Welcome to episode 2 of #DryveJanuary! We're putting the pedal to the metal this month to provide you with reviews of popular racing/driving video games from throughout the years.

This week, we're taking a view on a couple of early 2000's heavy hitters. Oddly enough, one entry has gone on to be an integral part of the biggest video game franchise ever witnessed whilst the other series hasn't had a fully realised home console entry in over 20 years...

Up first are Rich's initial thoughts on the newly released Analogue 3D which Fazz has been harassing him to share for a few weeks now. With that out of the way, we speed through his feelings on F-Zero GX (2003, Nintendo GameCube) which come hot on the heels of his glowing review of F-Zero X last week. Does the extra 'G' add enough G-uice into GX to best its N64 counterpart and, if so, why is there now zero F-Zero?

Next up, Fazz has flown over to Liberty City to visit the remastered version of a video game that is, to him, probably the most "important" video game of all time, Grand Theft Auto III: Definitive Edition 2021, PS5). Does that mean its actually worth playing through in 2025 or did you just have to be there?

Enjoy the pod.

Happy 2026 podfans and welcome to #DryveJanuary! We're putting the pedal to the metal this month to provide you with reviews of popular racing video games from throughout the years.

12 months ago, Rich threatened to derail our entire planned month of vehicular mayhem by "just reviewing F Zero games". He's here to make good on that threat starting off with F Zero X (1998, N64). What is it about F Zero that floats Rich's plasma-powered hovercar to such lofty heights? Lets hope hes full of energy in his review.

Fazz, meanwhile, chooses to keep things a little more grounded but only just. Why? Well, he's waging a war against gravity too but on motocross bikes and er, unicorns, in Trials HD (2009, Xbox Live), Trials Fusion (Xbox One, 2014) & Trials Rising (Xbox One, 2019).

Legend has it, he is on attempt #1876 of 'King of the Hill'... his own personal Everest. Trial(s) and Error? More like 'Error, error, error, error, error... controller smash'.

Enjoy week 1 of #DryveJanuary 2026!

Hi there...

Welcome. Come in. Take a seat. Relax. We've come a long way together in 2025...

- 50 episodes (thus far).

- Over 100 video games reviewed.

- Nearly 2 days worth of audio content (if "audio content" means "acoustic bile").

It's all here on an erotic but well maintained spreadsheet and we're about to grade the living shit out of it...

Yes, its back, our annual episode where we retroactively rank all of our video game reviews in each ridiculously, arbitrary score bracket and decide which video game will rule supreme.

Mmm. Glorious.

We bet you've never been so excited to find out which contestant will be crowned 'The best 3/10 video game that Living La Vita Loca podcast reviwed this calendar year'?

Gather your workbook documents of choice, surround yourself with auditing equipment and dive in with us. Conditional formatting has never been so fun!

Thank you for listening this year. Enjoy the pod!

Is there such a thing as a "Christmas Shoot 'em up"? Yes there is. Its called Deathsmiles II. Its very good.

Have we played Deathsmiles II for the festive season because that would be relevant and make sense? No.

Instead, have we picked 10 random shmups and distributed them equally between both co-hosts in an attempt to determine which video game would theoretically top the music charts as the equivalent of Christmas number 1? Yes.

Are we probably insane? Also yes.

Join us in this ridiculous 2 part exercise as we rank some of the best (and most average) shmups we've ever played:

- DoDonPachi DaiOuJou (2002)

- Darius Gaiden (1994)

- Earthion (2025)

- Danmaku Unlimited 3 (2017)

- Raging Blasters (2021)

- Andro Dunos II (2022)

- Raiden V: Directors Cut (2019)

- Crimzon Clover World EXplosion (2020)

- Thunder Force IV (1992)

- Radiant Silvergun (1998)

Merry Shmup-mas one and all!

Is there such a thing as a "Christmas Shoot 'em up"? Yes there is. It's called Deathsmiles II. It's very good.

Have we played Deathsmiles II for the festive season because that would be relevant and make sense? No.

Instead, have we picked 10 random shmups and distributed them equally between both co-hosts in an attempt to determine which video game would theoretically top the music charts as the equivalent of Christmas number 1? Yes.

Are we probably insane? Also yes.

Join us in this ridiculous two part exercise as we rank some of the best (and most average) shmups we've ever played:

- DoDonPachi DaiOuJou (2002)

- Darius Gaiden (1994)

- Earthion (2025)

- Danmaku Unlimited 3 (2017)

- Raging Blasters (2021)

- Andro Dunos II (2022)

- Raiden V: Directors Cut (2019)

- Crimzon Clover World EXplosion (2020)

- Thunder Force IV (1992)

- Radiant Silvergun (1998)

Merry Shmup-mas one and all!

"You thieves! You thieves… You filthy little thieves! Where is it? Where is it? They stole it from us. My Precious."

We can't help but feel that Gollum wouldn't condone this week's podcast with his clear no-nonsense policy on pilfering...

Welcome to part 2 of our deep dive into the Uncharted series. We conclude proceedings with a review of the 'Legacy of Thieves' collection. Released in 2022 for the PS5/Windows, this collection features remastered versions of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (2017).

Long lost family, deception, intrigue, drama, globe trotting, crates and of course, the 10000x multiplier... Pirates! As the Black Eyed Peas once said, "Lets get Uncharted in here".

Enjoy the pod.

There is very little blurb needed to sell this one. Rich (Nate) and Fazz (Sully) once again welcome Fiona (Elena... mmm, maybe Chloe, actually) to the pod booth to help us navigate a course through the Uncharted series.

Over two episodes, we're deep diving every home console release of the PlayStation exclusive series from Naughty Dog. Let's hope we don't bump into El Dorado whilst we're down there...

This week it's the turn of 'The Nathan Drake Collection'. Released in 2015 for the PS4, it includes the remastered versions of Drakes Fortune (2007), Among Thieves (2009) and Drakes Deception (2011). There's no time to waste as fortune & glory awaits. Now, does anybody know what is Tibetan for "RPG"?!?

Enjoy the pod.

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!