Hardcore Gaming 101
is a video game overview site run by Kurt Kalata that is dedicated to cult classics and the obscure. Founded in 2004, it looks at everything from the classics, to Japanese import games, to long-forgotten arcade quarter-munchers, to homebrew, to pure garbage and the utterly insane. The site also takes a broader look at Shoot 'Em Up iOS Games, the Shoot Em Ups of Compile, Toaplan, Psikyo and 8ing/Raizing, pre-Street Fighter II fighting games, and the various Licensed Games of Capcom and Konami. The overviews are quite image intensive, and tend to run on to some strange tangents. The site has published a book containing overviews of nearly every adventure game ever released, and is in the process of publishing similar books on classic Sega arcade games. It is also one of the few places you'll find someone defending the Zelda CD-i games.
The site updates roughly every week. For real this time. Honest.
Game series and individual games reviewed that have TV Tropes pages:
open/close all folders
# to K
- 40 Winks
- The 7th Saga
- 80 Days
- L'Abbaye des Morts
- Aconcagua
- Action 52
- ActRaiser
- The Adventure of Hourai High School
- Adventures of Lolo
- Aero Fighters
- After Burner
- Again!!
- Akai Katana
- Alex Kidd
- Albion
- Alien Syndrome
- Alisia Dragoon
- Alone in the Dark
- Alpha Protocol
- Altered Beast (1988)
- Altered Destiny
- Alter Ego (1986)
- Always Sometimes Monsters
- Amagon
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent
- Ancient Domains of Mystery
- Anodyne
- Another Century's Episode
- Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura
- Art of Fighting
- Aselia the Eternal - The Spirit of Eternity Sword
- Assault Android Cactus
- Astro Blaster
- Astro Boy: Omega Factor
- Asura Series
- Athena / Psycho Soldier
- Axiom Verge
- Azure Dreams
- Bad Day on the Midway
- Bad Dudes / Crude Buster
- Bahamut Lagoon
- Balloon Fight
- Bangai-O
- The Banner Saga
- Baraduke
- Battle Realms
- BattleTanx
- Battletoads
- Bay Route
- beatmania
- Ben There, Dan That!
- Berzerk
- Beyond Oasis
- Big Bang Beat
- Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing
- Bio Force Ape
- Bio Menace
- Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa
- Bionic Commando
- The Black Cauldron
- Blackthorne
- The Blackwell Series
- Blake Stone
- Blandia
- Blaster Master
- Blazing Star
- Bleed
- Blood
- Blood Net
- Blood Over
- Body Harvest
- Bonanza Bros.
- Boogie Wings
- Boppin'
- Brain Dead 13
- Brain Lord
- Breath of Fire
- Broforce
- Broken Sword
- Bubsy
- Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom
- Bullet Witch
- Burning Rangers
- Cadash
- Calico
- Cannon Spike
- Capcom Beat Em Ups:
- Cannon Dancer
- Captain Novolin
- CarnEvil
- Castle of Shikigami
- The Cat Lady
- Charlie Ninja
- Cherry Tree High Comedy Club
- Chimera Beast
- Cho Aniki
- Cho Ren Sha 68k
- Chulip
- Clock Tower
- Cocoron
- The Combatribes
- Comix Zone
- Commander Keen
- Commando (Capcom)
- Conquest of the Crystal Palace
- Conquests of Camelot/Conquests of the Longbow
- The Consuming Shadow
- The Count Lucanor
- Crazy Taxi
- Crimson Shroud
- Crimzon Clover
- Crisis Beat
- Croc
- Crusader
- Crusader Kings
- Crush Pinball
- D/Enemy Zero
- Danganronpa
- Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble!
