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Hardcore Gaming 101

HardcoreGaming101.net

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In their own words

Join the HG101 gang as they rank the games YOU nominate in their ever growing list, the Top 47,858 Games of All Time. Brought to you by the one and only HardcoreGaming101.net.

As heard by us

Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026

Detailed play criticism, informed disagreement, and an ever-growing ranking make Hardcore Gaming 101 a lively guide to games famous and obscure.

Hardcore Gaming 101 turns game criticism into a group argument with a destination: each discussion works toward placing a game in an expanding ranking.

Read our full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Trespasser's distant trees become a resolution argument; your nostalgia is invited to testify.

Press play if you want

  • to know why Trespasser's trees turn pixelated at higher resolutions
  • to weigh StarCraft 64's controller compromises against what its port adds
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Talks about

Leisure

Best episodes of Hardcore Gaming 101

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Resident Evil: Survivor (and Starstruck: Hands of Time!)

A brisk look at one strange game, with a later detour into music and guitars.

Hardcore Gaming 101's episode 810 on Resident Evil Gun Survivor is sharpest when it gets into score chasing, time pressure, and the game's tidy lore dumps.

Mouthwashing (and Rusty!)

A careful, dry listen on blame, restraint, and where the game lands in the ranking.

Hardcore Gaming 101 spends this episode on Alone in the Dark 2008, with the talk moving through Central Park, the sandbox stretch, and the way the car can turn into a comic hazard.

Trespasser (Jurassic Park FPS) (and Golden Light!)

A sideways look at two strange games, with hardware quirks doing a lot of the work.

The episode treats Trespasser as a route into one of PC gaming's oddest collisions of ambition and hardware limits, then shifts to a second game that feels more ethereal and a little scattered.

Ever17: The Out of Infinity (and Your Only Move Is HUSTLE!)

A spoiler-aware, detail-heavy discussion of the game's endings, versions, and the business of hiding a twist.

HG101 spends this one on the game's ending machinery, with the messy question of what counts as an epilogue, what the remake added, and how the original version seems built to keep its twist hidden until late.

StarCraft (and Darkwing Duck (NES)!

StarCraft 64 port history and brisk debate keep it moving.

Hardcore Gaming 101 is at its best when it stays on StarCraft 64 and treats the port as more than a curiosity. The useful parts are the control changes, the bundled Brood War expansion, and the extra campaign that connects StarCraft 1 with pieces of StarCraft 2.

Ace Lightning (and Arctic Eggs!)

Odd-game trivia, dry jokes, and enough context to make Urban Yeti feel readable.

The episode works best when it treats Urban Yeti as a strange old release worth unpacking instead of a joke to toss off and move past. The August 16th, 2002 release date, the odd premise, the toll bridge job hunt, and the punishing save system all give the game real shape.

Mace: The Dark Age (and Fashion Police Squad!)

A sharp episode that finds tension in tracking, throws, and the stubborn logic of play.

Hardcore Gaming 101 treats this episode as a close read of a game with its own stubborn logic, moving from the absurd Urban Yeti setup into combat systems that can feel fair one minute and maddening the next.

Space Invaders (and Dog Patch!)

Space Invaders gets handled as arcade history, with cabinet art, tabletop versions, and the color trick front and center.

Hardcore Gaming 101 treats Space Invaders like a compact museum tour, moving from cabinet art and tabletop versions to the colored overlay trick and the odd way a simple shooter kept picking up myth around it.

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Episodes

  1. 1

    Space Invaders (and Dog Patch!)

    The hosts delve into the history and impact of Space Invaders, exploring its massive sales, cultural influence, and design origins, while also briefly touching on the lesser-known game Dog Patch.

    ·1h 46m·5 clips
  2. 2

    Dustborn (and Midi-Maze/Faceball 2000!)

    ·2h 9m
  3. 3

    Mega Man (and Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What to Eat?)

    ·2h 4m
  4. 4

    Magic Knight Rayearth (Super Famicom) (and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (Genesis)!)

