The Free Cheese Episode 658: WWE: SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 This week on The Free Cheese, now we're running the show. As the WWE series makes its debut on the next generation (in 2006), we see what's different and what this era in simulation wrestling has to offer. We each take on the role of GM and work through a season of broadcast to find a new champion. Reviews Joe…

The Free Cheese Episode 658: WWE: SmackDown vs. Raw 2007

This week on The Free Cheese, now we're running the show. As the WWE series makes its debut on the next generation (in 2006), we see what's different and what this era in simulation wrestling has to offer. We each take on the role of GM and…

The Free Cheese Episode 657: Resident Evil Requiem This week on The Free Cheese, sorry, but we're not on the menu. We set a new record for release time to ranking with Resident Evil Requiem, adding it to The List just over a month since its release. We discuss what makes Requiem different while still maintaining the series, how it drives the story forward, and share our favorite one-liners from Uncle Leon.

The Free Cheese Episode 657: Resident Evil Requiem

This week on The Free Cheese, sorry, but we're not on the menu. We set a new record for release time to ranking with Resident Evil Requiem, adding it to The List just over a month since its release. We discuss what makes Requiem different while…

The Free Cheese Episode 656: Ecco the Dolphin This week on The Free Cheese, let's push blocks against the current. We finally explore the depths of the ocean, taking control of Ecco the Dolphin in his titular adventure. We struggle with the game's difficulty but find ourselves continually enamored with its narrative and ambition. Matt finds the one change that could fix the game and we check in on the latest in clear-colored sodas.

Swim with us into the world of #EccotheDolphin! It's time to save the world and discover the ancient secrets of the Vortex.

The Free Cheese Episode 655: First Quarter, 2026 This week on The Free Cheese, pretend it's season 9. We take a break from the weekly ranking of video games to reflect on the first quarter of the year. We discuss the games we've played for fun that we haven't talked about on the show, some of the news stories that have made an impact in 2026 so far, and then we reflect on the games we've added to The List.

The Free Cheese Episode 655: First Quarter, 2026

This week on The Free Cheese, pretend it's season 9. We take a break from the weekly ranking of video games to reflect on the first quarter of the year. We discuss the games we've played for fun that we haven't talked about on the show, some of the…

The Free Cheese Episode 654: James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire This week on The Free Cheese, there's no movie? Just in time for the delayed release of the latest 007 video game, we wander back to the early 2000s to explore Agent Under Fire. We discuss the various mission types, how gadgets play into gameplay, and what makes a good James Bond video game. Then, we rank this entry on The List.

Although the new #007 game isn't launching this week, our podcast covering the series' first outing on PlayStation 2 is. Join us as we discuss our time playing #AgentUnderFire and see how it holds up today.

The Free Cheese Episode 653: Vanquish This week on The Free Cheese, I'm gonna make these cigarettes disappear. We take control of Sam and find out what happens when Shinji Mikami directs PlatinumGames' Bayonetta reimagined with some Gears of War. If that sounds like a lot of things happening at once, you haven't played Vanquish. Reviews Joe I picked up Vanquish a long time ago and never finished it, so I was excited when Matt added it to The List this season.

It's time for #ShinjiMikami's Vanquish to join The List!

The Free Cheese Episode 652: F1 Race Stars This week on The Free Cheese, it's kind of like F-Zero but not in zero gravity. We're traveling back to a peculiar video game entry in the F1 series of video games, where its main developer Codemasters merged the world of F1 with kart racing. Just in time for the start of the season, we take a tour around the world of F1 Race Stars and then rank it on The List.

Just in time for the start of the #F1 season, we check out #F1KartRacers to see how reality translates to kart racing.

The Free Cheese Episode 651: Marathon This week on The Free Cheese, I'm only here for the bumper sticker. Just ahead of the launch of a long-awaited successor, we check out Bungie's Marathon from 1994 for an introduction to the series and what would inspire not only the upcoming extraction shooter, but what led to the world of Halo. We discuss our time with the game and reflect on other first-person shooters on…

Just before #Marathon launches this week, we play the first game from #Bungie's series to see how much of it holds up and will translate into the new game.

