Thursday, March 30, 2023

Video Game Review #430: G.I. Joe

G.I. Joe
Arcade


Nostalgia Factor:

G.I. Joe was a hot commodity when I was a kid, not that it mattered much to me. I remember the toys, the cartoon, everything. I was never a big fan, though. As a result, I never played any of the video games growing up. Heck, I didn't even know this arcade game existed. I never encountered it once in the wild, and I went to a lot of bowling alleys, skating rinks, and restaurants when I was a kid. Never saw this even once.

Why am I playing it now? I don't know. I was bored the other night and was scrolling through the arcade section of my RetroPie, looking for something potentially quick and easy to play through. I ended up settling on G.I. Joe. Why not play through it, just for shits and giggles?

Turns out, I ended up having a surprisingly good time with this game. Keep reading for my full breakdown.




Story:

There's really not much to this game's story. Cobra is trying to take over the world. You take control of the G.I. Joe Team as you fight against them. Eventually you head to their headquarters and defeat their leader, the aptly named Cobra Commander. The credits roll.




Gameplay:

I guess you could describe this game as an on-rails shooter. Once you pick your character, you are immediately thrown into the action. The camera follows your character from behind his or her back as you run forward, shooting the enemies and obstacles that appear on screen.

You are not just moving a cursor, although that is a big part of the gameplay. You can also move your character back and forth in order to avoid enemy attacks. Aside from your standard straight line gun attack, you have a set number of grenades in your inventory. Use these to clear the screen of enemies. But you have to use them sparingly as you only start with three.

The main goal of the game is to simply move the cursor over the enemies that appear on screen and fire at them. There are also environmental hazards to avoid, or simply blast away with your weapon. One of the best thing about this game is that almost everything is destructible. I had such a fun time blowing up everything in sight. You are rewarded for doing this, as well. Enemies will occasionally drop power ups, but I found that I was able to strike it rich by destroying everything in the environment. I really racked up a lot of grenades and weapon upgrades in the process.

This is a very straightforward game. If you play it for two or three minutes, you'll know what to expect for the rest of the game. Your character is always dashing forward. You shoot. You throw grenades. You dodge enemy fire. You blow stuff up. At the end of each stage, you fight a boss character. It's nothing revolutionary, but it is still a fun time. I made my way through this game solo, but I see that this game is available to play with up to four players. I can only imagine how much of a raucous good time this must be to play with friends.




Graphics:

This isn't the greatest looking game in the world, but I wouldn't say it is ugly or anything like that. The cutscenes are really good, and the stills look like they were taken directly from the comic book or cartoon - kind of like how TMNT looks for the arcade.

Graphics in-game are decent. Expect to see lots of blocky pixelization, especially as enemies and obstacles rush towards the camera. They can completely obscure your view at times, which is a little annoying. That said, the game runs great. There's no choppiness or slowdown.

There's not much variety in the levels or the stage design. You run through a lot of "samey" looking environments. Again, not the most visually exciting game in the world. I don't really care, though. I play games for fun - and while this might not be the best looking game out there, the graphics do their part and are in no way any kind of hindrance to the fun time I had playing through this




Sound:

Konami is known for its great musical soundtracks in their games. Unfortunately there is nothing too special or memorable about the music in this game. You can definitely hear a little Sunset Riders/TMNT influence in some of the background music, but none of the tunes in G.I. Joe are as catchy as they are in those other games. The music is good, sure, but absolutely nothing memorable.

Sound effects are decent too. Nothing stands out to me, good or bad - which I guess is a good thing. The only thing that's stuck with me is when you hear "Go Joe!" (or is it "Yo Joe?" - like I said, I didn't watch the cartoon) when you pump in a quarter. I like that.




Overall:

I can't lie: I had a fun time with this game. I came into it with no expectations whatsoever. I'm not a G.I. Joe fan, nor am I really a fan of this type of shooting game. But I had a really good time with this.

It's easy to pick up and play. It's fast paced. It's addictive. You don't need to know anything about G.I. Joe to enjoy this game. I wish I had encountered this in the arcades when I was a kid. I am sure I would have loved it.

You can try to knock this game by pointing out that it is repetitive and pretty short in length (you can beat it in less than 30 minutes), but I don't care about any of that stuff. This game is FUN, and that is what I look for in a video game. I definitely recommend this if you haven't played it. I know I'll probably be returning to this every few years or so for a quick and fun playthrough for the rest of my life. Can't ask for much more than that!



THE GRADE:
B




If you liked this review, check out some of my other arcade reviews:


For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click


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Monday, March 27, 2023

Video Game Review #429: Live A Live

Live A Live
Super Nintendo


Nostalgia Factor:

I first heard of Live A Live after it was remade for the Nintendo Switch in 2022. Sure, the remake intrigued me, but I'm not a Switch owner - nor do I intend to get one anytime soon. But as soon as I saw screenshots for the original version of the game, I knew I had to play it.

Live A Live was never released in the United States, which is likely why I had never heard of it. On the surface, it looks like a fun title - very similar in visual style to Chrono Trigger or a Final Fantasy game. It probably would have been a success if it had been released over here. Not sure why they didn't bring it over!

