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Hi podfans!

A long while ago (167 episodes ago in fact) we reviewed 'Ridge Racer' (PSP) and 'Ridge Racer' (PS Vita).

It turned out 'Ridge Racer' was still good in 2023 and 'Ridge Racer' was still bad in 2023! We also discussed Jalopnik.com's 'Ridge Racer' ranking from the same year to see if we could work out which 'Ridge Racer' was the best that had ever ridged?!?

It seemed as though the series had been inconsistent throughout the years and we didn't have enough knowledge to understand which edition is the best version at the time so we left it there like an itch one day you really should address. A bit like fun 'Athlete's Foot' if you will...

It turns out TODAY is the day we scratch that itch. Mmm satisfying... Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge Raaaaaaaaacer is back on Living La Vita Loca podcast and we're sure you all couldn't be more... ambivalent... about our discussions on the long dormant series.

We're concentrating on a couple of home console iterations this time out. Rich takes us on a flying lap around R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 (1998, PS1), the sixth edition of the series from a five year span in the 1990s. Can a game 28 years old still slip into top gear easily?

Meanwhile, Fazz drifts around the potential dilemmas of Ridge Racer 7 (2006, PS3), an updated port of the maligned Ridge Racer 6 exclusive on the Xbox 360. Could a console hop provide the racing machine with the jump start it desperately needed?

Finally, we totally nail a 'Ridge Racer' ranking of our own because we KNOW thats what people want to hear from an amateur video games podcast in 2026.

Enjoy the ridge!

Hi Podfans

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review said game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Fear Effect (2000, PS1 via a 2024 remaster port)

• Train Sim World 6 (2025, Steam Deck)

There are plenty of destinations to choose to navigate your train engine via on this week's episode:

Reading? Plymouth? Leeds? A brothel in a Chinese backwater town? Literal Hell itself?!?

No, you did read that correctly.

All aboard the crazy train! This one is a fun ride...

Did you know there are over 100 Mega Man games in existence?

There's Mega Man, Mega Man X, Mega Man ZX, Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Battle Network, Mega Man Star Force and Mega Man: In Da House...

Okay, we may have made that last one up but you get the point. If you've never played Mega Man before (Looking at you Fazz, you barbarous savage!) then where do you even start? Well, at the beginning of course. Sort of.

Whilst Fazz does dabble with the original game iteration via the excellent Mega Man Legacy Collection, he actually focuses his attention on 'Mega Man Powered Up' (2006, PSP), a remake of the original game which is now 20 years old itself. Is it still full of power in 2026 or has it ran out of juice?

Next up, Rich dives deep into another branch of the Mega Man bloodline via the 'X' series. He's gone in search of a rare Mega Man entry that struggled to be mega-popular when it was released. What brings him to this rusty end of town?

Mega Man X7 (2003, PS2) was widely derided at time of release. Can Rich find anything left to appreciate in this edition at all or is it best left to rot on the (s)crappile?

All this and more on this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast!

Gather round podfans and let us tell you a tale...

This is the story of 3 lads from opposing sides of the Pennines who have forged a sacred 'Bond' over the internet like it's peak 2003 MSN messenger chat.

They come together from different tribes to break bread (burger buns) and potentially small bones in their weak trigger fingers over Arcade Club cabinets in Leeds.

They laugh, they compete, they cavort...

They also handily provide an excellent spoiler free review of 007 First Light (2026, PS5). Well, @scottmassey83 and @gamingwithjamo do... Fazz just sits there and bemoans the potential state of Daniel Craig's undercarriage in Casino Royale.

(Seriously though, Le Chiffre knocks the absolute 'Living Daylights' out of his... erm... 'Goldeneye'?!?)

Anyways, this story is 'For Your Ears Only'.

Enjoy the pod.

Mmm... tasty, tasty podcast spam topics...

You know the kind... the kind of podcast spam topic created completely on the hoof because one of your podcast hosts is on holiday and overall effort levels are loooooooowwwww?

Yeah that kind. The tastiest kind of podcast spam... So what delicacy are we shoving down your throat this week? Only a few of the most important questions ever asked by humankind...

"Which video game console do you find most aesthetically pleasing?"

"Which video game console is a bit of cad? A bit of wildcard?!"

"Which video game console makes you want to throw bleach in your eyes and beg for mercy to the Titan Theia herself?!"

(She's the Goddess of Sight in Greek mythology don't you know?)

'Wii' told you they were really important questions that need answering. Yeesh, I nearly puked just mentioning it...

Finally, we get YOUR feedback on YOUR most aesthetically pleasing video game consoles of all time.

Enjoy the podcast. What?! No, you can't have your time back! Unbelievable...

Persona... Mario Kart... Portal... Pokemon Mystery Dungeon...

What do all of these random games have in common? That's right, they're all successful spin off editons of previously well established video game franchises!

Well done you for answering the question correctly! Here is a podcast episode as your prize...

This week, we're heading away from the well trodden path of plain old regular games to enter a jungle of Far Cry spin offs.

First up, Rich takes on the neon soaked, 80's inspired Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013, PC). Something completely different from previous 'Far Cry' games (ironically), Blood Dragon is short, sweet and has reptiles with fricking laser beams attached to their heads. Sounds easy enough to love right?