- Dangun Feveron
- Data East Commando Games:
- Heavy Barrel
- Midnight Resistance
- Bloody Wolf
- Thunder Zone
- Darius
- Dark Earth
- Dark Fall
- Darklands
- Dark Seed
- The Dark Spire
- Darkstalkers
- Dead or Alive
- Deae Tonosama Appare Ichiban
- Deathsmiles
- Desert Breaker
- Deus Ex
- Devil World
- Dig Dug
- Divekick
- Donkey Kong Country (including Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, which usually isn't considered part of the Country series)
- DonPachi
- Double Dragon
- Double Switch
- Downfall (2009)
- Dragon Slayer (including Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu, Romancia, Legacy of the Wizard, Sorcerian and The Legend of Heroes)
- Dragon Quest
- Dragonsphere
- Dragonstomper
- Drakengard
- Dr. Chaos
- Dwarf Fortress
- Dynamite Dux
- Earthworm Jim
- Eastern Mind: The Lost Souls of Tong-Nou
- Ecstatica
- Einhänder
- Eliminate Down
- El Viento / Earnest Evans / Annet Futatabi
- Eryi's Action
- Escape Velocity
- Espgaluda
- ESP Ra.De.
- ESWAT
- Eternal Champions
- Eternal Daughter
- Ether Vapor
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- Evil Zone
- E.V.O.: Search for Eden
- Excelsior Phase One Lysandia/Phase Two: Errondor
- Eye of the Beholder
- Fallen London/Sunless Sea
- Fallout
- Fantasy Zone
- Faria
- Fatal Fury
- The Feeble Files
- Fighters Destiny
- Fighting Layer
- Final Fantasy note
- Final Fight
- Final Legacy
- Fire Emblem
- The First Funky Fighter
- Flashback
- Flicky
- Flight of the Amazon Queen
- Floor 13
- Flower
- Freedom Planet
- Folklore
- The Fool's Errand
- Front Mission
- F-Zero
- Gabriel Knight
- Gaiares
- Gaia Crusaders
- Game Dev Tycoon
- Ganbare Goemon
- Gangsters
- Gemini Rue
- Genjuu Ryodan
- Getsu Fuma Den
- Gex
- Ghosts 'n Goblins
- Gobliiins
- God Hand
- Golden Axe
- Gold Rush!
- Gone Home
- Go! Go! Nippon! ~My First Trip to Japan~
- Gotcha Force
- Gradius
- Grapple Force Rena
- Growl
- Guardian Heroes
- Guerilla War
- Gundam Wing: Endless Duel
- Gundemonium Series
- Gunstar Heroes
- Gungrave
- Guilty Gear
- Guwange
- Gylt
- Gynoug
- Hagane
- Hakaiou: King of Crusher
- The Halloween Hack
- Hammerin' Harry
- Harvester
- Hatoful Boyfriend
- Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA
- Hebereke
- Hector: Badge of Carnage
- Hong Kong '97
- Hoshi wo Miru Hito
- Hotel Dusk: Room 215
- Hotline Miami
- Hybrid Heaven
- Hydlide
- ICO / Shadow of the Colossus
- I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
- Iji
- Ikari Warriors
- Illbleed
- Inca
- Incredible Crisis
- The Incredible Machine
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis
- Infinite Space
- Irem Post-Apocalyptic Games:
- Air Duel
- Armored Police Unit Gallop
- Undercover Cops
- In the Hunt
- Gun Force 2
- I, Robot
- Ittle Dew
- Jazz Jackrabbit
- Jazzpunk
- Jet Set Radio
- Jets'n'Guns
- Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass
- Joe & Mac
- Joy Mech Fight
- Journey to Silius
- Jumping Flash!