Well, regardless, I own a RetroPie and a fully translated version of the game is on it. I started playing it a few months ago and just finished it this morning. Read on to see what I thought about it!




Story:

Live A Live gives you the choice of seven different character scenarios to play through in any order you would like. They all differ in variety. There's a cowboy, a ninja, a kung-fu master, a robot, a caveman, a wrestler, and a cyberpunk character to pick from. Each of these characters is the hero in their own story. For example, the cowboy has to save a small town from a band of raiders. The robot takes part in a 2001: A Space Odyssey type adventure. The ninja rescues a princess from a castle. So on and so forth. Each of these scenarios takes about two to three hours in length on average to complete. Some are shorter, some are longer.

All of these stories are seemingly unrelated. When you complete all seven of them, you unlock an eighth character scenario: the gallant medieval knight. This is where things start to tie together. This chapter starts out like all the other chapters, but ends in tragedy. The knight fails to save the day and turns into warped, evil, demon-like creature in the end.

That's where the seven heroes come in. After completing the eighth chapter, they are summoned to defeat the vile Odio and save the planet from destruction. The entire ninth chapter is an Avengers-like crossover event. I'm not quite sure who summons the heroes. Is it Odio, looking for a challenge? Some other higher cosmic power? I'm not sure it is explained. If it is, I missed it.




Gameplay:

One of the fun things about Live A Live is how its gameplay differs from chapter to chapter. The basics are the same. You control a character in an RPG environment. You walk around, you talk to people, you level up, you equip your character, you participate in battles, etc. That's where the comparisons end.

Look at the distant future scenario, for example. The whole chapter is based on exploration, atmosphere, talking to people, and solving a mystery. There's very little combat or fighting to speak of. Then look at the wrestler chapter. It is almost like a fighting game, where you take on a series of enemies as your character participates in a fighting tournament. There's little story to speak of, and literally no exploration at all. It is just straight up fighting.

The Old West scenario feels like something pulled out of a movie - and it was honestly my favorite chapter. The kung fu and caveman scenarios are a lot of fun as well. They all play out more like traditional RPGs - minus the random battles. You can see the enemies coming on the map. The ninja scenario is based around stealth (or all out combat if you go that route). The cyberpunk chapter is just weird.

It isn't until you hit the eighth chapter that the game begins to feel like a more traditional RPG. Part of it is the medieval setting, but it's the dialogue, the exploration, and the random battles that do it for me. The final chapter goes full blown traditional RPG. You start off as a solo character, but your main job is to gather your party, level them up, and get them equipped with all of the best things before you head off to fight the final boss.

Up until the end, Live A Live had mainly managed to avoid the grindy aspect that I hate about RPGs from this era. But that final chapter... I can only shake my head. There is so much repetitive fighting and so much grinding for experience. Hours and hours of it. It was like I was playing Grandia all over again (but without the annoying load times). 

Most of the chapters are fun, but there are a few that overstay their welcome. The distant future and the cyberpunk scenarios come to mind. These chapters also make it very unclear what you are supposed to do next. I hated the distant future because all you do is wander around the ship, talking to the same characters over and over and over again until you unlock something new to do. I had to look up a guide because I SWORE I had searched that entire ship high and low and still kept getting stuck repeatedly.

This is also a game that you can't step away from for a few weeks and then come back to. Maybe if you are in-between scenarios, it is fine. But in the middle of one? It will take you forever to figure out what you were supposed to do next. The villagers and NPCs are absolutely no help whatsoever.

Combat takes place on a grid. It's almost like a tactical RPG, but not quite. It's turn based combat where you have free control of your characters' movement. It is fairly easy to get used to, but there are some difficulty spikes in the game that had me scratching my head. It is very up and down with its difficulty. The final chapter, though, is without a question very tough. It took me hours and hours of grinding to even be able to put up a good fight against the final boss.

Don't expect to steamroll your way through this game. 




Graphics:

I mentioned earlier that this game's visual style is similar to Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy. That's not entirely true. This game does NOT look as good as Chrono Trigger. Some Final Fantasy games it may be comparable to, but it also has nothing on VI. That said, it looks decent for its time. The characters are simple, yet unique looking and very expressive. The enemies are diverse. Some of the monsters you face at the end of the game are particularly hideous.

What steals the show graphically are the game's environments. It seems like this game is full of "peaks" like mountain tops and rooftops. The majestic backdrops never fail to impress. The game's atmosphere really does a good job sucking you in as well. The Old West is amazing, as is the kung fu scenario. You really feel like you are a part of these world. And while I don't like the ninja or distant future scenarios - I have to say that they are very, very immersive.




Sound:

This game has a very good soundtrack. There are a handful of tracks that stand out to me and have been added to my video game music playlist. I won't lie and say that this game is comparable to Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI in the sound department, but it is still very good.




Overall:

This game has a lot of ups and downs, but overall it left a positive impression on me and I am very glad to say I played it. At its best, Live A Live is an engrossing and unique 16 bit RPG that tells a small handful of "short stories" in a very effective manner. That said, some of these stories are clunkers that are quite aimless and lack any sort of direction whatsoever. I have to look at this game as a complete package, however. Do the good stories outweigh the bad? I think they do.

