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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 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.
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November 18, 2025 at 12:26 AM
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 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.
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November 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
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 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.
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October 27, 2025 at 10:02 AM
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 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…
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October 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM
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 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.
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October 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM
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…
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…
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October 13, 2025 at 10:01 AM
The Free Cheese Episode 630: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood

This week on The Free Cheese, whipping up a frenzy. We are finally adding a Castlevania game to The List and we're doing it with the final entry in what we now consider the classic Castlevania experience. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood shows…
The Free Cheese Episode 630: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
This week on The Free Cheese, whipping up a frenzy. We are finally adding a Castlevania game to The List and we're doing it with the final entry in what we now consider the classic Castlevania experience. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood shows Konami at a high point and for the series, it presents a shift in design while honoring the games that preceded it.
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October 6, 2025 at 10:00 AM
The Free Cheese Episode 629: D2

This week on The Free Cheese, come, stay, and let me tell you about knife's prophecy! We're lost in the Canadian wilderness, wandering our way through the snow to figure out where monsters come from. Playing D2 for the Dreamcast, we control Laura after a plane crash…
The Free Cheese Episode 629: D2
This week on The Free Cheese, come, stay, and let me tell you about knife's prophecy! We're lost in the Canadian wilderness, wandering our way through the snow to figure out where monsters come from. Playing D2 for the Dreamcast, we control Laura after a plane crash leads the digital actress toward discovering her destiny. Reviews Joe D2, featuring the digital actress Laura, is…
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September 29, 2025 at 10:03 AM
The Free Cheese Episode 628: Games of the Century

This week on The Free Cheese, they made 25 years already? Reflecting on the two and a half decade of video games released since the year 2000, we share our top ten and why we picked them. We also discuss how games have and have not changed in that…
The Free Cheese Episode 628: Games of the Century
This week on The Free Cheese, they made 25 years already? Reflecting on the two and a half decade of video games released since the year 2000, we share our top ten and why we picked them. We also discuss how games have and have not changed in that time and what we expect will be in our top ten in 2050.
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September 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Something something... not your dad's #Sekiro...

We're playing #FromSoftware's #Otogi: Myth of Demons this week, the #Xbox exclusive with a lot of big ideas.
The Free Cheese Episode 627: Otogi: Myth of Demons
This week on The Free Cheese, none shall pass! Let's check out the FromSoftware experience set in ancient Japan. No, the other one. We're playing Otogi: Myth of Demons to see how it holds up today and what DNA we recognize in the studio's games that followed. Reviews Joe I think Otogi: Myth of Demons is a cool video game…
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September 15, 2025 at 10:02 AM
It's time to rank #DeusEx and see where it falls on The List. We spent the summer getting lost in its systems and understanding just what makes this game so special.
The Free Cheese Episode 625 | Deus Ex: Part II
This week on The Free Cheese, we immerse ourselves in the simulation. After spending the summer in Deus Ex, we both finally get it when people are really into these games. After things have clicked into place, we share stories about how we each dealt with different areas in the game, how we built our characters, and some of the weird traps we were able to set.
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September 1, 2025 at 10:03 AM
As #Summer comes to its end, we look back at how we've spent the last three months in #AnimalCrossing. We don't win raffles but we get a fun birthday surprise and make new frien—oh, wait they moved out already.
The Free Cheese Episode 624: Animal Crossing | Part III: Summer
This week on The Free Cheese, the raccoon days are never over. As we look forward to the fall season we must first look back at our time spent in Animal Crossing over the summer months. We share tales of bug catching, fishing, and all of the things we missed out on as well. We discover what happens when you have a birthday in the game and how tough it is to get that one last fossil.
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August 25, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Do you like #SuperNintendo? Do you want to see one of its video games played and ranked live on the internet? We have a show for you!
What’s on SNES? | The Free Cheese LIVE
We're streaming on Sunday, August 24 at 7:00 PM EDT. Our continuing series investigating the history of the 16-bit generation brings us another surprise video game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Matt is reaching into the bin for something special that Joe will play through. After an hour, we'll summarize our thoughts and rank it on The List
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August 22, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Koudelka? #Koudelka. Today, we're checking out Sacnoth's PS1 classic that combines survival horror exploration with JRPG combat. Imagine #ResidentEvil exploration without tank controls and #ParasiteEve's combat system set on a grid. I know, right? Come hang with us and rank this video game.
The Free Cheese Episode 623: Koudelka
This week on The Free Cheese, one square at a time. Travel with us to the countryside of Wales where everyone has an American accent and something haunts an old monastery. We explore the world of Koudelka and uncover the mystery of the monastery, combining survival horror gameplay with JRPG combat. Reviews Joe I really like the blend of genres in Koudelka and I wish we would see more RPGs integrate horror themes in general…
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August 18, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Ahead of #Quakef="/hashtag/QuakeCon" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link">#QuakeCon this year, we're adding another #Quake game to The List. In its fourth entry #RavenSoftware changes up the pace of the game and streamlines its story. How does that turn out in the final product and where does it rank on The List? Tune in and find out.
The Free Cheese Episode 620: Quake 4
This week on The Free Cheese, hey, I've become you. Quake 4 joins The List as we dive deep into Raven Software's entrance into the Quake franchise. We discuss the pacing of the game in the first few chapters and how a shocking transformation scene changes more than just the main character for the back half of the campaign. How does it stack up to the other Quake games on The List?
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July 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
What I Want in Nintendo Switch 2 – One Year Later

