podcastrodeo posts (Subscribe to this feed)

It's time for another Podcast Rodeo, but we'd be kidding ourselves if we tried to act like we could think about any podcast right now other than GFW Radio or, to us fans, the Brodeo. With Jeff Green moving on up to the EAst side, our favorite podcast will be monumentally different and we'll be looking forward to Wednesdays (or sometimes Thursdays) just a little bit less.

Yes, GFW Radio will soldier on in his absence and will probably continue to be a must-listen. But this week, we're remembering the way we were with some of the Rodeo's favorite GFW episodes. Give them a listen and feel free to share your favorites in the comments. The misty eyed action starts right after the jump.

We're back with another round of required listening, but first we've got to point you to the special PAX 2008 edition of the Joystiq Podcast. It's different that the normal Joystiq Podcast, but it's still got a foreign guy, a guy with glasses and a guy named Kevin. ... Well, two out of three isn't bad.

The Moofcast: It's got a completely silly name! It's got a guy whose gamertag is BigDogg! It's got an actual girl (or an incredible girl facsimile)! What more could you possibly want? How about discussion of game reviews and nerdcore? Well, you're in luck, because those are there too.

NooBTooB: You know what we wish about the NooBTooB? We wish they recorded a bit more often. For instance, the episode we're directing you to today is like two weeks old. But if you want to hear talk of SoulCalibur IV and Pixeljunk Eden, you could do much, much worse than our friends Tobin and Yuzo.

What's that? Oh, well, we've missed you too. But let's not waste time with nostalgia, we've got some new podcasts to talk about.

Console Gypsies: This is a brand-spanking new podcast, but it's already making an impressive showing. This week, we're most touched by the early discussion of Pepsiman, one of the absolute best PSone games that you've probably never played.

1UP Show: We're recommending this video podcast this week solely because of the bit about Dead Space, which starts at about 2:45. Watch, and become a believer, both in the game and in Nick Suttner's complete inability to judge a game's scientific radness.

Yes, it's been more than a week since the foul jellies you call eyes have been graced by a Podcast Rodeo. But let's not waste time with pleasantries: We missed you, you missed us. Let's talk podcasts.

ButtonMashers: One of our favorite activities on the Rodeo is finding brand new podcasts that have some promise and helping them to take their first steps, like Forrest Gump-style cybernetic legs. After just its seventh episode, ButtonMashers has already found itself a good flow, as well as a nice rapport between its hosts. In this episode, there's an extensive discussion comparing the DS and PSP, and it reminds us how much we like it when podcasts slow down and have a really thorough discussion of the topic at hand.

1UP FM: We're still trying to expose those who haven't heard about it to 1UP's excellent new feature-heavy cast, 1UP FM. This week, in addition to the usual stuff, there's a discussion of Skate 2 with an EA staffer and a discussion of the next generation of consoles that we are so not ready to have.

Nope, there was no Rodeo last week, and with E3 just around the corner, we'd say next week isn't looking so great either. What do we learn? Enjoy every Podcast Rodeo, because you never know when it may go on another 8 month hiatus.

1UP Yours: After listening to the nearly hour-long conversation with Denis Dyack that makes up the second half of this week's 1UP Yours, we're still not sure if we could ever put as much energy into thinking about the morality of message boards as he has. But we do know that everyone who uses the internet should listen to the discussion.

BigCast: Why should you listen to this week's BigCast? Well, it opens with music from They Might Be Giants, the world's greatest band. It then goes on to feature Akela Talamasca who, by our best guess, is the most stylish man in the video game industry. For. Real.

Yeah, that's right, two weeks in a row. We're sore from patting ourselves on the back. So, are we going to have a big parade and a cake party, or are we going to start talking about some podcasts?

Yeah, we thought so.

CAG Foreplay: As fond as we are of our own New Games this Week feature, it has some significant drawbacks. 1. You have to read it with your eyes and 2. There are no girls there. Cheap Ass Gamer's Foreplay has us beat in those regards, rich as it is in both audio and females, in the form of Mrs. Shipwreck, half of the marital casting duo. This week, they have a fight over Frogger, it's really quite sweet.

GFW Radio: Longtime Rodeoids know that the always excellent GFW Radio is part of our bread and butter. On this week's episode, we say goodbye to host Sean Malloy, but say hello to "Chuff Love," a new feature that follows the romantic misadventures of co-host Anthony Gallegos. Oh, and, at some point, games are discussed. We promise.

Wow, did we ever miss you guys last weekend. It was crazy, there was this whole convoluted series of events that led to us having no Rodeo. But you know what? That's the past. This is today. And there are podcasts to listen to with our earholes.

Robotronic Dynomite - Thanks to Hot Topic, we've been avoiding any two words in which the second one is "Dynamite" for fear that we'd run into a sad bastard wearing a "Vote For Pedro" T-shirt. But, we imagined that the coast was probably clear by now, and we were pleased with what we found. The host of this podcast describes himself as "freshly mustachioed," and it's hard to go wrong with that. The content's about what you'd expect, though the movie section is a nice touch. But it's all presented by a group of very likable guys, which, in the end, is the most important thing anyway, right?

Joystiq Podcast - Have you had the opportunity to see three grown men made to be complete fools on their own show in the middle of said show? If not, this is your opportunity, as the Bungie news rips reality asunder mid-cast. It's a powerful experience that, in the end, we hope will bring us closer together.

