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Radio Free Nintendo | A Nintendo Podcast for Grownups

I predict another mopecast where Jonny somehow whines for four hours about Donkey Kong again.

Hey, considering how absolutely crushed I was by that revelation at E3, I think I've been admirably reserved on the topic since then. I am trying to respect those people (including Gui) who are excited for Tropical Freeze, even though this sequel doesn't make my top ten wishes for what Retro should be making.
 

Ondore

Member
So apparently there was some news this week.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/35320
Episode 348: Pikmin Replanted said:
This "kitchen sink" of an episode starts with an unusually short New Business, as we wanted to reserve time for everything else. The list of games is just as long and weird as ever though, from the hack-mod Newer Super Mario Bros. Wii (with a comparison to New Super Luigi U) to gloriously wacky Saints Row 3+4, with a side of Halo for Windows Phone 8 (you read that right) and Divekick, wrapping up with Gui's more seasoned thoughts on Shin Megami Tensei IV, a game whose extreme strangeness gets a well-deserved re-emphasis here.

When something truly interesting happens around Nintendo, you can bet our listeners will jump to their keyboards pretty quick to write to us about it. That was certainly the case this week, as we had our choice of emails to set up discussion of the just-announced Nintendo 2DS hardware and Wii U price drop (couched in a query about a GamePad-less version of the console). The convenient overlapping of segments gave us enough time left over to wrestle with even more emails that handle reprinting of hard-to-find Nintendo games and the bold suggestion that Nintendo may be "creatively bankrupt". Our team is on the case!

We're probably going to start the Pandora's Tower discussion next week, so please do stop into the RetroActive forum thread and remain there for the duration of our flight.

Time: 1'45"33
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Nobody rage quits: I think, but I'm not sure.
 

zroid

Banned
The Jeopardy segment on Connectivity 100 with the RFN dudes was uproarious. You gotta listen.

By the way Jonny, the Pokémon which made you want to kill yourself is "Eelektrik" :)

180px-603Eelektrik.png
 

Ondore

Member
Bookmakers were giving 3:2 on a special Jon announcement...
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/35378
Episode 349: Late Summer Podcast 13 RECCA said:
We're five this week, as Justin Berube comes over to help with RetroActive. That's because Jon hasn't been able to play it yet (long story), but Silky is still around for New Business and will be ready to jump in when we complete the two-part feature in a couple more weeks.

New games are abundant this week, as Jonny enjoys Rayman Legends, Gui tries Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, and Justin braves the legendary 8-bit shmup called Summer Carnival 92 RECCA. Jon discusses his problems logging into Final Fantasy XIV, but much more importantly, he has a special announcement regarding a certain Nintendo system! James isn't crazy about Dead Rising 2, nor is Justin about Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, but Jonny is quite happy to recommend Wario Land 3.

Jon skips out after the break, while the remaining four launch into the RetroActive discussion of Pandora's Tower for Wii. It's a truly interesting game from the Operation Rainfall trio, and we spend as much (if not more) time on the story, premise, and aesthetics than we do on gameplay. The latter will surely get more focus next time, as we plan to return to Pandora's Tower in two weeks for another segment. Between now and then, you have plenty of time to check out the game for yourself and keep feeding that RetroActive forum thread. Do it!

Next week is the big 350, and while it will be a low-key celebration, we do want to have a mega-batch of Listener Mail as a tribute to all the wonderful people who listen and send ideas for the show. If you want to be among that illustrious number, just send in a comment about the show and/or a question for our veteran panel. And if you've already done so -- thank you, truly! We see and appreciate every single one.

Time: 1'43"47
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Shmup: Died with "Wiimote"
 

zroid

Banned
I usually say scrolling shooter or twin-stick shooter

try to avoid shmup whenever possible, but even so it's a convenient verbal shortcut... :(
 
Sorry man, I've been full since last year. I am generally only making room for people I know personally (requires deleting other people, which sucks). Please follow instead, if you'd like.
 