Next up, we're a little bit closer to vanilla 'Far Cry' but there's definitely silly sprinkles & wacky sauce poured on top of this one too.

Fazz ventures back to 10,000BC via his PS (time) Portal to the world of Far Cry Primal (2016, PS4). This one is less 'Walking with Dragons' and more 'Mauled by Mammoths or 'Harassed by Honeybadgers'. At least we didnt get carried away by an eagle like that goat does...

Grab yourself a bowl of raw rat blood and embark on a spirit walk with us this week on Living La Vita Loca podcast.

​"I got soul but I'm not a soldier... I got soul but I'm not a soldier..."

​Well, if your pod hosts wouldn't make great soldiers, perhaps they would make a superb sorcerer or a perfect pilot instead? Hopefully, we're about to find out...

​Firstly, Rich flexes his magical muscles in Soul Sacrifice (2013, PS Vita). It was touted as the handheld's 'killer app' when it launched, but as one of the few heavy hitters still trapped exclusively on the system, is it actually worth surrendering your time to?

​Fazz follows up with a review fly over of Kamikaze Lassplanes (2024, Nintendo Switch) - a crossover between an ecchi visual novel and a shmup where the overpowered aircraft you pilot are also female love interests. Because why the hell not?!?

​Strap into your cockpit and sacrifice some time for this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast!

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Valiant Hearts: The Collection (2014-2023, PS5)

• Warhammer 40000: Space Marine (2011, PC)

We're really busy this week so that'll do ya for a blurb. Unless you want to start a WAR over it!

Enjoy the pod.

Hi podfans!

​Welcome to our Assassin’s Creed(-ance Clearwater) Revival episode. It has been a whopping 110 episodes since we last visited the AC universe. Thankfully, we're joined by our regular special guest Fiona who will help us carry all of the tired puns and dead bodies.

​While our last AC podding effort lay squarely in the handheld domain (Bloodlines, Liberation), today we are dragging our knackered human organ sacks back into the Animus to stalk silently among some of the heavier hitting (stabbing?) entries of the historical series.

​So, which epochs in time do we bungle our way through with a butter knife this week?

• ​Assassin’s Creed II (2009)

• ​Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018)

• ​Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020)

​How'd you like them apples (of Eden), huh?!

​Take a leap of faith, settle into a comfy haystack, and enjoy this week's episode of the Living La Vita Loca podcast!

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Uchusen: Ultimate Ploid Battle (2019, Evercade)

• Untitled Goose Game (2019, PS4)

It's a battle of 'U' titled games this week although ironically one is 'untitled'...

First up, Rich dips into his Evercade 'Indie Heroes Collection' and chooses to discuss, erm, 'Uchusen: Ultimate Ploid Battle'. An 8 bit indie SHMUP designed as part of 1 day game jam, does it have enough about it to impress our resident SHMUP junkie?

Next, Fazz can't wait to honk on about the award winning 'Untitled Goose Game'. From basic jam theft to general shithonkery, we break down why this fantastic game stole our hearts (and everything else in the English country garden)!

All this and more on this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast. Enjoy!

David Deckham... Hitler... Gary Wobbly Neville... Who are they and what do they all have in common? Thats right, they all make an appearance in this FIFA World Cup 2026 special from Living La Vita Loca podcast.

Why? Well, Rich tries to play a single match in nearly every football-centric video game ever made. His review of this experience really is a spectacle befitting of the biggest sporting event in the world.

Recovering quickly from this ordeal, we fall back into a more usual 4-4-2 formation and review some video games in a totally normal manner...

We definitely do not accidentally 'sim' an entire world cup tournament in Sensible Soccer: European Champions (1992, SNES)

We absolutely do not watch the ball teleport into the goalkeepers hands in World Cup Italia '90 (1990, Sega Mega Drive)

And we certainly do not, somehow, make ourselves suffer travel sickness when playing through Despelote (2025, Xbox Series S)

The lineup is set, the foosball table is sagging in the middle... Enjoy the familiar crushing disappointment associated with this podcast & the World Cup.

"Hell, I lived through the fall, no problem. But gettin' back to shore, well, let's just say I'm no Michael Phelps"

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Infamous (2009, PS3)

• Unbeatable (2025, PC)

Important(?) stuff we ask each other:

- Why the hell am I living on a rooftop like a homeless vagrant with all of these cool superpowers?!

- Wait... Are you sure this isn't Mixtape? Because it sounds a bit like Mixtape? Ah, I'm all mixed up now.

- Is Pokemon Pokopia just a superhero Animal Crossing??

All this and more on this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast. Enjoy!

Elliot Carver: "Mr. Jones, are we ready to release our new PODCAST?"

Mr Jones: "Yes, sir. As requested, it's full of bugs, which means people will be forced to LISTEN for years."

Elliot Carver: "Outstanding."

It's James Bond week on Living La Vita Loca podcast! As most gamers eagerly await the first home console 007 video game in 14 years, we're taking the opportunity to cycle through Bond's back catalogue...

