This week on The Free Cheese, Konami did it again. Marc is here to tell us all about folding cardboard in Nintendo Labo. Ben doesn't want to play online so he does what everyone should and visits The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2017, NieR: Automata. Matt hangs out with the boy a lot in God of War. Joe plays a little bit of a lot of games but only tells you about three of them. We hear about the aftermath of a tornado and how it failed to affect one North Carolina resident. We learn about delays to Dark Souls Remastered on Switch. The Master Chief Collection continues to receive updates and Doom is getting another movie. Finally, we learn about the latest atrocity to Konami's history coming to phones later this year.

This week on The Free Cheese, it's the return of the mullet. Ben is back to tell us the ending to Fallout: New Vegas and why tank controls are superior in the Resident Evil remake. Also, he's immediately fallen in love with PUBG's latest event mode and taken a step into another entry into the 100-person battle with Radical Heights. Marc takes some time this week to play Minit and then explores what Armor Games has to offer with The Adventure Pals. Matt keeps the season going strong in MLB The Show 18 and finds out what Quantic Dream had to do with Prey when he watches the credits roll by. Joe cuts up a Game Boy Advance and uses the new backlit display to play Metroid: Zero Mission again, and then finds out if Spider-Man is going to be any good by playing some of Sunset Overdrive. Ultimately, it all ends with Bloodborne. We talk about the big announcements out of Sega's event over the weekend, Billy Mitchell's removal from the records, and how Xbox continues to embarrass the competition when it comes to backwards compatibility and maintaining a legacy. The Free Cheese Opening Theme is "The Origin" by Legna Zeg.

This week on The Free Cheese- do you smell that? Marc and Joe fight off sleepiness in the wake of a pre-podcast Taco Bell adventure. We talk about the endless wander of Ghost Pop! and the wretched world of Ruiner. Then, Joe catches us up on his quest to complete Breath of the Wild. We talk about Spyro the Dragon, Chrono Trigger, Splinter Cell, and other news stories that have nothing to do with twenty year old properties. Finally, we close out with some news about the PlayStation 5.

This week on The Free Cheese, we hang out in the woods. Marc goes 2077 with Ruiner and wears cool light-up masks. Matt becomes the hunted in Prey. Joe returns to finish what he started in Breath of the Wild. We talk a little bit more about MLB The Show 18, PlayStation VR, and Splatoon 2. Then, we hear about the aftermath of Pokémon GO Fest, the new way Konami makes us roll our eyes this week, and wonder where the 3DS version of Dragon Quest XI is hiding.

This week on The Free Cheese, we can't stop bleeding. It's springtime which means more than just terrible weather: Matt's playing baseball. MLB The Show 18 released to preorders and Matt is trying out all of the new changes. Marc defeated the Pig Wizard Ganon as he broke the 65 hour mark in Breath of the Wild. Joe tries out some new matching skills in Battle Chef Brigade. We talk about independent games coming to Switch, whatever the hell Atari is making, and Ubisoft's success in remaining free from Vivendi. Then, we devise a plan to make it to E3. The Free Cheese Opening Theme is "The Origin" by Legna Zeg.

This week on The Free Cheese, we get a sweet surprise. Marc finds his way to the Rito Village in his continued adventure in Breath of the Wild and kills his friends in Crawl. Matt gets a little extra with Dota Plus and Joe kisses his friends in Kirby Star Allies. We all play a little more Splatoon 2 as we prepare for Rank X and watch the continued growth of the game. We talk about free games from Twitch and new Genesis collections. Then, we recap the announcements from the Sonic the Hedgehog SXSW panel. We hear about the best fruit to buy at the grocery store and learn the real reason that Toys"R"Us is going out of business.

This week on The Free Cheese, we told you so. We learn the meaning of the word "recapitulate" and then act on it as we recap this week's Nintendo Direct. Joe beats Bayonetta and starts the sequel. Ben almost gets a new bronze in Street Fighter V but instead gets into Mega Man X. Marc returns to the lands of Breath of the Wild. Matt beats the evil Giygas once and for all.

This week on The Free Cheese, is this a god dam? Matt and Joe go professional in Splatoon 2 in preparation for the new Splatfest. Ben almost burns his computer to the ground again. Marc beats up drunks for fun. We talk about Matt's newfound appreciation for the classic RPG EarthBound and his continued trek toward the end of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. We hear from Marc's adventures Into the Breach and learn how he's using virtual reality to look into the world of Moss. Ben checks in with the only fighting game that matters in Street Fighter V and surprises us all with his entrance into the world of Mega Man X. We recap some light news of the week, including PlayStation Plus changes, the closure of another studio and the latest in loot boxes. Finally, we talk about the last year of Nintendo Switch and celebrate our favorite moments of the latest console from Nintendo. We talk through some of the shortcomings and cheer at the victories. Then, we discuss what our hopes are for Year Two.

This week on The Free Cheese, we talk more about frozen foods. In the wake of Joe's 48-hour nightmare, he finds solace falling into Downwell. Marc tries his best to clean up the crime fast in Serial Cleaner. Meanwhile, Matt adventures ever further into the depths of Shigesato Itoi's mind as EarthBound continues. We talk about the decade-long plan for Rainbow Six Siege and how it could impact the future of other games. We hear about the possibility of new ports coming to Switch and how the console is impacting developer's choices. Finally, we get the announcement we've all been waiting for (well, there's still no Mother 3).

This week on The Free Cheese, you'll never believe what kidney stones can do. We catch up on the streets of New York and find out who won the Splatfest. Marc fills us in on the group battling of Monster Hunter World. Matt returns to Mario + Rabbids and sees the end of another world. Joe reaches the top of the mountain and goes through some stuff in Celeste. We talk about Bayonetta and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Injustice 2, and then Matt surprises us all. We cover the future of Rainbow Six Siege and what it means for Splatoon 2, how THQ is almost back, and how eSports is starting to look a lot like other sports.

This week on The Free Cheese, Ben almost burns his new house down. We trade (1) Marc for (1) Ben and (1) Matt and hear about their adventures away. Then, Ben tells us about his recent time with Axiom Verge and how wandering through the eShop landed him a copy of Donkey Kong 64. Matt plays a lot of the SNES Classic Edition and even more Dota 2 than before. Joe changes classes in Final Fantasy XIV, which leads him into some weird places in other games. We talk about Metroid Prime 4's development team, eSports in the Olympics, and EVO 2018's lineup before recapping the Q&A section of Nintendo's latest investor's meeting.

This week on The Free Cheese, we milk cars. Joe and Marc spent the week getting to know the world of Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV. We both took our first steps into creating our characters and starting our adventure. Marc plays a bit of Floor Kids and sees what Final Fantasy Tactics has to offer while Joe plays a little more of Celeste and Metroid Prime 2. We discuss the rumors of Microsoft purchases, the future games of Sumo Digital, Nintendo on the silver screen, and Ed Boon teasing the Turtles. Finally, we talk about the future of games as a service and how DOTA can influence the likes of Injustice. The Free Cheese Opening Theme is "The Origin" by Legna Zeg.

