Hot Button
135 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago - ★★★★★ - 16 ratingsChronicling strange and interesting stories in the world of video games.
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Episodes
Episode 109: Don’t Do the Do - The Perils of the 2014 MTN Dew Game_Jam
April 05, 2024 17:52 - 1 hour - 95.7 MBIt’s a good ol’ fashioned reality show nightmare this week as we dig into the time America’s favorite soft drink sponsored a gaming television program full of popular faces and yet, production failed so hard that it never even made it to air!
Episode 108: Suck It Down - The History of Diakatana
March 08, 2024 15:37 - 2 hours - 187 MBThis week John Romero is about to make you his bitch as we explore the troubled development and release of one of the largest high profile blunders ever to grace our industry. So join us as we hop back to the optimistic days of the mid 1990s and show you just where this epic sci-fi FPS, created by some of the biggest names in games, went horribly wrong.
Hot Button’s 2023 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 2
February 14, 2024 18:01 - 3 hours - 279 MBWe’re back with our second and final part on the best (and worst) of 2023! Why not celebrate Valentine’s Day by listening to us argue four more awards categories, including… Biggest Surprise, Most Disappointing, Worst Game, and of course a ranked top 10 of the Best of the Best! Biggest Surprise - 00:01:45 Most Disappointing - 00:37:53 Worst Game - 01:47:30 Best Game - 02:03:51
Hot Button’s 2023 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 1
January 31, 2024 17:05 - 4 hours - 368 MBWith 2024 now upon us, what do you say we take a look back and discuss our top releases of last year. This week we kick it off with awards for Best Aesthetic, Best Narrative, Best Character, and Best Moment! Be sure to return for the remaining categories in Part 2 of 2 coming soon! Note - There will be story spoilers during certain conversations and we will label where to skip ahead in the time codes below. Best Aesthetic - 00:02:10 Best Narrative - 00:53:49 Best Character - 01:52:22 ...
Episode 107: Unity Returns!
January 08, 2024 18:15 - 1 hour - 110 MBSometimes something happens that we just can’t sit on. In perhaps what is likely THE most self-destructive move we have ever seen in almost any industry, today we buckle down and discuss the recent explosion of controversy from the folks at the Unity company. Please note that this recording is not only an expansion of the latest anniversary update, but also a follow-up to the history we covered of the game engine in episode 85!
Hot Button Game Awards 2023 Special Follow-Up
December 22, 2023 17:56 - 1 hour - 122 MBThe annual VGAs have officially concluded. This week we give a play-by-play of the night’s events as well as our thoughts on every major reveal and announcement. This along with the tallying up the results of who in the podcast room made the most accurate predictions of them all!
Hot Button Game Awards 2023 Special
December 06, 2023 13:47 - 2 hours - 205 MBAwards season is upon us! Today we place our bets and personal picks as we run through all the main categories set to presented at Geoff Keighley’s big show. Who’s chosen group of nominees will come out on top? Tune back in next time to hear which one of us is crowed the winner!
Episode 106: Hot Button Year-Five Edition
November 29, 2023 17:59 - 2 hours - 169 MBFive years! Can you believe it? Take a trip through time with us this week as we check back in with all our past episodes and update a half decade plus of some of the biggest stories in gaming!
Episode 105: Cruis’n Toward Bankruptcy - The History of Midway
November 14, 2023 16:33 - 1 hour - 156 MBGet over here! At long last, we cover the third great pillar of defunct American software publishers! From the arcade classics to seventh gen sleepers, we take a look at everything these dead kings of the “B” game threw at us. The hits and the misfires! These folks left quite the mark on our industry. So allow us to take you on a guided tour of their humble beginnings, rise to stardom, fall from grace, and eventual collapse.
Episode 104: Dark Horse - The Twisted Tale of Drowned God
October 31, 2023 18:23 - 2 hours - 166 MBHalloween is now upon us… therefore it’s time the podcast tackles what is likely one of the most distressing stories to ever find its way into gaming history. Today we explore the tragedy and mind of an artist faced with the unimaginable. So you best be prepared for our discussion of death, conspiracies, aliens, PC adventure titles, and psychobilly rock music?
Episode 103: Bodies Bodies Bodies
October 17, 2023 16:40 - 1 hour - 117 MBIn what might be the most unusual kick-off of our Halloween season, on this episode we examine five separate instances of when developers used actual real images of the recently deceased in their video games and why.
Episode 102: Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game: The Podcast
October 01, 2023 00:46 - 1 hour - 149 MBYou’ve seen the motion picture, now it’s time for us to take a look at the video game… based off the movie… based off the video game? Today we examine the series’s most forgotten entry and why it failed to connect with fans. All three versions!