First (light) up, Tomorrow Never Dies (1999, PS1). Released two years after the movie hit the cinema, Fazz is left wondering why he spent so much time with this edition of Bond as a youngster and when will 'tomorrow' just freaking die already?!?

Our next mission? A stand alone video game continuation of Pierce Brosnan's 007, Rich is giving it 'Everything or Nothing' (2004,)... it probably just depends on how much we can be arsed really...

Finally, we flip open a bit of kit that feels like one of Q branch's inventions to play 'James Bond 007: Blood Stone' (2010, Nintendo DS) How does the handheld workhorse hold up under the weight another hackneyed Bond story?

"Do you expect us to talk?" We most certainly will. Enjoy the pod.

"Needs more tongue"

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Child of Light (2014, PS Vita)

• Oink! (1983, Atari 2600)

Important stuff we discuss:

- When is 'Too much tongue' too much tongue?!

- Why did the mid 2010's have a real penchant for sending kids to the Underworld?

- Why we STILL love the Evercade!

All this and more on this week's Living La Vita Loca Podcast. Enjoy the pod.

Everybody loves Master Chief. He's a video game icon. Don't get us wrong, we love him dearly too but it's okay to 'play the field' a little sometimes and see what else is on offer...

Back in 2009, it was clear that Bungie were feeling the same way. Contractually obligated to release two further games for Microsoft after Halo 3, they could have easily gone back to the 'John-117 well' but they made the decision to release Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach (2010, Xbox 360) sans Master Chief.

Could it be that the best Halo game is an installment without 'Mr Halo' himself? And why are we back chatting about Star Wars again?!

Whilst it is feasible to suggest Halo: Reach might be Bungie's best effort at a Halo game (they're all fantastic efforts in reality), what about their development successors, 343 Industries? Outside of 'The Master Chief Collection', its a little harder to say what their 'best entry' into the Halo series is and, a lot of their Master Chief centric attempts are mainly maligned by fans.

Hmmm... What about Halo Wars 2 (2017, Xbox One) then? A collaborative project with Creative Assembly, known for their Total War games, this spin off RTS landed between Halo 5 and Halo: Infinite with a well received prior installment already in the books. Is it possible that this is Halo Studios best attempt at a Halo game? Maybe.

Decisions need to be made. Are we the right people to do that? Probably not. Where's Master Chief when you need him eh? Enjoy the pod.

"Don't f*%k with a witch!"

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Doom: The Dark Ages (2025, PC)

• Bayonetta (2009, Xbox 360)

Important stuff we discuss:

• Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear, Rip & Tear... You get the idea.

• Pole dancing on an angel's rod...

We're not sure we need to elaborate any further than that. Kicking ass has never felt so good!

Enjoy the pod. We said pod, not rod...

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... No keep going... keeeeeeeeeeeeep going... Right, we're here...

All the way back on Ep.9 of this here podcast, a bold promise was made by one cohost to NEVER play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003, Xbox). Fazz has inevitably broken your trust and done the exact opposite by playing KOTOR... Sort of. The results? A well overdue therapy session between two kindred bitter & twisted hearts.

Next up, did Rich have more success in directing the daring Delta squad to victory in Star Wars: Republic Commando (2005, PC). Kashyyyk or Kamino? Is it worth a go? Rich let's us know.

Finally, we visit a video game that started life off as a Mustafarian hellscape but instead of lava flowing, there was a sea of deadly microtransactions...

9 years after the release of EA's Star Wars: Battlefront II (2017, Xbox One), your hosts wonder if there is a redemption story, akin to Anakin's, to be told?

Find out all this and more of this week's Living La Vita Loca Podcast!

"Posse, Posse, I need you, I need you, I need you on the floor" Scooter, 2001

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Ape Escape (1999, PS1)

• Tekken 5 (2004, PS2)

This episode is a general cry for help. Our desperate thoughts include questions such as...

• Why does owning Ape Escape not make me more popular?

• Where is MY Tekken 5 remaster?

• Won't somebody please think of the poor retro gaming consoles out there in the wild?!?

All this and more on this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast!

Comic books, cartoons, movies, Broadway, video games... Is there anywhere Spider-Man hasn't managed to spread his white sticky goo?! Perhaps we should have done a better job with the feather duster because he's managed to scurry his way into our podcast studio this week as well?

No, there are several reasons he's the most popular superhero on planet Earth which, is surprising, considering he'd be shite getting around the average council estate in Leeds. We discuss what those reasons could be ahead of our usual review symposium. It's THE Ultimate Spider-man discussion. Presumably.

We're spinning a 'Doc Ock' inspired web between our game discussions in this episode. Firstly, Rich opts to swing through Spider-Man 2 (2004, PS2), a generally well received movie tie in from a pre 'Call of Duty' Treyarch development team.

We then thwip forward in time to find Fazz glued to the screen of his recently acquired PS Portal. Hes been playing Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered (2020, PS5), an Insomniac game which was the best selling PS4 exclusive at the time of original release.

We have zero responsibility and you're powerless to stop it... Enjoy the pod.

Fazz is on holiday this week so what better way is there to spend his time off than enjoying a round of golf before the best sporting event of the year, The Masters at Augusta.