Zornica

Banned
Is there a preferred alternative to "shmup"? It's an ugly word, and even worse to pronounce, but "shooter" has become too ambiguous.

how about the classic "shoot'em up"? ;)

I am kinda surprised someone else got castlevania vibes from pandoras tower. the first thing I thought about while playing the game was something like "that's a 3d castlevania done right!". It's like a 3d version of castlevania 4. you got your whip and your subweapon sword thing. to me, this is way more castlevania than LoS will ever be.
 

Ondore

Member
Well, shit.
https://twitter.com/jonnymetts

Colorado flash flooding took my apartment last night. Was rescued by heroic neighbors. Didn't salvage much but the RFN files and I are safe.

I know it seems dumb but Internet has been great comfort today. I'll be fine. All that stuff can be replaced. Hug your family and friends.

My phone is dead for now so checking in sporadically on borrowed access. I have lots of help and support in RL and online. Thank you all.

My TV and many games appear to be OK. Consoles and desktop PC not so much. That's one way to clear a backlog, eh @MrDiamondJ ?
 

Ondore

Member
Cel-e-brate good times, come on!
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/35430
Episode 350 "Theme From The Bottom" said:
We finally made it, after seven long years Radio Free Nintendo finally turns the page on episode 350, and while it ended up being a little more eventful than we would have liked we first had the little business we call New Business to take care of.

James kicks things off with his purchase of a PS3, his distaste of the hardware, and his unsettling enjoyment of Way of the Samurai 4. Jon subjected himself to the trials, tribulations, and asshole birds, of Ninja Gaiden II on the 3DS Virtual Console. Coincidentally Gui also has been experiencing Ninja Gaiden II, although on the Wii. Gui then takes us into the world of Hong Kong gangs and undercover policing with Sleeping Dogs. Jonny wraps it up with a long overdue update on Fire Emblem: Awakening before blasting us off with the 360 reboot of the Genesis/SNES franchise Rocket Knight Adventure and providing us a look at, in his words, the only good iOS game: The Room.

After a break we kick off the RFN Celebration with a slightly somber note. Jonny was to host a special reunion of RFN alumni, but he was unfortunately unable to join us due to the flooding in Colorado reaching his home. While our thoughts are with him and all those affected, the show must go on. In his stead Gui ably hosts guests Evan Burchfield and Greg Leahy along with James in a strange reunion of RFN Editors, leading to a comparison of editing war stories.

In the final segment, the core four finish the show with a collection of listener mail from you, our fans, congratulating us on the milestone episode. We even put our long-recognized powers of prediction to work, speculating where we'll be in seven years.

It's amazing we've made it to Episode 350, but we wouldn't have done it without our loyal listeners. So to all of you, thank you.

Just a programming note: we will resume our retroactive of Pandora's Tower in Episode 352 so it isn't to late to start playing and contributing to the talkback thread in our forums.

Time: 3'25"09
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Your body: Is not ready.
 

Katsuragi

Member
Poor Jonny... :( Saw some of the pictures on Twitter and honestly can't imagine what he must be feeling seeing his home like that. I hope everything turns out all right!
 

Somnid

Member
Damn, first thing I thought while downloading the podcast this morning was I hope he didn't hit by the flooding since he's in Boulder too. That really sucks.
 
Man, those pictures are rough.

Really enjoyed all the retrospecting in Ep. 350, it was a lot of fun to listen to. And Guillaume, you need to get an account here and start posting! We know you're watching!
 
Episode 350 was great! I like hearing everything that goes on behind the curtains from time to time.

I would hope the crew would transition to other members if they feel burnt out, I wouldn't want RFN to die when they retire.

It was nice to hear Greg again as well, he's so articulate.
 