    ·2h 2m
  5. 5

    Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (and The Cabin Factory!)

    ·2h 1m
  6. 6

    Clock Tower (and Uru/Myst Online!)

    ·2h 28m
  7. 7

    Elevator Action (and Bonanza Bros!)

    ·2h 13m
  8. 8

    Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (and Stranglehold!)

    ·2h 9m
  9. 9

    Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (and maimai!)

    ·2h 17m
  10. 10

    C: The Contra Adventure (and Rollerdrome!)

    ·2h 9m
  11. 11

    Suikoden (and 140!)

    ·2h 15m
  12. 12

    Driver 2 (and Left Alive!)

    ·2h 27m
  13. 13

    Demon Turf (and Super Contra!)

    ·2h 6m
  14. 14

    Ghosts 'n Goblins: Resurrection (and Porsche Challenge!)

    ·2h 23m
  15. 15

    Syphon Filter (and Mat Mania!)

    ·2h 8m
  16. 16

    Rolling Thunder (and Pokemon Puzzle League!)

    ·2h 5m
  17. 17

    Marble It Up! Ultra (and You Have to Burn the Rope!)

    ·1h 32m
  18. 18

    RoboCop: Rogue City (and Anthology of the Killer!)

    ·2h 17m
  19. 19

    Scott Pilgrim (and The Darkness!)

    ·2h 3m
  20. 20

    Caves of Qud (and BurgerTime!)

    ·2h 2m
  21. 21

    Castlevania: The Adventure (and Dee Dee Planet!)

    ·1h 51m
  22. 22

    Command & Conquer: Generals (and MyHouse.wad!)

    ·2h 3m
  23. 23

    Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge (and Moorhuhn Hunter!)

    ·2h 4m
  24. 24

    Contra: Shattered Soldier (and Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style!)

    ·2h 13m
  25. 25

    1 Bit Survivor (and Spy Fox in "Dry Cereal"!)

    ·1h 45m
  26. 26

    Sakura Wars (and Melty Blood: Type Lumina!)

    ·2h 17m
  27. 27

    Mega Man Xtreme (and VIP: Starring Pamela Anderson as Vallery Irons!)

    ·2h 8m
  28. 28

    Monster Train (and Nightmare Ned!)

    ·2h 5m
  29. 29

    Earth Defense Force 6 (and Escape Velocity Nova!)

    ·2h 5m
  30. 30

    LEGO Island (and Nightmare on Elm Street (DOS)!)

    ·1h 34m
  31. 31

    Dark Cloud (and Bubsy 3D!)

    ·4h 40m
  32. 32

    Ever17: The Out of Infinity (and Your Only Move Is HUSTLE!)

    The HG101 podcast reviews the visual novel Ever17: The Out of Infinity, discussing its slow pacing, sci-fi twists, and influence on series like Zero Escape and Steins;Gate, then shifts to analyzing the turn-based fighting game Your Only Move Is Hustle and its legal naming issues.

    ·1h 51m·5 clips
  33. 33

    Ace Lightning (and Arctic Eggs!)

    The HG101 podcast reviews Ace Lightning, a bizarre Game Boy Advance game based on a BBC TV show where video game characters escape into reality, critiquing its poor design and Euro game quirks.

    ·2h 3m·5 clips
  34. 34

    Cyberswine (and Ape Out!)

    The HG101 podcast reviews Cyberswine, a 1997 FMV game based on an obscure Australian comic, discussing its bizarre graphics, technical quirks, and the publisher's short-lived business model.

    ·1h 25m·5 clips
  35. 35

    Trespasser (Jurassic Park FPS) (and Golden Light!)

    The hosts dive into Trespasser, a notoriously ambitious and flawed Jurassic Park FPS from 1998, exploring its troubled development, innovative physics, and cult status.

    ·2h 15m·5 clips
  36. 36

    Penny's Big Breakaway (and Where the Water Tastes Like Wine!)

    ·2h 24m
  37. 37

    StarCraft (and Darkwing Duck (NES)!