- Jump Super Stars
- Jurassic Park: Trespasser
- Kabuki Quantum Fighter
- Katawa Shoujo
- Keio Flying Squadron
- Kenseiden
- Ketsui
- Kid Chameleon
- Kid Niki: Radical Ninja
- Kiki Kai Kai
- Killer7
- Killing Time
- King of Dragon Pass
- The King of Fighters
- King of the Monsters
- King's Field
- Klax
- Klonoa
- Konami Beat-'em-ups:
- Kunio-kun
L to R
- La-Mulana
- Langrisser
- Laser Ghost
- Last Alert
- Last Bronx
- The Last Blade
- Laura Bow
- Leather Goddesses of Phobos
- Legendary Wings
- The Legend of Kage
- The Legend of Kyrandia
- The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
- The Legend of Valkyrie
- The Legend of Zelda CD-i Games (Link: The Faces of Evil and Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon)
- Leisure Suit Larry
- Lemmings
- Les Manley
- Life Is Strange
- Little Big Adventure
- Little Samson
- Live A Live
- Lone Survivor
- The Longest Journey
- Loom
- Lost In Time
- Lost Kingdoms
- The Lost Vikings
- LSD: Dream Emulator
- Lufia
- Mad Stalker: Full Metal Force (the PlayStation version)
- Magician Lord
- The Magic of Scheherazade
- Maldita Castilla
- Maniac Mansion
- Martian Gothic Unification
- Mega Man (Classic)
- Mega Man Legends
- Mercenary Kings
- Metal Black
- Metal Slug
- Metal Storm
- Metal Wolf Chaos
- Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
- Michigan: Report From Hell
- Mickey Mania
- Might and Magic
- Mischief Makers
- The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories
- Mister Mosquito
- Mole Mania
- Monkey Island
- Monster Party
- Moon Crystal
- Mortal Kombat
- Monster Bash (1982)
- Monster Bash
- Mother
- Muchi Muchi Pork
- Mushihime-sama
- Mizuiro Blood
- My Hero
- Myst
- Mystik Belle
- Namco × Capcom
- Nanashi no Game
- Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream
- Natsume NES Action Games:
- Abadox
- Shadow of the Ninja
- S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team
- Shatterhand
- Choujin Sentai Jetman
- Nazo no Murasame Jō
- Nelly Cootalot
- NetHack
- The Neverhood
- The NewZealand Story
- NiGHTS into Dreams…
- Night Trap
- Nin²-Jump
- Ninja Baseball Bat Man
- Ninja Gaiden
- The Ninja Kids
- The Ninja Warriors
- Nippon Ichi Strategy RPGs:
- Noitu Love
- Nosferatu the Vampyre / Nosferatu / Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi
- Obsidian
- Odallus: The Dark Call
- OFF
- Ogre Battle
- Okage: Shadow King
- Omikron: The Nomad Soul
- Onechanbara
- One Finger Death Punch
- One Must Fall
- One Piece Mansion
- onEscapee
- Oniken
- Operation Darkness
- Opoona
- Otogi: Myth of Demons
- Otomedius
- The Outfoxies
- OutRun
- Palette
- Pandemonium! (1996)
- Panzer Bandit
- Paper Sorcerer
- Parasite Eve
- Pathologic
- Pepper's Adventures in Time
- Pepsiman
- Phantasmagoria
- Pharaoh Rebirth
- Pier Solar and the Great Architects
- Pikuniku
- Pilgrim
- Pinball Dreams
- Pole no Daibouken
- Policenauts
- Pony Island
- Post Mortem (2002) / Still Life
- Post-Mortem Dreamcast Shooters, including:
- Power Instinct
- Primordia (2012)
- Prince of Persia
- Princess Crown/Odin Sphere
- Princess Maker 2 (focusing on the unreleased IBM PC version)
- Princess Tomato in the Salad Kingdom
- Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?
- Progear
- Project Firestart
- Pro Wrestling
- Pulseman
- Pulstar
- Punch-Out!!
