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All About Them Bells A credible twitter account recently posted that we’re due for another Animal Crossing themed Direct 10/24 at 8 PST. This Isabelle-themed account (New Leaf’s dutiful secretary) had previously been inactive for all of 2017, only to…
BotW’s Rain is the last thing to worry about My love of Zelda started when my parents first brought home that iconic, purple lunchbox. There’s a saying that your first Zelda game is likely your favorite. I am by no…
Fine Wine France is a country famous for its food. Walking down the streets of any major city, you’re almost guaranteed to find various boulangeries, fromageries, and pâtisseries selling bread, cheese, and pastries from dawn till dusk. With all of…
To Anime or Not to Anime David Silbert: The summer officially drew to a close last Friday, ushering in the warm colors and cool air of autumn. In addition to the trees shedding and leaves falling, what else is there…
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a good, classic JRPG with a great battle system and a memorable style set in the world of Joe Madureira’s titular comic.
They Both Have Horses Yesterday, Rockstar teased Red Dead Redemption 2 with a brand new story trailer. As its predecessor is one of the greatest games to grace the PS3 and Xbox 360, the hype surrounding the series’ latest entry…
A New Look At Rockstar’s Hotly Anticipated Sequel Rockstar Games just released a brand new story trailer for the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. Clocking in at just under 90 seconds, “Official Trailer #2” provides a short but packed look into Red…
A Wild Undertaking Breath of the Wild, more so than any other Zelda game, features the most memorable cast of characters to ever grace a Nintendo console. With NPCs ranging from cross dressers to women beating Link within a single…
The Punished Podcast
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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.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we reflect (and debate) the games that should be prioritized in our backlog in 2026.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the role of review scores in the gaming industry, especially for us as critics.
Punished Notes
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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
In the latest edition of Punished Notes, Sam talks about Lumines, visual novel and Roger, and other random thoughts from random games.
Punished Chat
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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.
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.
Punished Favorites
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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.
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!
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Game Boy Advance, here are The Punished Backlog’s favorite GBA games of all time!
The Punished Backlog writers have already covered their favorite Pokémon games. But what about our actual favorite pocket monsters?