The Free Cheese Episode 650: Jumping Flash This week on The Free Cheese, how high can you get? A true PlayStation classic joins The List this week as we discover Jumping Flash for our 650th episode. We discuss its release contextually against its contemporaries, share our time spent with the game, and talk about how it embodies the spirit of PlayStation. Reviews Joe Jumping Flash feels like a game that was ahead of its time, yet still arrived right when it needed to…

The Free Cheese Episode 650: Jumping Flash

This week on The Free Cheese, how high can you get? A true PlayStation classic joins The List this week as we discover Jumping Flash for our 650th episode. We discuss its release contextually against its contemporaries, share our time spent with the game,…

The Free Cheese Episode 649: Yoot Tower This week on The Free Cheese, if you build it, will they come? How does the simulation genre stack up when things go vertical? Can we succeed in building and managing a resort in Hawaii or a business complex in Tokyo? Find out as Yoot Tower joins The List in this episode. Reviews Joe I like Yoot Tower. I wish Yoot Tower were easier to play.

The Free Cheese Episode 649: Yoot Tower

This week on The Free Cheese, if you build it, will they come? How does the simulation genre stack up when things go vertical? Can we succeed in building and managing a resort in Hawaii or a business complex in Tokyo? Find out as Yoot Tower joins The List in…

The Free Cheese Episode 648: The Warriors This week on The Free Cheese, we came out and played. What happens when a developer with newfound fame and respect gets to make a prequel to one of its favorite movies from 25 years earlier? We find out when we add another Rockstar game to The List and see what The Warriors was bringing to PlayStation 2 in the midst of Grand Theft Auto's rise.

The Free Cheese Episode 648: The Warriors

This week on The Free Cheese, we came out and played. What happens when a developer with newfound fame and respect gets to make a prequel to one of its favorite movies from 25 years earlier? We find out when we add another Rockstar game to The List and see…

The Free Cheese Episode 647: Cooking Mama This week on The Free Cheese, just like mama taught you. We wield the stylus to guide us through every recipe we can as we explore a Nintendo DS staple, Cooking Mama. Is this the perfect DS companion or just another bargain bin select? Grab your apron and find out! Reviews Joe Cooking Mama is a great evolution of what I loved in Flash games, this time on a handheld device with a novel way of interaction.

The Free Cheese Episode 647: Cooking Mama

This week on The Free Cheese, just like mama taught you. We wield the stylus to guide us through every recipe we can as we explore a Nintendo DS staple, Cooking Mama. Is this the perfect DS companion or just another bargain bin select? Grab your apron and…

The Free Cheese Episode 646: Katamari Damacy This week on The Free Cheese, na na na na na na na. We're rolling everything up this week as Katamari Damacy joins The List. We discuss our favorite stages, how a video game can maintain engagement with a simple mechanic, and the importance of a great control scheme. Reviews Joe Katamari Damacy is a game I wish I’d known at its initial release.

The Free Cheese Episode 646: Katamari Damacy

This week on The Free Cheese, na na na na na na na. We're rolling everything up this week as Katamari Damacy joins The List. We discuss our favorite stages, how a video game can maintain engagement with a simple mechanic, and the importance of a great…

The Free Cheese Episode 645: Incredible Crisis This week on The Free Cheese, Matt wants a game to be more like Mario Party. We work dilligently through a series of mini games to help the Tanamatsuri family get home for grandmother's birthday. As part of our deeper exploration of the PlayStation library this year, Incredible Crisis brings a series of unique gameplay challenges and ska to the platform.

The Free Cheese Episode 645: Incredible Crisis

This week on The Free Cheese, Matt wants a game to be more like Mario Party. We work dilligently through a series of mini games to help the Tanamatsuri family get home for grandmother's birthday. As part of our deeper exploration of the PlayStation…

The Free Cheese Episode 644: Bloodrayne This week on The Free Cheese, the year of the vampire. For the first game in Season 14, we explore the early 2000s by way of its vampire assassin, female lead character action hack-and-slash genre. Or as you might call it, Bloodrayne. We take Rayne on a journey around the world, one button at a time. Reviews Joe I had fun with Bloodrayne and it kicked off my Year of the Vampire for 2026.