The very first scenario I played was the Old West, and I freaking loved it. Unfortunately, I was left "chasing the dragon" for the rest of the game. The distant future, the cyberpunk scenario, and the ninja chapter were the next three I played, and I found them all to be lackluster (despite a few bright spots). I had low expectations for the wrestler chapter, but it was surprisingly fun. The last two chapters I played before the endgame began were the kung fu chapter and the caveman chapter. Just as I was about to lose hope, they restored my faith in the game. They were just as good as the Old West chapter, if not better. The endgame is a whirlwind too, that makes it all worth it in the end. I'm going to gripe and gripe about the grinding and the difficulty spike of the final chapter, but now that I am done with the game I can say that it was overall a very unique and satisfying experience.

Will I play Live A Live again? Probably not - unless I cave in and get a Nintendo Switch at some point in the future. Then I'll play the remake. But as much as I enjoyed the game, I have come to the realization that I am getting older and there is still SO much content out there to explore. Really, I've seen everything this game has to offer and I'm good on playing it again.

Should you play it? I think so. If you've read this review and it sounds like something you'd be interested in, you'll probably like it. If not, you probably won't. As long as you come into this game with tempered expectations and don't expect it to be "the greatest game of all time!!" or anything like that, you'll probably have a good time with it.



THE GRADE:
B



If you liked this review, check out some of my other game reviews:



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Friday, March 10, 2023

Video Game Review #428: Geronimo Stilton in the Kingdom of Fantasy

Geronimo Stilton in the Kingdom of Fantasy
PSP




Nostalgia Factor:

Mop Up Duty has certainly taken me to some new and unexpected places when it comes to video game history, and Geronimo Stilton in the Kingdom of Fantasy might be one of the most unexpected places yet.

Geronimo Stilton is a popular book series for kids. I have never heard of it. My wife has never heard of it. We have a toddler, we go to the library all the time, and we're constantly finding new books and new series to read to the kiddo. That's why I find it a little weird that neither of us have heard of these books.

Most likely, I still would never have heard of this series if it wasn't for Mop Up Duty. I was perusing a list of games that were released in 2013 that I had never played before, and this one caught my eye. I was looking for something quick and easy to play through. This is a game for kids, so I figured it would be both of these things. Plus, Mop Up Duty is all about playing and experiencing new games that I likely never would have played before. This is a game that I NEVER would have heard of, much less played, so it definitely fit that criteria. 

I figured: why not? Let's check this game out and see if I've unearthed a relatively undiscovered gem.

Would this game turn out to be a hidden gem that has escaped all media attention for ten years now? Read on and find out!




Story:

Geronimo Stilton is a humanoid mouse, who lives in a house. He goes up to his attic one night and discovers a music box that whisks him away to a world of fantasy. There he encounters Scribblehopper the frog, who enlists him on a quest to save the fairy princess.

Geronimo's quest leads him through a world filled with mermaids, witches, ghosts, giants, dragons, trolls, and more. He must pass through seven kingdoms, doing tasks for its denizens before he is granted access to the next area of the game. Along his way he picks up several helpers, which they name "The Order." The Order arrives in the fairy kingdom and defeat the evil witch who is trying to take over.

Geronimo goes home and The Order parts ways. The end.

Overall it is a very simplistic story, filled with cutesy characters and quirky little side adventures. You can really tell this is based on a series of children's books. If you are an adult playing this game, you aren't going to find anything too interesting about its story. If you're a kid, however, you'll probably love this. I might come back to this game someday to show my kiddo when he is old enough.




Gameplay:

This game is entirely made up of minigames that you must complete in order to advance the story. There are over 60 of them in total. These minigames consist of things like puzzles, slide puzzles, finding hidden images, counting shapes, spotting the differences between two pictures, hitting buttons in rhythm, solving logic problems, and answering math questions. This is a game meant for kids, so most of these puzzles are not too overly difficult. I don't know what this says about me, but there were a handful of minigames that I did struggle with immensely. I kept having to try them over and over again before I finally got them right. A few I had to look online for help solving. For a kids game.

Not my finest moment.

Each minigame you complete unlocks a little bit of the game's story. Although the game does give you the illusion of freedom by allowing you to pick which area on the map you'd like to visit next, but things are very guided and linear in this game. And it has to be, in order to tell the book's story.

Each kingdom follows the same standard formula. You arrive in the kingdom. Your first minigame is assembling its map. Then you have a few areas on the map you can visit. You'll eventually meet a character that wants you to find something for him, but it is broken up into pieces. This opens up a new area on the map, with new minigames to complete. Each minigame you finish, you collect one piece of the thing you are looking for. Collect them all and bring them back to the character in question.

He'll unlock the path to the ruler of that particular kingdom. You have to do some quests for them before they allow you passage through the kingdom and into the next kingdom. Then you start things over again. Find the map. Put it together through a puzzle minigame. Talk to new characters. Find things for them. Get permission to move onto the next kingdom. So on and so forth through seven kingdoms you go.

Occasionally you'll encounter characters that you have to give key items to in order to advance the game's plot. Some of these key items can be found through standard gameplay. Others can be purchased using guilders, Geronimo Stilton's in-game currency. You get guilders depending on how well you complete the game's puzzles. Complete one on your first try, you get ten guilders. If you fail and have to do it again, your reward drops to seven. If you fail again, the reward drops even lower. The lowest it gets is one guilder.