Last year I wrote about my hopes for Nintendo Switch 2, detailing what I thought were the less obvious hopes for the console. I assumed it would still be predominantly a Switch and in turn, figured we would see standard increases to power and…
What I Want in Nintendo Switch 2 – One Year Later
Last year I wrote about my hopes for Nintendo Switch 2, detailing what I thought were the less obvious hopes for the console. I assumed it would still be predominantly a Switch and in turn, figured we would see standard increases to power and performance. I didn't mention it, but knowing how prevalent problems were with the original console's Joy-Con, I assumed many of the common complaints from users would be addressed.
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July 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
It's #PacMan's 45th anniversary this year and we're celebrating with a high score contest. Hang out with us on Sunday, July 27 as we go head to head and see who can eat more dots.
Pac-Man 45th Anniversary Stream
We're streaming on Sunday, July 27 at 7:00 PM EDT. It's finally time to see what this Pac-Man is all about. Matt and Joe will both be playing to see who can get the highest score in an hour before we rank Pac-Man on The List. Come hang out with us and celebrate Pac-Man and his family!
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July 24, 2025 at 1:00 PM
What happens when the hardcore #Tetris developers take on Nintendo's blue ocean strategy in the literal sense? We find out this week with #EndlessOcean for the #NintendoWii.
The Free Cheese Episode 619: Endless Ocean
This week on The Free Cheese, there's auto-swim if you're lazy. What happens when the hardcore Tetris developers take on Nintendo's blue ocean strategy in the literal sense? Endless Ocean is a fascinating release for the Nintendo Wii and one that still feels unique today. We discuss our time with the game, the weirdest things we found below the sea, and rank it on The List.
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July 21, 2025 at 10:03 AM
This week, we're going back to the #SegaDreamcast to explore a time when Sega was pushing its creativity to new heights. We talk through our experience with #SpaceChannel5 and rank it on #TheList.
The Free Cheese Episode 618: Space Channel 5
This week on The Free Cheese, ohhhh la la. Let's save the galaxy one dance move at a time, checking out Space Channel 5 on the Dreamcast. As a counter to UGA's Rez, we revel in the bright colors and tones of Space Channel 5, exploring another approach to rhythm video games. Reviews Joe When Space Channel 5 feels right, it is one of the coolest games I’ve ever played.
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July 14, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Getting stoked for the new #Superman movie? Us too. That's why we went back to check out #Superman64 and see what all of the fuss is about. Who would have thought that the ring sections are the good parts?
The Free Cheese Episode 617: Superman: The New Superman Adventures
This week on The Free Cheese, no really, the rings are the good part. We make some Spider-Man comics to start the show before diving into one of video gaming's most notorious releases. In time for the new DC Studios release of Superman, we play one of the Man of Steel's key video games to see how bad it really is.
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July 7, 2025 at 10:03 AM
We were right to add #Anthem to The List earlier this year before it was too late. thefreecheese.com/2025/02/17/t...
July 3, 2025 at 6:40 PM