On the 12th day of Christmas, the Gladiators gave to me, their end-of-year wrap up episode where they talked about the best games we played in 2021.

Games of the Year 2021

Ever since video games went 3D, this genre has flourished to become one of the more dominant types of gameplay. This week we discuss some of our favorite FPSs, and dig up the old "video games are training grounds for mass shootings" argument.

First Person Shooters

We discuss the phenomenon of timed-gameplay and the masochists who engage in it.

Speedrunning

We live in a golden age of gaming, where any title ever released can be ripped, copied and loaded onto any number of modern machines. And it's all made possible thanks to this ingenious method, which is the topic of this week's show.

Emulation

For many, the name Lucas is synonymous with film franchises that we (mostly) love. But for gamers, it represents a quirky sense of humor and refinement of the point-and-click adventure genre. And, of course, a s**t-ton of Star Wars games.

LucasArts

It's our first annual Halloween episode, where we hack and slash our way through some of our favorite games to play during the spooky season.

Halloween Games

A good game can often become great thanks to the colorful characters that play along  with (or against) us. Guest host Luke Hawkins joins us to rank some of our favorite sidekicks and non-playable characters in gaming.

Sidekicks & NPC's

The newest Metroid game is finally upon us, so Jay swings by to give us his initial impressions of the first half of the game. Does it top Super Metroid, or fall closer to Other M? Minor spoilers ahead, but nothing you haven't seen in the trailers.

Metroid Dread - First Impressions

It's been 35 years since the original, and almost 5 years since the last entry in this OG Nintendo series. And with a new 2D sequel just days away, we're taking a look back at all of the games featuring our favorite intergalactic bounty hunter.

Metroid

What dresses in all black, is a master at stealth, carries throwing stars, and is extremely lethal? And also lives in the sewers and eats pizza? And also is Batman (maybe)? The answer is the topic of this week's show, as we explore some of our favorite games starring ninjas.

Games with Ninjas

From organizing falling blocks, to solving intricate Rube Goldberg machines, this week we're talking all about games that tickle your brain and make you feel smarter (or, in some cases, very very dumb).

Puzzle Games

The Nintendo Switch and Valve's forthcoming Steam Deck are the culmination of decades of evolution in portable video game systems. This week we honor the handhelds that paved the way, from the Atari Lynx and Sega Game Gear, to the venerable Nintendo Game Boy and all of its successors.

Handhelds

We're celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nintendo's 16-bit juggernaut, and taking a look back at the hardware, they hype, and of course, the games.

The Super Nintendo

Whether you're slapping a plastic bass in Guitar Hero, or stomping on a grid of colored arrows in Dance Dance Revolution, there's no denying the appeal and popularity of music based rhythm games.

Music and Rhythm Games

Inspired by the recent 2020 Olympics, this week we're tackling the topic of sports games. Special guest Tes Akinpelu tags in, and the crew gives our mini-reviews of The Suicide Squad, Marvel's What if...?, and the trailer for Star Wars: Visions.

Sports Games

What happens when you take the side-scrolling, map-dwelling action of Metroid, and mix it with the RPG elements of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night? Well, you get a genre of video games that continues to iterate some 30 years after the originals.

Metroidvanias

In our first cross-over episode, the hosts of Tara & Ryan's Princess Diaries join us as we take a trip to Toontown to explore some of our favorite games featuring characters from the House of Mouse.

Disney Games

With superhero movies gracing the big screen (and small screens) once again, we're using our x-ray vision to look back at some of the more notable video games featuring our favorite men (and women) in tights.

Superhero Games

By land, by sea or by air, racers have been a staple of gaming since the beginning. This week we explore some of our favorites, ranging from Excitebike on the NES to more recent entries like The Crew 2.

Racing Games

Hey, Listen! It's the 35th anniversary of this beloved franchise, so we're taking a look back at all of the main-line adventures of Link in Hyrule (and beyond). We also delve into what makes this series so special, and where future games will take us.

16-Bit Gladiators

16-Bit Gladiators

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