I hope James picks up Valkyria Chronicles and 3D Dot Game Heroes now he has a PS3.
I would like him to tackle Time and Eternity which is the apparent epitome Kusoge XD
Man, those pictures are rough.

Really enjoyed all the retrospecting in Ep. 350, it was a lot of fun to listen to. And Guillaume, you need to get an account here and start posting! We know you're watching!

Yes, Guillaume needs an account, stop lurking ;)

I hope Jonny has insurance that covers those damages =(, hopefully he also turned on PSN+ cloud saves to all his games so he didn't lose progress on his PS3/Vita games at least.
 

XDDX

Member
Just finished listening to episode 350, great episode. Always good to hear Greg. The listener mail section was also really funny, Gui and James made me laugh so much!
 

Ondore

Member
Still no word on Gui's GAF account, but Valkyria Chronicles. This pleases me.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/35495
Episode 351 "Finally Out Of The Entertainment Biz" said:
Jonny is out this week, although under much less dreary circumstances, so we're joined by the RTDJ, Radio Trivia host Michael "TYP" Cole.

As tradition dictates, the guest leads off New Business, and TYP's got thoughts on playing Rayman Legends with a less experienced player. Gui continues the New Business Wii U man-train with mob-management brawler The Wonderful 101. Jon furthers his descent into the history of madness with Ninja Gaiden from the 3DS Virtual Console, and James answers your requests with initial thoughts on Valkyria Chronicles.

After the break we forgo Listener Mail and instead do something we rarely do: focus on news. First the crew reflects on the passing of former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi. All topics, from his maniacal micro-management of his company's transformation to his role in the reinvention of the video game industry are covered. In general, we just trade stories about him that sound increasingly impossible.

Next up we reflect on Nintendo's announcement of Wii Sports Club, a way to digitally separate your grandmother from her Social Security check. No doubt Yamauchi would approve of this pricing scheme, but we really were curious if this foreshadows future business ventures by The Big N.

Remember, next week we're finishing our retroactive on Pandora's Tower. There's still time to play and get your thoughts in the talkback thread.

Our thanks to TYP for subbing in this week. Be sure to check out Radio Trivia if you love video game music, especially if color yourself an expert.

Time: 1'55"09
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
I shouldn't be playing during the show: Fire Emblem, since it's an RPG and Yamauchi hated those.
 

Ondore

Member
Jonny was unavailable for fairly obvious reasons, so I hope the replacement is to your liking.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/35549
Episode 352: Captain Sameface said:
Jonny is still out of commission, so the situation required bringing in someone with the chops to answer the bell. It required someone who could participate in our Retroactive discussion. It required someone to fill a void in our hearts. An exhaustive search turned up nothing. Then, seemingly as if by providence, Greg Leahy showed up, and we were made whole.

As our guest, Greg kicks off New Business with quick summary of Rayman Legends and then gives us his thoughts of the recently updated Toki Tori 2+. Gui continues his valiant effort to be Atlus Fan #1 with impressions of Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl demo. He seems less than convinced by the story mode. Jon continues his self-abuse with Ninja Gaiden on the 3DS Virtual Console, making us all happy that his Ninja Gaiden countdown has reached its conclusion. Lastly James gives his concluding thoughts on Valkyria Chronicles before teasing his next play: Ni No Kuni.

After the break we conclude our Retroactive of Pandora's Tower. Warning, this segment contains spoilers for some of the games five endings. James and Greg have cleared the title so they can dwell on the impact of the game's finale. Gui and Jon give updated, or in Jon's case first, reactions to what they have seen thus far. We all agree the game is surprisingly complex and an utterly befuddling blend of gameplay styles. Certainly this is the top Character-Action, dungeon crawling, dating sim with RPG mechanics on Wii.

Next week we'll be back to our regular format, which means we need your listener mail. You can send us all your questions, comments, and complaints here.

Our thanks to Greg for filling in on short notice.

