Three worlds, four (maybe five) characters, and a whole whack of potential jobs: That’s Final Fantasy V in a nutshell! In today’s Retro, our four panelists will finish their exploration of the story of FFV, talk about some of our favorite jobs, and take a look at other versions of the game tha… Read More »
Long ago, the two podcasts of RPGFan lived in harmony. But then, everything changed when the Rhythm Nation attacked. Actually, that’s not true. Rhythm Encounter was actually around before Retro Encounter, but Janet Jackson didn’t record a song called Retro Nation, did she? (Did she?) Today we are ge… Read More »
Four RPGFan panelists discuss the “odd one out” of the Final Fantasy 16-bit era, 1992’s Final Fantasy V. For those who loved RPGs during the SNES era, there was a game that forever seemed out of reach: Final Fantasy V. This unlocalized title was so legendary that it inspired the very first fan trans… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, it’s awards night! The Game Awards 2021 were last Thursday, and so was our recording date! The resulting episode? Pure chaos! Jono, Brian, and Niki try to talk about Pokémon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl and Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Ed… Read More »
Husbands should be like Kleenex: Soft, strong, and disposable. Romance, drama, comedy, regret, and… rice? Impostor Factory is a visual novel of sorts that looks like a 16-bit RPG, the third game in Kan Gao’s Sigmund Corp trilogy after To the Moon and Finding Paradise, and oh boy does it leave an i… Read More »
Marty, we’ve got to go back! Back to the… past. That didn’t work. But on this episode of Rhythm Encounter, we’re doing a console-specific episode, for the first time since Episode 1 (which debuted way back in February 2013). The Nintendo Entertainment System wasn’t the first game platform, but its… Read More »
Remember us. Remember that we once podcasted. Emet-Selch, the principal antagonist of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, is a unique blend of a foppish eccentric, a world-erasing psychopath, and a grieving survivor. He’s a complicated, entertaining foil to the Warrior of Light, and Retro Encounter i… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, Greg is back! Greg and Jono reunite for Thanksgiving (despite both of them being Canadian) to talk about the fun of Final Fantasy-themed battle royales (Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier), the joys of retro-style adventure game throwbacks (Obduction), the exci… Read More »
Hiya, Hugo! Hiya, stupid! Whatcha wanna go get demon energy for? Our two panelists navigate through Ys Origin’s three protagonists in our second episode on the 2006 prequel! Up for discussion are the Ys Origin endgame narratives, midgame boss battles, and family dynamics of the cursed Fact bloodline… Read More »
Once upon a time, the idea of going to a theater or other venue to see video game music performed live was unheard of. But as gaming grew in popularity, live performances have become more frequent, and fans have had the opportunities to hear the likes of The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy perform… Read More »
It rhymes with “Geese.” Not with “Wise.” Retro Encounter travels between 1989 and 2006 in playing Ys Origin, the prequel to the original Ancient Ys Vanished, Nihon Falcom’s influential action RPG. In today’s Retro Encounter the panelists discuss co-protagonists Yunica Tovah and Hugo Fact, the layout… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, our panel descends deep into Dracula’s Castle to deliver their thoughts about the recent Castlevania Advance Collection. Between 2001 and 2003, Konami released three landmark Castlevania titles for the Game Boy Advance (Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance,… Read More »
It wouldn’t be Star Trek without an inevitable sequel! The crew of the USS Retro Encounter is back after last week’s Star Trek-focused episode. This time, we’re taking a look at the follow-up to 25th Anniversary, the 1993 point-and-click adventure game, Star Trek: Judgment Rites. With the cast of th… Read More »
Title screens are among the first things we see when we turn on our favourite RPGs, and they’re incredibly unique to the medium of video games. So it seems criminal that we haven’t had an episode devoted exclusively to them! From setting the tone to weaving a story, a title screen (and its accompany… Read More »
It’s time to explore strange old worlds with the crew of the USS Retro Encounter! In this episode, our landing party of Trekkies beam into the 1992 point-and-click adventure game, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary. Featuring the vocal talents of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the rest of the Enterpri… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re dipping our toes into some games highly inspired by the 80s and 90s! Abe is here to talk about the surprisingly excellent Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, waxing rhapsodic about its superb story and incredible 80s soundtrack! Then, Niki dives into the earl… Read More »
Retro Encounter finished their star-studded journey across the cosmos this month, but does Cosmic Star Heroine live up to to Zeboyd’s influences and fan expectations? The panel loves the visual design and battle designs of the game, but has issues in other places. But which boss was designed by the… Read More »
When it comes to instrumentation, it doesn’t get more fundamental than the piano. Not only is it often the first instrument that musicians learn, but its 88-note range and ability to play both melody and accompaniment give it unmatched versatility. Piano albums of RPG soundtracks have been popular f… Read More »
Retro Encounter is blasting off again with two episodes on Cosmic Star Heroine, a 2010s crowdfunding success heavily inspired by specific 16-bit RPGs. The panel loves the visual style and battle system of Cosmic Star Heroine, but isn’t 100% sold on the story, characters, or soundtrack. How exactly d… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, we’re talking Tales! RPGFan’s recent feature “So You Want to Get Into the Tales Series…” took a deep dive into dozens of Tales games to help you find your best entry point. This week, we have the author of that feature, Wes Iliff, and Tales superfan, Steph Syby… Read More »
The Church of Retro opens its confessional booth again, and three RPGFan panelists discuss the games and series for which they are the most embarrassed not to have played. So which JRPG Fan has never played a Suikoden title? Which Mega Man fan has never played Battle Network? Listen and find out! Re… Read More »
How many Shakespeare references can Yoshi-P’s team pack into a Final Fantasy XIV expansion? How many of said references will we reference today? And what angel wakes Mike Salbato? The answer to some of these questions lie within our new dedicated Final Fantasy XIV episode of Rhythm Encounter. Becaus… Read More »
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is about a teenager assuming a world of responsibility, adults confronting their worst selves, and teens and grown-ups working together to prevent a demon from the Cthulhu Mythos from swapping the magnetic poles of Planet Earth. Four Retro Encounter panelists reject the… Read More »
On this episode of Random Encounter, it’s the latest Yakuza Encounter! Jono is super excited to dive into the newest Yakuza spinoff, Lost Judgment, with Caitlin, and learn more about otome games (including Olympia Soirée) with Niki! Plus, the panel takes a look at some of the most exciting RPG Ninte… Read More »
Retro Encounter brings the band back together in a brand new timeline, reuniting most of the team that podcasted on Persona 2: Innocent Sin in September 2020 to discuss its sequel, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment one year later. Converging timelines, video game grownups struggling to find their place,… Read More »
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