Best BALAMB GARDEN Podcasts (2025)

1
Final Fantasy VIII: Squall is Our Mirror? 45:25

9d ago45:25

45:25

The plot gets a little messy and Squall fails to show any kind of empathy as Zell makes a big mistake and Rinoa seeks some small sense of comfort. We break down how Squall's character flaws mirror some of our own.

1
Final Fantasy VIII: Rinoa & The Timber Owls 50:48

15d ago50:48

50:48

We wake from dreaming of Laguna and arrive in Timber to meet the Rinoa and the Owls. We dive into how the Galbadian Empire and our heroes use the media to fight their war and continue down the rabbit hole of Squall's inner thoughts.

1
Final Fantasy VIII: Eyes on Laguna 58:56

28d ago58:56

58:56

In one of the most remarkable storytelling moments of the franchise, we are introduced to Laguna, Kiros, Ward, and Julia. Plus, more pondering about romance, child soldiers, and trains!

1
Final Fantasy VIII: A Waltz Beneath the Moon & Stars 48:36

1M ago48:36

48:36

Our heroes carry out the Attack on Dollet and secure the communications tower before an exhilarating chase from a giant robot spider. Then we return for the iconic introduction of Rinoa Heartily and a waltz beneath the moon.

1
Final Fantasy VIII: Balamb Garden & The Landing 1:08:47

2M ago1:08:47

1:08:47

Squall wakes up in the infirmary, meets up with Quistis, takes a stroll through Balamb Garden, gets a few (hundred) tutorials and sets off for one of the more memorable moments in Final Fantasy history.

1
Final Fantasy VIII: The Greatest Intro in Video Game History 1:08:02

2M ago1:08:02

1:08:02

We begin our conversation on FFVIII. The first half-hour, we set up the big themes and legacy questions and in the second half-hour we dive DEEP into the intro cutscene.

1
FFVII Remake Theory: Nothing Has Changed 15:08

8M ago15:08

15:08

I've been thinking... what if nothing in Final Fantasy VII: Remake has changed? What if *SPOILER* is actually still *SPOILER* and there really isn't any time travel or alternate dimensions or sequel stuff going on? Allow me to explain.

1
Austin Lee Matthews on FFVII Remake & Megaton Girl 57:29

8M ago57:29

57:29

Austin Lee Matthews is the voice of Roche in Final Fantasy VII Remake. He has been Po and Ultron, been in Halo, Fire Emblem, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and plenty more. Plus, he has created a fantastic superhero audio drama, Megaton Girl. We cover as much as we can!

1
Final Fantasy Tactics & The Wars of the Roses 1:08:38

8M ago1:08:38

1:08:38

We are joined by two special guests, afficionados in the Wars of the Roses, to learn a bit of real-world history that helps us better understand Final Fantasy Tactics and also Game of Thrones!

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: An Overlooked Masterpiece 1:06:43

8M ago1:06:43

1:06:43

Final Fantasy Tactics is an artistic triumph. It is better written than award-winning games, TV, and films, better developed than most video games, and more biting in its social commentary than most art dares to be. Our final thoughts.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics OST: The Sound of Ivalice 1:06:53

8M ago1:06:53

1:06:53

Hitoshi Sakimoto creates incredibly moving themes for Final Fantasy Tactics that he reworks like a film score into everything from adventurous hero music, to calming character themes, to some of the best battle music in the series.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: Art & Gameplay 41:02

10M ago41:02

41:02

We breakdown the art and gameplay of FFT as best we can, focusing on the detailed and grounded designs that could have featured more diversity and all-time great job and battle systems.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Final Betrayal 1:02:33

12M ago1:02:33

1:02:33

We conclude the plot of Final Fantasy Tactics which packs a whopper right at the very end. We dive into more ethical gray areas struggle to find clear answers in this remarkably clever tale.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The End of the War 45:59

12M ago45:59

45:59

The War of the Lions concludes but not our story. And Delita's actions have us beginning to dive deep into whether they are justified in the end.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lions & The Lucavi 52:47

1y ago52:47

52:47

Somehow the plots thicken. Dycedarg is interrogated on the death of his father. And the Marquis Elmdor reveals the power of his legendary stone.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Church's Plot Revealed 58:15

1y ago58:15

58:15

We near the endgame of FFT as we wrap up the side quests and get to a key scene where Delita sets us up for the final breathtaking act of this masterpiece.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: Balthier, Beowulf, & Cloud 1:00:50

1y ago1:00:50

1:00:50

We begin Chapter 4 of FFT as the endgame starts to come into focus. Then we set out on some side adventures featuring legendary heroes of other lands.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Grand Duke & The Knights Templar 1:13:22

1y ago1:13:22

1:13:22

Grand Duke Barrington reveals himself to be among the most despicable people of all time and the Knights Templar fear a book that holds the truth of their religion.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Abuse of Powerful Men 52:06

1y ago52:06

52:06

We continue with FFT as our characters struggle with revelations about the church and the grotesque abuses of powerful men.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Corruption of Church & Crown 51:29

1y ago51:29

51:29

We dive deeper into the corruption of the church and crown and the role of misogyny in an episode that feels sadly and eerily relevant to today's world.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: Chapter Three - The Valiant 52:16

1+ y ago52:16

52:16

Ramza Beolve is branded a heretic! The War of The Lions takes its toll on Dukes Larg and Goltanna while our heroes investigate the Church and the Zodiac Brave Stones.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lions Go to War 1:21:36

