Hot Button

Episode 83: Can’t Ditch the Mitch! - The Story of Billy Mitchell and Twin Galaxies Part 1

So who has what it takes to be the ultimate Donkey Kong master? On part 1 of our new series, we take you through the origins of classic arcade’s biggest leap into the realm of tournaments and organized gaming world records ever. Along with the early years of its most controversial competitor.

Hot Button E3 2021 Special

The Electronic Entertainment Expo has returned! And so has our bonus episode! On today’s recap, we run through each of the conferences, good and bad, as well as discuss all the fun announcements from this past week that’ll help us game our way into the next year and beyond! Timestamps: 
Summer Games Fest - 0:06:10, Wholesome Direct - 0:31:30, Ubisoft - 0:33:17, Devolver - 1:09:25, Gearbox - 1:18:12, Koch Media - 1:20:20, Microsoft & Bethesda - 1:23:28, Square Enix - 2:03:05, Back 4 Blood - 2:22:06, PC Gaming Show & Future Games Show - 2:22:43, Take Two/Intellivision/Verizon/Mythical/Indie Showcawse - 2:30:47, Limited Run - 2:34:51, Capcom - 2:39:26, Nintendo - 2:43:57, Bandai Namco - 3:06:05, Wrap Up - 03:08:49

Episode 82: You’ve Gotta Be Jivin’ Me! - History of Night Trap Part 2

It’s controversy time! This week we’re back in the Senate room with the second and final part of our series on Night Trap. Find out how a team of fun-loving film makers and game designers accidentally helped in leading us to the most important formation in the entire medium’s history!

Episode 81: You’ve Gotta Be Jivin’ Me! - History of Night Trap Part 1

The parents are gone so what’s the first thing you think of? Party! On part 1 of our series on the infamous Night Trap, we take you through a time when Hasbro helped kick off the beginning of full motion video games! Everything from the on-set film shoot by their dedicated crew to the sudden cancellation of the console that almost ended it all. It’s a campy adventure filled with stumbling vampires, guns that shoot sparks, and rockin’ 80s power ballads!

Episode 80: The History of G4 - Hot Button Gamer's Guide

At last! Our triumphant return! Listen in as we run through the trials and tribulations of that time when television and video games attempted to join hands in glorious partnership. These are the salad days, hard downfall, and eventual re-reckoning into the modern age with what was/is G4 Tech TV.

Episode 79: Microtransactions #4

And we’re back to ring in the new year with a lost episode of Microtransactions! This week it’s all about scams, conspiracies, and miscommunications, as we venture into the weird world of 3 controversies that likely flew under your gaming radar.

Episode 78: Hot Button Year-Two Edition

It’s our second anniversary so that means it's time for another recap! We cover not only the episodes from our second (and first) year, but also the insane 12 months that was 2020. Hear all about our switch to a bi-weekly schedule, the adjustment to remote recording, and our delayed plans for additional content. All this along our usual updates, fixes, jokes and discussion about past content. Also there may even be some hints at the future of Hot Button too! Join us, along with our producer Jason, in celebrating the past year as much as we could without getting too bleak!

Episode 77: We’ve Got A Console For You - The Launch and Times of the Xbox One

With the launch of the Xbox Series X and S on the horizon, it’s time we took a look back at the story surrounding Microsoft's previous generation machine, the Xbox One. The tumultuous reveal, it’s shaky launch, the new Kinect sensor, GamePass, the One X, Project xCloud, and everything else in between. Listen in on the conclusion to our trilogy on the family of consoles that started all the way back at episode 6!
Note: This episode was recorded before major details were revealed, including price and release date. Tune in to our year-two anniversary to hear our thoughts on the Xbox Series X|S reveal as well as our first impressions on the console.