As we received zero complaints about doing a vodcast last time, we've gone for it again with our Meta Quest 3S and given you a quick tour of Golf+ , one of the best golf sim games you can play in your own home.

Jump in the buggy and settle in to watch Fazz play around this mini vodcast in a solid 86. Nothing too fancy. Well nothing at all fancy actually but its less of a car crash than... Erm, We don't want to get sued so let's leave it there.

Enjoy the VOD!

"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkein, 1954

"Where the hell am I? What the hell is going on?!" Living La Vita Loca Podcast, 2026

This week, we're off on a first-person ramble through perplexing lands & strange places.

For your Easter weekend main course, we're delighted to welcome back our regular special guest Fiona who is ready to regale us with tales of her journey through Blue Prince (2025, PS5), the critically acclaimed indie darling created, almost single handedly, by Tonda Ros. (Best. Name. Ever!)

Let's be honest, if it wasn't for Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, this game probably would have won a few more GOTY awards last year. Tonda will have to settle for an episode of this slipshod podcast instead.

For dessert, we've picked a puzzling pair of adventures linked together through their development team, Giant Sparrow.

'The Unfinished Swan' (2014, PS Vita) and its somewhat sequel 'What Remains of Edith Finch' (2017, Xbox One) both involve youths exploring the legacy of their family and what it means to have loved & lost through a surrealist lense.

Both stories use a variety of interesting mediums to unfurl their plot. We're back in 'Video games as an art form' territory here. Lets hope Fazz can keep up this time...

Warning: Please be aware that we briefly discuss distressing themes dealing with suicide and childhood mortality in relation to the narrative of What Remains of Edith Finch.

Do you enjoy light hearted chat about tight baseball pants and Nazi dominatrices? You do?!? Ahh brilliant, this is the episode for you...

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Bases Loaded (1987, NES)

• The Saboteur (2009, PS3)

Are we as high as a Zeppelin on these games or do our opinions fall quicker than a well thrown splitter ball?

Find out on this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast!

Welcome to our 3rd birthday extravaganza episode. You know what that means... it's spreadsheet time! Or at least, infographics time...This week, we're using @tomcyberfire's work (shown in our thumbnail) as a framework for your usual auditing enjoyment. We take the top 10 (okay... 12ish) selling games consoles of all time and analyse their top 10 selling video game companions. We work as a team (or against each other) to eliminate each console one by one and end up with a true Champion.The full list reads as:Playstation 2Nintendo Switch Nintendo DS Nintendo Gameboy/ColourPlaystation 4 PlaystationNintendo Wii Playstation 3Xbox 360Playstation 5Playstation PortableNintendo Gameboy Advance Who will stand taller than a PS5 and who will fall away into the Red Ring of Death?!Find out on this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast.

"Johnny Thundercop is back and he is chill as balls"

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• WWF No Mercy (2000, N64)

• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (2021, Nintendo Switch)

THE best wrestling video game ever created gets in the ring with THE best non-traditonal RPG video game ever created. What more do you need to know?

As D'Lo Brown used to say, "You'd better recognise!"

Enjoy the pod.

Ghoul-d evening folks! We find ourselves in the company of evil spirits and foul beasts this week. No, we're not referring to each other (although we do occasionally like to play 'Devil's Advocate' with some of our reviews).

We are, of course, speaking about several video games we've picked out for judgement...

First up, Rich takes on the role of 'Pinball Wizard' in Dragon's Fury (1992, Sega Mega Drive), a port of an earlier Turbografx-16 game called 'Devil's Crush'. Both versions were censored in the US due to their 'satanic nature'. Dont let that put you off though, this silver ball monstrosity is not one to miss out on!

Hell (sorry America), there's even enough time before the silver ball drops to squeeze in a mini review of Psycho Pinball (1994, Sega Mega Drive).

Finally, we wander the Underground in Toby Fox's indie darling Undertale (2017, PS Vita). Regularly cited as one of the greatest independent video games of the 21st century, can this RPG finally help Fazz understand the 'videogames as art' conversation or is he doomed to spend eternity stuck in an intellectual dungeon with 'Jerry'?

Eugh... Jerry.

Enjoy the pod.

"Let's have a look at what you could have won..."

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review each game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Spyro Reignited Trilogy (2018, Xbox One)

• Bullseye (2021, PS4)

Unfortunately it turns out that you can, in fact, beat a bit of Bully...

There's definitely no special prize for guessing which creature wins the day between a bull & a dragon this week.

Bully's original run as a TV show (1981-1995) only just witnessed the dawn of the PS1 but the Spyro franchise was still producing games on the PS1 long after the PS2 had already been released in Japan.

Who would have thought they would both intersect with brushed up video game releases on the 8th generation of home consoles?

Our podcast apparently... Enjoy the pod.