This week on The Free Cheese, we learn about frozen food. Joe begins his journey through the Metroid Prime trilogy on the heels of Halo. Marc finds a new affinity for dungeon crawling in Heart&Slash. Ben continues to train his hands for Street Fighter V. We also talk about the beauty of Celeste and its approach to storytelling through gameplay. Oh, and there's this fighting game out about people with big hair that we've all been playing. We learn about the cancellation of Paragon and the sunset days for Miitomo. Psyonix is taking the next steps toward platform agnosticism and football gets extreme again. Finally, we talk about Xbox Game Pass and its new dedication to subscribers.

This week on The Free Cheese, we're folding stuff. Inside, we discuss our recent foray into PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and the collaborative effort of our time with Ninja Shodown. We hear about the rest of the Halo franchise and what its like to prepare for a fighting game tournament. Then, we talk about the sales trends of Japan, a new Scribblenauts game, and Nintendo Labo.

This week on The Free Cheese, we debate liquid foods. Ben prepares for a fighting game tournament by playing to train (not to win) in Street Fighter V. Marc climbs inside of mechs and wanders through the dreamworld of OneShot. Matt graduates from Chinese DOTA to Chinese PUBG, and then becomes a smooth operator in Rainbow Six. Joe finds out that nothing else matters in Halo: Reach and everything matters in Splatoon 2. We discuss the Artifact card game, Resident Evil logos, new Xbox achievement systems, and close it all out with a recap of the Nintendo Direct mini.

This week on The Free Cheese, we discover the hidden mullet. It's the first episode of the year, which means it's time we make some bold predictions for what will happen in the world of video games. We also discuss Marc and Ben's recent activity at MAGFest, and the weird pockets of video games within the convention. We talk about games we've played, from PUBG to Halo 3, Gang Beasts, and Rainbow Six: Siege. Finally, we talk a little bit about this rumored Nintendo Direct and what we hope for.

This week on The Free Cheese, we discover the hidden mullet. It's the first episode of the year, which means it's time we make some bold predictions for what will happen in the world of video games. We also discuss Marc and Ben's recent activity at MAGFest, and the weird pockets of video games within the convention. We talk about games we've played, from PUBG to Halo 3, Gang Beasts, and Rainbow Six: Siege. Finally, we talk a little bit about this rumored Nintendo Direct and what we hope for.

This week on The Free Cheese Podcast, we talk about Bill Murray's Mullet. First up, we recap the holidays and find out what Matt thinks makes a good Justice League. Then, we learn the dangers of 9-volt batteries and all about Clay Aiken's video game. We talk about getting to the top in PUBG, but not all the way to a warm chicken dinner. Joe shares his experience with the first two games in Bungie's Halo trilogy. Marc finds a favorite new fighting game in Street Fighter V, while Matt enters the battle of Tekken 7. We close out the week with a look back at 2017 and what we hope for Nintendo Switch in 2018. Thanks for listening!

The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2017 concludes with our nominations and awards for:

• Best Score/Soundtrack
• Best Debut
• Most Anticipated
• Hall of Fame
• Game of the Year

It’s been a fantastic year for video games and it made these conversations that much more difficult to have. Congratulations to all of our winners!

Our penultimate day of awards for The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2017 brings us the awards for:

• Best Story
• Most Surprising
• Best Marketing
• Favorite Free Cheese Moment
• Favorite Industry Moment

Here we are with the middle section of our categories. For our third day of The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2017, we vote on:

• 2017’s 2016 Game of the Year
• Best Remaster
• Hottest Mess
• Best DLC/Expansion
• Best Old Game That We Played This Year

With our first day of awards decided and winners crowned, The Free Cheese Game of the Year continues with:

• Favorite In-Game Moment
• Best Multiplayer
• Best Fighting Game
• Best Character
• Best Sound Design

Welcome to The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2017. It’s our pleasure to welcome you on this journey with us as we celebrate the best of video games this year. Our first day features the nominees for:

• I’ll Play It Next Year
• Best Mobile Game
• Best Style
• Biggest Disappointment
• Please Don’t Suck (Next Year)

This week on The Free Cheese, we get money for looking things up. Just on the eve of our Game of the Year conversations, we gather to talk about this week in gaming. Marc wraps up the Resident Evil VII DLC and then dives deep into virtual reality. Ben writes poetry in Doki Doki Literature Club. Matt makes a deal with the devil and somehow finishes Cuphead. Joe goes to hell and leads an army of goblins through monsters and demons in Army Corps of Hell. We talk about what Kojima has to say about Death Stranding, the potential for Battlefield: Bad Company 3, what the NieR: Automata director thinks about Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, and what happens when your girlfriend's dad is better at fighting games than you are.

This week on The Free Cheese, we break collar bones. We start off the show with a history of injuries and we try to figure out what's going on with Spencer's Gifts. Joe wraps up Wolfenstein II and goes deep inside of Everything, while Matt gets to the [E]nding of NieR: Automata and Ben finds a new realm of DLC in Fallout: New Vegas. We talk about new Capcom anniversaries and collections that were announced this week, along with a lot of little news about From Software. We recap some of the highlights of the Game Awards and bring it to a close with PlayStation Experience.

This week on The Free Cheese, who is the richest company in Japan? Matt wraps up the [B]eginning of the end of NieR: Automata and starts to see where the game is going. Marc tries Sonic Forces Speed Battle but instead takes someone else's phone in Simulacra. Ben joins the Literature Club and finally goes to hell in glorious 144Hz, seeing DOOM in all of its glory. Joe returns to the PlayStation 2 in spirit with ReCore and joins Matt in an adventure through South Park. We talk about PUBG coming to Xbox One and how the PS2 is alive in some ways on the PS4. We learn about Nintendo cereal, now featuring amiibo features in the box. All of this and more in another fantastic episode of The Free Cheese.

This week on The Free Cheese, oh yeah, one more thing. As we polish off our Thanksgiving leftovers, Joe hops into Super Bomberman R and joins the Doki Doki Literature Club, Marc hears good music in Super Mario Odyssey and has AIM conversations in Emily is Away, and Matt joins a game show in Madden before saving the US in Wolfenstein II. We talk a bit about our experience and collective thoughts on Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, and where we want to see the next game go. We learn about Valkyria Chronicles 4, Splatoon 2 updates, how music is localized, and ultimately we tread lightly across a potential reveal for Devil May Cry V.

This week on The Free Cheese, lean on me when you're not strong. We have a big episode this week. As the end of the year approaches, we have all been catching up on a lot of games. Along the way, Ben finishes Stories Untold, Marc gets not too specific about his horrific encounter with a visual novel, Joe hears voices in his head (in more ways than one), and Matt plays soccer with cars in the palms of his hands. We discuss the recent fun surrounding Electronic Arts, along with some surprise updates to Super Bomberman R, Mario movies, and other upcoming video game movies starring Dwayne Johnson.

This week on The Free Cheese, it's cold again. Joe, Marc, and Ben are here to lament growing older and talk about Buckethead (obviously). Marc recently picked up a PlayStation VR and survived his night inside Resident Evil 7. He's learned how to say, "Hello, Neighbor," and has no nose troubles with VR. Joe had hidden his game by mom and discovers the charm of developer hap Inc. games, while struggling to find a strong impact in Horizon: Zero Dawn. Ben remembers what it's like to play Counterstrike and what it's like to have really cool people to play it with. Then, he falls in love with Stories Untold Episode 3 in a whole new way. We talk about what it's like to publish physical games as a small publisher, creating modern arcade machines, how to buy a video game developer with the money from closing another, and which games might be coming to Nintendo Switch next year. Finally, we of course talk about the four turtles in the room. The ones that just dropped into our favorite superhero fighting game.

