VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.1: Best game with a named horse

Hello, readers. For quite some time we’ve wanted to produce a podcast on VG247, but for assorted reasons nothing ever got off the ground. That has now changed. VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast is here, and there will be an absolute minimum of two episodes (and hopefully a lot more) as we’ve already got two in the can.

“What is this new podcast?” you ask, with the child-like glee usually reserved for when you spot a new type of M&M or an ice cream version of a favourite childhood sweet. Well, it’s quite simple, really. Each week three of us must present our choice for the best game ever that meets certain criteria. Then our host/judge, Jim Trinca, will decide who has made the best case and declare a winner.

We’ll never do something so simple as “Best horror game,” or “Best PS2 game.” That’s just not what this show is about. We’re trying to do something a little different, on the off-chance it’s more fun than just a bunch of us sat around talking. Each week we’ll have something specific to talk about, and that’s it. There might be the odd hilarious segue (I am involved, after all), but the aim is to be more panel show-like.

We’re also trying to deliver a show that’s about 30 minutes long. Enough to feel like you’ve been a part of something, but not so long that you need a week’s worth of commutes/park walks to get through one episode. Hopefully that’s something you can get onboard with.

That is it. Check out VG247's The Best Games Ever Podcast on Apple Podcasts and subscribe. Or listen on Spotify. It's even on YouTube if that's your thing. We’ll no doubt add more options soon, probably when you tell us to “get with the times and add it to BloopBloop” or something.

We’ve got some details on the show’s content below, so if you want to avoid spoilers, don’t scroll past this posing man (Support friends of VG247, People Make Games, on Patreon).

Best game with a named horse

This is the topic of Episode one of VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast. Here’s a rundown of who picked what.

Tom – Shadow of the Colossus

This one is pretty obvious, and no doubt a favourite amongst readers/listeners. Shadow of the Colossus is a brilliant game that is considered by many to be a true classic. And it has a named horse in the shape of Agro. Team Ico’s game is so good it’s been remade/remastered twice, so has appeared on PS2, PS3, and PS4. Do you agree with Tom?

Dorrani – Elden Ring

Getting a great start in Elden ring | 5 Things to do first

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Dorrani went for something more recent, with Elden Ring. Released earlier in 2022, Elden Ring is already considered a classic of the open-world genre, offering intense and challenging battles along with a world that is a joy to discover. The horse in Elden Ring is named Torrent, and has among other talents a rather incredible double-jump. What do you think? Is Elden Ring better than Shadow of the Colossus or is it too early to say?

Alex – Final Furlong

Final Furlong by MDF

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Out of nowhere Alex produced this gem of an arcade game. Final Furlong sums up what arcade games can offer that consoles and PC’s can’t: huge peripherals. In this case, it’s a massive plastic horse you must ride on. Alex insists that this is the best game with a named horse, but does one of many named race horses really count? His favourite is called Miracle Thunder.

Let us know what game you’d pick and which of the three you think should win in the comments below. If you like the podcast, please subscribe and leave a review, and tell all your friends, who can then tell all their friends.

Come back in a week for the Best Game nobody cares about.

If you want more podcasts, you could do worse than checking out our friends at Rock Paper Shotgun who have the Electronic Wireless Show. Eurogamer has two shows (greedy!), Digital Foundry has DF Direct, Dicebreaker covers the world of tabletop gaming, and the Outside Xbox lot has Oxventure - A Dungeons & Dragons Podcast.