A 150th anniversary is known as a sesquicentennial. I'm not sure anyone will be bothered about using a posh word like that around here to celebrate our 150th episode...Yes, we know, we didnt expect to STILL be here churning out poorly constructed opinions about video games either but we've grown rather fond of our podcasting time together which is what matters the most. Perhaps today's contest will finally put an end to our kindness though...We've taken the Top 25 PS2, Xbox & Gamecube games (as determined by IGN.com) and pitted them against each other in a positional match of 'This, that or t'other one?'There's no fairness about it or anything sensible like that. We work our way up from the video games positioned at number 25 on all 3 lists and decide which game should stay at each position. This is a chunky pod (140 mins you're never getting back!) so we've drafted in one of our best pals, Kyle Taylor, to help wade through the 75 games up for discussion.Its all here... Functional spreadsheets, inane list building, crap arguments... Some things never change.Enjoy the pod!

Feel the rhythm. Feel the rhyme. Get on up, its podcast time...

Hi guys! Which discipline are you enjoying the most at the 2026 Winter Olympics so far?

Is it Rich travelling around recreating the Little Chef 'Olympic Breakfast' in a roadside layby OR is it Fazz pressing his unprotected face against a well used ice track to sup cheap flavoured vodka?

If the answer is any of the above then the first 10 minutes of this is the podcast for you! After grinding through this (barely related) Winter Sports introduction we land, three full 360-degree rotations later, squarely at the feet of 1080 Snowboarding (1998, N64) & its VR spiritual successor Carve Snowboarding (2021, Meta Quest 3S).

Find out what these two video games have in common and why there's room for both in your backlog (and your front room!)

Finally, we round things off with a solitary trip to the snowy summit of Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders (2025, Xbox Game Pass). Back in 2019 Lonely Mountains: Downhill was a breath of fresh air from developers Megagon Games so why does Fazz feel Snow Riders fails to hit those same peaks this time out?

Enjoy the podcast.

Welcome to episode 5 of Dryve January (which has now leaked in February)! We're putting the pedal to the metal this month to provide you with reviews of popular racing/driving video games from throughout the years.

'Micro' is defined as 'one millionth the size of something' which, in reality, is pretty bloody tiny. Perhaps 'Centi Machines' might have been more accurate when it comes to the popular 1/150th scale model toy range but its nowhere near as evocative a name as 'Micro Machines' (1993, Mega Drive).

First released on the SNES in 1991, this game was ported nearly everywhere and its one that Fazz holds close to his heart from his childhood. It may be the reason he takes any crushing defeat in his stride nowadays... You've not been emotionally destroyed until youve been stuck racing through some baked beans residue on a breakfast table.

Across the way on the pod table, Rich tries to get to grip with Gravel (2018, PC). This off road, arcade racer landed more with a clunk than a splash critically but we're here to help you stop wondering if its worth paying £2.49 for the deluxe edition when you see it hanging around on digital storefronts. Surely its worth as much as a half pint of John Smiths down the local?

Lets find out together. Enjoy the pod

Welcome to episode 4 of Dryve January! We're putting the pedal to the (twisted) metal this month to provide you with reviews of popular racing/driving video games from throughout the years.

"You know, I have one simple request, and that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads"

We're sure this is what Rich will have been muttering under his breath when the laser on his PS2 had trouble playing The Simpsons: Hit and Run. Was this the untimely demise of the Dryve January schedule?!?

No! Our solution: Find a PS2 driving game that is dual layered and goes just as hard as Hit & Run. Enter Gran Turismo 4 (2004, PS2), the 4th best selling PS2 game of all time, to save the day. It's not often the hero of the hour arrives in a Honda Civic but we're pretty 'Z-spec' around here so its probably fitting.

Whilst Rich enjoys a PlayStation franchise that started 3 decades ago, Fazz checks out another series that burned brightest on the PS1 but seems to carry less influence in 2026... or does it?

Twisted Metal (1995, PS1) started over 30 years ago and has been rebooted a few times already. A recent, well received TV adaptation has led Fazz to try the series out for the first time, starting with its original iteration.

Can he see past the dated graphics & shoddy control system to find something that hits his Sweet Tooth?

Tune in to find out on this week's Living La Vita Loca podcast!

Welcome to episode 3 of #DryveJanuary! We're putting the pedal to the metal this month to provide you with reviews of popular racing/driving video games from throughout the years.

Which phrase is it that Rocky famously espouses in 'Rocky Balboa'?

"It's not about how hard you hit, its about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done."

We think this phrase perfectly describes our volatile & explosive racing pair this week...

First up, Rich provides fireworks for you with a rowsing review of Burnout 2: Point of Impact (2002, Gamecube). We discuss how much 'impact' this series' innovative crash mode had on the arcade racing genre in general and on therefore on Fazz's game of choice this week, Split/Second: Velocity (2010, PS3).

Oh and Burnout 3: Takedown (2005, PS2) is the best Burnout video game ever released. This is a fact. The internet says so. It accidentally steals the show! We're not sorry.

Enjoy the pod

Welcome to episode 2 of #DryveJanuary! We're putting the pedal to the metal this month to provide you with reviews of popular racing/driving video games from throughout the years.

This week, we're taking a view on a couple of early 2000's heavy hitters. Oddly enough, one entry has gone on to be an integral part of the biggest video game franchise ever witnessed whilst the other series hasn't had a fully realised home console entry in over 20 years...

