Hot Button

Hot Button’s 2024 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 2

The discussions conclude as we find our answers to the four final categories: Best Surprise, Biggest Disappointment, Worst Game, and of course a collaborative list of the ten Best Games overall! Biggest Surprise 0:02:02 Most Disappointing 1:30:04 Worst Game 2:36:45 Best Game 3:26:21

Hot Button’s 2024 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 1

This week begins our mission of naming the top of what gaming in 2024 had to offer. In our first half of the debates, we honor our picks for: Best Aesthetic, Best Story, Best Character, and (perhaps our personal favorite) Best Moment or Sequence. Let the arguments commence! Best Aesthetic 0:01:02 Best Narrative 1:12:38 Best Character 2:00:31 Best Moment or Sequence 3:03:46

Episode 118: Hot Button Year-Six Edition

Woo lad! It’s been a whopping six years and nearly 120 episodes! You know what that means. Today we reinvestigate the back catalog to see what’s new with our topics. It’s honestly surprising just how much can change in the last 12 months. Come find out!

Episode 117: “Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!” - The Curse of Berzerk!

We close out the spookiest of all holidays with the unusual tale of how a fun 80s arcade shooter came to be! That was before it killed someone, played a role in a homicide case, and found itself in the middle of multiple conspiracy theories!

Episode 116: This is a Brutal Blood Sport! - The History of Manhunt

Halloween season has officially started so this week we get our hands dirty with Rockstar’s found footage murder simulator… classic? From its controversial portrayal of a deranged man forced into the seedy underground world of snuff film creation to its divisive launch, ensuing bans, and connection to a heinous real-life crime! We cover it all! Not to mention provide a nuanced discussion of using violence as a form of artistic expression and social commentary! Hooray!

Episode 115: Oh, Bugger - Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

It’s our most boob-filled discussion to date as we dissect the development and release of one of the biggest box office hits to ever be based on a classic video game! A blunder filled with interesting casting choices, over the top wire work, cute snow dogs, and an eccentric soundtrack to boot.

Hot Button Movie Commentary: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Come join the crew in watching the 2001 action-adventure blockbuster hit starring Angelina Jolie! And trust us when I say that you won’t want to take on this task alone… because this film sucks! Weak characterization, sloppy editing, and poor cinematography are only the start of this dud. But don’t worry, our audio track is here to spice things up and save you from utter chaos! Then you’ll have all the context ya need for when we dig into its full production on the next episode. Stay tuned!

Episode 114: Microtransactions #6

We got a fresh batch of weird little stories for the pod this week as we discuss the tangled web of digital music licensing, interactive cures to fight real world disease, and what happens when a public wedding proposal inside of a popular video game goes awry.