This week on The Free Cheese, he has a what? Ben has a surprise for us all, Joe brought nothing back from New York, Matt is looking at Nashville, and Marc can't save us from this nightmare. We played more Super Mario Odyssey and we can't stop finding moons and going back to discover what we missed. We check in with Shadow of War and learn that despite the grind, Matt is still in love with it. Ben gets really into Stories Untold: Episode 2 and wants more of it. Marc plays a bit of Flinthook and gets to digging in Blaster Master Zero as Shovel Knight. Joe plays Everything and begins to learn the secrets of the universe. We talk briefly about Nintendo's financial briefing and the future of Switch. Then, we recap what we learned from PlayStation's Paris Games Week showcase and why sometimes even a little bit is too much. Finally, we speculate on what is likely already old news and hope for our dreams to come true by WB Montreal and Rocksteady.

This week on The Free Cheese, we go to New Donk City for real. Super Mario Odyssey is finally here and we've collectively fallen in love with it. We also talk about Middle-earth: Shadow of War and how it feels to approach the endgame. We travel to an alternate timeline where the outcome of WW2 was a little different and it's time to fix things in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Then, we learn about a new card game that passed us by that seemingly has everything we've been looking for in Eternal. Joe, Matt, Marc, Ako, and Ben are here to discuss GameCube controllers on Switch, new Hitman content, updates to The Master Chief Collection, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and oh so much more. Strap in for a long one, and Happy Halloween.

This week on the Free Cheese, 204863. Matt and Joe recant the moments Matt recently spent playing P.T. and how a good old-fashioned pretzel dog can change your world. We hear about the Tim Burton bug nightmares found in Hollow Knight, the evolution of tactical loot boxes in Rainbow Six Siege, and how good it feels to change up the way you fight in Middle-earth: Shadow of War. During our news segment, we discuss the closure of Visceral Games and the ever-confusing future of Amy Hennig, tiny controllers, shiny Super Nintendos, and logos. Yes, logos.

This week on The Free Cheese, Marc's got some 'splainin to do. We're throwing it back to the days long ago with a long podcast and a lot of voices. First, we hear about the addiction of Destiny 2 from Marc and our guest Joe. Matt talks all about the end to Danganronpa without spoilers and really likes how Uncharted Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is. Ben thought he was done with Fallout: New Vegas DLC until he wasn't. We also hear about Marc and Matt's first tastes of NieR: Automata and a bit of thought on Mario + Rabbids from two different Joes. Then, it's a lot of Metroid: Samus Returns as we celebrate the return to one of our favorite franchises. Naughty Dog loses a longtime employee, Nintendo doesn't want you to buy from scalpers, and a whole lot of games are on the way to 3DS and Switch. Get ready. Metallica. High five.

This week on The Free Cheese, we go all over the place. Marc breaks the blood oath he didn't know existed when he buys Destiny 2 and becomes a sweat goblin. Matt goes back to high school to murder his classmates and get away with it in Danganronpa. Joe revives the Vita and explores the weirdness of Touch My Katamari - accidentally triggering Ben's deep hatred. Ben smelled the chicken but got shot in the neck before tasting it, and then he explores a weird TV channel in Fallout: New Vegas. We hear about keyboard and mouse support maybe coming to Xbox One, L.A. Noire's debut on Switch, the potential of Shenmue HD, and how Sonic Mania came to life.

This week on The Free Cheese, we discuss summer. Matt returns from Boston with hot new footage of the terrific motel from last week's episode. Marc is ready for the scary season but starts listening to actual scary stories. Joe cooked a lot of bad meat but lives to tell the story. We hear about Sara is Missing and Darkwood from Marc, and how both vary on the ends of the spooky spectrum. Matt plays a lot of golf on the plane but ultimately he and Joe fall in love with Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle and all of its weird charm and challenge. Finally, we go deep on Suda51 and some of the Nindies Showcase, as well as uncover an interview with the mind behind Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. In the end, we say goodbye to Miiverse as we count down to its final days.

This week on The Free Cheese: We're popping our thips. Joe, Marc, and Ben are here to talk about motels and frozen drinks from drive thru restaurants. We hear from Ben about Player Unknown's Battlegrounds and how it will influence new trends in gaming. Marc checks in with the latest in Hitman with a Hammer and our run of Sonic Generations. Joe spends a week with Final Fantasy, in so many ways, and is ready to tell you about three different games. During Show and Tell, we talk about the Secret of Mana remake, Azure Striker Gunvolt's Switch release, and Darkwood's certified spookiness.

This week on The Free Cheese: We take down our original pig squeal video. Join Joe, Matt, and Ben to discuss the beginnings of YouTube, Manny Macchiato, playing in two bands, and the Danger Friends. We hear from Ben about Fallout: New Vegas and the PC troubles that plague Night Trap. Matt prepares for The International 8 with his Sniper and returns to find a Nightmare in Prey. Joe relives his childhood for the first time since Shovel Knight with Sonic Mania. We talk about the delay of Crackdown 3 and why that's okay and terrible altogether. Then, we learn the true fate of the Mass Effect series.

This week on The Free Cheese: We discover the deep web. Marc returns from a roller coaster adventure and shares the stories of amusement park nightmares. Matt looks forward to a trip to Boston and recants his first encounter with a horse. Joe finds a new face to horrify the children with and is excited to play his Switch on a plane. In Now Playing, we talk about Hacknet and why it changes the way you think, Ys Origin and its low-poly love affair, and how Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow has become the go-to game on the DS. Then, we talk about cool job offers, The International 7, and indie games coming to Switch.

This week on The Free Cheese: Who the fuck is Amy? Join us as we discuss when and how kids should start playing video games. We debate the bad side of playing video games and what impact it can have on a child's societal behaviors. Then, we talk about the benefits of playing games growing up, and how they can better our development and sharpen our minds- as well as the lessons we learn by playing them. We hear about dads who play Rocket League and new news about Sonic Forces. Marc tells us about a new indie game on Switch called Slime-san. Joe talks about Sonic Generations and returning to the 20th anniversary title an few years later. Matt celebrates one hundred hours of MLB The Show.

This week on The Free Cheese: VFD

It's all about the 3DS this week as we discuss our favorite games for the console, just in time for the New Nintendo 2DS XL. Longtime listener, first time guest Ben joins us to talk about DOOM, Slayer, and FMV games that create legislature.

We talk about the Metroid amiibo content, an update to Metal Gear Solid V, cancelled SNES preorders, and the return of Night Trap.

Plus, we talk about Hitman, Splatoon 2, Prey, Friday the 13th, Dark Seed II demos, The Deed, and so much more in this packed episode.