Up first are Rich's initial thoughts on the newly released Analogue 3D which Fazz has been harassing him to share for a few weeks now. With that out of the way, we speed through his feelings on F-Zero GX (2003, Nintendo GameCube) which come hot on the heels of his glowing review of F-Zero X last week. Does the extra 'G' add enough G-uice into GX to best its N64 counterpart and, if so, why is there now zero F-Zero?

Next up, Fazz has flown over to Liberty City to visit the remastered version of a video game that is, to him, probably the most "important" video game of all time, Grand Theft Auto III: Definitive Edition 2021, PS5). Does that mean its actually worth playing through in 2025 or did you just have to be there?

Enjoy the pod.

Happy 2026 podfans and welcome to #DryveJanuary! We're putting the pedal to the metal this month to provide you with reviews of popular racing video games from throughout the years.

12 months ago, Rich threatened to derail our entire planned month of vehicular mayhem by "just reviewing F Zero games". He's here to make good on that threat starting off with F Zero X (1998, N64). What is it about F Zero that floats Rich's plasma-powered hovercar to such lofty heights? Lets hope hes full of energy in his review.

Fazz, meanwhile, chooses to keep things a little more grounded but only just. Why? Well, he's waging a war against gravity too but on motocross bikes and er, unicorns, in Trials HD (2009, Xbox Live), Trials Fusion (Xbox One, 2014) & Trials Rising (Xbox One, 2019).

Legend has it, he is on attempt #1876 of 'King of the Hill'... his own personal Everest. Trial(s) and Error? More like 'Error, error, error, error, error... controller smash'.

Enjoy week 1 of #DryveJanuary 2026!

Hi there...

Welcome. Come in. Take a seat. Relax. We've come a long way together in 2025...

- 50 episodes (thus far).

- Over 100 video games reviewed.

- Nearly 2 days worth of audio content (if "audio content" means "acoustic bile").

It's all here on an erotic but well maintained spreadsheet and we're about to grade the living shit out of it...

Yes, its back, our annual episode where we retroactively rank all of our video game reviews in each ridiculously, arbitrary score bracket and decide which video game will rule supreme.

Mmm. Glorious.

We bet you've never been so excited to find out which contestant will be crowned 'The best 3/10 video game that Living La Vita Loca podcast reviwed this calendar year'?

Gather your workbook documents of choice, surround yourself with auditing equipment and dive in with us. Conditional formatting has never been so fun!

Thank you for listening this year. Enjoy the pod!

Is there such a thing as a "Christmas Shoot 'em up"? Yes there is. Its called Deathsmiles II. Its very good.

Have we played Deathsmiles II for the festive season because that would be relevant and make sense? No.

Instead, have we picked 10 random shmups and distributed them equally between both co-hosts in an attempt to determine which video game would theoretically top the music charts as the equivalent of Christmas number 1? Yes.

Are we probably insane? Also yes.

Join us in this ridiculous 2 part exercise as we rank some of the best (and most average) shmups we've ever played:

- DoDonPachi DaiOuJou (2002)

- Darius Gaiden (1994)

- Earthion (2025)

- Danmaku Unlimited 3 (2017)

- Raging Blasters (2021)

- Andro Dunos II (2022)

- Raiden V: Directors Cut (2019)

- Crimzon Clover World EXplosion (2020)

- Thunder Force IV (1992)

- Radiant Silvergun (1998)

Merry Shmup-mas one and all!

Is there such a thing as a "Christmas Shoot 'em up"? Yes there is. It's called Deathsmiles II. It's very good.

Have we played Deathsmiles II for the festive season because that would be relevant and make sense? No.

Instead, have we picked 10 random shmups and distributed them equally between both co-hosts in an attempt to determine which video game would theoretically top the music charts as the equivalent of Christmas number 1? Yes.

Are we probably insane? Also yes.

Join us in this ridiculous two part exercise as we rank some of the best (and most average) shmups we've ever played:

- DoDonPachi DaiOuJou (2002)

- Darius Gaiden (1994)

- Earthion (2025)

- Danmaku Unlimited 3 (2017)

- Raging Blasters (2021)

- Andro Dunos II (2022)

- Raiden V: Directors Cut (2019)

- Crimzon Clover World EXplosion (2020)

- Thunder Force IV (1992)

- Radiant Silvergun (1998)

Merry Shmup-mas one and all!

"You thieves! You thieves… You filthy little thieves! Where is it? Where is it? They stole it from us. My Precious."

We can't help but feel that Gollum wouldn't condone this week's podcast with his clear no-nonsense policy on pilfering...

Welcome to part 2 of our deep dive into the Uncharted series. We conclude proceedings with a review of the 'Legacy of Thieves' collection. Released in 2022 for the PS5/Windows, this collection features remastered versions of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017).

Long lost family, deception, intrigue, drama, globe trotting, crates and of course, the 10000x multiplier... Pirates! As the Black Eyed Peas once said, "Lets get Uncharted in here".

Enjoy the pod.

There is very little blurb needed to sell this one. Rich (Nate) and Fazz (Sully) once again welcome Fiona (Elena... mmm, maybe Chloe, actually) to the pod booth to help us navigate a course through the Uncharted series.