The Free Cheese Episode 644: Bloodrayne

This week on The Free Cheese, the year of the vampire. For the first game in Season 14, we explore the early 2000s by way of its vampire assassin, female lead character action hack-and-slash genre. Or as you might call it, Bloodrayne. We take Rayne on a…

2026 Predictions

We begin this year like all others by looking ahead at the year and casting our hopes for what may befall us from the world of video games. With so many anniversaries to celebrate this year, it was difficult to truly limit ourselves to just a few predictions each. Below you'll see…

The Free Cheese Episode 643: Season 14 Premiere This week on The Free Cheese, 2026 begins! It is time for our favorite episode of the year, a look ahead at the year to come. We reflect on predictions made one year ago, then set our sights on the months ahead as hope is not yet dead. 2026 invites us to celebrate a number of anniversaries in video games, but which ones will make our dreams come true?

The Free Cheese Episode 643: Season 14 Premiere

This week on The Free Cheese, 2026 begins! It is time for our favorite episode of the year, a look ahead at the year to come. We reflect on predictions made one year ago, then set our sights on the months ahead as hope is not yet dead. 2026 invites…

The Free Cheese Episode 642: Season 13 Finale | Part II This week on The Free Cheese, 2025 is over. We talk about everything we didn't talk about during the podcast this year. We each share the games we played that weren't covered on the show, the obsessions we found ourselves sliding into, and how certain themes layered our year. Then, we look at some of the news highlights from 2025 and check in with each of the platforms.

The Free Cheese Episode 642: Season 13 Finale | Part II

This week on The Free Cheese, 2025 is over. We talk about everything we didn't talk about during the podcast this year. We each share the games we played that weren't covered on the show, the obsessions we found ourselves sliding into, and…

The Free Cheese Episode 641: Season 13 Finale | Part I This week on The Free Cheese, this is the end of right now but there is more to come! In the first half of our two-part Season 13 finale, we're looking back at the episodes from this year and the games we played. We take a look at The List in different formats, ranking it individually and by review scores.

The Free Cheese Episode 641: Season 13 Finale | Part I

This week on The Free Cheese, this is the end of right now but there is more to come! In the first half of our two-part Season 13 finale, we're looking back at the episodes from this year and the games we played. We take a look at The List in…

The Free Cheese Episode 640: Retro Magazine Read | Game Informer December 2000 This week on The Free Cheese, can't someone else do it? We celebrate the end of the quarter century and the return of Game Informer by reading its 92nd issue from December 2000. We explore its cover story, read through its letters, previews, and reviews. Then, we have a scavenger hunt through the magazine to discover some of what has been lost to time.

As we bring 2025 and the first quarter of the century to a close, we celebrate the return of @gameinformer.com with a peek through its December 2000 issue. Come explore the wonderful world of #Y2K with us.

The Free Cheese Episode 639: Fighting Force This week on The Free Cheese, did you know that cars blow up after just six punches? When Eidos set out to create a new Streets of Rage, Sega passed and instead we got Fighting Force. We play through its campaign, discuss how cool it is to pick up anything in the environment, and see how well this brawler holds up almost three decades after its release.

The Free Cheese Episode 639: Fighting Force

This week on The Free Cheese, did you know that cars blow up after just six punches? When Eidos set out to create a new Streets of Rage, Sega passed and instead we got Fighting Force. We play through its campaign, discuss how cool it is to pick up…

The Free Cheese Episode 638: Resident Evil 6 This week on The Free Cheese, we're going to China. We join up and play through the campaign of Resident Evil 6 cooperatively to see why this entry was so divisive at the time of its release. We discuss each of the campaigns in the game, what Capcom got right, and where we think the series started to drift too far away from its origins.

We're adding another #ResidentEvil game to The List this week after exploring each campaign in #ResidentEvil6! We discuss what makes this game so divisive, what we liked about it, and what we think it means for #ResidentEvilRequiem.

The Free Cheese Episode 637: Animal Crossing | Part IV: Autumn This week on The Free Cheese, we escape the demands of a raccoon tyrant. As our year of Animal Crossing comes to a close, we start by looking back at the game's changes and updates for the fall season. We share thoughts around the staying power of a living game like this and reflect on a full year of playing. Finally, we close out by ranking Animal Crossing on The List.

