The Besties

In what is basically the last week of the year in terms of big video game releases, The Besties are concerned with one thing and one thing only: holiday cookies. Oh, what the heck, we'll talk about some games as well! Far Cry 3 is the heavy hitter of the week, but there seem to be some surprising contenders going up against it.

07:00 - Far Cry 3
21:00 - Skyrim: Dragonborn
34:30 - Halftime: The dark corners of Xbox Live
43:00 - Dikembe Mutombo's 4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World
48:45 - THE DECISION

Theme song by Ian Dorsch
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, The Besties examine just how humble you need to be for the Humble Bundle. Also, Griffin tries to explain Persona, much to the chagrin of all involved. There's also a question of how Agent 47 manages to hide in the middle of Chinatown, even as a very tall, very pale white guy.

08:30 - Hitman: Absolution
21:00 - Planetside 2
30:30 - Halftime: Thanksgiving and gambling
34:35 - Persona 4 Golden
45:45 - THE DECISION

Theme song by Ian Dorsch
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties all trekked off for Thanksgiving last week, but before did, they wanted to share their thoughts on the Wii U! Yes, it's an entire episode dedicated to Nintendo's latest gaming console. Oh, and there's also a special guest who hasn't shown his neck in a while.

01:20 - The Console
11:20 - Nintendo Land
33:50 - Halftime: NYG is going home for the holidays
40:35 - ZombiU
51:00 - THE DECISION

Theme song by Ian Dorsch
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties are back in fine form, discussing the merits of Michael Crichton and examining the mysteries of frogs and fractions. There's also some talk about a little-known game called Black Ops 2 and some Halo 4 fatigue begins to set in.

03:00 - Halo 4 and Black Ops 2
29:20 - Chip Chain
35:27- Halftime: Griffin hates his cat
40:15 - Frog Fractions
44:45 - THE DECISION

Theme song by Ian Dorsch
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

After a night of heavy drinking, some of The Besties aren't quite up to fighting form. And yet, they press on! In this episode, Assassin's Creed 3 makes its second appearance, and we give some props to some unhappy birds. There's also some mention of a horrifying juice cleanse. Oh yeah, and Halo 4.

05:20 - Assassin's Creed 3
21:00 - Knights of Pen & Paper
29:35 - Halftime: Polygon launch party
33:30 - Angry Birds Star Wars
39:30 - Halo 4
49:00 - THE DECISION

Theme song by Ian Dorsch
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

So it turns out that we don't actually know how to count to 33 in roman numerals, so we're going with tried-and-true 'Merican numbers from now on. Other changes include a new theme song by the talented Ian Dorsch and we're no longer bleeping out cuss words, so tread carefully! With that out of the way, after an unfortunate delay, The Besties are back. Half of them were slammed by Hurricane Sandy while the other half basked with mai tais and sangria. Weather or no, many games were played this week and a new game of the week was crowned.

06:00 - Assassin's Creed 3
15:00 - Hotline Miami
20:45 - Halftime: Hurricane Sandy and Dracula
28:40 - Need for Speed: Most Wanted
38:30 - Punch Quest
47:20 - THE DECISION

Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Besties! Those stunning changes you were expecting? Yeah...sorry...you'll have to wait on those. The Besties are back, in pretty much the form you remember them in. But the changes! They're coming! We swear! And no, the changes don't involve us stopping the podcast. Sorry to disappoint! Ran into a few audio issues this week, so if you hear us talking over each other more than normal, blame evil, evil technology.

04:00 - Retro City Rampage
12:15 - XCOM: Enemy Unknown
18:30 - Halftime: Denpa Men & Spycraft
29:50 - Dishonored
43:30 - THE DECISION

Music: "Little Marcus" by George & Jonathan
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Special thanks to Salivation Army for recovering this episode from the archives!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Besties! Here's our State of the Union: We love video games. Much like Vin Diesel or (to a lesser extent) Ice Cube before us. Won't your join us for our 30th show-ebration? We certainly hope you will.

04:30 - Griffin McElroy - Little Big Planet Vita (PS Vita)
13:00 - Chris Plante - Torchlight 2 (PC)
26:00 - Halftime: Mr. Frushtick Goes to Japan
31:45 - Justin McElroy - The Testament of Sherlock Holmes (PC, 360, PS3)
39:30 - THE DECISION by Russ Frushtick

Music: "Little Marcus" by George & Jonathan
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Special thanks to Salivation Army for recovering this episode from the archive!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Besties! Straight up: We didn't play anything this week. There. We said it. Also, Russ Frushtick is in Japan, so we thought that we'd talk about yesterday's big Wii U event where pricing, dates and much more was revealed. So, what'd we think? Well, you'll have to listen, it took us like a half hour to make. Straight up: We didn't play anything this week. There. We said it. Also, Russ Frushtick is in Japan, so we thought that we'd talk about yesterday's big Wii U event where pricing, dates and much more was revealed. So, what'd we think? Well, you'll have to listen, it took us like a half hour to make. Also, our boss, Chris Grant is there. In closing: Funky Barn.