Don't even act like the Podcast Rodeo staff is upset that they didn't get to go to Tokyo Game Show, cause they're not. My crew of 8-eared carnival freaks don't even have time for globe-trotting, what with all the podcast listening that they have to do. ... Sniff.

The Wiire: We think The Wiire serves as a really good example of what a fancast should be. Instead of just covering the Wii and Wii-related items, the crew covers all of video games from a Wii fan's point of view. Of course, Wii business is discussed, including Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Virtual Console releases. Also, BioShock is discussed.

1UP Yours: Not only is this week's 1UP Yours brought to you from Tokyo, they also add old favorite John Riccardi and Kojima producer Ryan Payton. So what you're going to get is 2 1/2 hours of Tokyo impressions from a lot of different perspectives. It also sounds like a few members of the crew found a stray bottle of sake ... or eight. Of course, no matter what time zone it is, would it be 1UP Yours without drinking?

It occurred to me that if I'm doing the Podcast Rodeo every Sunday, I should probably be making some football predictions based on my deep knowledge of the gridiron. So, what better time to start than now? Here's this week's football prediction:

To mark the Dreamcast's eighth birthday, we were going to solely feature podcasts that are Dreamcast-centric. Surprising no one, we came up empty. We hope that you can still enjoy this week's offering despite its lack of colorful swirls.

EGM Live: With little fanfare, EGM Live has gone from a little brother of 1UP Yours to a really entertaining listen in its own right. Instead of a long show, they've switched to a more broken up format, with each episode containing a series of features. Just this week, for example, you'll hear Factor 5 defending Lair from critics and hear from a couple of moms who Nintendo is targeting to spread the Wii message for them.

Video Game Jocks: Arrgh! We're angry at the VGJs. The idea of using Kanye West's new song "Stronger" as an intro is so good that we wish we'd thought of it. Ah well, we're going to rise above and recommend that you go listen to all the talk of Halo, Halloween and (war)Hawk that you can handle.

OK, it's official (and we never thought we'd say this): We're sick of BioShock. No, not the game, that's still (insert your superlative here), we're tired of listening to people talk about it endlessly on every podcast. We're officially putting the kibosh on it. Please spread the word to the rest of the internet.

The GameSpy Debriefings: Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning's Creative Director Paul Barnett has just been promoted to one of our favorite people. This interview with him is priceless. For instance, we wish we could get his spiel about why video games are like shampoo tattooed on our arm. Also, his way of setting MMOs apart as hobbies rather than games is a real eye-opener. If you listen to one podcast this week, make it the Joystiq Podcast. If you listen to two, it must be this. Also ... BioShock is discussed.

PC Gamer Podcast: We often will feature podcasts when they're having handicapped episode. Maybe half the team is absent, maybe they're pressed for time, but we find that a mixed-up show can often just ooze freshness. This week's PC Gamer Podcast, with a crew of "second-stringers" is a lot of fun, especially their conversation about the death of the internet. Also ... BioShock is discussed.

Realistically, we should be working to not break the triumphant three-week streak that the Joystiq Podcast has enjoyed. We'll get to it, we promise. There have just been some technical glitches keeping us away. But there's no glitch powerful enough to slow the Podcast Rodeo, which we'll now proceed to demonstrating.

GFW Radio: Oh my, look who's back! It's the Whiskey Nerd with a triumphant return to the Rodeo with a nostalgic take on classic gaming as told through the last pure form of artistic expression: Haunting piano rap. There's also some nice (if slightly spoilery) bits about Half-Life 2: Episode 2.

Gamesweasel: You know what rules about this show? Length. Far too many podcasts play fast and loose with our time. With the Gamesweasel, 13 minutes and you're out. Also, the host is affable and the whole thing is slickly produced. Consider our attention held. Beginning their news segment with two-soccer related bits reminds us that this cast is definitely aimed at the UK set, but we think Americans will find more than a few things to like here.

Is the game drought at its absolute worst? We've got a show that's chock full of demo reviews, one show that's leading off with a free arcade show and one that takes a bullet for everybody and plays Thomas the Tank Engine. Fall can't get here soon enough.

Gaming Noise: If you remember Chip and Zach, you are very old. But, you are also among the privileged few to have heard one of the best gaming podcasts in history. A podcast BEFORE podcasts were even called podcasts. Old school. There are some technical glitches in this return episode, sure, but these guys are still really fun to listen to.

Radio Ninty: You know what the world needs more of? Podcasts with the guts to start their shows off with a review of the Japanese version of Thomas the Tank Engine for DS. Plus, they're from the UK, and you know that the Rodeo is a sucker for that.

We hope you all are out there finding new podcasts to suggest, recording your own podcasts, and, with any luck, making a little room in your heart for some new additions. Without further ado, we offer the latest candidates for your love.

Xcast: We like the Xcast, which is solely about 360 news and happenings, because it manages to be unabashedly a fan podcast without being annoying. It's just a couple of guys sharing their opinions with little aspiration to be a slick show, which is surprisingly refreshing. On this episode, expect Shadownrun talk and, of course, some price drop discussion.

Wii Cafe's Open Mic Night: Have you ever been checking out at Gamestop, and heard two cashiers passionately sharing their opinions with each other, and possibly frightening their customers the the volume and intensity of their discussions about how much they love the Wii? Someone has apparently been recording those guys. Also, be warned, this episode is pretty old. But the passion, ah, the passion, she is timeless!