Over two episodes, we're deep diving every home console release of the PlayStation exclusive series from Naughty Dog. Let's hope we don't bump into El Dorado whilst we're down there...

This week it's the turn of 'The Nathan Drake Collection'. Released in 2015 for the PS4, it includes the remastered versions of Drakes Fortune (2007), Among Thieves (2009) and Drakes Deception (2011). There's no time to waste as fortune & glory awaits. Now, does anybody know what is Tibetan for "RPG"?!?

Enjoy the pod.

Hi pod fans

Here be bonus treasure dug up from our archive. Way back in March 2023, we launched our podcast with a review of Uncharted: Golden Abyss (PS Vita).

Prior to our coverage of the whole (home console) Uncharted series over the next two weeks, we've excavated our previous opinion on the handheld effort from 2012.

Enjoy this low effort bonus episode of Living La Vita Loca!

"Hello there children!"

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review said game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• South Park: Chef's Luv Shack (1999, PS1)

• Batsugun: Special Version (1994, Arcade via Steam)

'Bullet Hell' vs 'Butthole hell'...

One of the best shooter games ever vs 'Asses in Space'...

Getting spanked over and over by a video game vs spanking a monkey over and over in a video game...

Come on down to Living La Vita Loca Podcast and have yourselves a time!

Ey up Pod-packLast Autumn, we gave Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story a 9/10 review (Episode 76). We couldn't get enough of the stellar gameplay and fascinating yarns provided by Minter via Digital Eclipse. We wanted more... Rather than head back into Minter's older back catalogue, we decided to take a look at some of the more recent video games which weren't covered on the Llamasoft compilation. Hand(held)ily enough, one such game is a PS Vita exclusive... kinda...TXK (2014, PS Vita) is a tube shooter based on Tempest, which had already been reimagined by Minter as Tempest 2000 in the mid 90s. TXK was a little TOO based on Tempest/2000 for Atari's liking and legal pressure ensured it never left the PS Vita. Fazz ignores those wrangles and concentrates on tube tangles instead.Next up, Rich wriggles his way through Minter's VR-enabled action shooter Polybius (2017, PS4) which performed well commercially and critically at the time. Interestingly, after this release, 'The Yak' & Atari decided to kiss and make up to release Tempest 4000 (2018, PS4). Tempest 4000 started life out as a VR version of TXK but Atari asked for the VR aspects to be removed and we were left with effectively an updated console version of TXK after all. What a kerfuffle!Speaking of kerfuffles, we round off proceedings with a conversation about the latest release from Digital Eclipse and why it has had a less than (Llama)soft landing. Enjoy the pod.

Well... nobody saw this coming... a video podcast! We've jumped the shark. Thats it. Theres definitely a VR app for jumping over sharks somewhere right? We should really check the Meta store sales. With Rich indisposed with actual real life family this week, Fazz roams unchecked and unhinged in virtual reality. Straight after 2 glasses of wine and an episode of Celebrity Traitors felt like the right time to record our first foray into video. Not only that but video recorded in VR! Luckily, Fazz can speak more shite than any treacherous celebrity ever could so hopefully the audio side holds up just as well.

We check out some of the apps available on the Meta Quest 3 and use our freaky little arms to play some Walkabout Mini Golf in Wallace & Gromit's house. Hopefully the weird little virtual appendages help explain Fazz's lack of sporting prowess!Enjoy the VOD

Objective

Definition: Factual, verifiable information that is not influenced by personal feelings or bias.

Subjective

Definition: Based on an individual's perspective, feelings, or opinions.

Which of the above definitions best describe our podcast and why do we bring this up? Well... it's time for one of THOSE kind of reviews. You know, the reviews where we provide highly subjective opinions sitting slightly, erm, 'adjacent' to the realm of popular judgement? Yeah, one of those...

Firstly, after an inauspicious start to proceedings, we blast our way through a review of Infected (2005, PSP), a zombie, dual gun shooter game as brain dead as its undying antagonists. A PSP exclusive that is completely ridiculous and overblown? No wonder Fazz's synaptic nerves are tingling.

From there, it's onto the main cour(p)se as Rich feasts upon the Resident Evil 2 Remake (2019, PS4). One of the most influential, stellar video games of all time received a remake in 2019, which in turn was heralded by all as a triumphant reimagining of a classic. So why is Living La Vita Loca not necessarily loco for Leon or in cahoots with Claire? We KNOW it's a great game but why is it not a great game for us?

You'll have to make it past one of the most brainless introductions in podcast history to find out... mmm 'brains'...

Enjoy the pod.

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly, where each co-host chooses a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our pod partner. We both play through the aforementioned game and then ask our co-host to score the game out of 10, based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Ghostwire: Tokyo (2022, PS5)

• Firewatch (2016, Xbox Series)

If you enjoy spending time finger blasting demons (careful now...) or critiquing the work of 'Fire Lookout' heroes then this is the episode for you!

Enjoy the pod.

Your favourite two muppets are back together for the first time in a while as Rich returns from his Japanese jaunt. This is handy as this weeks episode of Living La Vita Loca Podcast is sponsored by the letter 'E'! (Yes, Sesame Street is officially considered to be part of The Muppets)

Why are we sponsored by 'E' you most definitely ask us? Well, we've gone with a theme this week. We've managed to pull together three puzzle games, where the ultimate aim is to escape, and they all begin with the letter 'E'. (It was rather easy, economical and effortless weirdly.)

