R2V2 has partnered with Fire Dept. Coffee! The first 400 guests to the event will receive a bag of coffee compliments of the Rockford-based coffee brewer. On top of that, you'll have access to dozens of vendors, arcade cabinets, VR laser tag & so much more! www.tiktok.com/t/ZTMSNKpxs/

Our own Scott Clark will be on 104.9 The X’s morning radio show this morning from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM to talk all things video games & especially R2V2GameCon, which is this Saturday at Cliffbreakers. Tune in on your radio to 104.9 click the streaming link in the comments.

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the first release of the original ‘Mortal Kombat’ in arcades. This 2D fighting game was developed/published by Midway & it took ten months to create. The game was unique for its digitized animations of real actors, a 5-button control scheme & fatality finishers.

The Gaming Outsider Podcast’s latest episode is available. This week, you can hear our impressions of: ‘Ghost of Yōtei’ ‘Megabonk’ ‘Mai: Child of Ages’ ‘Earthion’ They also answer community questions & discuss the price increase for Game Pass. thegamingoutsider.com/2025/10/07/g...

22 years ago today (10/7/03), ‘Viewtiful Joe’ released on the GameCube in NA. In this heavily stylized 2D beat ‘em up, you play as Joe, a movie fan whose girlfriend is kidnapped. Joe takes on the persona of the superhero Viewtiful Joe to rescue her. The game warranted a PS2 port & a sequel.

The Gaming Outsider Podcast records LIVE tonight at 7:30 PM CST. Come join us as we answer video game related questions form the community, discuss the recent increase in Game Pass prices & share our impressions of these game: ‘Ghost of Yotei’ ‘Megabonk’ ‘Mai: Child of Ages’ ‘Earthion’ And more!

Ready to cook across the cosmos? Space Chef from BlueGooGames and @kwalee.bsky.social is serving up intergalactic flavor on Oct 28, 2025 for PC and consoles! Explore alien worlds, gather bizarre ingredients, and build the restaurant of your dreams. Check out the trailer and our full write-up below!

@hyperkin.bsky.social ’s The Competitor is officially available for pre-order! This premium, Xbox-licensed controller features Hall-Effect thumbsticks, textured grips, and pro-level precision—all for just $49.99.

‘Saw’, the 1st Xbox 360/PS3 game based on the film franchise universe, released in North America 16 years ago today on October 6th, 2009. Taking place between the first 2 films, players learn about the origins of Jigsaw. The game was praised for its story but criticized for its controls and combat.

“If you’re into pain, and I mean the good stuff, ‘Forgotten Fragments’ will provide. It’s not for the faint of heart, yet it gives you the tools to customize the experience if rage isn’t your preferred mental state. It’s a quality game for the price."

"'Earthion' [from @limitedrungames.com] is exactly what I hoped it would be: a fast, flashy, challenging arcade shooter that respects its roots while modernizing just enough to stand apart." Check out our own Marc Szymanski's written review below to learn why he says it "nails the formula".

15 years ago today (10/5/25), ‘Enslaved: Odyssey to the West’ released on Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3 in North America. This 3rd-person combat platformer with puzzle elements starred Andy Serkis as “Monkey”. It reviewed very well, but sold poorly & its sequel was sadly scrapped.

Art the Clown is back and bloodier than ever! Publisher @selectaplay.bsky.social and developer Relevo have unleashed the Terrifier: The ARTcade Game demo on Steam. Grab your chainsaw and dive into a chaotic pixel-art brawler. Coming soon to Steam and PS5.

WALL·E meets The Martian! Solo dev Thorin (Pebbledust Games) and publisher @prettysoongames.bsky.social have launched the public demo for Blossom: The Seed of Life on Steam. Bring a dead planet back to life, breathtaking sci-fi landscapes, and uncover the spark that keeps your little robot going.

Suit up, pilots! Mech Havoc from solo developer Mid Development and indie publisher Pretty Soon blasts into Early Access on October 27! 30+ mechs, 100+ weapons, and pure tactical chaos await.

