Podcast Archives | Page 5 of 27

Retro Encounter 389 – RPG Costume Party

Posted by Michael Sollosi on October 26, 2023

Boys and girls of every age / Wouldn’t you like to see something strange? Halloween is a time to experience scares, eat candy, and also celebrate fandom through costumes. Costume changes in RPGs can take the form of in-game bonuses, clever references, or expensive DLC, but it’s undeniable that a cla… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 120 – Party in the GBA

Posted by Michael Sollosi on October 23, 2023

From 2001 to 2005, the Game Boy Advance was Nintendo’s golden son. The Game Boy Advance brought gameplay depth and audio quality yet-unseen in a handheld gaming device, and gave us dozens of superb RPGs to enjoy over its run of success. Today, we celebrate the indigo blue machine with nine fabulous… Read More »

Retro Encounter 388 – Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on October 19, 2023

Could you imagine? A puppet seeing another puppet- and then making it work? Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is… cute. Energetic. Pleasant. But also sort of twisted? Is Cornet an earnest puppeteer or an unsuspecting necromancer? Do we want to play the rest of the trilogy now? In today’s episode… Read More »

Random Encounter 280 – The All-Star Lineup in RPGFan’s GOTY Bracket Battle

Posted by Aleks Franiczek on October 16, 2023

On this week’s Random Encounter, Zach steps in as your host to guide us through RPGFan’s 25th-anniversary special, Revisiting RPGFan Games of the Year: Bracket Battle. Joining Zach are Audra, Jimmy, and Aleks, each bringing their own perspectives on what makes a Game of the Year truly deserving of t… Read More »

Retro Encounter 387 – Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on October 12, 2023

In Marl’s Kingdom, the girl saves the handsome prince. Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is remarkable for a 1998 RPG, in that it subverts a few traditional fantasy tropes, has multiple character-specific side quests, and punctuates it plot points with musical numbers. It also kicked off a trilogy of RP… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 119 – RPG Dance Party!

Posted by Hilary Andreff on October 9, 2023

“All this energy’s got us inspired now/We couldn’t stop it, just set it free and DANCE!” That’s right! Today we’re taking some advice from Persona 4: Dancing All Night and getting our dance on. Spin-off dancing games aside, danceable and electronic beats have permeated RPG soundtracks for a long tim… Read More »

Retro Encounter 386 – Imagine Dragon Quest

Posted by Michael Sollosi on October 5, 2023

Through the Fire and Flames of Fate Dragon Quest hasn’t had a main series release since 2018, but in the last five years we’ve had spinoffs, adaptations, and announcements galore. Three Retro Encounter panelists are joined by special guest Matt from the Dragon Quest Slime Time! podcast to discuss th… Read More »

Random Encounter 279 – We Cannot Tell a Lie!

Posted by Jonathan Logan on October 2, 2023

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re diving into a piece of DLC that redeems one of gaming’s biggest disappointments, a Souls-like that cannot tell a lie, and a classic celebrating its 30th anniversary. First, Aleks guides us through the shadowy world of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Does… Read More »

Retro Encounter 385 – Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 28, 2023

Mr. Blue Sky, please tell us why you had to hide away for so long. Where did we go wrong? Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is a bleak, unforgiving game that grants players tremendous highs when they emerge victorious from a boss battle on the brink of death, and threatens brutal lows if you lose all y… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 118 – RPG Town Themes II: Urban Expansion

Posted by Mike Salbato on September 25, 2023

In summer of 2014, Rhythm Encounter episode 18 was all about town themes. Today, a coincidentally exact 100 episodes later, we finally revisit the topic with more favorite RPG town theme music. This time around, we have games that span quite a range, from the early 90s to just last month, with four… Read More »

Retro Encounter 384 – Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 21, 2023

Don’t be a D-Ratio. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter doesn’t want you to have an easy time. A remarkable blend of PS2 visuals, tactical combat, rogue-like elements, and horror atmosphere set to a Hitoshi Sakimoto soundtrack, the fifth game in Capcom’s signature turn-based RPG series is as unique as it… Read More »

Random Encounter 278 – The Farm Show

Posted by Jonathan Logan on September 18, 2023

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re delving into two recent farm-sim RPGs, exploring if they bring anything new to the genre. First, Niki takes us through the remaster/remake of the classic DS farm-sim Rune Factory 3 Special. Is there anything genuinely special about it, or should you stick with… Read More »

Retro Encounter 383 – Final Fantasy XVI Spoilercast

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 14, 2023

The only podcast here is ours. And you can be its early witness! Final Fantasy XVI, one of the most-anticipated Square-Enix games of the 2020s, finally launched worldwide in June. And now, almost three months later, at least four RPGFan staff have finished playing and want to start talking. From fav… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 117 – Underrated Final Fantasy Music

Posted by Mike Salbato on September 11, 2023

When it comes to Final Fantasy music, for every “One-Winged Angel,” there are a dozen lesser-known songs in a given game that don’t always get their deserved time in the spotlight. Today’s panel came loaded with eight songs they feel are overlooked, underrepresented, and, yes, underrated from across… Read More »

Retro Encounter 382 – That’s Edutainment!