- Puyo Puyo
- Pyongyang Racer
- Q*bert
- Quest for Glory
- Quiz Nanairo Dreams
- Racing Lagoon
- Radiant Silvergun / Ikaruga
- Radix: Beyond The Void
- Randal's Monday
- RAY Series
- Read Only Memories
- Realms of Arkania
- Realms of the Haunting
- Recca
- Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale
- Red Earth
- Rent A Hero
- Resonance
- Revolution X
- Rez
- Rhythm Heaven
- Ring of Red
- Rise of Nations
- Rival Schools
- Road96
- Road Blaster
- Robotrek
- Rock n' Rage
- Rocket Knight Adventures
- Rockin Kats
- Rogue Legacy
- RosenkreuzStilette
- R-Type
- Rule of Rose
- Rusty
- Rushing Beat
- Rygar
S to Z
- SaGa
- Sakura Wars
- Sam & Max
- Samurai Shodown
- Samurai Zombie Nation
- Segagaga
- Sega Ninja
- Sengoku Ace series
- Sengoku (SNK)
- Senko no Ronde
- 7th Dragon
- Severance: Blade of Darkness
- Shadow Hearts
- Shaq Fu
- Shantae
- Shardlight
- Shenmue
- Shin Megami Tensei
- Shinobi
- The Shivah
- Shock Troopers
- Shogun Warriors / Blood Warrior
- Silhouette Mirage
- Silpheed
- Simon the Sorcerer
- Siren 1
- Skies of Arcadia
- SkyGunner
- Sly Spy
- Smash TV / Total Carnage
- Snatcher
- SNK Gals Fighters
- Soma
- Songs for a Hero
- The Space Bar
- Space Channel 5
- Space Harrier
- Space Quest
- Space Station Silicon Valley
- Speed Power Gunbike
- Spiritual Assassin Taromaru
- Splatterhouse
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
- The Stanley Parable
- Starship Titanic
- Sting RPGs:
- Streets of Rage
- Strider
- Strikers 1945
- Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
- Summon Night
- Superhero League of Hoboken
- Super Meat Boy
- Super Robot Wars (the Classic Timeline)
- Super Time Force
- Sweet Home (1989)
- Sword of Vermilion
- System Shock
- Tail 'Gator
- The Tale of ALLTYNEX
- Tattoo Assassins
- Technobabylon
- Tempo
- Tengai Makyou
- Tex Murphy
- Thomas Was Alone
- Threads of Fate
- Thrill Kill
- Thunder Fox
- Time Gal
- Time Killers / BloodStorm
- Tin Star
- ToeJam & Earl
- Tokimeki Memorial
- Tomba!
- Toonstruck
- Torin's Passage
- Tormented Souls
- Totally Rad
- Toy Commander
- Treasures Of The Aegean
- Treasure of the Rudra
- Trio the Punch
- Trog
- Trouble Witches
- True Love Junai Monogatari
- Tumblepop
- Turbo
- Turrican
- Twinkle Star Sprites
- Ultima
- Ultionus: A Tale of Petty Revenge
- Umihara Kawase
- Undertale
- Uniracers
- Uplink
- Urban Yeti
- Vagrant Story
- Valis
- Vanguard
- Vectorman
- Virtual-ON
- Völgarr the Viking
- VVVVVV
- Wai Wai World
- Warlords
- Westerado
- White Day: A Labyrinth Named School
- Wild Guns
- Wizardry
- Wizorb
- Wolf Fang
- Wonder Boy
- Wonder Project J
- Woodruff and the Schnibble of Azimuth
- Xargon
- Xenogears
- Xevious
- Xexyz
- Yatagarasu
- Yie Ar Kung-Fu
- Ys
- Yume Nikki
- YU-NO
- Z
- Zeddas Servants Of Sheol
- Zettai Zetsumei Toshi
- Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Licensed Game franchise overviews, and individual licensed games reviewed that only have TV Tropes pages for the source licenses:
- The Addams Family
- All Japan Pro Wrestling (games by NCS)
- Asterix
- Batman (Sunsoft)
- Discworld (the three adventure games)
- Donald Duck games, including:
- G.I. Joe (the NES games)
- Godzilla
- The Goonies
- Gremlins
- Jackie Chan games, including games based on:
- Around the World in Eighty Days (The 2004 film)
- Jackie Chan Adventures
- Shanghai Knights
- Wheels on Meals (MSX, as well as the game better known as Kung Fu Master overseas due to originally being a Wheels on Meals game in Japan)
- The Jetsons: Invasion of the Planet Pirates
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (the fighting games developed by Capcom)
- Journey
- King Kong 2
- Kishin Douji Zenki
- Last Action Hero
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
- Rambo
- Ranma ½ (the fighting games for the Super Famicom/SNES)
- Rollergames
- Shadowrun
