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.