Hot Button

Episode 121: Not Like This - The Sad Story of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5

Let us relive some trauma on this episode as we dig into the dark chapter of one of the absolute best franchises to ever grace gaming. Turns out that underfunding an inexperienced studio to tackle a major project in an unreasonable time frame is a poor path to success, who knew!

Episode 120: The Seven Deadly Sins of Dante’s Inferno

Who’s ready to party like it’s Easter Sunday, because this week we’re going to get blasphemous and explore what is probably the most elaborate and insane PR campaign for a video game ever. Seven full months of religious-infused stunts destined to promote the character action title that time forgot. Ain’t no sunshine into these layers of Hell!

Episode 119: The Joy of Sex - A Hot Button Guide to Love Making

It’s an 18+ adults only Valentine’s Day special today as we break out the worst console ever made, the Philips CD-i, and recount the true story of when a “sex manual” from the early 70s was bizarrely adapted into an interactive video game from the early 90s. Not even the folks responsible can hide from us!

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!