You can also collect extra guilders through special minigames, which are marked on the in-game map. These minigames are the way to go if you want to rack up guilders fast in order to make a purchase necessary to advance the plot. Some of these special minigames include Tetris and Breakout clones which are quite fun to play.

That's really the whole game. Playing minigames, collecting guilders, and advancing the game's plot. Eventually you get to the end, rescue the fairy princess, and save the day. I'll say the same thing I said about the game's story in regards to its gameplay: if you're a kid, you're probably going to think it is fantastic. As a parent, it is something I'd want my child to play. It's wholesome, it's entertaining, it's educational. And for a kid's game, it is not annoying in the slightest.

Looking at this from the perspective of an adult gamer... it's alright. I didn't dislike my time with the game. I didn't think it was stellar either. It got a bit boring and methodical after a while. But it always kept me going with its creative minigames. Overall this was an above average experience, but not by much. I think that will likely be reflected when I gave this game my final grade.




Graphics:

This is a good looking game. It is like a children's book come to life. I could easily see this being adapted into a cartoon, and the cartoon would look exactly like the graphics in the game. My wife even commented on the game's visual style as I was playing it, which she never does. Even she, an ardent non-gamer, was impressed by the game's look.




Sound:

Not only does this game look like a Saturday morning cartoon, it sounds like one as well. I have to give props to the voice acting, as it fits the characters and the tone of the game like a glove. The music is nice too. It is very upbeat and appropriate for the magical world of the game. Absolutely nothing to complain about here. Well, except for the fairy princess's voice sounding exceedingly creepy.




Overall:

I didn't expect much from this game, but it delivered a fairly fun and fresh experience. I think if I was a kid, I would have absolutely loved this game. In fact, I can't wait to show it to my two year old when he is old enough to play games. It's cute, it has a fun story, and it keeps your mind working. Perfect for a small human.

What did I dislike about this game? It's very formulaic. Many of the puzzles are repetitive. There is little challenge to be found for most of the game. You have to grind for guilders. You never really control your character fully, you just pick stuff from menus and then play some minigames. For adult gamers, Geronimo Stilton leaves a lot to be desired. But at the same time, it still occasionally impresses.

This is a good game. I'd even say a slightly above average game. You are not missing anything if you decide to skip this one, but if you do - you'll probably kinda like it.



THE GRADE:
C+


40th Birthday Mop Up Duty Celebration Tour:




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Geronimo Stilton and the Kingdom of Fantasy
(The review you are reading)


Up next we roll into 2014 with:
The Evil Within



For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click


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Sunday, March 5, 2023

The Beatdown Part Two: Ranking every podcast in my current rotation from best to worst!

Hi everyone. Last year I made a post where I ranked all of the podcasts I was listening to from best to worst. If you're interested in checking it out, please follow the link located >here<.

In over eight years of this blog's existence, my podcast ranking quickly became one of its most popular posts. A few people from these podcasts actually reached out to me to thank me for the kind words. This was completely unexpected but awesome at the same time! To this day, I still stay in touch with some of them. And even though I haven't appeared on any podcasts myself, I am proud to say that I'm now a member of the Cartridge Club.

Since my first podcast ranking was such a hit, I have decided to make it a yearly tradition. Each March, I will rank my podcast rotation from best to worst. I'll even give an honorable mention to the podcasts I've either completely finished with or have stopped following altogether.  

Some podcasts will rise in the ranking. Some will fall. New podcasts will join the ranks while others will disappear completely. Without further ado, I think we should get this started:



#1:
Staff Picks
Hosted by Mario Lanza


For the second year in a row, a Mario Lanza podcast sits atop this ranking. Last year it was the Survivor Historians. This year it is Staff Picks. If this isn't undisputed evidence that Mario Lanza is the greatest podcaster of all time, I don't know what is.

Staff Picks is a podcast for movie nerds, by movie nerds. Each episode Mario picks a movie that he loves that he feels doesn't get enough attention. Not necessarily hated or disliked movies, but movies that don't get the proper love they deserve. For example: The Rock with Nicolas Cage. No one says this movie is bad. Most people generally like this movie. But when you talk about history's great action movies, no one ever mentions The Rock. Same with A Knight's Tale. Super fun movie, but does anyone talk about it anymore? No. Black Christmas is another one. No one ever talks about that movie despite the fact that it revolutionized slasher flicks everywhere.

Mario takes movies that have an unfairly poor reputation and justifies them as well. The Village, Last Action Hero, Demolition Man, etc. People like to say these movies are terrible, even though they are entertaining. Titanic is even a featured episode. Why Titanic? It's a record breaking and award winning movie. How can you say it doesn't get enough love? Because of all the haters. For every person you find who loves Titanic, you'll find two or three that think it is absolute garbage.

Each episode features a different guest. This helps keep the show fresh. I always enjoy the banter between Mario and his hosts. Some of his hosts are people he's never met or interacted with before, not that you can tell with how quickly and easily they get along. Some of his guests are even people I'm familiar with from the online world, like Brian Scully and Josh Wigler. Others are complete unknowns. I haven't gotten to any of these episodes yet, but there are even some Survivor contestants that guest host.