Save this episode This week on The Free Cheese: We don't get cooked. We briefly recap what you missed from last week's episode after our hard drive failed. Then, we talk about Comic Con and why DC is doing it right (and why it's okay to like whatever you like). Marc almost escapes a room and then find out that That's You! Then, he finds our how to escape from a Resident Evil 7 bedroom. Matt meets the Old Hunters in a river of blood and then becomes a can in Prey. Joe solves puzzles in the third dimension in Picross 3D Round 2, while revisiting Bloodborne in search of a shiny trophy. We all spent the better part of the weekend in different parts of Splatoon 2 and we're here to tell you why the game is great. Finally, we wrap up by creating a list of the games that we recommend for Matt as he enters the 3DS family later this week with the launch of the New Nintendo 2DS XL.

This week on The Free Cheese: You can email us a new car!

We gather to share our mutual excitement for Splatoon 2 and its upcoming release. We also talk about the new Castlevania series and where we'd like to see it go.

Matt finds himself a new platinum trophy and can't play anything else. Marc tries a MOBA and thinks he likes it. Joe plays through more indie games on Switch and wants more.

We also discuss the hidden NES emulator on Switch, Platinum Games teasing, and why bad games become bad games.

This week on The Free Cheese: So it's come to this. Matt returns from a beach vacation with gifts of summer for Joe and Marc. He's also been busy with a recent remaster of Crash Bandicoot, while Prey looms in the distance. Marc talks about some Friday the 13th glitches and reminds us of a time when we all wanted to be detectives with Hotel Dusk: Room 215. Joe returns to the Switch to renew his commitment with the console and finds himself exploring the best of independent development on the Switch, from Mighty Gunvolt Burst to Gonner. Finally, we talk about the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic Edition and try to temper our expectations early. We do the math so you don't have to and figure out how the $80 price tag makes perfect sense. Surprisingly, Mother 3 is only brought up three times. Or so...

This week on The Free Cheese: We're so close to the rooftop. After a brief check-in with 2003, Marc and Joe catch up on birthday parties at motel houses and TV shows based in the 1980s. We hear some resonating thoughts and feelings about E3, and mostly revel in the quiet times. We talk about Sega Forever, and where we hope the new initiative is going to take Sega in the future. Then, we share some excited thoughts about the new Noclip documentary about Final Fantasy XIV. Marc spent his week trying the Switch in new locations and going online with Killing Floor 2. Meanwhile, Joe finally takes the threats to the next level and starts playing Lightning Returns.

This week on The Free Cheese: Who would want to play that? As we begin the countdown to E3 2018, we're happy to have recovered from the E3 flu of 2017. Joe and Matt are joined by Sandeep to talk about the best and worst parts of E3 and discuss the stories being crafted by each console manufacturer. We catch up on what we've been playing recently, and we're all over the place. Sandeep has fallen back in love with pre-rendered backgrounds and polygonal sprites while traversing through Zenogears. Joe found a new type of rivalry that led to his purchase of Arms. Matt thought it was almost over but Mass Effect: Andromeda just won't quit. Finally, we talk about the impact of some of the strange things being spouted by one of PlayStation's bosses and how it seems that PlayStation is sounding too much like it did in 2005. We don't want second jobs... Save this episode

This week on The Free Cheese: We celebrate an anniversary. It's been two hundred episodes and almost five years. We begin the show with a little reminiscing and rediscovery of where we started and how we've grown. We briefly share what we've been playing, from Arms to Mass Effect: Andromeda, Injustice 2 and World of Warcraft. Then, the true show begins as we predict what will come of E3 2017. We first share our thoughts about what EA, Bethesda, then Ubisoft will offer up this year at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo. Finally, we close the show with five predictions each on what Microsoft, PlayStation, and Nintendo will hopefully impress us with during each presentation. Thank you to everyone for listening and thank you to everyone who has helped us get to 200 episodes.

This week on The Free Cheese: is that a fidget spinner? We get really excited about Castlevania making its debut on Netflix later this summer, while trying to figure out when Kingdom Hearts III is coming out. Matt climbs the ranks to rookie in Dota 2 while Joe calls it quits. Matt also learns how to hack computers in Hacknet. Marc gets violent with Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers and then trains Magikarps to jump. Joe tries out ARMS and sees what strategy lies within the Nintendo fighter.

Save this episode This week on The Free Cheese: we beat up superheroes. We recap the latest Nintendo Direct, detailing ARMS and a look into the Splatoon 2 single player. We also talk a bit about Devolver joining the E3 press conference game. Matt loses a few times but still remains dedicated to Dota 2. Marc really hates Digimon World: Next Order but loves Odinsphere a lot. Joe returns from a small island vacation to find out how Injustice 2's story mode is turning out and what gear means in a fighting game.

This week on The Free Cheese: It's Okay. We gather again to discuss rapping rabbits, Square Enix's dismissal of IO, and an uncovered Sonic the Hedgehog skateboarding game. Joe goes mobile with Injustice 2 and finds himself back inside of Metroid: Other M again. Matt is enjoying Mass Effect: Andromeda, especially how it ties into a companion app. Marc finally gets his license and goes for a ride in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. For some reason, Matt and Joe started playing DOTA 2, and we're not sure what that means just yet...

This week on The Free Cheese: we get high. We talk about DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Bomberman R and why one is easier to swallow than the other. We also discuss an all but confirmed Mario RPG coming later this year. Marc kills a bunch of anthropomorphic rats in Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide and then spends weeks playing the Switch. Exploring the depths of the eShop, Marc discovers the hidden gems hiding between major Nintendo releases; everything from Mr. Shifty to Kamiko and Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. Matt grows weed in potential mobile game of the year, Wiz Khalifa's Weed Farm- at least when he's not carving out first place on his thirtieth consecutive race on Baby Park in Mario Kart 8. Finally, all of the high resolution stages in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have Joe wishing for new Nintendo games on Switch, leading him to revisit Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon on 3DS. Joe completed each true ending to NieR: Automata and is left with a lot more to consider.

This week on The Free Cheese: We get all fiscal and what not. Joe and Matt play enough Puyo Puyo Tetris to establish its firm lock as Nintendo Switch game of the year. Then, enough Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to also confirm it as Nintendo Switch game of the year. NieR: Automata continues to impress Joe as he plays through it for the third time and opens up what is essentially a sequel to the game hidden within the game itself. Matt finds an end to his master quest but is yet to truly walk away from the other Nintendo Switch game of the year, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Then, he goes online with MLB The Show 17 and trades baseball cards with strangers. Finally, we talk about Nintendo's recent fiscal year earnings report and what the projection for the next year looks like. This episode includes one conversation about the New Nintendo 2DS XL.

This week on the Free Cheese: we design a 16-bit console for Christmas. Matt plays Hearthstone again. He also screams at a hockey game and makes a return to Breath of the Wild. Sandeep accidentally bought a PlayStation VR for Resident Evil 7, but finds the immersion too dizzying to continue. Joe beat NieR: Automata 3 out of 26 times and fell completely in love with the ever-evolving story. Together, we discuss the discontinuation of the NES Classic along with the new rumors that a SNES Classic is on the way. One by one, we list our picks for which games we'd like to see.

This week on The Free Cheese: Yes. No. Maybe. I Don't Know. Could you repeat the question? There was a new Nintendo Direct! We recap what Nintendo announced, including release dates for ARMS and Splatoon 2, as well as the surprises along the way. We talk about the approach to the Nintendo Switch launch window and how surprisingly smooth it appears to be going. Joe tries out Drawn to Death but is not good at it. Instead, he finds himself in the middle of a Super Nintendo renaissance on the 3DS, with A Link to the Past and Super Mario World. Marc plays 1-2-Switch with his mom and loses in Quick Draw. A little more Breath of the Wild and a little more Snipperclips are still no replacement to Yooka-Laylee, which Marc couldn't play... Matt goes for Ganon after realizing the need to complete the game. Between playoff games, he's busy playing cards again.

