Podcast(s) Archive

Retro Encounter 178 – Dances with Wolf Team

Posted by Robert Fenner on March 7, 2019
Wolf Team, a small Japanese developer active in the 1980s and 1990s, has a surprising legacy of RPG creators lasting to the present day. Tri-Ace, Namco Tales Studio, and several others have their roots in Wolf Team, which splintered aftering finishing the Super Famicom classic Tales of Phantasia. We… Read More »

Retro Encounter 177 – Tales of Vesperia Part II

Posted by Alana Hagues on February 28, 2019
Running a podcast is just like running a guild sometimes, and all jobs must come to an end at some point, just like our game journals! This week, our panelists talk about the conclusion of Tales of Vesperia. We make our way to the end by going through a huge dungeon gauntlet, by being betrayed, by s… Read More »

Retro Encounter 176 – Tales of Vesperia Part I

Posted by Alana Hagues on February 22, 2019
We’re still celebrating Tales of month here at Retro Encounter, and what better time is there to form a guild? Nearly two years after our last Tales of game journal, Tales of Vesperia is on the docket, and the same three panelists return from the Tales of the Abyss episodes! In a dense first half, t… Read More »

Retro Encounter 175 – A Thirst for Battle Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 15, 2019
Lights! Microphones! Action! Our panel of RPG battle maniacs reconvenes for a discussion on RPG combat in real time, focusing on series that fight in real-time, or at least mostly in real-time. Hearts, Souls, Mana, and Ends of the World all make appearances in today’s action-packed episode of Retro… Read More »

Retro Encounter 174 – Tales of Favourites

Posted by Michael Sollosi on February 10, 2019
Retro Encounter celebrates Namco’s long-running action RPG series all February in a special Month of Tales! We kick off Tales Of month with an episode discussing the entire series, from Abyss to Zestiria, eventually picking an official Retro Encounter’s Favorite Tales Of Game. Spoiler alert: it isn’… Read More »

Retro Encounter 173 – Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward

Posted by Hilary Andreff on February 1, 2019
Retro Encounter had so much fun playing 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors last year that the same four codenamed panelists reunited for the sequel! Zero Escape: Virtue’s Last Reward has more friendly robots, more diabolical puzzles, and more artificially intelligent rabbits than its predeces… Read More »

Retro Encounter 172 – Kingdom Hearts Part II

Posted by Peter Triezenberg on January 24, 2019
The panelists shut the door on this miniseries of Kingdom Hearts podcasts, and shed as much light as they can on the second half of the first game in the storied series. Dancing in Halloween Town, skulking in Hollow Bastion, and fighting Kingdom Hearts’s strong suite of secret bosses all come into p… Read More »

Retro Encounter 171 – This Episode Is Not About RPGs

Posted by Michael Sollosi on January 19, 2019
2019 has barely begun and Retro Encounter will try something completely different. The four panelists are sick and tired of talking about RPGs for 170 episodes, so for 171 they’ll try the opposite route and talk about their favorite video games and video game series that RPGFan doesn’t cover. Don’t… Read More »

Retro Encounter 170 – Kingdom Hearts Part I

Posted by Peter Triezenberg on January 10, 2019
The Retro Encounter episode that yours truly dreaded to record is here. Kingdom Hearts, the popular Square-Disney crossover PS2 RPG, gets discussion worthy of its cult following. Deep appreciation for Kingdom Hearts’ voice acting and music and considerably less appreciation for the designs of a few… Read More »

Retro Encounter 169 – Dragon Quest XI Spoilercast

Posted by Michael Sollosi on January 3, 2019
Retro Encounter indulges in its host’s selfish whims and does a deep dive discussion into Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of An Elusive Age, the latest title in the seminal Japanese RPG series. Important characters, plot points, modern RPG amenities in a traditional series, and weaponized nostalgia are all… Read More »

Retro Encounter 168 – 2018 Year in Review

Posted by Michael Sollosi on December 28, 2018
Retro Encounter puts a bow on 2018 by discussing several of its video game highlights, including games that quest, games that hunt, games that spin, games that code, and even games that Go. Here’s to the year that’s gone and to the year about to begin! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Robert Fenner, Alan… Read More »

Retro Encounter 167 – A Thirst for Battle Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on December 21, 2018
The Retro Encounter panel’s original plan was to record a single episode about battle systems in RPGs, but there ended up being so much to discuss that we’re splitting it into two episodes. Today we focused on turn-based combat, from the earliest Japanese RPGs through grid-based systems to whatever… Read More »

Retro Encounter 166 – 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors Part II