Something scary must have happened to Rich on the Japanese subway because he's decided to review an unsettling adventure video game all about... being stuck in the Japanese subway. The Exit 8 (2023, PC) is a bit of a cultural phenomenon in Japan and has already spawned a successful movie adaptation. Can you escape its gravitational pull?

Slightly less terrifying but no less perplexing, Fazz opts to prattle on about a pair of PSP puzzlers. Exit (2005, PSP) and Echochrome (2008, PSP) were both well regarded on release and have probably had their fair share of play time on the Japanese transport system in the past. Can they escape the ire of our drab scoring system and leave Fazz ecstatic?

Embrace the E on this edition of Living La VEEta Loca Podcast.

Question: How do you get a guest onto your bang average video gaming podcast? You Pok-em-on! Geddit? Ahhhhh, you guys get it.

Anyway... we have a Wailord-sized conversation for you this episode. It's a little unfortunate that Fazz sounds like he's gone swimming with Magikarp but luckily we have @swiss_stadia (Paddy Gunn) filling in on co-hosting duties this week and he sounds better than a Jigglypuff's lullaby.

After a quick reintroduction to Paddy's love for Swiss football stadia, we wind our way down to the Pokemon Stadium (N64) via memory lane. How functional is a game in 2025 that is so intrinsically linked with the late 90's? We dive into Nintendo Switch Online to find out.

We also discuss what makes (made?) Pokemon video games so special, for so many people, for such a long time and if they still sparkle like a shiny holo Charizard in today's gaming amphitheatre?

We round things out with our personal favourite Pokemon team draft. Who are we imprisoning in a tiny ball and stuffing into our back pockets first? And why is it definitely not Mr Mime, you weird, strange little freak...

Enjoy the pod.

"The power of love is a curious thing. Makes one man weep, makes another man... invite his reluctant wife onto an amateur video gaming podcast to cover for a week whilst his usual podcast partner is away." Everybody knows thats how the song goes right?

Huey Lewis and the News owe 'Back to the Future' a lot. Around these parts, We think we ALL owe 'Back to the Future' a lot. As far as Fazz is concerned, he thinks it may be directly related to the actual conception of his couch partner whilst for many others, it's possibly one of the best movies ever created.

40 years after the original movie's release, we take a fond look back at Marty trying to, well, get Back. But what of its sequels? (And yes, we're including Back to the Future: The Game in that bucket too). How does the rest of the franchise fare comparatively to BTTF?

Fast forward through time to 2010 and Telltale Games and Universal Studios felt there was more to give fans of the series via a 3D adventure story game. Were they right to risk the whole damn space time continuum to bring us a new installment of Back to the Future?

Let us take you away in (Po)Delorean and we can find out together. We promise you that we'll get you Back in Time.

Enjoy the pod. Buttheads.

With Rich away for a little while, Fazz has decided to invite a few of his best buddies out for a night on the town in Leeds. Welcome back to LLVL podcast @c.t.baird & @hefferinaaron!

Ahhhhh who doesn't love to go clubbing at a weekend? These three late 30's year olds, thats who! Well, there actually is one club in town where we feel welcome on a Saturday night... Arcade Club! (www.arcadeclub.co.uk)

The original Arcade Club was opened in an old mill in Bury in 2015 and has gone from strength to strength opening sites in Leeds and Blackpool in recent years. We are regular visitors to the Leeds branch, just a few miles from our house and its definitely helped inspire our podcast over the years.

We cannot recommend visiting enough so we thought we should give it a thorough review and a score on our coveted spreadsheet!

This podcast was recorded on a warm but windy night in May 2025, in a local beer garden immediately after a visit to Arcade Club. Expect insightful conversations about learning Japanese through clay pigeon shooting and potential emergency service callouts caused by bottles of cider.

Enjoy the pod.

Hi Podfans

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review said game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Medal of Honor: Airborne (2007, Xbox 360)

• Super Locomotive (1982, Arcade via 2022, Sega Mega Drive Mini 2)

Absolutely ridiculous questions arise from our conversations such as:

- Why are muscle-clad steam engines haunting Fazz's dreams?

- How many grenades is just too many grenades?

- Do you need a rare candy to evolve an M1 Garand?

All of the above and a modicum of actual video game chat on this week's LLVL podcast. Choo choo!

Hi Podfans

Welcome to another edition of #FreeplayFortnightly where we both pick a video game that we want to play and keep it secret from our co-host. We then review said video game on the podcast and ask our co-host to score the game out of 10 based on our review. Simple? You bet we are!

The games we've picked out for random review this week are:

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (2024, PS4)

• The Kung Fu/China Warrior (1987, PC Engine)

Pertinent questions we ask this week are:

• What is SOTNitis and can you catch it through metroidvania's?

• Have you visited to freaky Mount Queef?

• If sticks and stones may break your bones, what do teeny, tiny fireballs do?

All the above and some actual video game chat on this week's LLVL podcast. Enjoy!