Game Scoop! Presents: The 100 Questions Challenge (2025)

Podcast: Game Scoop! (IGN & Geek Media)
Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Daemon Hatfield
Panelists: Nick Limone, Justin Davis

Episode Overview

This special Thanksgiving-week edition of Game Scoop! features the return of the beloved “100 Questions Challenge”: a supersized twist on the classic video game “20 Questions” format. Hosts Daemon Hatfield, Nick Limone, and Justin Davis put their collective gaming knowledge to the test, fielding trivia submitted by listeners (Scoop Nation). The aim? To identify five games within a collective 100 questions—testing both memory and teamwork.

Beyond the challenge, expect the show’s signature blend of nostalgia, good-natured banter, and expert commentary on both classic and modern gaming.

Challenge Format and Rules

• 100 Total Questions: Five games to guess via yes/no questions, rotating turns.
• Banked Questions: If a game is guessed in fewer than 20 questions, extra queries are banked for later rounds.
• Skip Option: Panelists may skip a particularly tough game and return later if time allows.
• Truth-or-Dare Twist: Any remaining questions at the end can be used to quiz Daemon.
• Listener Involvement: All challenge games were listener-submitted, accompanied (sometimes) by personal anecdotes.

Key Discussion Points and Game Rounds

[03:36] Introduction and Crew Status

• Thanksgiving week means a light crew—Nick and Justin represent the panel, as others are traveling or out sick.
• Daemon jokes: “It's like you made a whole Thanksgiving feast and then there's only two people. Eat it all.”
  — Damon Hatfield [01:59]

[04:48] Rules Recap and Meta Q&A

• Justin asks if, based on the games selected, Daemon thinks they’ll win.
  • Daemon: “Yes. I really think you'll have nobody to blame. There's one in here... Four out of five I think are [gettable].”
    — Daemon Hatfield [04:44]

Game 1: Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)

Listener: Mark from Winston Salem, NC
Outcome: Guessed in 12 questions

Key Hints and Progression

• Not from the 70s/80s/90s
• Japanese-developed, PlayStation (originally) exclusive, Sony involvement
• Not part of a series, remade by Bluepoint
• Classic frame rate joke: “Does it run at 12 FPS?” “Yes.”
  — Justin Davis [08:11], Damon Hatfield [08:17]
• Correctly deduced as Shadow of the Colossus (PS2 original)

Notable Quotes

• “Shadow of the Colossus PS2. Yeah, there you go. Original Shadow of the Colossus. Got there in 12 questions.”
  — Damon Hatfield [08:20]

• Listener anecdote: “When this game originally came out on PS2, I really didn't understand the hype. It chugged and seemed so empty. But... the remake, it is now one of my all-time favorites.”
  — Mark's note, read by Damon Hatfield [08:56]

• Fun fact: Code name “NICO” (spiritual sequel to ICO; NI means “two” in Japanese).
  — Damon Hatfield [09:25]

Game 2: Burnout Paradise

Listener: Thwarted Junk
Outcome: Guessed in 20 questions

Key Hints and Progression

• Not 70s/80s/90s, not Xbox exclusive, not Japanese/US-made; 360/PS3-era
• Open world, multi-platform, street-level crime (panel takes the clue a bit literally)
• Not a superhero game or running-focused, racing elements deduced
• EA-published, racing game
• Eventually guessed as Burnout Paradise after considering Midnight Club, Need for Speed, etc.

Notable Banter

• “Street level crimes.” (Damon keeps repeating to drop a heavy hint)
  — Damon Hatfield [24:26], and recurrent throughout

• Justin on Burnout Paradise: “I think Paradise is deeply disappointing to me.”
  — Justin Davis [24:49]

• Nick: “I love Paradise. I think Takedown's my personal favorite...”
  — Nick Limone [24:51]

• Listener Memory: “I used to spend days inside a GameStop... I would play the demo of Burnout Paradise repeatedly at a PC station.”
  — Thwarted Junk, read by Damon Hatfield [26:10]

• Panel on genre’s disappearance: “These games did not have to go away.”
  — Damon Hatfield [25:34]

Game 3: Vectorman

Listener: Tom from Corning, NY
Outcome: Guessed in 8 questions

Key Hints and Progression

• 70s/80s/90s: Yes. Genesis, Sega-developed/published
• Part of a series (panel jokes: “It’s Vectorman!”)
• Not by Sonic Team, first in its series, not a spin-off
• Decisively guessed as Vectorman

Notable Exchange

• “That’s like one of the Genesis games I’ve played.”
  — Nick Limone [29:20]

• [Vectorman] is “maybe Sega’s answer to Donkey Kong Country, but that’s not true—BlueSky made it.”
  — Justin Davis [31:13]

• Panel celebrates the Genesis’ “pseudo-3D” tricks and fond memories.

Game 4: Typing of the Dead

Listener: Jim Galligan
Outcome: Guessed after 17 questions

Key Hints and Progression

• 70s/80s/90s game, not NES, not SNES, SEGA Genesis? No—arcade-derived, ported to Dreamcast
• Not a brawler, not fighting, not racing (no gun, rod, or steering wheel controls)
• After much debate over Power Stone, Marvel vs Capcom, and other Dreamcast ports, Justin wonders about “weird control schemes” (keyboard?).
• Suddenly, possibility of Typing of the Dead comes up—confirmed.