This week’s Gaming Outsider Podcast is “Community Questions”. We ask everyone for video game related (or otherwise) questions for us to answer on the episode that make for good discussion. Would you kindly ask us a question for the show? We will read your name when we read it ok Monday.

Today is the 30th anniversary of the North American release of ‘Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island’ on the SNES (10/4/95). In this 2D platformer, players control various Yoshis with Baby Mario on their backs to reunite him with Baby Luigi. It sold over 4 million copies.

Who’s ready for the weekend? There are so many games coming out right now, so what’s your plan for the next couple of days off? Pictured below (both released 10/2): ‘Ghost of Yotei’ (PS5) ‘Super Mario Galaxy 1+ 2’ (Switch)

October 3rd, 1997 (28 years ago today) was the release of ‘Castlevania: Symphony of the Night’ on PlayStation & Sega Saturn in NA. The game half responsible for the term “Metroidvania” originally sold poorly, but became a sleeper hit selling over 700,000 copies after word spread of its quality.

‘Resident Evil 6’ released on this date 13 years ago (10/2/12) on Xbox 360 and PS3. This installment of the horror franchise boasts Capcom’s largest development team with over 600. Despite mixed reviews, it sold almost 15 million copies, including ports to later consoles & PC.

Our latest episode is available. This week, you can hear impressions of: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ ‘Sonic Racing: Crossworlds’ & more! We also debate which calendar year should be considered the best of video game releases. They also discuss industry news, including the price for the ROG Xbox Ally.

KaijuCorp needs YOU! Kaiju Cleanup from developer @brightrockgames.com and publisher @mythwright.com is bringing monster-sized cleaning chaos to PC.

28 years ago today was the release of ‘Clock Tower’ on the original PlayStation in North America. This point-and-click adventure is known as ‘Clock Tower 2’ in Japan & was released there the previous year after the first game released on the Super Famicom. It sold nearly 500,000 copies.

“Sega and Sonic Team have been on a tear in recent years, and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is just the latest trophy on their wall.” Sonic Racing Crossworlds on PS5 delivers blazing speed, polished design, and plenty of fun for fans old and new.

“Formula Legends captures the thrill of racing with an arcade flair that makes every lap exciting.” Although, Marc also lamented the lack of analog shoulder buttons.

“RoboCop: Rogue City–Unfinished Business is a true love letter to fans of the franchise and one of the most faithful adaptations in gaming.” Sean enjoyed the concise shooting in this stand-alone sequel.

‘Need for Speed’ had its arcade release on this day in 2003 (22 years a ago). This was a port from ‘Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2’ on console. It allowed up to four players to race simultaneously. It did NOT include “hot pursuit” mode or any police chases.

Happy 29th anniversary to the Nintendo 64, which released in North America on 9/29/96. Releasing in Japan in June that year, this successor to the SNES was the last home console to use ROM cartridges. It launched with ‘Mario 64’ & ‘PilotWings 64’ & sold over 32 million units globally.

Horror Gamers Unite! Marc is beyond excited for this year’s Indie Horror Showcase, returning October 23rd at 1pm Eastern. Expect trailers, announcements, and a celebration of the most creative minds in indie horror. @dreadxp.bsky.social

The 3rd band to play during the Rock River Valley Video Game Con (R2V2) will be ‘The Adventure Guild’ & they specialize in covering music from the game ‘Stardew Valley’. Don’t miss the guitar stylings of Sybil. Tickets are only $10 for the show & can be purchased at the link in the comments.

27 years ago today (9/28/98), Game Freak & Nintendo gave NA the Red/Blue versions of ‘Pokemon’ on Game Boy. Originally released in Japan in 1996, these were the very 1st games in the series. Each version has the same story, but both must be played to “catch ‘em all”. It sold over 31 million copies.

Kentum from Tlön Industries and V Publishing launches November 6th, 2025 on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch! A brand-new demo is available now with voiced dialogue, customization options, and a new boss fight.

This year's R2V2 has 4 acts playing live music. Check out Arc Impulse, who will be headlining our after party. The show starts at 6:00 after the convention. These guys put on a great show! Tickets are only $10 or you can bundle your ticket with the con for only $15. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RldE...

