Alternate Episode Title: “Harley Quinn wants to play!”

One of the best comic book games ever, Arkham Asylum doesn’t disappoint! Newcomer Rocksteady has crafted one hell of a triple AAA title. All the important elements are here in spades. Strong story (Paul Dini), insanely-great villains, memorable boss battles, cool gadgets, satisfying puzzles, collectibles, fierce combat, incredible production values, and addictive stealth gameplay.

Regardless of whether you’re a huge Batman fan or not, you will have a bat-tastic time playing Arkham Asylum. Basically, you’d have to be clinically insane not to like this game in which case The Hard Cast is here to supply the strait jackets.

PARTICIPANTS:

• -CHRIS
• -STEVEN

Support The Hard Cast by purchasing through our referral links:

Amazon: Batman: Arkham Asylum 360
Amazon: Batman: Arkham Asylum PS3

 
Download
This file has been downloaded 175 times

Alternate Episode Title: “Fairy Bubbles Kick Ass!”

Hot on the heels of the Raiden Fighters Aces review we have Raiden IV! At $40 it’s a bit pricier than RFA but it’s a newer game with superior graphics and while it doesn’t offer the nice bonus of three games on one disc it’s a worthy addition to the Raiden series. The fact that I am Raiden completionist also played a big part in my decision to purchase.

Unfortunately, like it’s predecessor RFA, Raiden IV does not take advantage of the full potential that Xbox Live offers. There’s only local co-op play and more leaderboard nonsense that only the most hardcore of fans will appreciate. There’s also a laughable attempt at DLC which comes in the form of two additional ships which are already on the disc but can only be unlocked by paying an additional fee. Of course being the completionist that I am and for the purposes of this review I purchased the additional ships. Between the two ships I’d only recommend the fairy which is worth it for the humor-factor alone!

It’s time to strap into that pilot’s seat once again because the Earth’s peace and tranquility is being threatened for the fourth time but don’t worry, The Hard Cast is here to supply you with all the fairy bubbles you need to get the job done!

PARTICIPANTS:

• -CHRIS
• -VICTOR
• -PATRICK
  

Support The Hard Cast by purchasing through our referral links:

Amazon: Raiden IV Limited Edition 360

 
Download
This file has been downloaded 160 times

Alternate Episode Title: “We control the Vertical and the Horizontal!”

Things have been a little quiet lately on The Hard Cast but now we’re back with a vengeance with some old school gaming goodness! This recording is now ready for public consumption so don’t turn your back on these nostalgia evoking games.

Raiden Figter’s Aces gives you the complete Fighters Aces experience with all three games packaged together on one disc for only $20. Gradius V has the best graphics of any of the Gradius series and keeps the challenge level pumped up on the PS2. Whether you prefer the vertical or the horizontal it’s hard to go wrong with either of these titles.

So grab that bag of quarters and let The Hard Cast be your wing-man because it’s bullet-dodging time!

• -CHRIS
• -VICTOR

Support The Hard Cast by purchasing through our referral links:

Amazon: Raiden Fighters Aces 360
Amazon:Gradius V PS2

 
Download
This file has been downloaded 141 times

Alternate Episode Title: “I Love You Water!”

By our incredibly pathetic powers combined we are The Hard Cast! Once again triumphing over the evils of inconvenient scheduling issues and nagging family members to bring you yet another savagely mediocre episode.

Eddie and Luis were unable to untangle themselves from the bondage known as reality and regrettably, the rest of the crew and I had to sally forth into the relentless unknown without them. We now present to you the fruits of our labor which unfortunately turned rancid during our homeward journey but we return wreathed in the flames of triumphant glee to extol our bountiful adventures and tribulations.

So basically another standard episode of Hard Cast Prime. Hope you enjoy….

PARTICIPANTS:

• -CHRIS
• -STEVEN
• -VICTOR
• -PATRICK

 
Download
This file has been downloaded 168 times

Alternate Episode Title: “Moorwen vs. Care Bear Stare!”

You may have quickly glanced at this title at your local Blockbuster or Best Buy and thought to yourself “yet another straight to DVD B-Movie that’s not worth my time.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Outlander is a very solid genre flick that deserves to be viewed by anyone who can appreciate an adventure filled sci-fi romp with likable characters and lots of action. Not to mention decent SFX, memorable performances, and a great story that also happens to be my favorite interpretation of the Beowulf tale thus far.

