The Best Podcast Networks of 2012

Update: I forgot to mention the FrogPants network of Scott Johnson. I listen to the Morning Stream, The Final Score, Film Sack, and a whole lot of other audio content.

It is that time of the year again where I talk about all the awesome podcasts that I consume. This time I will tell you all about podcasts networks and not just individual shows. So without further ado here are the best podcast networks of 2012.

1. 70Decibels
A great set of tech podcasters led by Myke Hurley. My favorite podcast in the network is Home Work, a podcast about people who work from home. The host of Home Work, Aaron Mahnke and Dave Caolo share productivity tips and sometimes the challenges they face as home workers.

Aside from that, I find the shows Generational and Bionic to be interesting. Myke Hurley is a good host who knows how to let his co-host talk but can also take over the conversation if he needs to.

2. 5by5.tv
Dan Benjamin's podcast network where two of my favorite shows, Hypercritical and Build & Analyze just ended. With that in mind what shows can I look forward in the network now? There is still the Incomparable and Mac Power Users (even if I don't own a Mac).

3. The Geekbox
Last but not the least is the Geekbox Network. I listen to all their shows! I listen to the flagship show, the Geekbox. I also listen albeit sparingly to the Comedy Button, Good Job Brain, and the Comics Conspiracy.

And before I forget, let's not forget about Ryan Scott's frenemies, Rebel FM, the only general gaming podcast I listen to.

That's all the podcast and podcast networks I listen to for the year of 2012. Hope you find something you like in here.

PS: No Agenda is in a different league here since it is the best podcast in the universe.

F-Zero GBA awesome remake

Remember the Snes futuristic racing game F-Zero? Well there was a GBA remake subtitled as Maximum Velocity. This remake have improved graphics and a little bit of a tweaked control scheme. That said, this game is still fun but balls hard. I think this version is even harder than the original. If you have a GBA, get this game. Hell, get an emulator and give this title a shot. You will be pleasantly surprised how fun this is.

DBGL - Easy to Use DosBox Frontend

If you want to play old DOS era games then you can't go wrong using DBGL. DBGL or DosBox Game Launcher is a very simple, but powerful, cross-platform DosBox frontend. All you need to do is to mount the directory where the game is saved. Once you have defined the proper directories, just click on play and you're good to go. The best thing about this is that you really don't have to tweak and fiddle with the CPU, frameskip, and other settings. Although, you can change everything, if ever need to tweak these options.

DBGL also offer pre-made packages of full version games (like Elder Scrolls: Arena and Daggerfall) to Shareware games (like Doom and Duke Nukem). To use packages just download the package and associate it with DBGL.

Playing DOS games has never been this easy. If you still have your old copy of DOS games, just use this app, no need to re-purchase classic games from GOG. 

Fallout 2 Revisited (GOG)

I'm thankful that Good Old Games exist. Now all of us old PC gaming nerds can revisit the classics at no hassle. If you don't know by now, GOG is having a Christmas sale for 50% off of all their games. There is 15 days left, so I suggest that you take advantage of this sale right now.

Look at Fallout 1 & 2 because these titles are two of the best RPGs ever made. They are barely 3 dollars each so any cheapskate can afford both titles for barely 6 dollars.

I remember finishing Fallout 1 years and years ago. I happen to find the alien blaster so my first go was not that difficult. The next go I tried to kill all the villagers in this one town, just to see what can happen. My next playthrough, I tried to specialize in small guns like pistols. I finished this game a number of times yet I'm still not sick of it.

My memories of Fallout 2 was a little hazy. It was a dark time in my life when this title came out. I never got to finish this game probably because of gaming fatigue. But, as I said, thanks to GOG, we can now enjoy these games again. So I'm playing Fallout 2 again using a character that is a jack-of-all-trades master of none. This means I'm having a difficult time with the game, especially in combat and thievery. Anyway, I'm almost at the end of the game, I just need to level up some more to stand a chance against the last enemies (ha, I almost wrote a spoiler there).

The best thing about old-ish PC games is that they are really well before their time. Though they were limited by technology, PC makers aspired to create the best gaming experience for the players. This is why I'm becoming a PC gamer again because of GOG. Imagine, all these boxed games are now just 5 dollars and can even run on netbooks.

I Will Play Daggerfall In Celebration of Skyrim

Also known as I can't play Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on my old PC, so I'll just play Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall instead.

Download the Daggerfall exe here for free and legally. This executable package is actually the full game wrapped in Dosbox so that you don't have to dick around with the settings.

My Wife's Hobby Blogs - Anno1777 Tips & Gardens of Time Tips

My wife is running two hobby blogs about her favorite online games. Let me just link to them here so that she could get a little Google juice to her sites.

Anno1777 tips & tricks

This blog is about the money making game called Anno1777. You can actually make money by playing this awesome business simulation game. Click on the link above to play the game.

Gardens of Time tips & Tricks

Do you know that this award winning Facebook game can be played without Facebook? The link above will bring you to the official Playdom site wehre you can play the full game.

Dawn of Sorrow (J2ME Mobile) - Capsule Review

If you have a Java (J2ME) capable phone then you have to search for Dawn of Sorrow and play this awesome game. Dawn of Sorrow was first released on the Nintendo DS, but now, you can play it using any Java capable mobile phone. If you want to have a close to the console Metroidvania experience, then this game is a must.

As I said, this game is a port from the DS, but it is not a complete mirror-image. This game is optimized for the mobile phone experience. Do not expect perfect controls, though the control mechanism is close to perfect. 

The story follows the convoluted story of Castlevania that started from Aria of Sorrow. I was not able to follow the story closely, but it basically involves Dracula and monster hunting - 'nuff said! With that in mind, I have to say that I did not play this game based on story 'coz the gameplay is classic Symphony of the Night stylin'. 

If you have a fairly modern mobile phone, get this game at once. It is worth the money and time.