It still amazes me that Cho Aniki games end up with T ratings. Based on what Jon's describing I'd expect at least a hard M (phnaar phnaar).

The Cho Aniki games are only as sexual as you want them to be. The fact Jon sees phalluses is something he needs to find peace with...

God! I really dread the day this podcast is over. I hope it goes on forever because you guys are so good, but it's stupid for me to even be thinking about things like that. It's strange, I feel like I know you guys. Anyway, Great podcast (as usual).

As completely silly as it sounds, I shed a tear on Garnett Lee's last episode of ListenUp/1up Yours. I would not do that for something like a television show or movie, but podcasts are such a personal extension of the regular hosts that seeing it go is almost like losing a friend. NWR is what I started listening to after Garnett's show ended, and as a whole I look forward to and enjoy it more. Site users that talk about feeling like they know the hosts of a podcast always come off as creepy or stalker-like, but you guys do feel like the Nintendo loving friends that I have never really had (mine are Sony and now Microsoft lovers the lot of them). It is such a comfort to listen to someone talking about Wind Waker and not have them dismiss it out of hand in favor of God Of War. Not to say that games on other consoles can't be great, because I enjoy my other systems, but I don't like that other podcasts will write Nintendo off every time.

I really wish that I had been able to make it to PAX East, maybe we will run into each other at E3!

As the official "Sony fanboy" on the podcast, I love God of War III.  But I think comparing it to, say, Wind Waker, is like comparing apples to oranges.  They're two totally different games trying to accomplish different things.  Saying one is better than the other is like saying a Ferrari is better than an F1 car...it's not an apt comparison.  I feel this way about most Nintendo games vs. Sony/Microsoft offerings.

Great episode as always, gents. I'm very much on the fence about Cho Aniki. Maybe if it sees a sale price, I'll pick it up, but for $20...I can make my own homoerotic joke drawings.

I'd wait for a sale if you're on the fence, Zach.  I realize that not everybody has the Balzac to be a Cho Aniki early adopter.

Cho Anki is something was something I would get at $10.  However $20 feels a bit steep.

Jon's behaviour recently has reminded me of John Cleese's three rules for writing comedy: "One, no puns. Two, no puns. Three, no puns!"

Yes, I think I heard you tightening up a hangman's knot in the background during that section, Greg. I love puns, myself, but it sounded like you were being slowly tortured. :-D

I guess you could say Lindy's always been more of a pun-dit.

Booyah.

Seriously guys this podcast is definitely what I look forward to every week.  The fact that I can relate to all of you and see you as my friends is truly an extension to the enjoyment I get out of my weekly video game related news.  The homo-eroticism aside, the epic wizard like event ending of PAX East was really interesting to hear about and also James' frustrating progress of completion Infinite Space was hilarious.  (not saying I could tackle a game of that caliber any better) 

With regards to Cho Aniki. I am really concerned with the length of the package, does it justify twenty dollars?

Great Cast Guys.
Good to have Greg back in the mix.




Johnny I'm not trying to burst your bubble but I quit FF13 after hour 16 where I was still running down corridors into the same ol' battles. The battle system is good but after getting all of it around hour 6 then tacking on 10 more hours of these battles I just let it go. Don't get me wrong, I liked the story and would love to hear a spoiler on what happens to Pulse but I just got fed up.
Just my opinion and if you are the patient type maybe you will love the game.
Has anyone beat the game? And how long does it take to "open up" as some have said. I've heard anwhere from 20 - 40 hours.
And what does "open up" actually mean?
*No spoilers here please*


Rob.

I haven't beaten the game, but I have reached the point where the game "opens up" (as everyone likes to say) and it is around 40 hours or so depending on how much grinding you did in the various chapters (and I did a fair amount).  Basically what people mean by "opens up" is that around 40 hours or so you reach Chapter 11, which takes you to a brand new location that is very similar to the Calm Lands in FF X: it's just a big open field with locations branching in various directions and a lot of enemies you aren't meant to fight right now (and if you do, they'll slaughter you).  From here on out, although enemy difficulty really bars you from entering most of the locations available, you can just wander around and do your own thing.  There are also sidequests here in the form of optional hunts (which are much like FF XII's).  Personally, I hate this chapter because I despise the whole "open world" phenomenon and although the location is beautiful, there's not a whole lot to do there except fight.  I didn't have any problem with the "scripted encounter" design they were using before, though I will admit that battle after battle after battle does get tiring (and as a result I haven't played the game in a few weeks while I've gone on to God of War III, Resonance of Fate, and now Sakura Wars 5).

Right now, FF XIII is probably in the running for my favorite in the series, right up there with FF X (which I probably like a little more due to better defined characters and a more interesting world).