Posted by Hilary Andreff on December 14, 2018
Kotaro Uchikoshi’s visual novel has an intriguing beginning and a dramatic middle, but the end is where it’s at. Today’s episode of Retro Encounter goes deep into the finale of 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. Neuroscience, quantum physics, and prosopagnosia all feature prominently in a su… Read More »

Retro Encounter 165 – 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors Part I

Posted by Hilary Andreff on December 7, 2018
This month on Retro Encounter a group of puzzle enthusiasts try to escape a sinking ship in 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, the DS visual novel and puzzle adventure filled with murder, intrigue, and arithmetic. In the first Retro Encounter episode dedicated to 999, discussion centers on t… Read More »

Retro Encounter 164 – Building the Pokemon League

Posted by Michael Sollosi on November 30, 2018
Retro Encounter is legally required to do at least one Pokémon episode a year, and we complete our quota with a very special Pokemon episode! Four Pokémon enthusiasts devise teams for a theoretical Elite Four, and then conspire to build a team for a worthy Champion. Really though, it’s an excuse to… Read More »

Retro Encounter 163 – RPG Cuisine

Posted by Michael Sollosi on November 22, 2018
Happy Turkey Day from Retro Encounter! It was too challenging to devote an entire episode to the best RPG turkeys, so the discussion ended up being about RPG foods and feasts instead. The panelists break down their favorite cooking systems, foodie side quests, and the most delicious-looking meals in… Read More »

Retro Encounter 162 – Golden Sun Part II

Posted by Leona McCallum on November 15, 2018
It’s time for the Sun to set on this game journal and your three Adepts are back, back, back again with a second Golden Sun podcast! Come join us as we discuss solving colour-based puzzles while colourblind; try to figure out if this game was just a stealth remake of Harry Potter and the Philosopher… Read More »

Retro Encounter 161 – Golden Sun Part I

Posted by Leona McCallum on November 8, 2018
oin us on the first part of our November game journal, the GBA classic Golden Sun, as our three intrepid editors unravel the myriad mysteries of Weyard. Is Kraden a bad role model for children? Is Vale the worst starting town in an RPG? And will Tris be able to keep himself from spoiling the sequel… Read More »

Retro Encounter 160 – Mermaid Swamp

Posted by Robert Fenner on October 31, 2018
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, which means Retro Encounter is getting its spook on. Host Marcos Gaspar assembles the crew to have a brief discussion on Japanese indie no-budget horror titles, followed by a playthrough of Mermaid Swamp. Four friends embark on a camping trip to the mountain… Read More »

Retro Encounter 159 – Mega Man Legends 2 Part II

Posted by Robert Fenner on October 26, 2018
Our Mega Man Legends experience concludes this week, in which Mr. Volnutt travels through a few tiresome elemental dungeons and buys expensive shoes. Our hero learns how to circle-strafe and all about his past in the second half of his second game, and we talk all about it on Retro Encounter! Featur… Read More »

Retro Encounter 158 – Mega Man Legends 2 Part I

Posted by Robert Fenner on October 19, 2018
New islands, new robots, and new pirates are in store for our panelists as Mega Man Legends month continues. In our first episode on Mega Man Legends 2, the panelists go over the game’s multitude of improvements made to Mega Man Legends 2 as well as the characters and plot points encountered in the… Read More »

Retro Encounter 157 – Mega Man Legends Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on October 11, 2018
Our discussion of the first Mega Man Legends concludes in our new podcast episode. Who is the mysterious robot at the center of the ruins? How much Zenny do you need to upgrade all the weapons? What’s on TV in Mega Man’s airship? All these questions and more, featured on this week’s episode of Retro… Read More »

Retro Encounter 156 – Mega Man Legends Part I

Posted by Michael Sollosi on October 4, 2018
Retro Encounter celebrates the recent release of Mega Man 11 by revisiting the two action RPG adventures of the Blue Bomber on the original PlayStation! Today we play through the first half of Mega Man Legends, exploring the ruins under Kattelox Island and lamenting the weaknesses of early 3D action… Read More »

Retro Encounter 155 – Suikoden II Part II

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 28, 2018
Suikoden II is a true cult classic, and five podcast panelists try their best to do it justice in our second Suikoden II podcast. Vampires are hunted, unstoppable forces meet immovable objects, and endgame scenarios are flagged in the thrilling conclusion to Suikoden II. Featuring: Michael Sollosi,… Read More »

Retro Encounter 154 – Fire Emblem: Past, Present, and Future

Posted by Michael Sollosi on September 21, 2018
Somehow, we’ve barely talked about Nintendo’s decades-long series of strategy RPGs on Retro Encounter, so today is the day we correct that injustice! Series origins, favorite characters, the future of Fire Emblem, and the state of the fan community are all discussed. Together we ride! Featuring: Mic… Read More »