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 7, 2023

She’ll take you for a ride on a wagon train to Zoombiniville It’s back to school week here at Retro Encounter, where we stay retro but mostly avoid RPGs in a discussion of classic edutainment games, from The Oregon Trail to Sim City 2000. Who among our illustrious panel dreamed of being on the Carme… Read More »

Random Encounter 277 – Sea of Starfield

Posted by Jonathan Logan on September 4, 2023

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re blasting off to new galaxies and sailing through enchanted seas with two of the most anticipated RPGs of 2023! First, Noah navigates the cosmic expanses of Starfield, Bethesda’s highly anticipated space exploration RPG. With the expectations of “Skyrim in Space… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 116 – U R Not (red) E: PlayStation RPG Music Favorites

Posted by Mike Salbato on August 28, 2023

On Rhythm Encounter, we have celebrated several consoles’ RPG music, including the SNES (Episode 89), NES (Episode 73), and Genesis (Episode 92). Isn’t it about time the original PlayStation got some love? It’s hard to understate the tectonic shift in RPG releases in the West that began during the P… Read More »

Retro Encounter 381 – Disco Elysium Part II

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on August 24, 2023

Time to go work on Retro Encounter! We’re back with our discussion of the second half of Disco Elysium. This week we dive into some of our favorite late-game side quests, go over our favorite conversations with our neckties, and discuss the fabulously strange ending. Did we get Kim to like us? Do we… Read More »

Random Encounter 276 – Epic Fantasy (With a Musical Interlude)

Posted by Jonathan Logan on August 21, 2023

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re diving into the realms of fantasy and musical adventure! First, Abe takes on the epic challenge of reviewing Baldur’s Gate III, the long-awaited CRPG sequel that brings Dungeons & Dragons to life! With intricate storytelling, deep character customization, a… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 115 – Dirge of Dungeon

Posted by Mike Salbato on August 14, 2023

To the dungeon with you! But don’t worry, we’ll be there with you. Dungeons are a staple of most RPGs, and good music can elevate the experience of any dungeon, even the dreaded sewers. Why we have never had a dungeon-specific episode before now, we couldn’t tell you, so today we make up for it, fea… Read More »

Retro Encounter 380 – Disco Elysium Part I

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on August 10, 2023

This is the face of a late-stage Retro Encounter enthusiast. This week we get together to discuss a game inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, despite a complete lack of any dungeons or dragons: Disco Elysium. Listen in as we discuss the wild humor and politics of this strange, amazing video game, and… Read More »

Random Encounter 275 – A WrestleQuest Cage Match with 24 Killers

Posted by Jonathan Logan on August 7, 2023

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re stepping into the wrestling ring and exploring an anti-RPG! First, Neal gets into his tights and fights for the title with WrestleQuest, a pixel RPG that echoes the golden era of professional wrestling. Filled with iconic wrestles and thrilling moves, does it p… Read More »

Rhythm Encounter 114 – Incomparettable: Piano Covers with Kara Comparetto

Posted by Hilary Andreff on July 31, 2023

Have you ever wanted an inside look at what it’s like to write covers from classics like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, perform, and run a stream/YouTube channel? Then this episode is for you. It’s another special interview episode here on Rhythm Encounter, and we’re fortunate to be joined by… Read More »

Retro Encounter 379 – Final Fantasy Fantasy Draft 2.0

Posted by Zach Wilkerson on July 27, 2023

Off my podcast, jester. The commissioner sits there. It’s fantasy draft season! And, well, it’s been a while since our last draft episode, and even longer since we’ve drafted characters from the biggest RPG series around. So, we decided to pull a new panel together to engage in some Retro Encounter… Read More »

Random Encounter 274 – I Met This Perfectly Marvelous Game

Posted by Jonathan Logan on July 24, 2023

On this week’s Random Encounter, we’re looking at a lost Nintendo game, and what might become one of the greatest RPG soundtracks of all time. If you are from the West, you may not have heard of Marvelous: Another Treasure Island. This late-era SNES/Super Famicom title was never localized, but… Read More »

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