Dear Negative World forum folks,

The past few days I've been listening to Nintendo World Report's latest podcast in their "Radio Free Nintendo" line. It's Episode 200 this past week and the guys wanted to do a big discussion. While they often do have thoughtful discussions, this week's about the DS is not only epic in size but epic in nature. I just really needed to remind people of why they are so great.

This week's episode is over two and a half hours long, which shows you the scope of their love for Nintendo and the scope of their discussion. It's so long I've been listening to it for multiple days. A little while mowing the lawn. Then more on my way to and from work. And I'm gonna finish it up today.

These guys have something that not all podcasts can handle... insight. It's great fun listening to these guys talk about Nintendo and the history of the DS. They touch upon the launch, the transition from GBA to DS, the games that really made the system become a must have, etc. It's so fascinating (considering I wasn't paying this kind of attention to the situation at the time) how the PSP was really a scare for Nintendo initially. The guys explain how Nintendo kept their share of the market and continued to grow it. There's some excellent insight and really, there's no fanboyism either. This is what I would consider a "mature" podcast because these are grown adults having adult conversations about Nintendo and it's interesting. Hell, this is NPR material but for the gaming world.

One of my favorite things too about this episode and the podcast in general is how much these guys get along and have genuine fun in their discussions. They tell jokes and enjoy each other's stories. I don't have a lot of gaming friends, less so as I get older even, but my Mario Kart Wiifing lately and listening to podcasts like these, it just keeps me around a small group of great gamers I can share my grandest hobby with.

I really urge you all to listen to this podcast if you like the DS, or Nintendo in general. They will not disappoint. I feel like I learn a lot every time I listen to a podcast and that makes it not just ambient noise like some podcasts, but it makes it media worth consuming.

That is all. There are 200 episodes to listen to, so get started somewhere!

Nintendo World Report
NWR Podcasts
Episode 200's Page (with download links)

Edit: Just got to the end of the epic podcast and the music they lead out on makes me so happy. It's probably my favorite 'credits' song in Nintendo history. I was always so affected by it in 1996 and through till today.

URL to share (right click and copy)

I do love the Radio Free Nintendo podcast. Especially their 200th episode one they did last week, where it was pretty much entirely about the DS.

I can DIG it. (their other podcasts are great, too)

@GameDadGrant

While I've been a fan of Radio Free Nintendo for nearly a year now, I'm just now getting into the Newscast and I really enjoy their newest addition, the Reset Button podcast (where they interview people who made games way back in the day, like the guy who headed up Silver Surfer or The Lion King).

@DrFinkelstein

Oh definitely, I liked both those interviews. Great stuff. The best part is that both of those interviews felt more like conversations - it didn't feel so... I don't know... "stilted" or whatever. All the talk just flowed naturally, and I think that's because the guys involved are generally very *into* the topic at hand. It makes for very easy listening. It's not like Brian Williams is interviewing NBC's foreign correspondent, it's like two friends talking about something they really enjoy.

I wanna know what game they are going to do for their next "Retro Play" or whatever they call it. Last time they did Metroid II on Gameboy, and now they're gonna pick a Gameboy Advance game. I'm pulling for Golden Sun, but we'll see.

@GameDadGrant

That just ended yesterday for the voting. I was gonna vote but I saw I was SOL. The game is going to be Mother 3.

@DrFinkelstein

Oh really? Nice! Mother 3 is a great choice... from what I've heard. I guess everyone has to import that game now? And there's some kind of English language patch? Sounds kinda complicated to me, but maybe it's not.

Maybe Triforcebun can explain the details. He seems pretty "in the know" about that game.

@GameDadGrant

Well the patch would be for an online rom, so I guess they were saying to import it, then find it so you can patch it. Or just play if you can read japanese.

It's a bit iffy and I doubt I'll play it or anything along side these people, but I'll still enjoy the conversation.

And you're right about the Reset Button interviews. They were very casual and for that I think more enjoyable.

@DrFinkelstein

Ah, okay. So basically, if you want to play it in English, you need to have the ROM? I guess I could swing that. I don't advocate piracy, but in this case I don't think there is an alternative.

I guess I could just import the game anyway (just to ease my guilt) but then play the game on the ROM. I never played the original game, though. I wonder if that would pose a problem?

@GameDadGrant

Your second stanza there is what I think their official stance was for how people can play along. As for playing it before the others, I don't know if it matters that much but I've heard people suggest it.

Love RFN.

And yeah, Reset Button is fantastic if simply because of the obscurity of the titles he chooses. I mean, last episode he got HAL BARWOOD, a name any fan of the Indiana Jones adventure games on PC knows. And instead of asking Hal about Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, a game that guy is probably sick of talking about at this point, he talks to him about... Big Sky Trooper on the SNES.