Episode 101: Street Fighter: The Movie: The Podcast
September 12, 2023 17:47 - 2 hours - 188 MBThis week we have returned to give a proper summary on what in the world we all just watched as well as a thorough analysis of how this wonderfully schlocky cult film made its way into theaters everywhere! For you it is the most important day of your life. But for us, it is Tuesday.
Street Fighter: The Movie: The Commentary
August 29, 2023 19:35 - 1 hour - 148 MBIt’s another Hot Button commentary track! Now with more schlock! Sit down alongside us and hear our real-time thoughts on the only 1994 kung-fu action flick to be based off of a premiere fighting game franchise from Capcom, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme! You know the one! So be properly prepared for when we will soon get into the crazy production of it all in the coming weeks!
Episode 100: The Life and Death of the Gizmondo
August 08, 2023 17:30 - 3 hours - 247 MBWe did it, folks! It’s our 100th episode! And boy did we save one of the best topics to celebrate it, because it is time for us to remind the world of when a group of dangerous Swedish mobsters clumsily attempted to infiltrate our favorite industry with one of the absolute worst gaming handhelds ever created! There’s twists, there’s turns. Get ready for an exciting adventure, filled with guns, drugs, car crashes, sellout celebrities, and ofcourse… endless stupidity!
Hot Button Interview with Alyse Knorr on GoldenEye 007
May 19, 2023 16:48 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBYou’ve heard the episodes! Now we go straight to the source! On a very out of the ordinary Hot Button this week, we sit down and have a chat with writer Alyse Knorr about her GoldenEye 007 entry for the highly regarded Boss Fight line of gaming-focused books. We discuss everything from our personal experiences with the shooter that started it all, to her one-on-one talks with the Rare crew, to what it was like to collect so much hard-hitting research that made our series possible!
Episode 99: Welcome Back, 007 - The History of GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64 Part 3
May 08, 2023 18:33 - 2 hours - 220 MBThe thrilling conclusion to our GoldenEye trilogy is here! Today we reflect on the powerful legacy it left behind and explore the future it built for everyone involved. From Perfect Dark to TimeSplitters to full-blown remakes and remasters, oh my!
Episode 98: Welcome Back, 007 - The History of GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64 Part 2
April 24, 2023 16:50 - 2 hours - 190 MBWe’re back to continue on with the tale of how one of your favorite childhood classics came to be! In our story’s middle chapter, we’ll take you through the rest of GoldenEye’s fascinating development as the crew at Rare prepares for its monumental launch onto the 64 and into our hearts.
Episode 97: Welcome Back, 007 - The History of GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64 Part 1
April 10, 2023 16:08 - 1 hour - 165 MBHot Button has returned with something truly special. This week we take a trip to the mid-90s, and in what is perhaps the industry’s unlikeliest success story, explore the time when a crack team of young designers turned a Hollywood spy flick into one of the most beloved and influential video games to ever grace home consoles. On this first episode of our new series, hear us cover the humble beginnings of developer studio Rare as well as their budding friendship with Nintendo and secret agen...
Hot Button’s 2022 Game of the Year Deliberations
January 23, 2023 16:56 - 7 hours - 606 MBIt’s officially 2023! However before we return to our regularly scheduled programming, we’re first going to take a look back at these past twelve months and decide as a group what the absolute best (as well as worst) game releases were for the whole year. So buckle down and listen to us collaboratively build our definitive top 10 list!” Note - This episode was recorded prior to the criminal charges against High on Life creator Justin Roiland were publicly revealed.
Episode 96: Hot Button Year-Four Edition (Kinda)
December 09, 2022 17:30 - 2 hours - 176 MBNo, we’re not dead! Come hear where we’ve been! The hiatus may have been longer than expected, but that didn’t certainly stop the world from turning. And the news from happening. In this return special we got all the latest updates on our backlog of fun stories over the past near half decade. Announcements, deaths, and everything in between. Plus some laying out of killers plans for the podcast’s future too!
Hot Button’s 2021 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 5
February 04, 2022 16:59 - 1 hour - 149 MBIt’s the grand finale you’ve all been waiting for! Our definitive ranked top 10 list of the absolute best releases of 2021 as well as a shameful crown for the crappiest game! Timestamps: Worst Game - 00:01:36 Game of The Year - 00:39:43
Hot Button’s 2021 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 4
January 28, 2022 16:21 - 2 hours - 203 MBWe are almost there, folks! Today’s awards are a double dose of categories. What were the Biggest Disappointments and Biggest Surprises that gaming had to offer during the year? Which titles brought us up and which let us down? There’s only one way to find out! Timestamps: Biggest Disappointment - 00:01:05 Biggest Surprise - 01:22:20
Hot Button’s 2021 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 3
January 21, 2022 20:29 - 4 hours - 338 MBWe’ve reached the halfway point! Hot Button’s official Game of the Year deliberations continue on with Best Remake, Best Expansion, and Biggest Disaster! After we discuss what the Biggest Timesinks of 2021 were and then… Best Chelsie Game? Timestamps: Best Remaster, Remake or Rerelease - 00:01:35 Best Expansion or Improvement - 00:46:38 Biggest Disaster - 01:37:47 Best Chelsie Game - 02:27:02 Biggest Timesink - 03:04:08
Hot Button’s 2021 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 2
January 14, 2022 20:04 - 5 hours - 479 MBIt’s the spoiler-packed second chapter of Hot Button’s Game of the Year awards! On this episode we get into what we thought was the Best Moment or Sequence from a game, our favorite Best New Character, and which title featured the Best Narrative overall. This as well as finding out what was the Best Creature or Monster that we ran into in all of 2021! Timestamps: Best Moment or Sequence - 00:01:43 Best New Character - 02:27:50 Best Narrative - 03:48:36 Best Creature or Monster - 04:5...