Save this episode This week on The Free Cheese: Taco Bell for Breakfast?! We go to the flea market and get old video games. Marc dances on the toilet and says that Blaster Master Zero is better than it looks. Matt does a terrible thing but learns how to automate MLB The Show 17. Joe struggles to find something to play other than Breath of the Wild, and we can all agree on that. We discuss alpaca farms, M2, independent development on the Nintendo Switch, and anime malware. We ask, "Where is the Virtual Console?" Finally, we talk about the Video Game History Foundation and some of the rad things that have surfaced this week.

This week on The Free Cheese: We cry at the Wonder Woman theme.

Joe, Matt, and Marc gather around to discuss Rocket League on Switch, Ryan Reynolds, Canada, and something called "baseball." We learn about where our species comes from and why our opinions on movies matter- or don't matter- who cares?

Marc continues through some of The Legend of Zelda:Breath of the Wild and shares his thoughts on a new deal at Taco Bell. He also details the process behind the creation of our latest cover story.

Joe finds aliens in NieR: Automata... kind of... and after returning to a little bit of Breath of the Wild finds himself with a copy of A Link to the Past on his 3DS.

Matt begins his adventure in Mass Effect: Andromeda and sees how different this world is from the previous games. After trying to make a new planet, he brings it local with some hometown excitement for America's favorite pastime.

This week on The Free Cheese: Snoop Dogg smokes Battlefield!

Matt cracks open a celebratory can to commemorate another shiny, platinum trophy. Then, he goes downtown to the hot spot and he won't stop playing Rocket League Dropshot.

Marc prepares himself for battle as he approaches the second divine beast in Breath of the Wild, but he's come up with a fantastic new idea for a Zelda RTS.

Joe blows the pants off of 2B in NieR: Automata and questions what it is to be a human. He also rides the emotional rollercoaster that is Let It Die once more before taking another little hiatus.

We talk about the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire event and we learn about year over year loss and how it leads to stores closing. Then, we talk about Bloodstained on Switch and Yooka-Laylee 64 cartridges.We discuss the rumors of a new PS4 model, why it should be a Vita successor and what it all means for E3.

This week on The Free Cheese: Die, spider, die!

Marc returns to share tales of Hyrule as he and Joe reminisce on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Marc just finished the first temple and Joe, well, finished a bit more...

Matt spent thirty hours playing side missions but somehow managed to uncover the next beats of the story in Horizon: Zero Dawn as he finds out a little more about the title of the game.

We also share stories of the blizzard, fun with cars, Sonic the Hedgehog excitement, and teach you how to throw batteries.

This week on The Free Cheese: and then there were two.

Matt and Joe discuss snowstorms, grocery shopping, and weird movies about dentists. We celebrate having a car and the ability to get haircuts anytime we want to.

Matt learns a little more about the backstory in Horizon: Zero Dawn, while losing himself to the wild lands. Then, he tries to convince Joe on why Disc Jam is the next Rocket League. Spoilers: it worked.

Joe makes his way through the third temple in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, continually impressed with the game. He also finishes Specter of Torment, the latest in the Shovel Knight series.

This week on The Free Cheese: We get lost in Hyrule.

The Nintendo Switch is finally in our hands. We've spent the entire weekend playing and have stories to share.

First, we catch up with Marc and River City Ransom: Underground, and then Matt tells us about the land after time in Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Matt and Joe share the tale of camping outside for six hours to get their hands on the Switch, while Marc shares the woes of 8-player Bomberman.

We talk about our first impressions of Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment, Super Bomberman R, Fast Racing RMX, and 1-2-Switch!

Finally, we close out the show with some broad discussion (and spoiler-free) of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

This week on The Free Cheese: we show some love to the Vita.

Matt is counting down the seconds until Horizon: Zero Dawn while Marc and Joe hold fingers in their ears and look toward Friday's release of the Nintendo Switch.

We hear how Marc attempts a loose speedrun of a neon murder nightmare and how the Final Fantasy 30th anniversary has its hooks in both Matt and Joe- six, seven, maybe ten different ways...

We talk about our favorite games on the PlayStation Vita as it celebrates its fifth year in our lives.

Finally, we know that the Switch is next for Nintendo, but what's NEXT for Nintendo?

This week on The Free Cheese: Marc becomes February.

After only a few short months, Matt has earned the platinum trophy in Bloodborne. Without the desire to play anything else, he struggles to find something to play, bouncing from Rocket League to his seventh attempt at Final Fantasy VII.

Together, he and Joe wander the wasteland in Gunman Taco Truck and take control of PlayStation's finest in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, while Marc gets his head stuck in Gang Beasts.

Marc plays Ultimate Chicken Horse with some friends and later brings the end to Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows.

We discuss a recent interview with Miyamoto, the changes coming to PlayStation Now, and a recently published PlayStation patent that switches things up a bit...

This week on The Free Cheese: We get a Reggie-back ride.

Marc and Joe went to a Nintendo event and played the Nintendo Switch. Matt asks a series of lightning round questions regarding the Switch, the games, and the event. We tell you everything we experienced in full graphic detail.

We also hear the stories of Final Fantasy XV glitches that leave us able to wander through a frozen moment in time, why Bloodborne is better the second time around, and how Resident Evil 7 can only be played in VR.

This week on The Free Cheese: We meet our biggest, like, fan.

Joe, Marc, and Dashe are here to share all of the details on how many orbs it takes to get your favorite hero in Fire Emblem Heroes. Make no butts about it, we love NieR: Automata.

Joe finds Michelle Pfieffer's claws in Let It Die as he passes the twentieth floor. Dashe dresses his character up in new outfits as he murders demons in Tales of Berseria. Marc visits Y'ALL MART on his way north in Death Road to Canada.

Finally, we talk about the absolutely abhorrent nonsense that plagues GameStop employees this week, curious to see what will come next.

This week on The Free Cheese: Dead I am the one, exterminating son.

Gather round as Marc tells the tales of Resident Evil 7 in virtual reality, detailing his harrowing escape from the clutches of death.

Matt finds a new nightmare in Bloodborne and hasn't decided if it's time to try to defeat it or remain hiding.

Joe runs in circles for a while until finding new escalators in Let It Die, but still can't find the right stuff for new weapons.

We talk about the Nintendo Switch specifications and developer thoughts, as well as some new information about Splatoon 2. We close it out with a check into the state of the internet and how everything has become g a r b a g e.

 

This week on The Free Cheese: Marc kills Callie.

We return to the basics with our regularly scheduled Now Playing. Marc returns to Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows, Matt finds weird things in Bloodborne, and Joe defeats a man with nails for a beard in Let It Die.

During Show and Tell, we talk about the latest Nintendo Direct, all about Fire Emblem.

This week on The Free Cheese: We get all Switched up on our way to New Donk City.