Notable Banter

• “Do you control this game with a keyboard?” “Yes.”
  — Nick Limone [40:24], Damon Hatfield [40:28]

• “Is this Typing of the Dead?” “Yes!”
  — Nick Limone [40:33], Damon Hatfield [40:34]

• On DLC: “There’s a $3 DLC for the Steam version that gives you filthy words to type. The example in the screenshot is Sexual Tyrannosaur.”
  — Justin Davis [41:22]

Game 5: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Listener: Evan from Down East Maine
Outcome: Guessed in 13 questions

Key Hints and Progression

• Not 70s/80s/90s
• Playable on Switch, Nintendo exclusive, not originally Switch
• 2D platformer, not on Switch Online (thus not a pure retro title)
• Not Mario, Mario cast appears, not starring Yoshi, starring Donkey Kong
• Panel works through Mario, Yoshi, then Donkey Kong / DK platformers
• Clue about recent ports leads to Donkey Kong Country Returns

Notable Quotes

• “Is this game star Donkey Kong?”
  — Justin Davis [47:26]
• “Did this game come out this year [on Switch]?” “Yes.”
  — Justin Davis [48:01], Damon Hatfield [48:01]

Tally and Results

• All Five Games Guessed in 70 Questions

  • Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)
  • Burnout Paradise
  • Vectorman
  • Typing of the Dead
  • Donkey Kong Country Returns

• The panel aces the challenge, leaving extra banked questions unused.

Final Reflection

• “Wonder if that’s a record...”
  — Justin Davis [49:26]
• “A win’s a win.”
  — Nick Limone [49:35]

Bonus: Post-Challenge Discussion & Game Recommendations

[50:00] What’s Next in Games and Life

• Nick: Baldur’s Gate 3, deep in Dungeons & Dragons lore, reading Volo’s Guide to Monsters.
• Damon: Announcing new show “Is It Still Fun Today?” (Episode 1 on Ocarina of Time just aired)
• Panel: Reflects on the “Game of the Century” fan poll—debates around Halo 3 vs. BioShock and GTA 5 vs. Half-Life 2.
  • “GTA 5 vs Half Life 2... GTA 5: 49%, Half Life 2: 51%... These are really close games.”
    — Damon Hatfield [52:09]

[53:31] Game Recommendations

• Justin: Deep into Disney Dreamlight Valley for relaxation; starting “Dispatch” (episodic, story-driven hit, “bar for bar with prestige TV”).
• Damon: Finished Ghost of Yote, ready to try Dispatch after some Mario Party with the family.
• Nick: Recommends the new LEGO Mario Party-like game.

Game Critique Example

• Damon on Ghost of Yote: “By the end, I was ready for it to be over…The villain is just an evil guy that killed your family... Still a great game, but not as much as I thought I would like.” — Damon Hatfield [56:07]

Notable & Memorable Quotes

• “Street level crimes.” (recurring Burnout Paradise hint)
  — Damon Hatfield [24:26, etc.]
• “I feel pretty strong right now, Justin.” — Nick Limone, after nailing Shadow of the Colossus
  — Nick Limone [08:28]
• “That’s what they call parallax scrolling right there, right?” — Nick Limone on Vectorman’s visuals
  — Nick Limone [32:17]
• “Is this Typing of the Dead?” “Yes!”
  — Nick Limone [40:33], Damon Hatfield [40:34]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:36] — Introduction and Thanksgiving crew
• [04:48] — Rules and setup explained
• [08:20] — Shadow of the Colossus guessed
• [24:24] — Burnout Paradise guessed
• [30:53] — Vectorman guessed
• [40:33] — Typing of the Dead guessed
• [48:06] — Donkey Kong Country Returns guessed
• [50:00] — Post-challenge talk, recommendations, and Game of the Century poll results

Episode Tone and Style

• Casual, witty, full of in-jokes and playful ribbing, balanced with real insider knowledge.
• Plenty of retro nostalgia, with the hosts regularly referencing their personal histories with the games in question and joking about their own gamer blind spots.
• The tone is inviting for both hardcore and casual listeners, blending informed commentary with accessible, relaxed conversation—a hallmark of Game Scoop!’s appeal.

Closing

With all five games guessed well under the 100-question limit, Damon congratulates Nick and Justin for conquering the 2025 Thanksgiving 100 Questions Challenge. The panel signs off wishing everyone a happy holiday and inviting listener emails for future 20 Questions rounds.

For next week: The regular Game Scoop! schedule resumes, and the show teases an upcoming “Is It Still Fun Today?” series and the results of the “Game of the Century” audience poll.

[Listen for:**

• Video game trivia banter and deductive reasoning
• Retro and modern gaming nostalgia
• Community engagement and IGN’s unique podcast camaraderie

For first-time or returning listeners:

This episode is a quintessential example of Game Scoop!’s balance of tradition, fun, and deep gaming insight—with some of the smoothest podcast chemistry in the industry.