Xbox 360

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate hits the 3DS and WiiU in March, and I'm hoping that a lot of you out there who haven't tried the game yet will decide to jump aboard. If you do, be aware that Monster Hunter has always been utterly terrible at welcoming newcomers. Even though it eventually became one of my favorite games of all time, I fully admit that my first few experiences with the series were nothing short of awful.

I'm trying to make a serious effort towards trimming down my backlog this year, so I decided to give Bayonetta one more shot. I've started and quit the game twice before, but it comes up in conversation so often and in such positive terms that I'd feel like I wasn't doing my critical due diligence unless I gave it a least one more try.

We are reaching into the listener mail bag again! We learn Brad's favorite food, and what game is like Amelie...if Amelie could fly! Also, Special guest Christopher Floyd stops by to talk in his Irish accent. Oh yeah, we also talk about what we've been playing and have a lively discussion about the Steam Box! With Chi Kong Lui, Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Richard "Sexiest Thumbs Alive" Naik, Special Guest Christopher Floyd and Dylan Collins.

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Please send feedback and mailbag questions to podcast (at) gamecritics (dot) com.

If Agent 47 and Sam Fisher had a Lovechild, Absolution Would be its Name

HIGH Absolution has the most realistic living world I've experienced in a game.

LOW The checkpoint system is totally broken.

WTF Who casts badass Vivica A. Fox just to give her a tiny bit of dialogue?

The Denpa Men: They Came By Wave is a title I had been looking at in the e-shop since the day I picked up my 3DS, but I just wasn't convinced to buy. It was cute enough and it seemed weird enough, but the demo didn't sway me and I left it on my wish list for later.

It feels like it's been a while since I've done a proper blog post, and there's a lot of stuff to catch up on, so let's get right to it...

Fanboys May Cry

HIGH Comboing through a group of enemies like a tidal wave, leaving nothing but their shattered remains in Dante's wake.

LOW The penultimate boss fight is disappointingly pedestrian compared to the rest of the game.

WTF The battle against Bob Barbas is... is... it's...

When did the Dream Become a Nightmare?

HIGH The blistering SID-metal half of the soundtrack, courtesy of Machinae Supremacy.

LOW Puzzles that try, stretch, and ruin your patience time and again.

WTF How many precious stones can you fit in one game?!

The Worst of Both Worlds

HIGH That first time Fernando Alonso enthusiastically shouted "Alonso!," like an F1 Mario.

LOW When Fernando Alonso kept enthusiastically shouting his name, like an F1 Mario.

WTF "Release and then hold RT to charge KERS!"

There is a surprising downside to video game demos. With fewer and fewer options available for those that might want to try a game before buying it, demos are the default option. But demos have the adverse effect of underselling a good game or demonstrating how bad a bad game really is. Understandably, many developers and publishers aren't willing to take that chance. Where does that leave us? The guys at Extra Credits take a look.