Final Fantasy VII
Castlevania	RollerCoaster Tycoon	GoldenEye 007
Sonic the Hedgehog 2	Chex Quest	Dota 2
The Legend of Zelda	Wii Sports	Halo 3

Game of the Year 2019

Resident Evil 2

The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2019 is Resident Evil 2. Capcom delivered an experience that captivated us and brought the franchise to new heights. With the difficult task of remaking a highly revered game, Capcom created something that stays true to its origins and remains wholly modern. The game propels our expectations for the franchise and for future remakes in different franchises. What we expect will be set against Resident Evil 2 as the barometer.

We loved most the sense of restriction that we felt with every shot we took and every bite we suffered. There were few moments of safety and even those were a short-term illusion. The constant fear of something dropping from the ceiling or slamming through a wall echoed through each playthrough.

What makes Resident Evil 2 more special is how much is waiting for you even after you finish it. A single playthrough shows you the story in full. A second is like hearing your favorite album recorded by another one of your favorite bands. It’s still got the same core to it but with a different sound that defines it yet again. Somehow, seeing both all the way through adds something to this game that outweighs either story individually.

2. Fire Emblem: Three Houses

3. Control

4. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

5. Devil May Cry 5

The fourth day of Game of the Year 2019 has arrived and with it another round of awards. Listen in to hear us deliberate and select our winners as we reminisce on the moments throughout the year in gaming. Read on below for the list of winners.

Don’t forget to vote for Reader’s Choice Game of the Year 2019!

Most Surprising

This game came out of nowhere. Sometimes this is actually true in the event of a surprise announcement and others the game was just not on our radar and suddenly became something to fall in love with.

Tetris 99

Runners Up: Ring Fit Adventure, Kind Words

Favorite Free Cheese Moment

We create a lot of content over the course of a year between podcasts and videos. Of all of the little moments where we crack each other up, there’s always one that gets us the most even months later.

Ben predicts Shenmue 3 delay immediately after getting a point for a Shenmue 3 delay the previous year.

The Free Cheese 2019 Predictions

Runners Up: #WhereBritFaceGo, Whenever there is a new belt introduced in FCW

Best Score/Soundtrack

Can you imagine your favorite game without its soundtrack? Video game music is just as important to the game as what you’re looking at or playing or how you share it with your friends. This award celebrates the best compositions of the year.

Devil May Cry V

Runners Up: Death Stranding, Super Mario Maker 2

Most Anticipated

More than most years this category felt weighted. A lot of games we expected in 2019 slipped into 2020 and moreover we know that new consoles are on the way. With so much coming in the next calendar year, it was hard to narrow down our anticipation to just a few but this award goes to the game we just can’t wait for.

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Runners Up: Cyberpunk 2077, Sequel to Breath of the Wild