Hot Button’s 2021 Game of the Year Deliberations Part 1
January 07, 2022 05:18 - 4 hours - 386 MB2022 is here! That must mean it’s time for Hot Button to take a look back on these past 12 months of releases and host its first ever Game of the Year deliberations! In our opening batch of categories, we discuss our nominees and find winners for Best Game Pass Game, the Game We Needed most, and Best Aesthetic. These along with Best Use of Music and Best Use of Time Loop! Timestamps: Best Game Pass Game - 00:05:25 Game We Needed - 00:48:11 Best Aesthetic - 1:54:21 Best Use of Music - 0...
Hot Button Game Awards 2021 Special Follow-Up
December 15, 2021 17:15 - 1 hour - 92.1 MBIt’s time we tally up the results and see who came out on top following the airing of this year’s The Game Awards! NFTs thankfully weren’t welcome at the event, however it did come jam-packed with trailers, announcements, and of course those sweet trophies given to the victorious. So join in listening to us run through it all! Play by play! From Sting to the Matrix.
Hot Button Game Awards 2021 Special
December 08, 2021 13:16 - 3 hours - 258 MBIt’s awards season y’all! In this episode, we run through every category and nomination featured in Geoff Keighley’s big annual game of the year event. We then choose our picks on who we think will take home the gold and why as we play against each other in betting which title is going to come out on top in the end. Will it be Resident Evil: Village? Will it be Psychonauts 2? Is one of us upset that Returnal wasn’t included? Tune in to find out just how we align! Timestamps: Best Narrative ...
Episode 95: Hot Button Year-Three Edition
November 26, 2021 09:17 - 2 hours - 197 MBIt’s a full house this week as we celebrate our third birthday together. So join us in going back through every topic we’ve ever covered from the very beginning all the way to today! A near two and half hours of updating, correcting, and reflecting on the good times. This along with poking fun at the constant strangeness this industry seems to endlessly relish in.
Episode 94: Microtransactions #5
November 10, 2021 19:16 - 1 hour - 156 MBOur mini-stories series is back! This week we super vary it up and get into the licensing around car manufacturers in racing games, the theft of some classic internet memes, and finally which deep secrets lay hidden behind the legendary Demon’s Souls door.
Episode 93: Watching You - The Tale of Camdrome
October 31, 2021 16:45 - 1 hour - 95.4 MBIn what might be one of the most mysterious projects we have ever covered, this week we explore the confusing history of a social experiment who’s intentions to this day are still being investigated. A supposed horror FMV title played through web cameras that also may have even shared close connections with some of the top names in the indie gaming space. Whether or not it ever was destined to see release is truly the ultimate question here in the finale of our 2021 Halloween series!
Episode 92: A Free Mind is a Tasty Mind - Stubbs the Zombie/F.E.A.R. Cannibalism Controversy
October 20, 2021 13:36 - 1 hour - 88.8 MBAre video games teaching your children to eat each other? This week we discuss the time that the industry became under fire in the absolute dumbest way imaginable, along with the origins of an inept advocacy group who hand-waved their way into headlines by picking a fight the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.
Episode 91: I Podcast, Therefore I AM - The History of I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream Part 2
October 15, 2021 20:13 - 2 hours - 190 MBAnd we’re back with the second and final part on the captivating development behind Cyberdream’s playable 1995 translation of Harlan Ellison’s “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream”. This week, we get deep into it’s actual production, release, and legacy! Along with our personal experiences of analyzing it’s intensely terrifying narrative themes.
Episode 90: I Podcast, Therefore I AM - The History of I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream Part 1
October 08, 2021 15:03 - 1 hour - 140 MBIt’s finally that time of year again, everybody! And what better way to kick off the spooky scary Halloween season than by digging into the story of how one of cult gaming’s most fascinating point-and-click PC adventure titles came to fruition, a direct adaptation AND expansion of Harlan Ellison’s sci-fi horror masterpiece “I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream”. On Part I, we break down this twisted work of fiction as well as the early days of the author and developer team who made it all poss...
