So, unfortunately the dynamic duo wasn't able to get together on Sunday to provide you folks with an episode of podcastitude. No matter - we will be back in full force on Sunday, as I recover from a 24 marathon. I don't know yet whether or not my friend is planning for it to be Season 3 or Season 6 (I personally hope it's 3, but it's better if it's 6 since it's newer and we've done season 3 twice already). So I may be falling asleep during the cast, which will be almost as funny as when Al snored during our ShenlongBo episode.

Random fun fact: we had Snow Pong in New York yesterday. While the_antipode was at work in Long Island, I was home during the afternoon in Manhattan (which is west of Long Island). It snowed fiercely where he was for about 15 minutes, while it was sunny by me. It then snowed insanely loudly by me, with the thundercrack and everything, for about 15 minutes too - while it was sunny by him. This repeated once more, so we had a score of 4 volleys. Alas, the snow left us both alone so there was no more Snow pong.

Anyway, there are some things I'd like to say about Etrian Odyssey after I've cleared the first five floors of the labyrinth (maybe 6 - 8 hours or so?):

- If you don't like not seeing your party / avatar wander about a 2D map, don't get it.

- If you like wandering about a maze in the first person view, a la the original Phantasy Star (NOT a fully-realized world like Oblivion), get it.

- If you like grinding, get it. If you don't, don't.

- If you like the idea of being able to unlock and upgrade up to 21 abilities per c1ass (of which there are nine), get it.

- If you don't like the idea of gaining only one skill point per level-up with which to upgrade said abilities, knowing that your level cap is 70, don't get it.

- If you like or don't mind a battle system that, at its core, is Dragon Quest, get it.

- If you're sick of Dragon Quest battles, don't get it.

- If you like the idea of selling off items and remains left by slain monsters so that the shopkeeper can make new, more powerful items for you to buy, get it.

- If you must be thrown headfirst into an epic tale with lots of NPCs and dialog, don't get it.

- If you like the idea of a bare-bones RPG experience that's based on accepting quests and missions, get it.

- If you're the type who has a compulsive need to chart out a map perfectly because they let you add important points on the touch screen, get it.

- If you would rather have a game that automatically track doors, stairs, item-harvesting locations and healing points, instead of just charting where you've been and mandating that you do the rest of the charting yourself, don't get it.

- If the idea of "dungeon crawl" piques your interest, i.e. going down deeper and deeper into a labyrinth and returning to the same town and people to rest, heal and buy stuff, get it. If that idea makes you wretch, don't get it. (Don't worry - there are warp points every few floors. Duh.)

- If you want it because you want rare games, well, get it. Quickly. I had to scour eBay from mine, and fortunately I got it for the standard retail price.