When all is said and done though, these five guys rose to the top and are (in my opinion) the ones who will make you laugh out loud in the most embarrassing places if you are a podcast nut.

To make the list, I only included the guys that are consistently funny and whose presence on a podcast serves to make it something special. All of these guys are funny in their own way, and because humour is so subjective, you may not agree with the list. However, despite where they all fall on this list, all of these guys will make you laugh, unless of course you have no soul.

And the top 5 funniest are:

5. Jeff Green – EGM

Best known for: GFW Radio podcast, never knowing the date…sometimes being off by years, taking 17 hours to win Portal!

Why he made the list: Jeff makes his weekly appearances on the GFW Radio Podcast and his laid back, laissez-faire way of running the show is hilarious. He’ll often lead the discussion into the most ridiculous topics and is never afraid to speak his mind about some of the crap he and his co-workers have to deal with every day in the gaming business.

4. Greg Miller – IGN

Best known for: Podcast Beyond, Game Scoop podcast, a famous Lair Review, Ghostbusters love affair

Why he made the list: Greg is easily the loudest of all the game editors out there. He frequently shatters the eardrums of his fellow podcasters with his enthusiastic chatter. Known for his love of singing and screaming “beyond!”, Greg has quickly made a name for himself in the gaming community. Famous already for his review of Lair, Greg has become a staple on the popular Game Scoop podcast and has become well know for some spirited rants (a particularly memorable one being against the PS3 and PSP).

3. Jeff Gerstmann – Giant Bomb

Best known for: Gamespot, On the Spot, the Hotspot Podcast, the Giant Bombcast, “Gerstmanngate”

Why he made the list: Jeff has been in the industry for over a decade now and has reached almost icon status after the infamous “Gerstmanngate” affair that saw him fired from Gamespot. For anyone that doesn’t know about what went down just type that into Google and you’ll find out. It’s hard to nail down why exactly Jeff is so funny, but his quick wit and vast knowledge of video games gives him lots of material to draw on.

2. Hilary Goldstein – IGN

Best known for: Three Red Lights Podcast, berating Nate Ahearn, being that game journalist everybody mistakes for a girl

Why he made the list: Hilary is the jerk of the gaming community and where’s his crown with pride in the offices of IGN. That’s why he is so damn funny. Poor Nate Ahearn is frequently the brunt of his best jokes, but nobody is safe from his rapier wit. Whether he is throwing Ryan Clements’ new Dualshock 3 controller across the room and destroying it or apologizing to gamers for anything that Nate says or does, Hilary is pure gold. He knows his stuff and is not afraid to skewer any person or game that gets in his way. Who else would have the balls to name the Xbox 360’s podcast “Three Red Lights”? Gold(stein) I tell ya.

1. Shawn Elliot – EGM

Best known for: GFW Radio, 1UP Yours, prank calls, freestyles, terrorizing the online gaming community, reading forum posts by online idiots

Why he made the list: Ok, this list was hard to wittle down to only five, but the number one choice was very easy. Shawn is far and away the funniest personality in the gaming community. If you have never had the chance to listen to the GFW Radio Podcast, you have to now. While it is a podcast about games, it always devolves into something completely and utterly ridiculous. Nobody is better than Shawn at making fun of people, situation and poking holes in popular culture. He has the best voice ever for that “emo” guy who is actually in love with a cartoon video game character and frequently uses it in prank calls and during online “readings” of the most ridiculous crap in the gaming community. His metaphors and analogies are simply brilliant and his knowledge of gaming and gamers gives him the ability to make fun of anybody and anything in all situations.

Trying to explain why somebody is funny is no easy task. You really do need to listen to these guys in their element to really understand. I’m sure many of you will have your favorite memories of each of these guys. There are so many that it would be impossible to try and recount them all here.

I have to give honourable mentions to Ryan Davies of Giant Bomb who has such great chemistry with Jeff Gerstmann, Ghambus Khan of ZTGamesDomain who consistently steals the show and Nate Ahearn of IGN who really knows how to roll with Hilary’s constant onslaught on insults.

If you are interested in seeing what all the fuss was about be sure to check out my list of the “Top 10 Podcasts for Gamers” that includes links to all of the podcasts where you can listen to these guys yourself.

Who would you add to the list? Disagree? Let me know!