I know it sounded like I was joking before, but Mario is a great podcast host. He's funny, he's got a good voice to listen to, he's interested in a ton of things I am, and he makes a lot of the same observations that I do. He really is the perfect podcast host. For me anyway. I know every time I tune in, even if I don't know the movie, the episode is going to be good. And that's why Staff Picks sits here at number one.

Last episode played: The Brady Bunch Movie
Next episode in line: Bachelor Party

Note: while I normally listen to podcasts in order, I've been jumping around through Staff Picks and have listened to 17 of them out of order.


#2:
The Retrograde: A Video Game Podcast
Hosted by Andrew Bascom and Mikey-o Andretti Ehrenworth


The Retrograde is moving up in the world. This podcast comes in at number two on my ranking after finishing third last year. The Retrograde is infinitely listen-to-able (is that a phrase? I'm making it one). They have that x-factor I'm looking for in all of my podcasts. Every single time I start one of these episodes, even if I don't know the game, I know I am going to be entertained.

The hosts are very funny and have great chemistry with one another. They're loud and in your face - but never to the point of being annoying. I've really, really grown on this podcast. It's become one of my go-tos.

Looking back at my comments from last year, it does seem some things have changed. The Producer Elliott gag has become a thing of the past. I can't even remember the last time it has been mentioned. They still talk about unrelated things at the beginning of each podcast, but I actually like this. I enjoy seeing what games they are playing outside of the podcast and hearing about the things going on in their lives.

My number one criticism still stands, however: how harsh they are on games that I consider all-time greats. Their OG Resident Evil 2 episode is a prime example. The criticism is so unfair, I had to write some of it down. Here are a few quotes:

"This game is a failure on almost every level."

"It is a complete mess."

"No redeeming qualities."

"0.5 out of 4."

"Mikey, nothing you've said is controversial. It's all fact. This game is not good."

Seriously, the original Resident Evil 2?! Who disses Resident Evil 2? Opinions like these make me want to shout at these guys through the podcast app. They've ripped apart plenty of other classics too, such as Star Fox 64, Ecco the Dolphin, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Every time an episode comes up where I'm like "oooh I love that game!" they absolutely hate it.

Meanwhile, titles like Tiger Woods Golf, Overwatch, Age of Empires, and other things I would consider to be boring - they love. I just can't figure it out. I don't think I've ever encountered someone with such complete opposite taste in video games as my own. And here are two of them.

That said, I still freaking love this podcast. Agree or disagree with them, it's always guaranteed to be a good listen. I'm not even close to being caught up in real time, so I've likely got several more years with these guys on the horizon. Maybe next year they will be number one?

Last episode played: Celebrity Deathmatch
Next episode in line: Kirby's Dream Land


#3:
The Survivor Historians Podcast 
Hosted by Mario Lanza, Jay Fischer, Mike Bloom, and Paul Asleson


This podcast easily could have finished number one on my list again. Its quality has not declined over the years. The only reason it doesn't rank higher is because I'm nearly caught up to the end of it, and my listening has tapered off quite a bit. It has been a few months since I've fired it up. I like to listen to this podcast in conjunction with re-watching the show, and I seem to have hit a convenient pausing point after Heroes vs Villains.

In the last year, I have listened to the episodes covering Cook Islands through Heroes vs Villains. Some of the seasons that they hate, you can tell they are phoning it in a little. I was not particularly fond of the Cook Islands episodes. They don't like the season, and it seeped through into the quality of the podcast. Usually they gave strong insight into things that aren't seen on camera, while making funny jokes and observations on the way. You could tell they just wanted to get this season over and done with. The CBS "rigging" controversy to keep the white tribe from dominating the game was really the only thing that stood out to me from this season. Oh, and the whole "taking a Cecilia" bit. I was a little perturbed that Cao Boi didn't get much love. He's like the first coming of Coach.

Some of the other episodes are just fantastic, however. I gained a new appreciation for Gabon, Fiji, and China listening to this podcast. Some of their jokes and observations are absolute gold, although I could do without the lemon tree bit.

And then Micronesia. And then all the Coach stuff. And then all the Russell stuff. I'm so happy Mario feels the same way about Coach that I do. My god, this podcast is so freaking good. Again, this could have easily been number one on my list and I wouldn't have batted an eye. I just wish there was more content. The podcasts ranked above this have a TON of episodes, and I can just throw them on whenever I want and be entertained. I can't do that with the Historians, because there's such limited content left. I have to ration it. Once I get through Nicaragua and Redemption Island, I'm all caught up. And that's sad.

Last episode played: Evil Will Always Triumph, Because Good Is Dumb
Next episode in line: Please, I Beg You, For The Love of God, Give Jimmy T Something To Do

Note: I listened to the four-part Borneo revisit last year, so that's why I'm jumping from Heroes vs Villains to Nicaragua.


#4:
Collateral Gaming Video Game Podcast
Hosted by Ashley Chancellor, Megan Gomez, and Zachary Guillot


Collateral Gaming ranked fourth on last year's list, and here it is at number four again. This is one of those podcasts that I can put on anytime, anywhere - and know that I am going to enjoy it. It's never boring, always entertaining, the hosts are very passionate, and even when they talk about games I am disinterested in, the way they talk about them is enough to make me interested.