- Spot (7up mascot)
- Stallone games:
- Shonen Jump fighting games by Treasure:
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Vampire: The Masquerade
- Zillion
500 Word Indies:
- Antichamber
- Armello
- The Black Heart
- Dear Esther
- Downwell
- Dustforce
- Eversion
- Five Nights at Freddy's
- Gunman Clive
- Gunpoint
- Helltaker
- Home (Rivers)
- Hyper Princess Pitch
- Lifeless Planet
- Little Inferno
- Manos: The Hands of Fate
- Muri
- Never Alone
- Nidhogg
- One Way Heroics
- Parameters
- Rework the Dead: Evil
- A Tale of Two Kingdoms
- The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
- Xeodrifter
Your Weekly Kusoge (brief reviews of "shit" games):
- Agarest Senki
- Awesome Possum... Kicks Dr. Machino's Butt
- Burn:Cycle
- Contra: Legacy of War
- Critical Path
- Dian Shi Ma Li
- Final Fantasy VI (April Fools' Day review)
- Genocide (The PC Engine CD version)
- Ghoul School
- Goat Simulator
- Ground Zero: Texas
- JFK: Reloaded
- King's Quest V: Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder! (NES version)
- Limbo of the Lost
- Lunar: Dragon Song
- Muscle March
- NOBY NOBY BOY
- Operation Body Count
- Operator's Side
- The Orion Conspiracy
- Pray for Death
- Revenge of the Sunfish (part of a special article on Jacob Buczynski's games)
- Saint Seiya Ougon Densetsu Kanketsu Hen
- Sonic's Schoolhouse
- Space Ace (SNES version)
- Sprung
- Superman 64
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5
- The Typing of the Dead
- Voyeur
- WWF Wrestlemania (NES version)
- Xenophage Alien Bloodsport
- Zelda's Adventure
Tropes relevant to the writeups include:
- April Fools' Day: The "Your Weekly Kusoge" article for April 1st, 2015 reviews the Super Famicom version of Final Fantasy VI as if it had never been officially translated into English.
- Artifact Title: The "Your Weekly Kusoge" column hasn't been a weekly occurrence in years.
- Description Cut: The first second thought on the dubious idea of licensing Valis out to an H-Game developer: "Maybe this is respectful. Maybe it's a well-crafted narrative with the sex scenes merely as an aside, like YU-NO. Maybe it's..." And then follows a screenshot of a tentacle rape scene from Valis X, with SD Valis sprites as Scenery Censor and the caption "FIVE. GODDAMN. MINUTES. LATER."
- Gushing About Shows You Like: In-universe. Ys, especially. During an episode of the site's official podcast, Kurt showed he had a soft spot for Monster World IV, praising its merits more than the other commentators. He also quite likes Wendy: Every Witch Way, an obscure licensed game from WayForward Technologies.
- Halloween Episode: The week of October 31 is often dedicated to reviewing spooky video games such as:
- 2014: CarnEvil, Nosferatu, Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday
- 2015: Nightmare in the Dark, Escape from Monster Manor, Golly! Ghost, Laser Ghost, Drac's Night Out
- 2016: Deep Fear, Mystic Riders, Downfall (2009), Chiller, Midnight Mutants
- 2017: Zombie Revenge, MediEvil, Costume Quest
- 2020: The Addams Family licensed tie-in games and the Spirit Hunter: Death Mark/Shiin duology.
- Lighter and Softer: The site remarks that Dynamite Dux is this compared to other beat 'em ups.
- Narm Charm: In-universe, he enjoys the voice acting in Freedom Planet because of its earnest yet rough production, reminding him of dubs from the first years of CD consoles.
- Nostalgia Filter: Averted. Hardcore Gaming 101 is probably one of the few classic game retrospective sites out there that doesn't dismiss anything made after 1996 as garbage. Also, if an older game is horrible or a classic game has aged poorly, they have no problem saying so.
- Retraux: A mockup cover of Hardcore Gaming 101 as a 90s gaming magazine. (No longer available after the site redesign, see the YMMV page for details)