Music: "Little Marcus" by George & Jonathan
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Besties! Besties! An old friend visits the show, proclaiming a love for the mightiest shape of them all. There's also some talk about overly complicated board games and the importance of maintaining one's composure when being a ninja. Also, Plante worries about pumpkin-spiced lattes. Welcome, once again, to The Besties.

05:00 - Griffin McElroy - Borderlands 2 (360, PC, PS3)
16:30 - Chris Plante - Rayman Jungle Run (iOS)
26:15 - Halftime: iOS 6 is a snore
31:15 - Justin McElroy - FTL (PC/Mac)
50:30 - THE DECISION by Chris Grant

Music: "Little Marcus" by George & Jonathan
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Besties! This week on The Besties, Griffiin returns from his escapades. What do the Mannequin movies and Pokemon have in common? So, so much. This week on The Besties, Griffin returns from travelling around the world and Justin attempts to take control of the insanity. We also learn all about the magic of Mexican poop worms.

5:30 - Chris Plante - McPixel (iOS/Android/PC/Mac/Linnux)
11:30 - Griffin McElroy - New Super Mario Bros. 2 (3DS)
21:40 - Halftime: Mexico!
26:00 - Russ Frushtick - Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)
39:50 - THE DECISION by Justin McElroy

Music: "Little Marcus" by George & Jonathan
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Special thanks to Salivation Army for recovering this episode from the archive!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Besties! You know you want to spend the weekend with The Besties. How could you not? Another week has come and gone, and The Besties are here to let you know what games you should be playing. This week, Griffin is in Germany, so the honey-voiced Dave Tach fills in with a seriously depressing game. We also have our very first non-human guest. And Justin eats a pear. Breaking boundaries, wherever we go.

3:10 Dave Tach - Papo and Yo (PSN)
11:30 Justin McElroy - Sleeping Dogs (360/PS3)
24:00 Halftime: Plante likes iOS games
26:10 Russ Frushtick - Dust: The Elysian Tail (XBLA)
33:45 THE DECISION by Chris Plante

Music: "Little Marcus" by George & Jonathan
Get the show:

Download MP3"
Subscribe to the podcast (RSS)
Subscribe on iTunes

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Besties! Your friends The Besties are back with the audio security blanket you need to help snuggle you into the weekend. This week on The Besties, we continue to deal with the staggering lack of releases during the summer months. We get a blast from the past with an unfortunate guest and examine the importance of breakfast in Germany. Also, in a shocking turn, Justin likes FMV games.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Special thanks to Salivation Army for recovering this episode from the archives!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

In a week of mediocre games, the Besties turns to gas station sandwiches for entertainment.

This week on The Besties, Griffin's request for bombast is delivered by a mysterious figure from the South. Meanwhile, Dave Tach, the man with cherrywood vocal chords, fills in for a vacationing Justin McElroy. Will Spelunky remain the standing champion? Which demographic will Russ Frushtick offend? Can you find good food at a pitstop? There's only one way to find out!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week on The Besties, Griffin returns and demands bombast from a fellow co-host. There's also some discussion about whether dolphins can survive in space.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Your friends The Besties are back with the only reason you get out of bed on Fridays. Join us as we pit the new games of the week against each other to find out which one reigns supreme. Also: Tiny Wings 2! And the epic conclusion of the Mousepocalypse!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week doesn't seem like a fair fight, but at least your buddies The Besties are still getting along. This week: Hear how honestly terrified Justin is of mice, walk the exotic wasteland that is Huntington, WV and be there when a new king game is crowned!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

In this time and political and Today Show-centric turmoil, it's comforting to know your friends The Besties are constant. Some iOS game you've never heard of? Check. Russ Frushtick doing a terrible European accent. You betcha. Come, bask in our stability.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties settle in for a long summer which may not be the most robust in terms of quality game releases. Justin describes the woes of Steel Battalion, Griffin gives some advice to Wizards of the Coast and there's some discussion over whether Gravity Rush should have actually beaten out Max Payne 3 last week. Also yuks.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties are back from their E3 sojourn and they've been playing all the latest games so they can talk about them, for that is the social contract you and they have entered into. Also, Russ Frushtick shares the sad, sad story of attempting to do a pull-up.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties square off on Ghost Recon, Dragon's Dogma and Resistance: Burning Skies.

