GameHammer

The GameHammer show is a comedic video game review show featuring a humorous introduction sketch followed by a review of the game on a variety of systems, including footage from those systems (or, where grabbing footage straight from the system is not possible, footage from emulators) in order to get the best overview of the game possible.

GameHammer focuses on classic systems rather than the current crop of consoles. All systems from at least one console generation ago are fair game (although there are some exceptions) to feature on the show; although the classic home computers (ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC and Commodore 64) and the PlayStation 2 are the most common.

GameHammer used to run as a weekly show, uploading on Fridays, but now runs as an irregular, feature-length review show in short film format. The standard review style has been taken on by its spin-off show, GameHammer Daily. This new show doesn’t have the classic/retro gaming limit of the main series, it covers news titles for newer systems as well.

Games reviewed on GameHammer, GameHammer Daily and GameHammer Finishing Move so far include (with the formats the game was reviewed on in brackets):

The centipede on the cover is far more angry than the one in the game
Who You Gonna Call?
This is both great and infuriating!
All the fun of pressing a button!
Heroes in a half shell!

If you’re just looking for games from a specific console or computer, I have also split the GameHammer reviews into playlists for: Amstrad CPC, Amiga, Apple iMac, Arcade, Atari, Commodore 64, Dreamcast, Game Gear, IBM PC, Master System, Mega Drive, Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Saturn, Wii, Xbox and ZX Spectrum.

There’s also a Best of GameHammer playlist, if you just want the highlights. GameHammer also has an annual Game of the Year show, taking one year from the retro era and deciding which game was the best from that year:

I’ve also started collecting all the videos in each series into omnibus editions, so if you want hours of gaming in one big video, look no further than these collections:

GameHammer Live

GameHammer Live is a spin-off from the main GameHammer show that focuses on Let’s Plays and completing games live on YouTube.

The games that have been completed on GameHammer Live so far include:

GameHammer Extra

GameHammer Extra is a spin-off from the main GameHammer show, delving into a variety of different topics that aren’t possible to cover on the main show. These topics range from buyers’ guides to top games in a genre, to guides on how to make your own games and everything in between.

Topics covered on GameHammer Extra so far include:

HammerCast – The GameHammer Podcast

The HammerCast is a gaming podcast and interview show, bringing in opinions on a wide range of topics such as whether a game can ever truly be “perfect”; or whether certain games “deserve” to be reviewed. Shows range in length, so no topic feels too stretched-out or not covered in its fullest terms.

GameHammer One Shot

Some games don’t need a full, in-depth GameHammer review, they can be summed up pretty quickly. For these games, we have GameHammer One Shot; the show where we take one play at a game and then give a first impression of it. One set of lives, one time around a track, or a pre-set 10 minute time limit on playing – whatever gets us to a “Game Over” screen in the game being reviewed, that’s where we stop. When the gaming is over, we give a first impressions assessment of the game. It’s part let’s play, part review and all good advice on which games are good, and which games you should avoid.

Games reviewed on GameHammer One Shot so far include:

Complete Plays

I’ve completed a number of games live on YouTube, as part of my daily live streams. Several of these full plays have been uploaded as videos in their own right. Here’s the list, for your viewing pleasure.