We're wrapping up a year with #AnimalCrossing by talking about the best of four seasons and reflecting on our time spent with the #GameCube iteration of the series. Then, we're ranking it on #TheList.

The Free Cheese Episode 636: Suikoden This week on The Free Cheese, don't drink the tea on Mt. Tigerwolf. We wander the world of Suikoden to collect the 108 Stars of Destiny and save the world. After years of hearing the fan adoration of the series, we finally see what Konami's exploration into the role-playing game has to offer. We discuss the little things that make Suikoden great, like its snappy menus and combat, as well as how much story is packed into just 20 hours of gameplay.

Happy almost 30th anniversary to #Suikoden! We finally spent time with Konami's foray into the RPG. In this episode, we discuss our time with the game, why Suikoden still works today, and we rank it on The List.

The Free Cheese Episode 635: System Shock This week on The Free Cheese, there's always a... wait. We explore Citadel Station in Nightdive Studios' remake of the seminal System Shock. We discuss the game's presentation and its reliance on your active participation as a player, as well as what that means in the long run. Reviews Joe Objectively, I think System Shock is an incredibly influential game that is left wholly intact by its 2023 remake.

The Free Cheese Episode 635: System Shock

This week on The Free Cheese, there's always a... wait. We explore Citadel Station in Nightdive Studios' remake of the seminal System Shock. We discuss the game's presentation and its reliance on your active participation as a player, as well as what that…

The Free Cheese Episode 634: Monster Hunter Wilds This week on The Free Cheese, the Guild authorizes you to engage with this podcast. Monster Hunter Wilds launched near the beginning of this year and we jumped in together right away. In this episode, we cover our time with the campaign, what it's like to finally have crossplay and an open world in Monster Hunter, and how Monster Hunter Wilds handles teaching the game to new players.

After spending the bulk of this year with #MonsterHunterWilds, we talk about our time with the game and rank it on #TheList.

The Free Cheese Episode 633: PlayStation 2 | 25th Anniversary This week on The Free Cheese, what ever happened to Y2K? After ranking it our number one console a few years ago, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the PlayStation 2 by sharing our favorite games, the best features of the console, and what its legacy is today.

It's the 25th anniversary of the #PS2! We talk about our time with the console, where we were when it launched, and our favorite games from the console—and beyond—that remind us most of the #PlayStation2

The Free Cheese Episode 632: Zombies Ate My Neighbors This week on The Free Cheese, there's a lot more than zombies to talk about. Who knew we would be tackling two difficult games back to back? Zombies Ate My Neighbors brings over forty levels of various challenges with themes that take us outside of the neighborhood against many different monster types from classic horror tropes. We discuss our time with the game and what surprised us about playing this classic title, then rank it on…

The Free Cheese Episode 632: Zombies Ate My Neighbors

This week on The Free Cheese, there's a lot more than zombies to talk about. Who knew we would be tackling two difficult games back to back? Zombies Ate My Neighbors brings over forty levels of various challenges with themes that take us…

The Free Cheese LIVE | Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest We're streaming on Sunday, October 19 at 12:00 PM EDT. After adding one of the greatest Castlevania games to The List this month, we're exploring one of its most divisive entries. Matt will be playing Castlevania II: Simon's Quest while Joe guides him along to stay on track. Join us for an extra length stream as we collect Dracula's body and try to vanquish the curse for good.

It's finally time for #Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. We'll be running an extra-length stream on Sunday at noon in search of Dracula's body parts.

The Free Cheese Episode 631: Blood This week on The Free Cheese, how do you like your meat? We play Monolith Productions' debut title, exploring the world of Doom clones as they'd reached a peak. We discuss the unique setting of Blood, its campaign, and its difficulty. Reviews Joe I think Blood is a refreshing twist on the Doom clones of the 1990s that utilizes its setting and themes effectively to create a world unlike others of its kind…

The Free Cheese Episode 631: Blood

This week on The Free Cheese, how do you like your meat? We play Monolith Productions' debut title, exploring the world of Doom clones as they'd reached a peak. We discuss the unique setting of Blood, its campaign, and its difficulty. Reviews Joe I think Blood is…