Marc spent his last week running through the random games installed on his 3DS while Matt edged his way through another nightmare section in Bloodborne. Joe thinks he finally understands Let It Die as he makes it a few floors higher and discovers the Jackals.

After the break, we delve into the entire Nintendo Switch Presentation and react to what Nintendo showed off on January 12. 

This week on The Free Cheese: We go to McDonald's five years ago.

Joe starts us off with a tale from a New York trip several years back and we listen to a woman eat ice cream.

We spent some time in the last week playing Diablo III, Bloodborne, and Frog Fractions, and yes, we're pretty sure it's 2017.

Lastly, we make predictions about the upcoming Nintendo Switch presentation.

This week on The Free Cheese: we know what happens next.

Joe, Marc, and Matt gather in the new year to talk about what is going to happen over the next twelve months. We, along with some friends, make five predictions each about the world of video games in the year 2017.

Since we last met, Matt finally entered the world of Bloodborne and began to learn what makes it so great. Marc served drinks and lived in the future, convincing us all to buy VA-11 HALL-A. Joe gets back to the basics with Street Fighter V.

We recommend some games to purchase in the final moments of the Steam Winter Sale, and share some plans for The Free Cheese in 2017.

The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2016 comes to an end with Day 5 of voting.

Joe, Marc, Matt, and Dashe discuss the nominees for the fifth and final round of Game of the Year categories.

This episode includes the awards for:

• Most Surprising
• Best Score/Soundtrack
• Best Old Game That We Played This Year
• Most Anticipated
• Game of the Year

The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2016 continues with Day 4 of voting.

Joe, Marc, Matt, and Dashe discuss the nominees for the fourth round of Game of the Year categories.

This episode includes the awards for:

• Best Single Player
• Most Innovative
• Favorite Industry Moment
• Best DLC/Expansion
• Best Narrative/Story

Here we begin Day 3 of voting for The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2016.

Joe, Marc, Matt, and Dashe discuss the nominees for the third round of Game of the Year categories.

This episode includes the awards for:

• I'll Buy It Again
• Best Friend
• Favorite Free Cheese Moment
• 2016's 2015 Game of the Year

Voting continues in Day 2 of The Free Cheese Game of the Year 2016.

Joe, Marc, Matt, and Dashe discuss the nominees for the second round of Game of the Year categories.

This episode includes the awards for:

• Biggest Disappointment
• Please Don't Suck
• Favorite In-Game Moment
• Best Multiplayer

The Free Cheese proudly presents the first day of Game of the Year 2016 voting.

Joe, Marc, Matt, and Dashe discuss the nominees for the first round of Game of the Year categories.

This episode includes the awards for:

• Best One-Session Game
• Best Toilet Game
• I'll Play It Next Year
• Best Aesthetic/Style

This week on The Free Cheese: we drink the elixir.

Joe and Marc gather around the podcast table to talk about Super Mario Run and how Nintendo's fair plumber is doing on his first outing on our phones.

We also talk about the new game from Grasshopper Manufacture, Let It Die, and how rad this unexpected game turned out to be.

We play a little more Final Fantasy XV, but not enough to find our own Chocobo. 

Finally, we talk about which games we'd like to see get remastered or remade entirely before teasing our game of the year content.

This week on The Free Cheese: We finish a lot of games.

Marc climbs to the top of the tower and finishes The Last Guardian. Matt explores the weird, supernatural sidescrolling of Oxenfree. Joe finds all of the treasure and a brother in Uncharted 4.

We also talk about Overcooked, Need for Speed, and Superhot as we run through some of our end of the year roundups.

We talk about what we would do if we could make our own Marvel vs. Capcom game with other companies and our thoughts on Nintendo's recent late night appearance.

Finally, we share our choices for a holiday buyer's guide, suggesting games for each platform.

This week on The Free Cheese: Ellie is 19.

Matt and Joe finish INSIDE from Playdead, while Marc and Joe start an adventure in Final Fantasy XV. Matt nearly creates spreadsheets to plan for Darkest Dungeon. Marc starts a band in Rock Band 4. Joe finishes Hyper Light Drifter.

We recant the results of the Game Awards and lament some of the performances, then we see how we fared when making predictions for the PlayStation Experience 2016. We discuss every announcement from PSX and get really excited about a new entry in The Last of Us. 

Finally, we discuss our choices for Game of the Year between 2011 and 2015.

This week on The Free Cheese: Marc hates ocarinas.

In anticipation for the third annual PlayStation Experience, we make five predictions (or wishes) for what we expect to see from Sony's fan event.

Joe continued in Fire Emblem Fates, and for some reason started working out with a four-year-old game. Marc beat DOOM and revisited Red Dead Revolver. Matt tested a bunch of game of the year contenders and continued Telltale's Batman in its fourth episode. Marc and Joe share some thoughts on the Final Fantasy XV demo and prepare themselves for the game's release.

We bring our month of Secrets and celebration of The Legend of Zelda's 30th anniversary to a close with a conversation about Skyward Sword, the timeline, and our favorite moments in the franchise history.

This week on The Free Cheese: Wii remember...

Join us this week as we look back on ten years of the PS3 and the Wii, recalling the stories of cold nights waiting in line outside of big box retailers.

We talk a lot about DOOM and why it's one of the best games we've played this year. Matt tells us more about his hockey league in NHL 17. Marc finds a new JRPG from SEGA called 7th Dragon III: VFD that he's fallen in love with and plays a game filled with penises. Joe continues the story in Fire Emblem Fates and chooses a side to fight for in the great war between two families.

This week on The Free Cheese: we say goodbye to a friend.

Gather around as Marc and Joe talk about what it is to be human, and other lessons we've learned from video games. 

We were unable to procure our own NES Classic Editions, so we came together to make our own. We also have some stories from friends who were out on the hunt for Nintendo's new toy.

Joe awakens from one nightmare only to discover another one inside of Marc's Miitomo room. Marc goes walking through The Beginner's Guide and finds himself truly heartfelt after playing That Dragon, Cancer. Joe finds himself torn between two families at war in Fire Emblem Fates.

As Nintendo announces the end of production for the Wii U, we talk about our favorite features and uses of the system in addition to our favorite games on the platform.

This week on The Free Cheese: we want more free stuff.

We share everything we know about the latest update in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and how we feel about the changes added to the game after three years.

Marc forgets who he is and becomes a clerk as he falls (literally) into the world of Job Simulator. He takes the simulation thing to the next level and plays some puzzles to date girls in Huniepop, and then murders things in the bloody beat-em-up Mother Russia Bleeds.

Matt plays a little bit of NHL 17 but mostly runs on the walls in Titanfall 2 and has way too much fun grappling and gunning and laughing his way through the multiplayer modes.

Joe struggles to play three JRPGs at once so instead sees what happens when you scan amiibo figures into Animal Crossing: New Leaf. 

This week on The Free Cheese: we'll provide copies on release day!

We bring our month of monsters to a close with a conversation about Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, our pick for this month's game club.

Matt continues to love Batman: The Telltale Series in the latest episode release and tries the latest in first-person shooter offerings, Battlefield 1 and Titanfall 2. Marc goes to the eShop and brings back Pirate Pop Plus and Gotta Protectors, the latter is the latest from the developers of Streets of Rage 2. Joe goes to hell and doesn't want to leave thanks to the latest DOOM released earlier this year, but finds himself back in  high school in Persona 4.