Collateral Gaming is an ever evolving podcast. It's been interesting watching them find their footing. Where I'm at, they've really hit their stride. While they do have the occasional different cohost, Megan and Zach are two of my favorites. And the main host Ash seems like such a nice stand-up guy. I just found him on Instagram a few weeks ago and he kind of looks like Jesus. Funny how people look so different from what you picture when you are only hearing their voice.

Occasionally Collateral Gaming partners up with Collateral Cinema, their sister podcast. You'll see them make an appearance later on down the line. But I always enjoy these episodes as they always focus on video game based movies.

Collateral Gaming is different from the other podcasts I listen to in the sense that it is not focused on retro games. Almost everything they play has come out in the last 5 or 10 years. They do play old games every once in a while, but it is not often. And I'm kind of glad they don't. They're too young! I skipped ahead in my chronological listening to the Resident Evil episodes - and the way they talk about these games made me wince a little bit.  

Last episode played: Game Launch Edition: Game Freak's Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Next episode in line: Episode 27 (Part 2): AlphaDream & Nintendo's Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga


#5:
The Cartridge Club
Hosted by P1 and P2


The Cartridge Club is on the rise. It was only ranked 7th on my list last year, and now its up to 5th! 
The Cartridge Club is like a book club for gamers. Each month they pick a game, play through it, and then record a podcast where they talk about the game. The thing I love the most about this podcast is the sense of community. They are so nice and welcoming in all their podcasts, promoting each other's content and inviting new gamers to join the club.

I mentioned in my podcast last year how someday I'd like to join. And join I did. A month or two ago I visited their website, which led me to their Discord page, where I created an account and signed up. I'm not exactly a prominent poster, nor have I appeared in a podcast yet. But if and when that does happen, watch this podcast skyrocket up my rankings!

The only thing keeping this podcast from joining the upper echelon of the podcasts above it is that it isn't always the most "entertaining." They aren't really there to entertain the listener. They are there to hang out with fellow like minded gamers to discuss games they love playing. And that's totally fine. I just wish the episodes had a little more pizazz. I find myself zoning out sometimes while listening, particularly during some of the longer episodes - which can be a bit of a drag.

In addition to their monthly podcasts, they also have weekly episodes where they talk about the happenings of the club. Originally I had skipped over these episodes, but now that I'm a member I've been going back and listening to them in order. And I like them! 

Last episode played: Cartridge Club Weekly #13 - October 9th 2016
Next episode in line: Cartridge Club Weekly #14 - October 16th 2016


#6:
Digging Six Feet Under
Hosted by Victor Rubio


I am only seven episodes into this podcast, and it has already secured its spot in my rotation ahead of some long standing favorites I've been listening to for a long time. It's no surprise that I like this podcast. Six Feet Under is one of my favorite shows of all time, and I'm dying (pun intended) to hear more about it. What makes this podcast unique is that Victor is a funeral director, and he likes to break things down and point out facts/fiction of the funeral business from the perspective of an insider.

Maybe it is just the subject matter and I'd enjoy anything Six Feet Under related, but I am really enjoying the brief amount of time I've spent listening to this. I don't plan to rewatch the show anytime soon, and I never had a person to discuss the show with as I watched it, so listening to this podcast is the perfect thing for me. I only finished this show back in January, so it's like I'm squeezing out a little more time with the Fisher family before I finally say goodbye.

Last episode played: S01E06 The Room
Next episode in line: S01E07 Brotherhood


#7:
Arcade Attack
Hosted by Keith, Adrian, Dillon, and Rob


I can't believe Arcade Attack actually dropped a spot in my ranking from last year! When I posted my ranking last March, these guys were the most responsive to my review - reaching out to me and thanking me for what I had written and sharing my post on their pages. I have a feeling they won't be doing that this time.

The fact that they reached out to me made me become more invested in the podcast. I learned everyone's names (which I didn't know at this point last year). I added them on Instagram. I ramped up my listening to their podcast. At that point I was only listening to about one episode a week. Immediately it jumped up to about five or six a week.

I quickly began to burn out on the podcast, however. There are dozens of episodes where they interview people from the gaming industry. At first I loved these episodes, but (and this may be an unpopular opinion) it wasn't long before I started to dislike them. These episodes are so dry and boring. These game makers, while they have some interesting stories, seem to ramble on and on and on. They aren't particularly funny or entertaining people. They are very self-important. I found myself zoning out quite often during these episodes. Eventually it got to the point where it began to severely impact my enjoyment of the podcast. The episodes where it is the crew hanging out and talking about their favorite games? Awesome. The interview episodes? Not so much.

Before I knew it, I was back down to one episode a week again. I feel bad, like I've betrayed this podcast that reached out to me and was so nice to me. But really, would I rather listen to a boring old guy talk about the good old days of video game programming for two hours, or would I rather spend my time listening to the always entertaining Mikey and Andrew from the Retrograde? It's a no brainer.

My fingers are crossed that Arcade Attack climbs this ranking next year. They just announced that they are ending their podcast on their 300th episode, and I'm only 100 episodes in. So I have a LOT more catching up to do!