Time: 2'09"17
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Acceptable donations to the shrine of Leahy: Treasure shooters autographed by Jim Kelly
 
I'm currently playing Ni no Kuni, and it's pretty bad. Good luck to James.
One of my favorite games of the year. The combat system could use some tweaking but other than that I had no complaints. I loved the classic JRPG feel of the game and I thought the modern touches were all thoughtful and well integrated. The world in particular is so beautiful and fun to explore, and I also thought the game was paced exceptionally well for a JRPG.

I'm not challenging your opinion at all, just pointing out that the game has its fans. Hopefully James becomes one of them!
 

Ondore

Member
Neither rain, nor flood, nor dead of night will keep Jonny from his rounds... except for hosting.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=85064861&postcount=13028
Episode 353: Host Your Little Heart Out said:
The biggest news this week is the return of our intrepid host, Dr. Jonathan Metts. For the first time in a while, things are back to normal... except the fact James' reign of terror and ineptitude continues for one final week, while Jonny warms up. It turns out being a mouse while the cat is back can cause some performance anxiety.

Our return to normalcy begins with New Business. James kicks it off by breaking both of last week's new business vows: by talking about Valkyria Chronicles DLC and Wonderful 101. Jonny's triumphant return to New Business comes in the form of Nintendo-inspired Steam titles: Binding of Isaac, Dragon Fantasy Book 2, and Super House of Dead NInjas. Jon moves into the Wii U generation with New Super Mario Bros U. Lastly, Gui concludes New Business his closing thoughts on Shin Megami Tensei IV and its completely user-unfriendly sidequest system.

After the jump, Jonny recaps the harrowing experience of living through a flood and what he's been up to for the last couple of weeks. We conclude the show with a traditional banquet of listener mail. First up is a serving of 3DS ergonomics and our entree is the hypothetical: what kind of game would you make with GTAV's budget.

Next week we return to normalcy, which means we need listener mail. Send us your questions, complains, condolences, and concerns.

Time: 1'55"43
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
SMT IV: Not being finished this year.
 
Looking forward to the 3DS ergonomics talk.

Am I the only one who thinks the face buttons and circle pad are too close to the edges?

And I even have an XL.
 

Ondore

Member
Jonny's apparently back to 100%, and there's a better than average chance you're playing Pokemon during the show.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/rfn/35701
Episode 354: Lakitu Cloud Storage said:
This week's show brings Jonny back to the hosting chair, and it's notable for showcasing three different Wii U games in New Business, not to mention some spectacular email-derived conversations in the back half.

Gui cranks up New Business with his impressions of eShop oddity Spin the Bottle: Bumpie's Party. You know, that Wii U game played without a TV. Not surprisingly, it sounds like game best enjoyed among unsober friends. Jonny follows with an update on Nintendo's system transfer/restoration policy, plus very early thoughts on Wind Waker HD. Jon gets around to trying Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii U, and his experiences with the Wii and 3DS versions provide a useful perspective. James is last up with the troublesome early hours of Level 5's gorgeous Ni No Kuni. Listen as Jonny frantically reassures him that the game gets better!

Listener Mail is back with a full slate this week, and your questions pay off in exactly the way we always hope for. One gamer wonders if he has bad taste, but his specific complaints about 3D Mario games lead us into a detailed break-down of what that series could do better. Another person asks just what we are looking for as a franchise evolves through multiple games, and we take that one through Zelda and many other examples in Nintendo's history. Finally, a multiplayer devotee asks what to anticipate from Nintendo in the online realm... and we manage to sound a little optimistic!

We'll probably mix it up next week, but your questions and ideas are always, always appreciated. Some listeners have started to offer ideas for the next Retroactive, and we're happy to take those as well. Thanks so much for listening, and please do let us know what you thought of the episode in our comments section below (and/or at NeoGAF)!

Time: 1'58"35
Downloads: MP3 | AAC
Mario Galaxy hatred: Wait, WHAT?
 
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