I think we need to stop it here. If not, there's going to be quite a bit of...
*sunglasses*
... punishment.

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

:@

Jon Lindemann: Senior Cho Aniki Pundit

BIFF POW

Chris Kohler really despises FFXIII, and I had a chance to talk about it with him a few weeks ago when he was in town. He had talked me out of purchasing the game, but Jonny's description makes it sound fairly compelling. I'll probably wait until I have more time, though, since I expect it to be a real time sink.

In terms of length, I believe it's 5.  I wish it were 6 or 7...at that length it would feel just right.

I'm going to have to issue a warning for that.

Only 5? I think I will invest elsewhere. Although at some point if a game becomes too long people just can't fit it in, that appears to be why TYP is avoiding FFXIII.

In all seriousness, TYP, I have found that FFXIII is great for sinking a small amount of time into each or every other day. With each boot-up the game explains what has happened in previous sessions in detail. Save points are frequent enough to support the quicker play sessions, and the game will even allow you to save in the middle of some of the longer cutscenes.

So far, FF13 is one of my favorites in the series. It feels just like FF10, but with a far more interesting story and much better characters. (FF10 would have worked a lot better if not for the terrible voice acting.) I am about fifteen hours into it right now and just got a new playable character, which was a nice little surprise after using the same five people up to this point.

After you get that character, you are much closer to being able to pick your party lineup- which is where I just reached. I agree that it is one of my favorite Final Fantasies, and if Tactics is taken out of the lineup I would be inclined to say that it is my very favorite. I feel that this is the best incarnation of active time battle; things happen quickly enough to where I am not impatiently waiting for my bar to fill and if I simply can't wait I can just press Y to execute.

I still have to play 12 and 10, I have gotten the games off of Goozex and am now impatiently waiting on trying to buy a PS2 off of a friend.

I was wondering, did you guys do any sight seeing in Boston while you were there? That's what I did half the time when I was at Pax in Seattle, go out and explore the city, see the sights.

Instead of playing FF XII, can you just give me 100 hours of your life instead of throwing it away in that horrible, painful, boring chore of an RPG?  ::)  I've been down that road, and you don't want to see where it ends.  FF X, on the other hand, I can wholeheartedly recommend, provided you understand beforehand that it takes a good half of the game before Tidus settles down and stops being so whiny.

I got it through goozex, so no big loss if it doesn't work out :)

I have dealt with Hope in FFXIII so I think I may be prepared for this Tidus.

We didn't have a lot of time for sightseeing, be honest.  I flew in Thursday night and we met up and did karaoke, so the next morning I was pretty tired.  Friday was the live panel, and Saturday and Sunday were pretty full too.  Then I left Monday morning.

I'd like to see the sights, though.  Maybe next year when the show is less of a mystery.

Karl and Mike went to the Sam Adams Brewery Tour Friday morning. Jon, Jonny, and I went to Starbucks.

The brewery tour was SO awesome - Sklens and I had a great time there, and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Boston. Since I left, I've been hunting online, trying to find the same packaging for New World Tripel. It might be my new favorite beer ever.

Mike went back, too, with Lauren, Jonny, and me when everyone else had already set sail.

As Director, I feel that I have to set an example for the rest of staff and not engage in such impropriety.

"Man...Fuck Super Mario Galaxy 2!"

I think Lindy probably abstained because Sam Adams wasn't offering up any beds to fall out of.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Actually, scratch that - don't do as I say either.

Let me bring it full circle and just say that I am not a role model.

No LARPing for Lindy, eh?

I still haven't gotten around to listening to the PAX podcasts yet, but I went ahead and listened to this. Jonny's new business convinced me to buy FFXIII, which I did before the end of the podcast (at least I'm making good use of my Amazon Prime membership). The Omegathon sounds like it was awesome; it's really too bad I had to fly out before that happened.

Lindy, if that was your trash talking A-game you don't have the skills I would have imagined, though maybe it just wasn't showing as much because you were losing for so much of the game. We're not going to get a rematch, but we should at least give NHL 10 a go on Xbox Live.

I did a study on LARPers for an anthropology course, some of the scariest people I have ever met. To think that they are not that far removed from my place on the nerd chain is a bit unsettling.

Nah, I wouldn't call that my A game at all.  I don't know you well enough to really talk trash, partly because I don't want to offend you and partly because I'd need more background material.  I'll definitely play you at NHL 10, though.

On a subject that's not FF13, I found the 3DS discussion interesting. However, I think the system will include some sort of 3D control in which you can manipulate objects in 3D with the stylus/your hands/fingers. After all, why just fix the Virtual Boy when you can also fix the U-Force?

I just want to thank Jonny for pimping FFXIII. I picked it up this weekend and am really enjoying it.