This week’s Podtoid is as random and meandering as they come, but it’s still got some good bits. Head tothe official Podtoid pageor check your iTunes to listen to the latest episode. In it, Jim, Aaron, Tiff and I discussed such wide-ranging topics as: Our favorite GDC moments:None of them even remotely game-related! The death of HD DVD:When I want to edit something out, I make everyone shut up for ten seconds straight so I can easily find the silence in post!...

The basis for much of my opinion onSporecomes, unfortunately, from its spin-off games for consoles and handhelds. While the original title was something which captured my interest, my inability to commit to a life of PC gaming by upgrading this ancient computer prevented me from actually playing it. I’d like to do that someday because I want to know for myself if this is a series that can justify the marketing push which has foisted so many mediocre or worse titles on an unsuspecting public....

Last Friday, Sega invited me out to their offices in San Francisco to check outMadWorldfor the Wii.MadWorldis on the minds ofmost of the staff at Destructoid, and for good reason. It’s an ultra-violent game made by ex-members of Clover exclusively for the Wii, of all systems. I shared the same interest as my fellow editors did, but I was cautiously optimistic. I didn’t want to get hyped up on another Wii game only to end upextremely disappointedagain....

Admittedly, it’s difficult to hear about aVoltrongame for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network and have a reaction that isn’t cynical. THQ will be publishingVoltron: Defender of the Universein October, with the game promising online co-op for up to five players, and offline co-op for up to two. Clips from the original show will be integrated, which may very well be the most appealing aspect of this title. IGNhas the trailer, so I’ll quit talking and let you make up your own mind....

The PSPgo isnotmaking retailers happy. Earlier this week, we learned that a major dutch chainwas refusing to stockSony’s latest handheld, and today fellow retailer ShopTohas declaredthe digital-only format, “Almost dead before it has arrived.” ShopTowillstill be stocking the PSPgo, but has refused to promote it in any significant way. “We do have it listed on the site, but we are not concentrating any big marketing behind it,” explained store boss Igor Cipolletta....

This is why I loveMortal Kombat. (Well, besides the over-the-top, gruesome deaths.) The story is absurdly dramatic if you take the time to let it soak in, which isn’t necessarily a good thing in and of itself. But, then you see goofy stuff like theChallenge Tower, and this near-perfect balance of seriousness and bat-sh*t insanity is met. Also, you may punch a dude’s head and his entire skull shatters....

Among the many April Fools’ Day gags that saddened me because they were amazing but I knew they wouldn’t ever be anything more than a joke wasRed Faction: Guerrilla‘sOstrich Hammer. It pretty much proved that violence involving flightless birds is always hysterical. However, Volition has done the unthinkable and made the hammer an unlockable forGuerrilla‘s multiplayer. You have earned my respect and then some for this brilliant move, guys. The stellar news was dished out on thegame’s community blog, where we’ll be hearing about “more hammer unlocks, new modes, the amount of changes we made based on your feedback during the MP beta (A LOT), and a few other MP surprises” in the coming weeks....

Would you like some fresh cut demos with your alien invasion shooter sequel? Well, you’re getting it, like it or not. Lots of demos and other content are packed intoResistance 3, which Insomniac says has just gone gold. That means this game is right on track for its September 6 release date. Insomniac also confirms that there will be a patch on the first day. They are working on the Public Beta and they’ll use this patch to tweak the final product....

Revealed September 10th on an episode of GTTV after weeks of rumors,Lucidityis developer LucasArts’ new downloadable title. Unlike their last few releases likeSecret of Monkey Island: Special EditionorLoom,Lucidityis an original IP. More importantly, it was built from the ground up internally at the studio. Rich in color and style, and possessing a haunting soundtrack, the downloadable isn’t rough on the ear- or eyeholes. But, of course, how a game feels or looks isn’t the most important factor....

So look, Activision is going to releaseanotherCall of Dutythis year. We all know this as a truth, like the sun rising and Jim Sterling making inappropriate comments on the Internet. We also know it’s likelyModern Warfare 3, as rumors have suggested andrecent print magazineteasing seemingly confirmed. No one, I’d imagine, is shocked. Eurogameris now reporting that internal sources at UK retailer Tesco have spotted a “Call of Duty: Project Colossus” in its database....

Koei is really showing its love to the DS of late, with games likePrey The Stars,Monster Racerand this Japanese feudal title,Saihai no Yukue, all in the works. I still don’t know a great deal about this one, but looking at these screenshots, courtesy ofKoei Warriors, there appears to be a strategy element, something that the company excels in. As someone who uses handheld consoles more than anything else lately, I’m really pleased to see more stuff from Koei on the DS....

One of the best parts ofValkyria Chronicles 2was the music. Everyone knows that composer Hitoshi Sakimoto does not mess around with game music, and this was one of his best outings yet. While the official soundtrack forValkyria Chronicles 2has its own liner notes, the folks at Original Sound Version had Sakimoto create new ones exclusively for them. Their write-up is a great read, anddefinitely worth checking out. It contains some really neat insights, like this one on VC2’s “Graduation” song:...

When it comes to getting lost just about anywhere other than the city I grew up in, well, you could say I’m a bit of a professional. The purchase price of the iPhone was more than worth it to me just to have Google Maps at my disposal, and thanks to it, I’m not quite as much as a bumbling moron when it comes to directions as I used to be....