    The HG101 podcast ranks StarCraft and Darkwing Duck (NES) in their ongoing list.

    ·2h 3m·5 clips
  38. 38

    Mouthwashing (and Rusty!)

    The HG101 crew reviews two games: Mouthwashing, a surreal horror adventure with PS1-style graphics and psychological themes, and Rusty, a 1993 PC-98 Castlevania clone featuring a female monster hunter.

    ·2h 15m·5 clips
  39. 39

    The House of the Dead (and Britney's Dance Beat!)

    The hosts rank video games nominated by listeners, with this episode featuring a discussion on Mortal Kombat.

    ·1h 50m
  40. 40

    Mace: The Dark Age (and Fashion Police Squad!)

    The HG101 crew ranks Mace: The Dark Age, discussing its place in Western fighting game history, flawed 3D mechanics, and edgy 90s design, then shifts to Fashion Police Squad, a non-violent FPS with unique fashion-crime-solving gameplay.

    ·1h 52m·5 clips
  41. 41

    Major Havoc (and Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters!)

    The HG101 gang ranks video games nominated by listeners, with a humorous discussion about game openings and a Patreon plug.

    ·1h 16m
  42. 42

    BioShock 2 (and Fights in Tight Spaces!)

    The hosts discuss a Patreon bonus episode about the Tiger LCD handheld game Gauntlet and promote their ranking of the top 47,858 games.

    ·1h 53m
  43. 43

    Super Star Wars (and Trampoline Terror!)

    The hosts rank and discuss video games, with a focus on retro titles and listener nominations.

    ·1h 51m
  44. 44

    Scramble & Super Cobra (and Anteater!)

    The HG101 gang ranks and discusses video games nominated by listeners, with a focus on their top 47,858 games list.

    ·1h 39m
  45. 45

    Wanted: Dead (and Pursuit Force!)

    The HG101 gang ranks and discusses video games nominated by listeners, with a bonus episode tease about a disappointing NES game called Metal Mech.

    ·2h
  46. 46

    Dokyusei: Bangin' Summer (and Impossible Mission!)

    The hosts rank listener-nominated video games in a humorous, opinionated countdown, with a Patreon plug and banter about fighting game characters.

    ·1h 51m
  47. 47

    Excite Truck (and Scooter's Magic Castle!)

    The hosts rank video games nominated by listeners, with this episode featuring Mortal Kombat and its development history.

    ·1h 42m
  48. 48

    Ty the Tasmanian Tiger (and Crimsonland!)

    The HG101 crew reviews Ty the Tasmanian Tiger, discussing its development by Chrome Studios, gameplay as a 3D platformer, and cultural impact in Australia, with chaotic humor and debates.

    ·2h·5 clips
  49. 49

    Buckshot Roulette (and Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia!)

    The hosts review and rank Buckshot Roulette, a Soviet-inspired horror game about shotgun Russian roulette, praising its aesthetics but critiquing its tedious animations.

    ·2h 16m·5 clips
  50. 50

    Resident Evil: Survivor (and Starstruck: Hands of Time!)

    The HG101 crew reviews Resident Evil Survivor, a light gun spin-off from 2000, discussing its unique movement mechanics, controversial title change post-Columbine, and bizarre enemy designs.

    ·2h 39m·5 clips
  51. 51

    Roboquest (2023) (and Planetfall!)

    The hosts promote their Patreon and discuss the game Alex Kidd in High Tech World as part of their ongoing ranking of the top 47,858 games of all time.

    Apr 14, 2026·1h 51m
  52. 52

    Sonic Dreams Collection (and 20 Minutes Till Dawn!)

    Apr 7, 2026·2h 11m
  53. 53

    Super Mario Bros. (1993) (and D.O.A.: Dead or Alive (2006)!)

    Apr 1, 2026·2h 7m
  54. 54

    Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (and Gearheads!)

    The episode begins with a mental health fundraiser ad and a Patreon pitch, then transitions into a discussion about the Powerpuff Girls reboot as a taste of bonus content.

    Mar 31, 2026·1h 52m