Episode 89: Well Bam, There It Is! - The History of the Xbox 360 Kinect
September 29, 2021 15:49 - 2 hours - 177 MBDon’t y’all just hate those pesky controllers? Wouldn’t your body or voice make a better one? Back in 2010, Microsoft sure thought that! This week we get into life of the motion-sensing camera peripheral for the Xbox 360 known as the Kinect. Everything from its inception to its reception as well as all the tech talk and personal experiences in between.
Episode 88: For the Love of Gaia… - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
September 15, 2021 14:27 - 2 hours - 201 MBWe’ve watched the film, now it’s time for the full breakdown. This week we get deep into the production and release of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within! A costly cinematic disaster of a computer animated sci-fi epic that for some reason shares a name with the hugely successful gaming series that inspired it. If you’ve also ever wanted to know how Square and Enix became Square Enix, than this is the story for you!
Hot Button Movie Commentary: Final Fantasy The Spirits Within
September 08, 2021 11:59 - 1 hour - 152 MBOur third official Hot Button commentary is here! Listen to us watch 2001’s mess of a sci-fi epic, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, a film that is TOTALLY based off the popular video game franchise and not at all a bizarre fever dream of CGI and heady writing guaranteed to make your head spin. So allow us to ease the pain of your viewing experience and be sure to check in again next week when we give you the full story of how this cinematic disaster came to be!
Episode 87: Dead Faction - The History of THQ
August 25, 2021 13:32 - 2 hours - 216 MBThis week we dive back into the publisher graveyard and go through the full life of one of gaming’s biggest rises and falls. From Red Faction to Saint’s Row to Darksiders, we cover THQ’s extensive library of releases as well as the various developers behind them. It all seemed as if the B-tier game for them was on lock… or at least it was until their unfortunate demise.
Episode 86: The Development of Rogue F*cking Warrior
August 11, 2021 14:06 - 1 hour - 101 MBWhat happens when you mix a Navy Seal, Mickey Rourke, and Bethesda together? Apparently a pretty downright terrible first-person-shooter. This week we dig into the notorious Rogue Warrior, based on Dick Marcinko's "autobiography" of the same name! An unintentional comedy of broken mechanics and laughably poor writing, all wrapped up in an anti-communist package that only Reagan himself wouldn’t find excessive.
Episode 85: The Little Engine That Could - History of Unity
July 26, 2021 21:18 - 2 hours - 167 MBWe’ve told you where Unreal came from, now it’s time we give the same treatment to Unity! A free cross-platform game engine that we almost guarantee that you’ve had experience with, regardless of where you play or what genres you like. Today we look at its development history as well as its uses and impact on the greater industry and beyond.
Hot Button Movie Commentary: The King of Kong - A Fistful of Quarters
July 14, 2021 13:45 - 1 hour - 135 MBIt’s the second ever Hot Button commentary track! Once you finished listening to our series on Twin Galaxies and Billy Mitchell, you can now take a trip to 2007 and join us in a watch of the very film that brought them both back into the limelight brighter than ever before.
Episode 84: Can’t Ditch the Mitch! - The Story of Billy Mitchell and Twin Galaxies Part 2
July 07, 2021 15:17 - 2 hours - 177 MBIt’s investigation time in the studio, because we’re back with part 2 of our series on the careers of several of the classic arcade scene’s most famous record holders… and therefor scandals. Everything from Dragster to Pac-Man to Donkey Kong. The race to the top of the scoreboard knows no bounds! So come find out the truth behind Billy Mitchell, as well as his hot sauce. Spoiler: It’s delicious.
Episode 83: Can’t Ditch the Mitch! - The Story of Billy Mitchell and Twin Galaxies Part 1
June 23, 2021 17:51 - 1 hour - 106 MBSo 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
June 18, 2021 21:09 - 3 hours - 270 MBThe 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 ...
Episode 82: You’ve Gotta Be Jivin’ Me! - History of Night Trap Part 2
June 01, 2021 13:16 - 2 hours - 181 MBIt’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
May 21, 2021 14:49 - 1 hour - 134 MBThe 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
May 03, 2021 10:18 - 2 hours - 223 MBAt 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
January 04, 2021 23:01 - 1 hour - 116 MBAnd 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 79: Microtransactions 4
January 04, 2021 23:01 - 1 hour - 116 MBAnd 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.
Hot Button Game Awards 2020 Special Part 1
December 07, 2020 17:19 - 2 hours - 148 MBAnother December, another awards season! Join in as the crew discusses Geoff Keighley’s big annual event dedicated to celebrating the best of all things gaming in 2020. We read through the list of categories, nominees, while then also giving our personal predictions, picks, snubs, and more! Be sure to check back in next episode to hear the results!