Man, I am 3 weeks behind on podcasts.... UGH!

OMG, someone who agrees with me about Red Dead Redemption! If you hated RDR, Jonny, then you will hate Fallout: New Vegas!

awesome. i thought you guys would take a week off. woohoo

Congrats on the completion of your third year 'in office.' And thanks for reminding me to pick up Boom Blox: Bash Party. I keep telling myself I will get a hold of it and subsequently putting it off.

I rented the original Boom Blox, but held out to purchase the sequel because of the promise of downloadable levels. However, whereas I invited friends over to play the multiplayer on the original, I have only played the single player/co-op on the sequel. That being said, I enjoyed the hell out of the single player/co-op aspect of Bash Party, and completely believe that every Wii owner should also own this game.

I thought you were taking a week off..."they surely won't record a podcast during the holidays" and BAM new RFN ready to download :)
thanks guys!

Nobody reads manuals anymore? Am I weird that I read them before playing the game even if it is another Call of Duty?

The back story of Sin & Punishment: Star Successor is detailed in the game's manual. There you learn about a 2-side dimensional war, multiple earths being cultivated for warriors for one side, Elsa being a broken spy for the other side, and that Isa is the son of a protagonist from the first game.

You can activate free drive in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit by pressing Y when picking an event location in Career mode. It's right at the bottom of the screen with the control prompt descriptions. It can be easy to miss since this is the only place you can enter free drive as the prompt disappears when you go in to the event list as you mash A through the menus. Speaking of mashing A, on the PC version I can quickly select a car and color without ever having to listen to the description voice over. I didn't notice any mandatory delay during the Giant Bomb quick look of the Xbox 360 version. Most of the time I like to listen to the description since I've been watching a lot of Top Gear lately and have grown to appreciate learning about cars.

I don't know how long you've been playing the game, but the stats do matter a bit. In a latter race, I picked the Mclaren F1 with a top speed of around 202 MPH and struggled to keep pace with the first place AI. When I gave in and switched to the 250 MPH Bugattie Veyron Super Sport, I got the gold medal I was after. It's not detailed, but the cars have different weight to them. It is harder to turn the heavier Bently Continental and Nissan GT-R when compared to the much lighter Lamborgini Gallardo Super Leggera. Even at the highest speed class there are differences as the F1 is a lighter car than the Veyron and thus has quicker handling.

For me, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit's discrete race tracks are a welcome, temporary change from the open world shennanigans of Burnout Paradise. Paradise tangle of streets got a little annoying to navigate during a race. Hot Pursuit's long stretches of racing highway and race-specific barriers gives me a pleasant Outrun feeling and that is not bad at all.

As an aside, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is coming out in 2011 and that looks like it will scratch the open-world car game itch.

I always read the manuals first, I consider it weird and abnormal to not do that.

Congratulations on 3 years on the air as a unit. You run a consistently well-made and informative show that I look forward to every week.

Theremin Hero Forever!

I stopped when tutorials became mandatory and the manuals turned into booklets that might at best mention all the menu options. Speaking of Call of Duty, I tried to read up some details on the multiplayer rules in the manual but it's not there. That game had an MSRP of 60€ and the manual didn't even explain the rules for multiplayer!

I lament the fact that manuals have become so useless. Sin & Punishment: Star Successor at least had some story bits and game tips. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit's PC manual tells nothing about how to play the game correctly/optimally.

Wow, S&P2's manual actually had content?  I don't even look past the Club Nintendo Points card these days.

Other than a two page story section and one-two pages of game tips, the Sin & Punishment: Star Successor manual is plain. Though, having the former is much more than most manuals these days.

Since you podcast guys have or are getting Valkyria Chronicles (1), I suggest trying to resist the urge to rely heavily on the Scout class. The balance in the first game has the Scout being overpowered and the min/maxer's choice for most missions. However, the other classes are really fun and have cool secondary weapons to unlock.
Also, a warning: the game is very "polite" in its menus. Nearly every selection has a confirmation prompt from selecting the next mission to exiting the barracks. Adding to that is that you have to click through cinematic events one by one to get to the next battle.

I've been catching up with a few podcasts in a row so I'm not totally sure, but I think it's in this one that Greg mentioned not having anyone on his PSN friend list to compete with in Pac-man, right?

Well, I wouldn't it if he added me (same as here, Pandareus on PSN)! I know he doesn't know me IRL (and I don't even post here that much), but I would be competing with a celebrity.

Hey, anyone playing Marvel Pinball on PSN and reading this can add me as well, though I warn you, only 30 people or so can look at my score for the Spider-Man table without crying...

Sure, I'll be happy to add you.  I need that multiplayer trophy as well.  What's your PSN name?

Already said it: Pandareus!

Friend invite sent.  Feel free to hook me up via PSN message with anyone from your friends list who might be playing Marvel Pinball.  Would be nice to get that trophy.

How is Marvel Pinball?  Worthy of my backlog?

It's very good, though the inclusion of a Blade table is just weird.  My big problem with it is that half the tables (Iron Man and Wolverine) are designed to constantly throw the ball at your flippers, so it feels like you're constantly under assault.  As a result, I kind of suck at those tables since they're much harder to control.  The Spider-Man table is great, though.  And unlike most games in your backlog, you can get your fill of Marvel Pinball in less than an hour if you so choose.

Heh, I disagree about the Spider-man table, I will probably never play it again. I think it's unbalanced. The ramps are super easy to hit, and when you do you're always starting a "fight" against a villain, and whenever you lose the ball during a fight, it doesn't count. The mode ends, but you don't lose your ball, so it's very easy to keep playing and playing until you're actually looking forward for the game to end.

The Wolverine table is my favorite, I think. It's challenging yet fair.

Jonny talking about Need for Speed "bombarded by this propoganda from the car companies"

http://www.hulu.com/watch/99944/saturday-night-live-snl-digital-short-on-the-ground

lol

Anyway, it's not propaganda! The statistics are real and what the exotic and expensive car can do!
I think I'm too far gone; I get a big fat grin from hearing and reading the pandering car descriptions. Yes! This car has a better power to weight ratio in real life and probably in the game as well!