Latest Articles
Latest Articles
Getting it Right, Day One Update: An excellent new story trailer for One Piece: World Seeker was released at Tokyo Game Show 2018, detailing two new, game-original characters. The first is Isaac, the warden of the jail on Prison Island, while…
An Eye for Detail Love ‘em or hate ‘em, seemingly every video game comes with a man, woman, or semi-autonomous vending machine more than willing to take your hard-earned gold (or credits/rupees/now-defunct German Marks). They may be shrewd, charming, devious,…
Strap In for 35 Minutes of Pure Nintendo Bliss Update: The Direct has been delayed following the recent earthquake in Hokkaido, with Nintendo stating that it will provide an updated date and time “in the near future.” Original story: Another week,…
Indies and Sports Headline a Breezy Summer The last time we checked in on our fantasy league, the staff of The Punished Backlog had made some big plays to mark the halfway point of the season. The E3 2018 Fantasy…
The Player Doesn’t Always Need to be the Center of the Universe Most games try to make the player feel significant and essential to the world presented. No Man’s Sky does the opposite, and that makes the experience so much…
Akainu, Borsalino, Aokiji, and More We’ve been graced with another One Piece: World Seeker trailer, and this one brings the heat. Literally. During Gamescom 2018, Bandai Namco released a new story trailer for the game, showing off extended cuts of boss battle…
The Frost Waits for No One Digital card games are all the rage these days. While physical games like Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! are still alive and well, more and more card games are making the transition to the…
I Said What I Meant and I Meant What I Said Male video-game protagonists deserve better butts. And you know what? Those butts deserve our attention. If you’re designing a character, why not include a decent butt? It shouldn’t be…
The Punished Podcast
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In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the role of review scores in the gaming industry, especially for us as critics.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss and listen to the best video game soundtracks, composers, and sound design.
Presenting the most anticipated video games of 2026, but in a stylish package: our annual Fantasy Gaming league. New year, new season.
What are the games that still hold a special place in our heart, even if we think they’re bad games? Why do they have a hold on us?
Video game adaptations are everywhere — shows, movies, books, board games, music, and more. But what makes them work? Let’s discuss.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 20, we talk about all the hottest gaming news that broke this summer. Plus, our Fantasy Gaming league!
Punished Notes
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In a Punished Notes dedicated entirely to Resident Evil Requiem, Sam wonders if the post-zombification of the game’s world bears a resemblance to our own post-pandemic one.
In his latest Punished Notes, Sam gets into some New Year’s Gaming Resolutions, as well as a few predictions (and hopes) for some big gaming anniversaries coming up. Also: Wuthering Heights?
In the latest Punished Notes, Sam covers Doritos and Mountain Dew games, Kirby Air Riders, and… the blues?
In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam discusses how the incredible fall game release lineup is kind of killing him, among other thoughts
In the latest edition of Punished Notes, Sam talks about Lumines, visual novel and Roger, and other random thoughts from random games.
In this Punished Notes, Sam dives into how the latest Bethesda shooter harkens back to a simpler time in AAA gaming, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and more!
Punished Chat
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As part of our Game of the Year coverage, here are some DIFFERENT awards for the year’s best games!
Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of this year’s biggest new releases. What do the writers at The Punished Backlog think of it so far?
From the classics to new releases, we discuss the “Big Three,” the best anime ever, and what makes these series stand the test of time.
Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the biggest game releases of 2025. Does it work? Does it deserve its score of 91? We share our thoughts.
On the fence about Nintendo’s latest console? Six of our writers sat down to share our initial Nintendo Switch 2 impressions.
After a drama-packed premiere, our writers got together to share our The Last of Us Season 2 impressions so far.
Punished Favorites
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The Punished Backlog writers have already covered their favorite Pokémon games. But what about our actual favorite pocket monsters?
In our list of the best Pokémon Games, find out how the generations stack up in honor of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
In our list of the best GameCube Games, see how classics like Metroid Prime, Melee, and Double Dash stack up.
While we here at The Punished Backlog could not be more excited about a new Nintendo console, we also figured it now is the right time to pay tribute to the first Switch and all its best games!
Indie games are labors of love, and this year, it looks like there will be a lot to love! These are our most anticipated indie games of 2025.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo DS, check out the very best Nintendo DS games ever created.