Last episode played: Hundredth Episode Special - Lots of Quizzes & Future Pod Ideas
Next episode in line: Christian Erickson - Interview - MegaRace & Hitman Actor


#8:
Sega Saturn, Shiro
Hosted by Patrick, Dave, Ke

Of all the podcasts in my current rotation, this one has had the biggest turnaround. It was ranked dead last in my 2022 ranking. I said some bad things about it, and even talked about dropping it from my rotation completely - which I actually did for a good six months. 

I'm glad I came back to it, though. I have a new appreciation for the Shiro crew. I love how much they love the Saturn, which is also one of my favorite gaming systems of all time. I love how hard they are working to keep the Saturn relevant and alive. Dave in particular has mentioned how hard he's been working updating archive.org and all these other projects he is involved with.

They've moved away from all the "technical talk" that I was complaining about in my previous ranking. The word soldering almost never comes up anymore! They seem to have found a renewed focus on talking about games and sharing personal stories with the Saturn - which is what I thought I was getting into when I first started listening. The music episodes are a personal favorite as well. And I love when the Southern Sega Gentleman makes a guest appearance. There's just something about his voice that feels very welcoming.

I'm so glad my opinion has changed on this podcast and that I've given it another shot. I really enjoy it, and it is nowhere near as bad as I made it out to be last year. I'm so sorry!

Last episode played: EPISODE 24: "Shiro vs Titan Cast 2 - New Age of Casts!"
Next episode in line: EPISODE 25: "Patches, Fan-lations, New Releases, Oh My!"


#9:
The Loser's Club
Hosted by Randall Colburn, Dan Caffrey, McKenzie and Justin Gerber, and more!


Here's another podcast that took a slight dip in my rankings from last year. They were 8th. Now they are 9th. So not a huge drop. It's not anything that the podcast has done. I like it just the same as I liked it last year. It hasn't really risen or fallen in my books. It's constant. Like a reader. A Constant Reader.

Stop it, Dan.

It's a fun and lively podcast. I like the crew they have breaking these books down. They really analyze King's writing in ways I had never considered before. I haven't been listening to it at quite the pace as I was before. Probably because I have 13 podcasts in my rotation now as opposed to the 12 I had last year. Not a huge change, but enough to make a difference. And the episodes are so freaking long! I've also been lukewarm on the era of King they are up to in my chronological listening. Firestarter, Christine, Skeleton Crew, The Bachman Books: meh. 

I just started the It series of podcasts, and it has been great so far. Maybe this will kick my interest in the podcast back into overdrive. I've listened to the Gunslinger podcast already, but I simply can't wait until we reach the meat and potatoes of the Dark Tower series. It is going to be so freaking epic.

Last episode played: IT - Part 1: The Shadow Before and The First Interlude
Next episode in line: IT - Part 2: June of 1958 and the Second Interlude


#10:
Westworld: Post Show Recaps
Hosted by Josh Wigler and Jo Garfein


At this time last year I was listening to Post Show Recaps for The Leftovers - one of my favorite shows of all time. That podcast was great. Wonderful host chemistry, lots of humor, and they also tackled the heavy hitting themes and mysteries of the show. There were a lot of theories and ideas floated out there that really made me think, and appreciate the show in a brand new way. When I finished with the podcast, I immediately wanted to jump into Post Show Recaps for another show. I picked Westworld because this is a show filled with lots of mystery and philosophical questions, just like The Leftovers.

Unfortunately, this podcast is nowhere near as good. Josh doesn't have quite the chemistry with Jo as he did with Antonio. And they don't really talk about anything I didn't already know. Maybe it is the nature of the show they are covering. The Leftovers is more open-ended, while Westworld has a defined narrative that the showrunners are trying to tell. For some reason or another. I simply was not into this podcast and often found myself getting bored with it. When going through my rotation and looking for another podcast to listen to, I always pick other, more fun things instead of this one - which is really dragging out the experience for me.

Another complaint I have is that for a podcast with the word Recaps in the title, they don't do a whole lot of recapping. I haven't seen season four of Westworld yet, so I was hoping that their recap of season three would be good enough where I didn't have to rewatch that season again. But it is not good. I feel as if I would be completely lost going into season four - even after listening to the recap of the season. Can we get less fan-girling over Maeve and Elsie and more actual recapping, please?

There is a season three rewatch episode coming up, so hopefully they do a little bit better of a job in that one. 

Last episode played: Westworld Rewatch: Season 1
Next episode in line: Westworld Rewatch: Season 2


#11:
Stephen King Cast
Hosted by Constant Reader


I feel bad for ranking this podcast so low once again. I appreciate the host, and I appreciate what he is trying to do. It's just so dry sometimes. There's no humor. No cohosts to vibe off of. I just cannot get into it to save my life. That said, I am dedicated and since I've made it so far into the podcast I am not going to stop. Just like with the Loser's Club, I absolutely can't wait to hit the meat and potatoes of the Dark Tower series. I think that will make sticking with the podcast so much more worth it. I have a feeling his thoughts and insights into the series are going to be terrific.

Side note: there is always a dog snoring in the background of these podcasts. And he always stops for several seconds to take a drink of water. I used to find these things a little annoying, but they have definitely begun to grow on me - and are something I actively look forward to when I am listening. Constant Reader, please never change.

