Podcast-o-rama!

I love listening to podcasts. I spend anywhere from 8 to 10 hours/week listening to podcasts. They're informative and (mostly) entertaining. There are so many podcasts out there that you should be able to (easily) find one that suits your interests (here's a podcast about quilting).

I'd like to share a few of my favorites.

Laser Time

Once upon a time, gaming website GamesRadar had an awesome podcast. For a while, it was always one of the highlights of my week. Slightly informative and mostly hilarious, listening to TalkRadar (as GamesRadar's podcast was known) helped my hours-long commute fly-by in a flash. When many of the personalities that made the podcast great moved on, TalkRadar never regained its momentum and is barely a shell of its former self (and at this moment, is even on a hiatus[?]).

Luckily, I found where most of the "magic" had gone. Three months ago I found Laser Time.

Not just a gaming podcast, Laser Time covers all things geeky, and covers them with brilliant irreverence and unbridled vulgarity (warning: explicit content). Covering topics like: Horrible Star Wars Spinoffs, Ultra-descriptive TV Theme Songs, and The Worst Videogame Music ever, Laser Time is a ridiculously good time.

VGMpire

The best (and only) podcast dedicated to Video Game music that I've yet found. Hosted by former GamesRadar senior editor Brett Elston (one of the only people I've even heard of who loves game music more than I do), VGMpire episodes will typically cover a specific series of games (like the Metroid series or the Mario Kart series) and will highlight many of the key tracks that define the experience.

With a breadth of knowledge that (slightly :P) eclipses my own, VGMpire is a great place to learn about game music and hear samples of some of the best! Check out the Spotlight on Advance Wars and the RPG Battle Music Sampler.

Giant Bombcast

Founded by a few Gamespot veterans, Giant Bomb is a great big gaming database that is community-supported and is nicely heavy on the video content. Giant Bomb's podcast is the Giant Bombcast. Usually clocking in around 2 1/2 to 3 hours, The Bombcast easily provides me with a couple of days worth of commute listening.

A nice mix of news, previews, humor and straight up "what are you playing?" talk, the Bombcast goes into great detail about current games that goes well beyond your typical review. It can get a touch spoiler-y, so be careful. The guys are usually quite mindful and don't purposefully spoil anything (I've been listening a lot lately and didn't have the ending of Mass Effect 3 spoiled).

If you want a whole lot of quality podcast to listen to, the Bombcast is a good way to go.

Nerd Hurdles

Nerd Hurdles is a Toronto-based podcast that encourages you to "Dork In, Nerd On and Geek Out!" Nerd Hurdles covers all things nerdy, including movies, TV shows, comics, toys, memes and just about anything you can imagine! This week's podcast covered LEGO, and goes to some (possibly) unexpected places. Whether they're talking about Star Trek, Star Wars, Trek Wars, Wars Trek, or Trek Trek, you can always count on some intelligent conversation drenched with sarcasm and wit.

I've met the hosts of Nerd Hurdles, Jakob and Mandi, who are just as hilarious in real life. Also, Jakob gets mega-points for letting me amuse myself with his box of Classic Star Wars figures (especially Max Rebo)!

There's plenty of links above (click on the titles and the images to be taken straight to the pages) and listen to a 'cast or two. You might get hooked.

Do you have any favorite podcasts? Share in the comments below!