Hardcore Gaming 101

Latest Episodes:

Quest 64 (and Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos!) Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG CONCLUDES! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank the N64's infamous three-dimensional RPG. Then stick around for Queen's Blade: Spiral Chaos, an SRPG that features very distinctive, bouncy visuals!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be WACKY RACES (MAC) — an FMV betting game, based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

Check out what games we've already ranked on the Big Damn List, then nominate a game of your own via five-star review on Apple Podcasts! Take a screenshot and show it to us on our Discord server! Intro music by NORM.

2026 © Hardcore Gaming 101, all rights reserved. No portion of this or any other Hardcore Gaming 101 ("HG101") content/data shall be included, referenced, or otherwise used in any model, resource, or collection of data.

The Final Fantasy Legend (SaGa) (and Half-Life 2: Episode One & Two!) Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG REVS UP SOME CHAINSAWS! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank Square's first handheld RPG. Then stick around for Half-Life 2: Episode One and Half-Life 2: Episode Two, enduring proof that Valve can't count to three!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be THE BOUNCER — Square's early PS2 beat-em-up! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC (and Top Banana!) Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG SOARS TO THE SKIES! Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Saralene, as they discuss and rank the second entry in Nihon Falcom's Trails series. Then stick around for Top Banana, an unrelenting onslaught of audiovisual cacophony!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be DOUBLE SWITCH — the twisting, mechanically-complex spiritual successor to Night Trap! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

Virtual Hydlide (and Marble Drop!) Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG FRAMEDROPS ONWARD! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank an open-world RPG with an arcade-style sensibility. Then stick around as returning special guest Phil Salvador joins for Marble Drop, a puzzle game about dropping all the correct marbles into all of the correct holes!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be PSEUDOREGALIA — a dreamlike 3D platformer that won first place in the Metroidvania Month 19 game jam! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

Lost Dimension (and Diablo!) Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG CONTINUES! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a tactical RPG about saving the world with psychic powers. Then stick around for Diablo, a game that redefined the action-RPG!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be KAISOKU TENSHI: THE RAPID ANGEL — a comedic beat-em-up that can doom you to a bad ending within the first 30 seconds! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

Phantasy Star IV (and Fallout: New Vegas!) Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG ZOOMS ON! Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Ghaleon Unlimited/Chris Hatala, as they discuss and rank the last trace of Phantasy Star's existence as an offline RPG. Then stick around for Fallout: New Vegas, a game about how terrible it would be to deliver mail in a nuclear apocalypse!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be MOON CHILD — a true story about how you have the power to be his friend! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

Popful Mail (Sega CD) (and Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel!) Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

JUNE-JULY OF JRPG HAS RETURNED! Join the HG101 gang, plus returning special guest Ghaleon Unlimited/Chris Hatala, as they discuss and rank Falcom's action-RPG that introduced the world to a new adjective. Then stick around for Neon Genesis Evangelion: Girlfriend of Steel, a visual novel that brings fans exactly what any traumatized mech pilot would want - dating!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be TOBU TOBU GIRL DELUXE — a homebrew Game Boy Color platformer, that teaches us an important lesson about pets and gravity! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

The Citadel (and Magical Date: Doki Doki Kokuhaku Daisakusen!) May 26, 2026

Show notes

FPS Through the Ages draws to an explosive close! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2020s first-person shooter that blends classic and modern FPS elements into a gory cybernetic thrill ride. Then stick around as returning special guest Sean Seanson joins for Magical Date: Doki Doki Kokuhaku Daisakusen, an arcade game about wooing girls based on your ability to do basic math!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be RIPPLE DOT ZERO — a Flash-based penguin platformer, inspired by the 16-bit era! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

SUPERHOT (and Muppet RaceMania!) May 19, 2026

Show notes

FPS Through the Ages moves when you move! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2010s viral hit that attempts to redefine the first-person shooter genre. Then stick around for Muppet RaceMania, a kart racer with a surprising amount of platforming mixed in!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be TRICKY QUIKY GAMES: DIE SUCHE NACH DEN VERSCHOLLENEN SEITEN — an advergame platformer featuring the most famous chocolate milk-promoting rabbit in existence! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.

Half-Life 2 (and 3D Dot Game Heroes!) May 12, 2026

Show notes

FPS Through the Ages brings out the big (gravity) guns! Join the HG101 gang as they discuss and rank a 2000s first-person shooter that brings forth the stunning innovation of chucking objects at an NPC's head. Then stick around for 3D Dot Game Heroes, a 2D-turned-3D Zelda clone that lets you create your own player character!

This weekend's Patreon Bonus Get episode will be BULLETSTORM — a foul-mouthed first-person shooter that has Duke Nukem DLC for some reason! Donate at Patreon to get this bonus content and much, much more!

Follow the show on Bluesky to get the latest and straightest dope.