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Latest Articles
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Fresh off of 2018’s chart-topping Beerbongs & Bentleys, Post Malone is back with his third studio album, Hollywood’s Bleeding. Read on for our full review.
Three months after the 24th anniversary of its North American release, we’re celebrating EarthBound and its 25th anniversary in Japan.
Weekend at Dave’s – Episode 5: David Silbert discusses the value of Xbox Game Pass, his backlog “keys” to fall 2019’s games, and why Quantum Break is so stellar.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, Team Ninja’s latest crack at the long-dormant Ultimate Alliance series, is far from a perfect game. Still, the game as a whole just works, and not merely in the sense that its mechanics and systems function as intended; everything comes together conceptually, with the tone of the story and art style perfectly matching the chaotic ebullience of the gameplay. The game combines basic brawler systems with a cartoonish presentation and doesn’t try to be much more than that. Simply put, the game knows what it is and stays true to itself at all times.
Welcome back to Punished Notes, where I (occasionally) release all of my blandest and most anodyne takes on the world of video games. This week, we’ll be looking at some of my favorite user-created stages in Super Mario Maker 2, why I can’t get into a recent game everyone adores, and how I got emotional over a movie trailer after three seconds.
If you’d like to make your very own Breath of the Wild-inspired mushroom risotto, then try our recipe! It’s got more steps than throwing things in a wok, but this one sure is tasty.
Nintendo is widely known for its deep well of beloved franchises. Here are six in particular I would absolutely love to see on Switch.
When The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took the gaming world by storm two years ago, it amazed players with its massive open world, improved traversal mechanics, weapon variety, and breathtaking scenery. … After playing Cadence of Hyrule, the latest Zelda spin-off, which uses the mechanics of Crypt of the Necrodancer, I now realize what was missing: the integration of music as a core gameplay mechanic (Kass doesn’t count).
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The Punished Podcast
View AllIn this podcast episode, we discuss the joy in familiarity, difficulty, hype, and gameplay loops as we consider video games as comfort food.
In this podcast episode, we discuss video game protagonists. We debate create-a-character versus heroes and share our favorites.
In this podcast episode, we discuss the history of open-world video games: the good, the bad, and everything in between. (Also, GTA VI!)
In this Fantasy Gaming-centric episode, we recap the first half of 2026 before delving into our first waiver wire of the year.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the rise and fall of E3, game trailers, authenticity, and the big bucks.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the past, present, and future of games media and journalism.
Punished Notes
View AllIn Sam’s latest Punished Notes, he covers the new Fire Emblem, has a few thoughts on Final Fantasy X (all these years later), and even a bit on… tapas?
In the latest Punished Notes, Sam talks about Splatoon Raiders, Kingdom Hearts, Denshattack!, and…baking?
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
Punished Chat
View AllSuper Mario Sunshine is probably the beloved plumber’s most polarizing adventure. Punished Backlog editors Sam and David discuss why that is.
After all playing Disco Elysium, several writers weigh in on the good, the bad, and the very ugly of the cult classic.
Mina the Hollower released last month to rave reviews. How do the writers at The Punished Backlog feel about it?
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.
Punished Favorites
View AllOur list of the best cozy games covers puzzles, platform adventures, farming, shop sims, visual novels, and much more.
Nintendo’s latest console is still early in its life, but it’s already racking up hits. These are the best Nintendo Switch 2 games so far.
In our list of the Best Video Game Dogs, we highlight the old and the new, the lithe and the chonky, the magical and the normal. They are all good dogs!
Anime is often known for its flashy visuals, but just as important is the music. Here are 11 of our top anime character theme songs ever.
The Best Video Games of 2026 So Far
From big AAAs to indie gems, this year’s shaping up to be a delight. Here are the 19 best video games of 2026 we’ve played to date.
From the bird and the bear to the earliest console shooters, here are The Punished Backlog’s top 16 Nintendo 64 games of all time!











































































