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.
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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