Last episode played: Episode Thirty Eight-It, Part One
Next episode in line: Episode Thirty Nine-It, Part Two


#12:
Collateral Cinema
Hosted by Beau Maddox and a plethora of cohosts


Don't take this podcast's low ranking as a sign that I dislike it. Aside from the crossover episodes with Collateral Gaming, I've only listened to two episodes of Collateral Cinema so far. I like what I have heard though! Just a bunch of dudes having fun and watching movies and puffing on the reefer. They sound like they'd be a blast to kick it with. Maybe this podcast isn't quite as polished as Staff Picks or other movie podcasts out there, but I can't wait to listen to more episodes. I would be stunned if it ranked this low on next year's ranking.

Last episode played: Ep 01: Collateral Cinema vs. Lawrence Kasanoff's Foodfight! 
Next episode in line: Ep 02: John Carpenter's Halloween (1978)


#13:
Ear Biscuits
Hosted by Rhett and Link


This may come as the biggest shocker on this entire list. I freaking love Good Mythical Morning. I freaking love Rhett and Link. So why don't I freaking love Ear Biscuits?

The answer is fairly simple. It has to do with the structure of the podcast. I want to hear Rhett and Link talk about themselves, banter back and forth, and share crazy stories about their lives. And they do that, eventually. But for the first hundred episodes or so, their focus is on interviewing YouTubers and internet personalities rather than focusing on themselves. I'm sorry, but I don't care about Freddie Wong or Harley Morenstein or Nice Peter. I'm listening for Rhett and Link.

I know they eventually drop the interview format and transition more towards something I'd be interested in listening to. But I have about a hundred more episodes to sit through before it gets to that point, and honestly I am not looking forward to trudging through all of these. But I am an OCD "everything has to be in order" type person, so I can't just skip ahead. Ugh. We'll see where Ear Biscuits stands next year. Hopefully I'm not still languishing through all these interviews when next year's ranking rolls along.

Last episode played: Ep. 9 Harley Morenstein
Next episode in line: Ep. 10 Shay Carl Pt. 1


***


Before I head out, I want to give a shout out to the podcasts I am 100 percent caught up to in real time. I did not include these in my ranking because the podcast is either over and done with, or the episodes take so long to come out that I can't really consider them part of my rotation anymore.

These podcasts are:

Worth it or Worthless: A Retro Game Podcast
The Leftovers: Post Show Recaps
But First: A Big Brother 2 Blockumentary


Worth it or Worthless is awesome. It ranked #2 on last year's ranking, and had a good shot at #1 this year. I'm not sure what happened, but as soon as I caught up in real time they suddenly stopped making podcasts. They used to put out two of them a month, but since July of 2022 they've only published four in total. I don't know why the drop off happened, but I really, really hope they haven't quit the podcasting biz. 

Post Show Recaps for The Leftovers was great. I already mentioned it in my Westworld ranking. Can't wait to finish off the Westworld Post Show Recaps so I can jump into something else! I have Better Call Saul and House of the Dragon in my queue. I'm leaning towards Better Call Saul since the show has ended, while there is only one season of HotD out there. I can always listen to that later.

And finally: But First: A Big Brother 2 Blockumentary. I started rewatching Big Brother 2 this year, and I listened along to this podcast with it, similar to how I do Survivor and the Historians. This is a fantastic podcast that offers all kinds of insights into the show that you don't see on TV. It was so fun listening to it from this perspective. Rob Cesternino is very entertaining as a host. While I am familiar with him and his podcasting network, it was awesome to finally listen to something where he was the man in charge. Taran is great too, and he works really well with Rob. I love his laugh! I know I need to sit down and listen to Rob Has a Podcast someday, there are just SO MANY episodes it is a little intimidating for a "listen in order" guy like me to dive into.


***


And now, a brief mention of the podcasts I stopped listening to out of boredom. Usually when I start something I stick with it, but in these cases I was having such a bad time I decided to cut my losses and run. These podcasts are:

Serial Killers
Lost Boys of Hannibal
BoxTrick: A Retro Gaming Podcast

I mentioned Serial Killers on last year's ranking. I didn't like it then, but I had decided to stick with it for the time being. In the year that has passed, something weird happened on Podbean where a ton of their episodes disappeared that I was about to listen to. I know that there are still more episodes out there on other platforms, but I used this as the perfect way to duck out and never come back.

Lost Boys of Hannibal focuses on a group of missing boys who vanished in 1967. While the premise is intriguing, the podcast is very boring. I know they are trying to solve a mystery, but it is too bogged down with unnecessary details. Do we really need to know what color of shoes the mayor was wearing two weeks before the boys disappeared, or how it rained for a few minutes on the day the boys vanished? These are just some overexaggerated details I made up off the top of my head, but this is the kind of thing the podcast is constantly getting hung up on. I listened to about ten episodes and felt like things were going nowhere. So I stopped.

BoxTrick is not a podcast I dislike, it's just a gaming podcast in a sea of gaming podcasts. The hosts don't seem to have much charisma and I was never super stoked to listen to an episode. Maybe I'll come back to it someday. Maybe I won't.


***


Farewell, everyone. Until next year's ranking!


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