We try to guess what Nintendo is announcing at the Japanese Animal Crossing Direct, wonder what a new Final Fantasy on mobile looks like, and why Marc fell suddenly in love with Pokémon Sun and Moon.

As companies begin to withhold review copies from media outlets, we discuss what this means for the future of games media and for our purchases. We talk about which companies are already taking steps to control messaging and what we care about in a game review.

This week on The Free Cheese: it's Marc After Darc™

Gather around as Marc and Joe catch up on all things Nintendo Switch. Marc shares his hopes and dreams for Nintendo's new home console that can leave the home, as well as just how happy it makes him.

As we discuss Now Playing, Joe takes us into the World of Final Fantasy and how classic Final Fantasy is given a Pokémon-styled gameplay mechanic. Together, both Marc and Joe try out the new Pokémon Sun and Moon demo, and feel pretty uneven about it.

Marc runs the gambit of flea market DS finds and loses himself inside of PlayStation VR. Joe takes a journey to the suburbs of Japan and becomes a high school student again in Persona 4.

We talk about updates coming to Miitomo and the next time we'll hear about Nintendo Switch officially. After Marc poses a question about box design, we debate the necessity of cartridges and physical media in video games' future.

This week on The Free Cheese Podcast: we turn 3 minutes into 2 hours.

Nintendo announced its newest home console, the Nintendo Switch. Long known by its codename, "NX," the Nintendo Switch is a home console that has the ability to be carried outside of the home and played wherever you go.

Joe and Matt discuss the nature of this new console and pull at every thread possible from the 3 minute trailer shown off by Nintendo.

We discuss the design and look of both the console and its branding, as well as the overall concept of the console. We share our thoughts on the third-party support announced and hinted at by Nintendo as well as what we want from a first-party output. 

We close the show by looking at the Virtual Console on Nintendo Switch, the future of both Wii U and 3DS, and what our dream launch title would be.

What is the new Mario game? Can you play the console on a rooftop? Where can I get new Splatoon haircuts? All of these questions and more are answered inside.

This week on The Free Cheese Podcast: we turn the castle upside down.

Join Joe, Marc, and Matt to discuss the preservation of video games, the retro section in big box retailers, and how the market for old games is created.

Joe goes Japanese with Final Fantasy VI and Dragon Quest VII, Matt heads south in Mafia III, while Marc returns to a favorite land wearing new skin in Plague of Shadows. Joe tries the new horror rhythm game, Thumper. Matt, since last episode, began, played, and completed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. 

Stay tuned for next week, when we talk about the NX reveal for sure, probably, maybe...

This week on The Free Cheese: we learn which games Marc likes.

Joe and Marc are joined by our good friend Matt to talk about why From Software doesn't make Zelda, eSports and mainstream media, and the new Pokémon evolutions.

Matt deletes MLB the Show only to redownload it later. He just wrapped up the latest Deus Ex game, Mankind Divided and gets ready for Mafia III. 

Marc finally gets Galak-Z to run properly on PC and makes it through a few stages, certifying it as a Marc Game™. To kick off our celebration of Castlevania this month, Marc plays through Aria of Sorrow for the first time, wishing he could become Soma Cruz in 2035.

Joe talks about his final review for Slain: Back from Hell, cries some more about the NX, and shares his newfound love for the anime aesthetic of Azure Striker Gunvolt 2.

This week on The Free Cheese, we enter Ultra Reality.

Joe and Marc gather this week to discuss the Nintendo 64 and its twentieth anniversary. We share the stories of receiving ours and the games we got at launch.

Marc plays some Hyper Light Drifter in a glorious 60 frames per second and wonders why he has to in the first place. Joe wants more out of Slain: Back from Hell and finds it in Super Mario 64. While Joe treks deeper into Dragon Quest VII, Marc leaps higher with one hand in Leap Day.

Finally, we talk about how a decade-long rival ended up as a partnership and strong collaboration.

This week on The Free Cheese, we become human.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary in North America next week, we discuss our list of favorite 20 N64 games and some of the games that made the cut. Marc tells us about the time he tricked a child.

We find out if Joe was right about the NX after last week's prediction, and why Marc and Kyle struggle to find enjoyment in thatgamecompany's Journey. We discuss the uniqueness of Journey and how it holds up after almost five years.

Dragon Quest VII is out and so far we've delivered one sandwich. Shovel Knight is still a great game and Plague of Shadows is still a perfect expansion to the original title. Finally, Slain: Back from Hell is released on PS4 and we find out if it feels as great as it looks.

Witness the return of Lightning Round as it leads us into our topic of the week, all about the ethics of VR development and what the future holds for our X-Files episode called "Life."

This week on The Free Cheese, find out more next year. 

Joe and Marc gather to talk about the swath of games that have been delayed and what is the appropriate reaction to disappointment. We look at how positive reinforcement can do a lot of good and how toxic it is when we spew negativity.

We played FAST Racing NEO this week in attempt to fill the F-Zero void that lives in our hearts. We learn that Nintendo has a real level of polish that continues to make its games that much better. Marc makes his hands happy in Drawful 2 and entertains his backtracking brain with Strider on PS4. Joe uncovers 3D models in Picross 3D Round 2, returns to Bloodborne to meet the Old Hunters, and wishes he could kill things amidst blood and black metal...

To celebrate the N64's twentieth birthday, we talk a little about some of the games that have made our countdown list. We bring the show to a close by predicting when the NX will be revealed.

This week on The Free Cheese, we get upgraded.

Joe, Marc, and Kyle gather to discuss the PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 4 Slim, and what those consoles really mean for our market. 

We learn about Nintendo's mobile delays and its new game bringing Mario to the platform. Hyper Light Drifter gets cancelled for Wii U and PS Vita and we talk about why that's okay.

Kyle struggles to find something to play while Joe and Marc race slot cars against people they walk past in the streets. StreetPass updates excite us while Super Mario Maker on 3DS reinvigorates our love for the Wii U version.

This week on The Free Cheese, we just want to be heard!

Joe, Marc, and Dashe gather in a conversation about the classic days of Castlevania and Final Fantasy. We learn about Dashe's gaming history and the first game that he ever beat. We talk about the two very different camps of Final Fantasy fans and how Marc walks the line in between them.

We go a little further into some of the Nintendo Direct announcements, if only to create new conspiracy theories to flood the internet with. What have we already seen from Nintendo that points toward NX? Why are there mobile homes in Animal Crossing and why don't we know anything about the mobile game yet?

Dashe brings some strong insight into No Man's Sky, as someone who entered it without giving into the negativity surrounding it. We try to figure out how a developer can release a huge title and then go completely dark. We then remember why we hate MMORPGs.

Marc wants pants and Marc wants shoes. He wants them separate from one another but he can't get that in Rock Band 4. After finding a face that sort of works, he tries to fight everything in Mystical Ninja, what the big deal is with Paragon, and figures out how to quickly spend too much real money on pretend badges.

Joe uses his New Nintendo 3DS to continue revisiting his 3DS library in a new way, specifically Mario Kart 7, where 3D finally makes a difference. The heart machine continues in Hyper Light Drifter as we make a weird comparison that kind of works.

This week on The Free Cheese, we talk directly to you about Nintendo.

