Podcasting cont'd

Here's a rundown of the podcasts I listen to and my opinions of them:

CAGCast (Cheap Ass Gamer): This is a decent podcast. CheapyD often does a balancing act between decent humor and just the crude stuff. It either works or it doesn't. Wombat is an archetypal sidekick character and is often reactionary to CheapyD's comments. These guys know their games, but there can be stretches of boredom due to a lot of tangential content that ultimately leads to nowhere.

EGM Live (1Up): This is a total hit or miss show. As lovely as Jennifer Tsao is and sounds, her "character" is totally boring and just kind've awkward. Crispin Boyer is great. As an EGM veteran, it's neat to hear a lot of what he has to say. I just wish Dan "Shoe" Hsu had the same level of skill with the mic. He's often a little too soft-spoken. Shane Bettenhausen (I'd confirm that spelling, but I'm a little too lazy) can be overbearing at times and humorous at others. He is knowledgeable, but I'm pretty sure he makes half that shit up as well. If there's anything that I would love, I think that the cast of EGM Live should consist of Crispin, Shane and Seanbaby. The fourth chair could be a revolving spot, but those three are golden together (as in their Broken Pixels videos).



GFWRadio (1Up): Oh boy, the brodeo is on fire! This is the epitome of treehouse gaming where some guys are just hanging out and talking about games. Shawn Elliot is fantastic and Jeff Green's straight-laced humor (or is he just old?) clash into an explosion of awesomeness. Ryan is pretty good at being the butt of many jokes, and everyone else is just sort've auxiliary in relation to the bigger personalities of Shawn and Jeff. This is a must listen-to podcast because it is more than just videogames. These are dudes hanging out. Well, 3 dudes and the uber-nerd Ryan.

Gamesages (IGN): Still a little too new. It is a little boring so far as their shows consist of a single topic, but I'll give it a fair shake.

Podcast Beyond (IGN): A Sony-centric show. This is a show just brimming with personality. These guys react and counterreact with eachother with great aplomb. They aren't as humorous as GFW, but their chemistry is pretty damn good. There segues rock, and I enjoy their closing music most of the time. This is a total ensemble cast and should be on every podcaster's subscription list.

Wii-k in Review (IGN): A Nintendo-centric show. Really bland. Rarely, you'll find a gem in this one. Recommended for Nintendo fanboys or Cassamassina fans.

Game Scoop (IGN): A XBOX 360-centric show. This is a Podcast Beyond-lite. They do some fun little discussions and cover all gaming. This is recommended if you enjoy Podcast Beyond. Scoop!

Three Red Lights (IGN): This is a more straight-laced version of Podcast Beyond. Hilary Goldstein and crew are funny and interesting guys, but they've got nothing on Podcast Beyond. I still recommend this, though.

Joystiq (Joystiq): This is my least favorite podcast on my list. These guys are just boring. Also, because they all broadcast from different areas and conditions, it all sounds disjointed. CAGcast is two guys from across the world, and they sound like they're in the same room. Their lack of professionalism with regards to cellphones is frustrating (especially the popping sound that occurs frequently from the silenced phones). Too many awkward conversations and those technical popping sounds just show a lack of editing and polish. I'm still working backwards through their backlog, but it just gets progressively worse.

1Up Yours (1Up): What can I say? I love British folk. John Davison is fantastic and Shane is still solid. I don't really care much for Garnett, but I suppose some people enjoy him as the host. Adding Shawn Elliot to the mix will just be fantastic. They really should do an all-star cast with John, Shawn, Shane and Seanbaby. You would have just about every form of humor with that group.

Retronauts (1Up): This is the most subjective podcast. If you enjoy the subject matter, by all means, enjoy the show. Nostalgia is the driving force, so make sure you keep it in tow.

And that's it for now. Upon Mr. Zuniga's recommendation, I'm going to tune into the Sports Anomaly, so look for my opinion soon.

Oh, and Todd, I didn't mean to single out your show. I also don't listen to Legendary Thread because I, well, tend to play good games.