10. The Hotspot - Oh how far you have fallen mighty Gamespot. With the departure of notable personalities such as the likes of Jeff Gerstmann, Ryan Davis and Alex Navarro, the Hotspot is a shadow of its former self. Once one of the funniest podcasts around with great commentary…the soul left this podcast following the now infamous Gerstmann-gate affair.  Brian Ekberg remains standing, so hopefully he’ll hold down the fort.
Click here to check it out.

9. Retronauts -This podcast is for gamers that like to reminisce about old games. Basically, the podcast pulls together various editors from around 1Up and has them talk about their favorite old games, systems and memories of gaming. If you want to plug in and listen to a heated debate about Final Fantasy VII this is the place to be. Click here to check it out.

8. EGM Live - Another 1Up network podcast led by Jennifer Tsao, Managing Editor for EGM. This podcast is always different and they cover lots of topics including mailbags, industry news, the occasional interview and rumours. You never know what you’ll get with this podcast, but that makes it more interesting.
Click here to check it out.

7. GFW Radio – Not technically a podcast for consoles, I know, but a great podcast about PC games. Frequently they reference games on consoles and draw comparisons between a console and pc release of the same game (e.g. Call of Duty 4). Hosted by Jeff Green and Shawn Elliot, this podcast always cracks me up. Shawn is hilarious and does lots of great impressions and the show often gets way off topic. Not that it’s a bad thing.
Click here to check it out.

6. IGN’s Game Scoop – Game Scoop is a podcast that brings together most of the major editors from around the IGN office to talk about the latest news, rumours and games. It is generally a recap of the week and usually devolves into some insider jokes about the industry and provides some insight into the inner workings of the IGN office.
Click here to check it out.

5. N4G Radio - N4G’s own podcasts features a likeable cast comprised of ZeroTolerance, Gambus Khan and the Wombat. These guys are hardcore gamers and provide a refreshingly honest discussion on video games. Less harsh than most critics around the web, the love these guys have for gaming really shines through in every episode. If you are sick of following Metacritic scores and want to hear a grassroots opinion on a game title that interests you, these guys have the goods. Click here to check it out.

4. IGN’s Podcast Beyond (PS3, PSP specific) – Another IGN podcast makes the list at number 4. Podcast beyond is led by Jeremy Dunham, Jeff Hayes, Ryan Clements (the Folklore review guy) and my personal favorite Greg Miller. Put simply, this podcast ranks so high simply because Greg Miller is so damn funny. Toss in a little timid Clements and you have yourself some good insider info on the world of Playstation. Favorite moment: Greg calls into Sony customer support for a prank call. Hilarity ensues.
Click here to check it out.

3. IGN’s Three Red Lights (XBOX 360 specific) -Hosted by the hilarious Hilary Goldstein (yes it’s a guy) and accompanied by Erik Brudvig, Ryan Geddes and punching bag Nate Ahearn, the Three Red Lights podcast is often pure comic gold. While they manage to stray off topic frequently, this is nevertheless always a good time. When a podcast features the likes of Jeff Bell (actually a bell) you know it’s got to be good.
Click here to check it out.

2. Giant Bombcast - New to the podcasting realm, the hosts of this podcasts certainly aren’t new to the gaming industry. Famed ex-Gamespot editor Jeff Gerstmann and former Gamespot employee Ryan Davis have banded together to not only start a new website, but start what has already become one of the best podcasts for gamers. Known for their notoriously funny wit and insight into the world of video games, these guys will have you laughing out loud and their knowledge of video games is unparalleled. A must listen.
Click here to check it out.

1. 1Up Yours – The mother of all podcasts. Hosted by Garnett Lee and starring Shane Bettenhausen, this podcast breaks down happenings in the industry and is always full of lively discussion and debate. You get to hear many points of view and frequently they have high profile guests on the show such as Denis Dyak (of Too Human fame) that really spice things up. They frequently have the best insider information and their unbiased thoughts on games are some of the most respected in the industry. If you listen to podcasts, this should be the one you look forward to the most each week.
Click here to check it out.

Of note, if you have an ipod you can subscribe to all of these podcasts via itunes. That way you always have something interesting to listen to when you aren’t in the mood for music.

That’s the list! If you look at this list and feel slighted because a really good gaming podcast has been left in the cold, please let me know in the comment section so I can give them a listen. Feedback is always appreciated!