Podcast
RPGFan's Retro Encounter
Hosted by RPGFan.com · EN
Join the RPGFan crew as they play through and discuss classic RPGs and adventure games!
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
488 - Xanadu Next Part I
1w ago01:31:00Tap to summarizeStill...An ancient castle that only appears in the mist, and a holy sword that rests therein...It's like a fairy tale! Just hearing about it makes my heart beat faster!This week on Retro Encounter, a panel of Falcom afficianados (and one relative newcomer) explores the ruins of Xanadu Next's Harlech Island. Released all the way back in 2005 (and brought to US shores courtesy of XSEED Games in 2016), Xanadu Next is one of Falcom's oft-forgotten classics, with a dark, somber tone and slower pace influenced by Yasumi Matsuno's Ivalice universe (Vagrant Story in particular). We discuss Charlotte Wells and our unnamed protagonist knights' inauspicious start to their investigation of Harlech Island's ancient mysteries, how the game's combat compares to other isometric action RPGs like Diablo, and the merits of interconnected world design. Give it a listen if you love Falcom's golden era of PC releases, or if you're curious about the game's ingenious (at times frustrating) key economy.Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Audra Bowling; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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487 - Top 10 PSWii60 RPGs
3w ago02:22:02Tap to summarizeThis podcast is historically accurate. You can attack its weak point for massive damage. The era of the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii was a monumental one. The advent of high-definition visuals, the improvement of online play for consoles, and unprecedented console processsing power lead to seven-plus years of generation-defining video games. Naturally, we're here today to talk about the RPGs. Today, four RPGFan panelists compiled a list of ten RPGs that debuted on one or more of the above consoles, and they have a lot to say about them. So which panelist thinks highly of Folklore? How many BioWare games made the cut? How does Final Fantasy XIII figure into this? Listen for all that and more, in today's Retro Encounter! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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486 - Final Fantasy VIII Part II
May 2101:49:26Tap to summarize…Whatever.This week on Retro Encounter, the panel is back to offer their thoughts on all the (beautiful?) nonsense that happens in the second half of Final Fantasy VIII. Which one of us prefers Triple Triad over the entire rest of the game? Did our positive impressions crumble under the weight of the many, many plot twists? Wait. What's even going on here... and does it matter? Listen in for our definitive breakdown of the game’s achievements, flaws, and that whole trippy ending sequence.Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington, Steph Sybydlo, Rob White; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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485 - Final Fantasy VIII Part I
May 701:42:57Tap to summarizeI dreamt I was a podcast host. On this week’s episode of Retro Encounter, a panel of four veterans and one newbie takes advantage of Zach’s absence to play the controversial but undeniably stylish Final Fantasy VIII. How do we feel about its unconventional design and storytelling choices? Is the cast of fashionable teenage soldiers brilliantly or nonsensically written? What does “Junctioning” even mean? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington, Steph Sybydlo, Rob White; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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484 - Persona 5 Part II
Apr 2301:44:57Tap to summarizeQuit the idle chit-chat and let's listen to Retro Encounter.This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the second half of Persona 5, including all the post-game Royal content. Did this game really need to be longer? What do we think of the new content? Just how long can one game be? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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483 - Persona 5 Part I
Apr 901:15:15Tap to summarizeLooking cool, Retro Encounter.This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the first half of Persona 5. We discuss the dazzling style, combat, and the sometimes less than dazzling structure. Who do we want to romance? Does the game still hold up? Does Morgana ever let us do anything but sleep? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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482 - Pentiment
Mar 2601:36:01Tap to summarizeRetro Encounter is the only reason to do anything in this life.This week on Retro Encounter, we dive into the 2022 Obsidian masterpiece Pentiment, a game about murder, religion and the stories we tell about those things. Is there a right answer? Who do we accuse? Why are Socrates and God on the same screen? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Hilary Andreff, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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481 - Best Final Bosses
Mar 1201:32:01Tap to summarizeThe only thing we can believe in, with absolute certainty, is Retro Encounter, Jack.This week on Retro Encounter, we chat about bosses. But not just any bosses--no, we talk about final bosses. They're supposed to be a final challenge, but are they always? Do we even want a challenge at the end? How many bosses do we love that lose to the power of friendship? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Alana Hagues, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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480 - Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade Part II
Feb 2601:30:32Tap to summarize...wrong. I am a podcast.This week on Retro Encounter we dive into the second half of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. How much of the story do we actually get to experience? How much do we enjoy the late game maps? What are our favorite support conversations? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Ben Love, Lucas Greene; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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479 - Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade Part I
Feb 1201:28:54Tap to summarizeFor years, I've podcasted. Now, let those podcasts show their worth!This week on Retro Encounter we're discussing the first half of the first game localized to the West of that most famous SRPG series: Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade. Does the host jive with the squares and the RNG? Do we even discuss the story? Who is the early game MVP? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Ben Love, Lucas Greene; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom
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