The Commish returns to dole out more Besties justice. This week we've got three big games, but a special nod to a fourth game, Slingshot Racing, which offers up single-touch iOS racing enjoyment with grappling hooks. Plus we're introduced to Special Boy, Justin's ward.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties square off on Diablo 3, Max Payne 3 and Quest for Glory.

In what they hope will be the final rule change for at least a few weeks, The Besties introduce a commissioner to help them select the best game of the week. Also, Russ does a Max Payne impression, Justin infuriates Diablo 3 fans and Chris Plante whisks you away to Europe.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties return with their most unusual rule change yet: They've completely forgone making any sort of decision an instead created an robot version of their editor-in-chief Chris Grant to choose a winner for them.

... Yeah, it's one of those kinds of episodes.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties return with what's likely to be the most comprehensive discussion of flume and flume-adjacent theme park rides you've ever heard in a podcast. Also? Video games! (Note: You may notice a little audio weirdness: Take heart, we've corrected the problem, and it won't happen again!)

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week on The Besties, we've promised to dethrone Journey as the Game of the Year, but will we actually deliver? Can Journey bring about world peace before the show ends? Also, we welcome world-renowned indie developer Jean Baptiste. It's a profound moment.

This week on The Besties, we've promised to dethrone Journey as the Game of the Year, but will we actually deliver? Or can Journey bring about world peace before the show ends? Also, we welcome world-renowned indie developer Jean Baptiste into the studio, which we predict will be a ... divisive moment.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week on the Besties podcast, Chris Plante expresses his love of pig-related games and talks about his romantic physical therapy experience. We also answer the question: Can a motorcycle single-handedly win World War II? The answer: Yes. Finally, the clock is ticking on Journey, which has thus far failed to achieve true world peace.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

We're all slowly recuperating from the emotional and physical gauntlet which is PAX East, but that didn't stop us from playing the latest games and forcing them to fight each other in an epic, heart-wrenching battle. Be there as Griffin mistakes a human man for a trashcan and we give Journey a deadline for bringing about peace in the Middle East.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Typically, your friends The Besties are hunched like so many scurvy-ridden sailors over their laptops as they pit the week's best games against each other in a fight to the death. But since they were all in one zip code for a change at PAX East, they figured, "Hey, let's take this fight to the streets."

So join Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy and Russ Frushtick as they scream, run, cajole and Johann Sebastian Joust their way to a new champion.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

We're a little late but no less passionate for our favorite games of the week. Be there when Griffin makes a case for a game he, in fact, quantifiably does not like. Enjoy Chris' realization that his game is wholly inappropriate for our program. Enjoy a lovely, yet impossible to safely describe adventure game from Justin and Frushtick gives it his all with Hunters 2 and yet falls tragically short.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week on The Besties: Plante goes on a safari for the wild "cereal gorilla," Russ tries to convince us that Ouch, My Balls should be the best game of the week, Justin waxes poetic about Sherlock Holmes and Betamax and Griffin refuses to share his secret video game pie.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Last week, we decided that Journey had the ability to bring about peace in the Middle East, what's gonna have even half a shot at beating a game like that? You buddies The Besties are trying to find out! Won't you join them? We hope you will.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

We've welcomed Griffin back to our bosom after his absence last week, and he's brought a pretty darn heavy hitter with him: Mass Effect 3. We've had plenty of predictions that Commander Shepard will take the top slot and ride it to December, is that how it all shakes out? Will Russ' dumb marshmallow game thwart his plans? Is anything in Mass Effect 3 better than current favorite SSX's feature that lets you race against the ghost times of your dead father ... and in doing so keep him alive in perpetuity?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This episode of The Besties was recorded in a hotel room in San Francisco (hence the garbage audio). But hey, that's what happens when we all (except for Griffin) have to travel for GDC 2012!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

If the audio sounds weird it's because we recorded this, the third ever Besties episode, in a hotel room in San Francisco.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Justin McElroy, Russ Frushtick, Chris Plante and Griffin McElroy return with a new batch of contenders for the world's most prestigious honor: The Bestie. Which of their top picks of the week will reign supreme? And will it be enough to take the top slot from current champion Ziggurat? Listen and find out!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

It's Game of the Year meets King of the Hill as four of Earth's best friends discuss the week's new releases and decide if any will topple whatever game currently holds the honor. Will Killstroke 4: The Bloodening dethrone your favorite and claim the coveted Bestie award? How long can Professor Wigglebottom's Puzzle Bordello keep hold of the top spot? The choice is in the capable hands of Vox Games' Chris Plante, Justin McElroy, Russ Frushtick and Griffin McElroy. The Besties: Because shouldn't the best of games be chosen by the best of friends?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!