Kyle and Joe close out our month of Metroid coverage with a conversation about Metroid: Zero Mission. We talk about our experience with the game, why every Metroid game should be like this one, and why it's okay that Nintendo is a little strict with the use of its IP.

After a week, Kyle has explored and understands a bit more of No Man's Sky, yet he still is not convinced the game is anything more than he originally thought it to be. Without knowing how much longer he'll stay with it, Kyle still found himself terrified when he landed on a planet that was filled with water and gave him flashbacks to the N64...

Joe bought his New Nintendo 3DS and used it to revisit some old classics and see how they fare. Impressed with how quickly Super Smash Bros. booted up, he put emulation to the test by returning to EarthBound on the small screen. As naturally as it was to return to it, he is just as eager to race around in Mario Kart 7 again.

We highlight a story about a lawyer who left his practice to make an RPG where everyone dies. We throw out some questions for another edition of lightning round. 

Finally, we recap everything from today's Nintendo Direct presentation and share the parts we are most excited about (or not so excited about).

This week on The Free Cheese, we break hard drives!

Marc responds to Kyle and Joe's conversation from last week, adding some insight into where we were last episode. Kyle contradicts himself from last week and finds himself piloting a ship to nowhere. Joe breaks his computer and has to borrow his girlfriend's to record!

We talk about how certain games are like a secret garden to us, and how we've always felt like they were special to us; no one knew about our little secret. Yet today, there's at least one subreddit and twelve t-shirts in the mall that showcase your little secret.

Marc plays some of Team Ninja's Nioh and gets mad at the new slim PS4. Joe raves about Hyper Light Drifter even though he still doesn't understand half of what he's doing.

We close with a brief recap of Metroid Fusion as we near the end of our month of Metroid.

This week on The Free Cheese, Joe and Kyle try to understand discipline and attempt to balance their expectations with reality.

We wonder why No Man's Sky is no more exciting than a trailer, and how difficult it is to create something that still provides thrill and surprise to encourage playground chatter in the modern era.

We look at what makes stories interesting to us and try to uncover why we are so easily dismissive and how we never accomplish anything.

Kyle tells us stories of his recent journey to Philadelphia and Joe trades the secrets of success for a day on the couch.

We create the formula for Nintendo's EarthBound adaptation, discover the games we'll be playing when it snows, and talk about Super Metroid all in under two hours in one of our best episodes ever.

This week on The Free Cheese, Marc and Joe learn to love together forever.

While Kyle is away, Marc and Joe talk about the cancellation of Metroid Dread. The lost game from 2005 remains a mystery but as we look back, we try to understand what it may have meant canonically for the series.

Marc sees red in Doom and sees nothing inside of Metroid Prime: Blast Ball. Joe remains unimpressed with the 2.5D Bloodstained, but gets super spooked in the midst of Metroid Prime.

We talk about the upcoming PS4 revision and what it might mean, as well as new information on the New Nintendo 3DS in North America. We share the games that we wish would've never been cancelled and we take a moment to remember someone who shaped the worlds of Square Enix. 

This week on The Free Cheese, we talk a lot about homeless Mario. 

To start our month of Metroid coverage for the series' 30th anniversary, we briefly discuss our own personal histories with the franchise. We talk about the horror/not horror elements of the games and what makes a great Metroid.

Kyle finds himself riding a bike in circles to hatch more eggs, while Joe plays pretend soccer in Metroid Prime: Blast Ball, and Marc is too young to die so he grabbed himself a copy of Doom to murder monsters.

During Show and Tell, Marc tells us about Prey for the Gods, Kyle hates the Alola region, and Joe tries to describe the NX.

We let a CPU match decide on this month's pick for Game Club and we initiate another thrilling installment of Lightning Round.

Finally, we discuss why 2017 is potentially the year of platformers, looking at the likes of Sonic Mania, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Yooka-Laylee, and Mario NX

Marc bought a PlayStation 4 and Kyle teaches us things we never asked to learn.

This week, Joe and Kyle are playing through Pokémon to complete their respective Pokédexes. Kyle just ran through the Delta Episode for his second time while Joe struggles to hatch the Unown.

Marc played a lot of Overwatch because he doesn't have Rock Band (or Bloodborne) yet, but also found a lot of joy in the challenge and gameplay of Furi.

We welcome the return of Lightning Round with five rapid-fire questions that leave us confused and laughing. Then, Kyle shows us a picture of the Pokémon timeline and we try to make sense of it all.

Finally, we heard about some NX possibilities and we don't really know how to break them apart...

This week, we realize how often we say the word Pokémon in an hour and a half. 

Marc strips out the color of his world and plays a weird, Western version of Hotline Miami in 12 is Better 6. He also uses horses to play solitaire somehow...

Kyle is facing the Elite Four and trespassing charges (Kyle found the one guy not playing Pokémon GO).

Joe gets weird to the beat in Rhythm Heaven Megamix and details the key to the perfect lasagna.

We talk about Animal Crossing: New Leaf getting updated after four years, NX rumors, and teeny, tiny HD NES consoles coming this November.

Pokémon GO is finally here and it is the only thing that we can talk about! At least in the second half of our episode.

This week, Joe, Marc, and Kyle talk about weird neighbors, bleeding ankles, and weird monsters that are crawling in the streets. We decided to save the Pokémon GO conversation until the second half of the show, and spent the first half discussing the other games we've been playing and some of the other topics that have piqued our interest this week.

Joe gave A Boy and His Blob another chance and fell in love with the puzzle platformer and its unique sense of charm and adventure. He also spent a little bit of time realizing that he doesn't know BASIC and should've researched a little bit more.

There's a Kirby Café opening up next month and we wonder what other Nintendo properties will become public venues. We also discuss the potential of Final Fantasy XIII coming to current consoles and the new features shown off for Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon, and the super rad new Pokémon. 

Marc goes on a boat while Joe goes on a tangent.

On this week's episode, Marc finally gets into the head of Psychonauts and bounces his way to the beat in Crypt of the Necrodancer.

We discuss the logistics of crowdfunding games and how game financing has changed how developers are creating what we play.

Joe tries to make sense of A Boy and His Blob but instead joins Marc in Shovel Knight co-op and the Plague of Shadows expansion.

Pokémon GO launches in the middle of our recording but we are unable to log in, so instead we talk about what we've been reading about in a new segment called "Show and Tell."

Listen to us recant the thrilling Q&A section of Nintendo's Annual Shareholder's Meeting as well as what felt like the spiritual successor to Iwata Asks in the form of a chat session about Miitomo from two longtime Nintendo collaborators. 

20 years ago, 151 monsters debuted on the Game Boy. While we didn't get Pokémon in North America for another two years, we still caught the addiction to catch them all.

Joe, Kyle, and Marc spend a few hours talking about Pokémon. We start with the first two titles, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue, sharing our memories of playing the games for the first time and revisiting them on Virtual Console nearly 20 years later. We share our must-have monsters for getting through Kanto, and which ones we think are the dumbest-looking designs.

After an image search goes wrong and we take a brief break, we talk about the upcoming Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. We discuss our favorite of the new Pokémon and make our wishes for new monsters. 

Then, a civil war breaks out over the best Pokémon generation and we bring the episode to a close by naming our favorite Pokémon.