The GO records its latest episode on Monday & we've each picked a year that we believe is the best one when it comes to video game releases. We want to see which YOU think is the best of the ones we've chosen. Click on the link below and choose of the four selections. forms.gle/NEGps3z3Whwp...

25 years ago today (9/27/25) was the release of ‘Vietnam: Black Ops’ on Windows PC. From IGN: “Budget price or no, those brave or foolish enough to purchase this one deserve a purple heart for their struggle.”

Welcome to the weekend, ya’ll! What are you planning to play over the next couple days? Anything new? Pictured below: ‘Silent Hill f’ - Xbox Series S/X, PS5 & PC (9/25) ‘Sonic Racing: Crossworld’ - Xbox, PlayStation, Switch & PC (9/25)

Today is the 30th anniversary of the release of ‘Command & Conquer’ on PC (9/26/95). This was one of the earliest real-time strategy games & included full-motion video cut scenes. Since then, the series has sold over 30 million copies and has been awarded 6 Guiness World Records.

The Gaming Outsider Podcast’s latest episode is available. This week, you can hear our impressions of the following games: ‘Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition’ ‘Claws of Awaji’ (Assassin’s Creed Shadows DLC) ‘Formula Legends’ ‘RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business’

18 years ago today (9/25/07) was the release of ‘Halo 3’ on the Xbox 360 in the US. This was the first game in the series to allow customizations to multiplayer maps. It sold over 14.5 million copies & was the best selling game of that year. Over a million played online in its first 24 hours.

The Gaming Outsider is proud to announce that Paul E Niemeyer will be a special guest at this year's Rock River Valley Video Game Convention (R2V2)! Now’s your opportunity to meet the man behind the iconic ‘Mortal Kombat’ logo.

‘ICO’ released on the PS2 on this day, 24 years ago today (9/24/25). This cult classic took a minimalist approach to gameplay & introduced several design and technical elements that influenced subsequent games. It didn’t do well commercially, but was a massive critical success.

September 23rd, 1994 (31 years ago today) gave us ‘System Shock’ on PC. This first-person adventure game put you in the role of a nameless hacker thwarting the plans of an AI named Shodan. The game was a major breakthrough for the genre & inspired future games like ‘Deus Ex’, ‘Bioshock’ & ‘Prey’.

Earthion from developer Ancient and publisher @limitedrungames.com is now available on PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch! Retro-inspired action, vibrant 16-bit visuals, and a legendary Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack await.

‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ release 20 years ago today (9/22/05) on the Xbox, PS2, GameCube, Nintendo DS, GBA & PC in North America. The console versions were completely different from the handheld titles. The story took place 3 month after the Venom arc in the comic series of the same name.

"Storm Lancers is pure fun from start to finish." It is Marc's current Game of the Year, with dazzling visuals, crisp controls, and an addictive roguelite progression that kept him saying “just one more run.”

21 years ago today (9/21/04), the original ‘Monster Hunter’ released on PS2 in NA. First released in Japan in March, this Capcom title spawned a massive franchise shares similar elements to ‘Phantasy Star Online’ allowing players to team up online. It sold over a million copies at launch.

Happy almost weekend! What are you planning to play over the next couple days? Pictured below: ‘Dying Light: The Beast’ - Xbox, PlayStation & PC (released 9/18/25) ‘Jump Space’ - Xbox X/S & PC Early Access (released 9/19/25)

‘Okami’ released on PS2 in the US 19 years ago today (9/19/06). The game was developed by Clover Studio, who closed a few months after release & was ported to Wii in 2008. It was one of the last games on PS2 before the release of the PS3. Because of this, it sold poorly despite glowing reviews.

The Gaming Outsider Podcast will be comparing the PlayStation 2 & the Dreamcast on their next episode. One survived & the other…didn’t. But both are beloved for their own reasons. Which do you think was the superior piece of hardware & why? Let them know in the comments below!

The first ‘Streets of Rage’ title released on 9/18/91 (34 years ago today) on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive in the United States. The side-scrolling beat ‘em up was called ‘Bare Knuckle’ in Japan. It incorporated core elements of the series like co-op play & a techno soundtrack.