I mean, really. And you could tell Hal was eager to talk about it, if simply because no one ever asked him anything about that game, ever.

@DrFinkelstein

I voted for Drill Dozer. I was totally gonna order it off Amazon.ca, too. Bummer.

It's a great podcast for Nintendo fans (and otherwise). Intelligent, level-headed discussion of Nintendo from the media. Who'da thunk?

Oh, I forgot. They're not on the payroll.

My favorite podcasts are probably Radio Free Nintendo, Anime World Order, annnnd... I dunno, The Hotspot, maybe? It's surprisingly good.

Retronauts can also be pretty cool. There are some other podcasts that I'll check out on a provisional basis, if I care about the topics.

@Pandareus

Ha, true! I've never even heard of Big Sky Trooper before, either. It's news to me. Obscure = good!

@DrFinkelstein

Cool. I guess playing the original isn't necessary, but like you said, EVERYONE suggests doing it. And actually? I think a buddy of mine has the game on a Dreamcast disc (somehow?) so maybe I'll just borrow that from him. After all the talk about how great Earthbound is, I gotta try this **** out for myself!

here is how my weekends go:

Friday: I get off work around midnight and I go home. I either hang out with my girlfriend or i play games online with my old college friends while listening to ign gamescoop

Saturday: I get off work around midnight and go home. I either hang out with my girlfriend or play games by myself with a beer while listening to go nintendos podcast (funny sometimes)

Sunday: I get off work around 11pm and I go home and play the new game I bought (i usually buy a cheap 20 game from gamestop every sunday morning; however, this week will be dragon quest 9). While playing the new game I listening to radio free nintendo, which is my favorite podcast of them all.

RFN is a great show (i have been listening to it for about a year now) and it makes my sunday nights seem eventful. The cursing is hilarious and their view of games is just great to listen too.

My second favorite podcast is Drunken Gamers Radio. Their website is robotpanic.com funnnny show if oyu dont mind listening to drunk people banter about games. They have a drunk dial segment where listeners call their voicemail drunk and ask questions. I will admit i call their show sometimes.

I listened to this podcast the day it came out, I was looking forward to it. RFN is a podcast I never miss; these guys really know what they're talking about, and though the host is a bit dry, and some of the jokes and stuff are really cheesy, once they get going, you can tell that they have a real passion for this. This DS episode was really fantastic. I loved the way they took you through the different chapters of the DS's life cycle, starting before the machine even came out.

I don't know if they were exaggerating or what, but the bit on Dragon Quest coming to the DS signifying that it is the top dog of all video game machines was really cool. I don't really know the Japanese side of the market too well, but from what they were saying, DQIX being on DS solidified the DS's mark in history.

I've started listening to this a bit. Definitely on my page. In fact, the one I just listened to the one guy suggested that there should be an XBLA box that doesn't spin disks, just plays XBLA games, because that is the only reason he wants an Xbox 360. And I was like woah... that's so me! (Mind you, if I didn't have a PS3 I'd care about more 360 disk games...)

@GameDadGrant I'd highly recommend playing Mother 3, whether you play EarthBound or not. I actually preferred Mother 3 by a pretty large margin (thought EarthBound was pretty meh -- putting on my flame suit now), and there are very few things story-wise that carry over between the two games -- so personally, I don't think you're missing out on much if you skip EarthBound.

Also, I played the game completely in Japanese and loved it, even though I don't speak a lick of Japanese. I eventually want to go back and play it with the translation patch though.

@Zero
I'm sure you'd be tempted by a few disc games, eventually.

Well sure I'd buy a few, I just don't, at the moment, have a list. Maybe Mass Effect. But there are a ton of XBLA exclusives I'd want to check out.

LIST THEM.

(It's worth noting that many of MS's's's exclusives are timed, while most of Sony's are seemingly eternal.)

Eh. Fine fine fine.

disk games:
Mass Effect
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (hmm...)
Viva Pinata (eh)
Alan Wake (eh... not really)

downloadables:
Shadow Complex
Geometry Wars 1/2
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom
Limbo
Rez HD
The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
Trials HD
Splosion Man (I GUESS maybe...)
Snoopy Flying Ace
Chime
Bangai-O Missile Fury
Radiant Silvergun
Ikaruga (I guess... used to own it, sold it, regret selling it...)

Yeah, so basically, as a PS3 owner, the appeal is definitely more on the XBLA side for me.

I love EarthBound, but haven't played Mother 3. If the general consensus is that Mother 3 is even better than EarthBound, then it must be game of the decade or something