
The Besties
It's Game of the Year meets King of the Hill as four of Earth's best friends – Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Chris Plante, and Russ Frushtick – rank and review their favorite video games. Because shouldn't the world's best friends pick the world's best games?
Latest episodes

Jul 28, 2023 • 52min
Pikmin 4 and the Art of Little Space Guy Farming
There's never been a better time to hop aboard the Pikmin train! What does Pikmin 4 add (and subtract) to make it the series most digestible entry to date? Also, how well does a classic DS Match 3 RPG hold up in 2023?Also discussed: Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes - Definitive Edition, Gravity Circuit, Luck Be a Landlord iOS, Chrono Cross Remastered, UN Squadron, Ridiculous Fishing EX, Matinee, Futuristic Violence and Fancy Suits, Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jul 25, 2023 • 50min
Ridiculous Fishing EX is ridiculously good [Resties]
This week, the Resties dive deep into the waters of Ridiculous Fishing EX, an exceptional update of the brilliant decade-old mobile game. They also take a tour of Remnant 2, the sequel to "Dark Souls with guns." For the full list of games and much more, subscribe to the Besties/Resties newsletter at besties.fan!
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jul 21, 2023 • 46min
Taking All the Best Pics with Viewfinder
This week, we're diving into the Portal-esque Viewfinder, a game all about taking photos and then using those photos to, well ... it's hard to explain in the description of a podcast. We also talk about some of our favorite photography moments in games. For the full list of games we talked about on this episode, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, which can be found at besties.fan. (We sometimes drop free game codes in there, as well!)
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jul 14, 2023 • 1h 7min
Let's Spoil the Hell Out of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom!
Consider this your official warning: If you haven't finished Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom yet, you might wanna just give this one a skiperoo until later -- unless you don't care about that kind of stuff, of course. Today's discussion is a no holds barred, spoiler-filled look at the year's best game so far!Also discussed: Paranormasight, Trust, Marie Antoinette
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jul 11, 2023 • 45min
BattleBit and what to play next on Switch [Resties]
Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on games, schedule, merch, and egg steam pics:https://thebesties.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-besties-newsletterBattleBit Remastered plays like Battlefield, looks like Robolox, and is one of the most technically impressive indie games of all time. Frushtick and Plante do their best to survive the virtual war ground while explaining how this little miracle came to be. In the back half, the pair pick six Switch games you should try after Tears of the Kingdom. Games discussed: 13 Sentinels, Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation The Endless Seven-Day Journey, Tinykin, Cadence of Hyrule, Immortals, Fenix Rising, Tunic, Final Fantasy 16, Laya’s Horizon, Mars First Logistics, and BattleBit Remastered. Frushtick also talks about his time with the Razer Moray IEMs.
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jul 7, 2023 • 1h 1min
The Best Games of the First Half of 2023!
We're halfway done with this great experiment we call 2023, and hot dang, there's been some certified club bangers in the mix, huh? We're spending this episode going over the best of the best, the biggest blanks in our backlog, and the most anticipated titles still to come!Games discussed: Fire Emblem Engage, Dead Space, HiFi Rush, Metroid Prime Remastered, Like a Dragon Isshin, Wo Long, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Have a Nice Death, Dredge, Pizza Tower, Tchia, Paranormasight, Rusted Moss, Mr. Sun's Hatbox, Meet Your Maker, Dead Island 2, Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Boltgun, Laya's Horizon, Diablo 4, Street Fighter 6, Final Fantasy XVI, Super Mega Baseball 4, Mars First Loigistics, Battlebit Remastered, Honkai Star Rail, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, Shoulders of Giants, Sun Haven, The Caped Crusade, Starfield Controller, Past Lives, King Kong, Siren: Survive the Island
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jun 30, 2023 • 59min
Final Fantasy 16 and Mario Trips Balls
On this episode of The Besties, the gang dive into the massive new RPG, Final Fantasy 16, what with its F-bombs and Mothercrystals. We're also discussing Nintendo's latest Direct presentation, which featured one of the most ridiculous Mario trailers ever. Other games discussed: Detective Pikachu Returns, Super Mario RPG, Wario Ware Move It, Super Mario Bros Wonder, Mythforce, Diablo 4, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Asteroid City (the movie)
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jun 27, 2023 • 1h
The Video Game Required Reading List: 2015-2020 [The Resties]
The Resties Required Reading List continues with games from 2015-2020. Yes, dear listener, it's time to pick some games that you've probably played -- and that we've definitely discussed! Our goal is to curate a "must-play" list of 25 games released between 1980 to 2020. Think of it like Video Games 101. Where do modern hits fit into a list of all-time classics? Let's find out!Previous picks:85-89 - Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, SimCity95-99 - Super Mario 64, Pokemon Red and Blue, Final Fantasy 7, Starcraft00-04: Counter-Strike, GTA3, WoW05-09 - Resident Evil 4, Wii Sports, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Demon’s Souls10-14 - Minecraft, Spelunky HD, Hearthstone
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jun 16, 2023 • 1h 3min
System Shock Remake and a Bunch of Gaming News!
This week, what’s old is new again in System Shock Remake — and what’s new is ALSO new, by which we mean a bunch of stuff got announced during the recent slate of summertime gaming press conferences. Let’s talk about all of it!Also discussed: My House, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo 4, Jury Duty
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Jun 13, 2023 • 49min
Boltgun is a time machine to '90s gaming [Resties]
Boltgun is the latest game in the Warhammer 40k universe. But good news: you don't need to know a single thing about Warhammer to enjoy this little surprise. In fact, this new shooter will more likely click with fans of Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem. We dig into the latest "boomer shooter," and then reminisce about the early days of the FPS. Was Plante accidentally buying pirated games? Can Frush explain shareware? Learn the answers to those questions and more on this week's episode of The Resties.Discussed on the show: Boltgun, Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, Doom, Hexen, Toy Story, Chex Quest, Super Mega Baseball 4, and the NYXI Wizard Wireless Joypad for Switch.
Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!