Originally slated be one of our first episodes, scheduling issues and general laziness kept getting in the way. Somehow it still managed to be a pretty fun show despite it being poorly-edited and long overdue. The long awaited Outlander review is finally here!

If you’ve got a photo-luminescent creature harassing your village then let The Hard Cast hand craft you a mighty sword made from the finest space metal in the universe!

PARTICIPANTS:

• -CHRIS
• -STEVEN
• -VICTOR
• -PATRICK
• -EDDIE

P.S. Listen to the very end of the podcast for a little treat. Hint: We Care-A-Lot about our listeners!

Support The Hard Cast by purchasing through our referral links:

Amazon: Outlander DVD
Amazon: Outlander (Blu-Ray)


 
Download
This file has been downloaded 115 times

Alternate Episode Title: “BJ vs. Deaths Head”

The Wolfenstein series has always held a very special place in my heart. The original Wolf 3D was the first game I played after installing my Creative Labs Sound Blaster. At the time I was blown away by what I thought was amazingly high quality sound and music (head and shoulder above what the consoles could do at the time). As a long time lover of First-Person-Shooters, the first time a German soldier yelled out “Achtung!” will always be a pivotal moment for me.

So it was with great anticipation and excitement that I ripped into the latest entry in this classic series especially since I loved the previous game (RTCW) so much. Overall, I’d have to say that it’s a worthy addition to the franchise despite having a very weak multi-player component and an obsolete engine that’s starting to show its age. Die-hard Wolf fans should definitely give it a shot and if you’re unfamiliar with the series but enjoy shooters than you might want to go the rental route or maybe wait for a price-drop.

The Nazi threat is looming near and BJ Blazkowitz is looking for recruits. If you think you have what it takes then The Hard Cast has the propaganda you should be listening to.

PARTICIPANTS:

• -CHRIS
• -STEVEN

Contest Rules:

Let us know what you think of this review or of The Hard Cast in general and you could be the lucky recipient of a free XBLA code for the original Wolfentein 3D. Just leave a comment on this blog or email us at gethard@thehardcast.com

Support The Hard Cast by purchasing through our referral links:

Amazon: Wolfenstein PC
Amazon: Wolfenstein X360
Amazon: Wolfenstein PS3

 
Download
This file has been downloaded 123 times

Alternate Episode Title: “Budokai your Burst Limit!”

A missed opportunity to cash in on the incredibly popular Dragonball franchise. Evolution is nothing but a disappointment in pretty much every way. Poor acting, laughable characters, boring action, and an incredibly inaccurate story that shits all over the fans (Kamehameha Defibrillator). Not even cute girls, Chow Yun-Fat, and Ernie Hudson could save this train wreck of a movie.

It’s clear that the creators had little to no respect for the Dragonball series as a whole. Honestly, it’s almost so bad that it’s good, but not quite. Snorting some Tenkaichi would probably improve your chances of actually getting some enjoyment out of Dragonball Evolution but we can’t make any promises.

If you’re wondering what happened to Chow Yun-Fat’s career than let The Hard Cast clue you in. Unfortunately, I don’t think you’re going to like the answer.

PARTICIPANTS:

• -CHRIS
• -STEVEN
• -VICTOR
• -EDDIE
• -PATRICK
  

Support The Hard Cast by purchasing through our referral links:

Amazon: Dragonball: Evolution [Blu-ray]
Amazon: Dragonball: Evolution DVD

 
Download
This file has been downloaded 134 times

Alternate Episode Title: “Prime 3: Corruption (of Body and Soul)”

We had a full house for this show! Victor’s back from the Big Apple with some funny stories, Luis is hiding drugs in his anus, Hitler gets banned from Xbox Live, Stalin vs. Martians, Patrick sees Steven at a Gay strip club, Victor is being stalked by Tran-sexual Nazi Eskimos (sorry, I mean Inuits), Chris learns to suck (lollipops), and Steven has a bone to pick with Nintendo!

Some other podcasts that are worth checking out are mentioned and there’s some praise for CheapAssGamer. A great site to get awesome deals on games, DVDs, and Blu-Rays.

P.S. Thanks for the email Paul!

PARTICIPANTS:

• -CHRIS
• -STEVEN
• -VICTOR
• -PATRICK
• -LUIS
• -EDDIE
  

Links:

Greatest Movie Ever
Fast Karate for the Gentleman
Destroy All Podcasts DX
CheapAssGamer

 
Download
This file has been downloaded 171 times