1+ y ago1:21:36

1:21:36

Chapter Two comes to a close as the curtain rises on the War of the Lions. We learn a shocking truth (or lie) about Princess Ovelia and the story changes genres.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Cardinal & The Mockingbird 1:07:41

1+ y ago1:07:41

1:07:41

We meet Mustadio and his father and take the Mockingbird (Ovelia) into the arms of the Cardinal as the religious and spiritual themes of Final Fantasy Tactics begin to come into focus.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: Chapter Two - The Manipulative & The Subservient 58:34

1+ y ago58:34

58:34

The story of Final Fantasy: Tactics expands immensely as we learn about the myriad of political machinations of the War of the Lions. Who are the Dukes Goltanna and Larg, what do they want, and what does princess Ovelia have to do with all this?

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: Tragedy at Ziekden 51:36

1+ y ago51:36

51:36

Ramza and Delita pursue the kidnappers of Delita's sister Tietra as the political machinations of Ivalice deepen and personal tragedy strikes.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Corpse Brigade Speaks⁠ 50:30

1+ y ago50:30

50:30

Ramza, Delita, and Argath set out on a quest to save the Marquis Elmdor from the Corpse Brigade only to discover that the rebels are quite a bit more than they seemed.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: Chapter One - The Meager 51:48

1+ y ago51:48

51:48

Final Fantasy Tactics dives right into the class struggle between the nobility and "The Meager." Ramza and Delita set out on their first adventure as the Order of the Northern Sky clash with the Corpse Brigade.

1
Final Fantasy Tactics: An Introduction 51:31

1+ y ago51:31

51:31

Welcome to Ivalice! We begin our deep dive on Final Fantasy Tactics, a hidden gem in the FF Multiverse and one of the best games of all time.

1
Final Fantasy & Plato's Allegory of the Cave 1:12:11

1+ y ago1:12:11

1:12:11

We break down as many Final Fantasy games as we can from the perspective of Plato's Allegory of the Cave with a specific focus on the recurring theme of Twin Worlds. Spoilers ahead as we dive deep into the philosophical pool of most of the series.

1
Top 10 Final Fantasy Intros 57:45

2y ago57:45

57:45

Drew ranks and Ira reacts to the Top 10 Final Fantasy Intros of All Time. This was VERY hard to do but also a ton of fun. What makes a great intro? Which one is your favorite?

1
Final Fantasy VII Review: Impact & Legacy 40:14

2y ago40:14

40:14

We give our final thoughts on Final Fantasy VII (for now) trying to review and encapsulate why this game & these characters mean so much to so many.

1
Final Fantasy VII Art & Gameplay: Polygons, Materia, & Nomura 52:18

2y ago52:18

52:18

FFVII introduces us to the Materia system, limit breaks, and a host of mini games. Plus, Tetsuya Nomura makes his mark on the franchise, designing some of the most famous characters in video game history.

1
Final Fantasy VII OST: Top 20 1:13:11

2y ago1:13:11

1:13:11

We count down Drew's picks for the Top 20 pieces of music on Nobuo Uematsu's masterpiece soundtrack for Final Fantasy VII.

1
Final Fantasy VII OST Top 40: 40-21 54:02

2y ago54:02

54:02

We go about the impossible task of ranking individual pieces of music on the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack mostly as a frame work to celebrate more genius from Nobuo Uematsu.

1
Final Fantasy VII's EPIC & Ambiguous Ending 1:29:24

2y ago1:29:24

1:29:24

We conclude the incredible journey that is Final Fantasy VII. The story gives us much to ponder and debate as its credits roll... and long thereafter.

1
Final Fantasy VII: Weapon Attacks Midgar 1:01:35

2y ago1:01:35

1:01:35

Cloud grows into being a leader. Barrett grows into being a helper. Tifa grows into being our guiding light. Cid grows... just a bit. And we learn the full truth of Aerith's sacrifice.

1
Tifa & Cloud, FFVII Nibelheim incident ver. 3 1:17:13

2y ago1:17:13

1:17:13

Final Fantasy VII reaches another emotional climax as Tifa helps Cloud piece together their shared history in our third telling of the Nibelheim incident.

1
Memory in Final Fantasy, Nibeleim Incident ver. 2 1:26:23

2+ y ago1:26:23

1:26:23

Sephiroth takes Cloud and Tifa back to Nibelheim via their memories. We take a look at the history of "memory" as a theme in Final Fantasy and break down the real-world parallels to Cloud's mental break.

1
Final Fantasy Weekly: Sephiroth, Jenova, and Hojo's motivations 49:59

2+ y ago49:59

49:59

After Aerith's death, Cloud struggles with his identity while Sephiroth, Jenova, and Hojo begin to reveal their sinister intentions.

1
Final Fantasy VII: The Most Important Moment in Video Game History? 1:33:55

2+ y ago1:33:55

1:33:55

We discuss the most famous spoiler and arguably one of the most important moments in the history of video games. How and why was it so impactful, what other moments in other media compare, and must it be this way in the Remake project?

1
Final Fantasy VII: Cloud's Date and the Temple of Ancients 1:05:50

2+ y ago1:05:50

1:05:50

Cloud goes on a date. Four of em! Cait Sith exhibits ambiguous motives and mechanics, and Sephiroth reveals the plot to use Black Materia and summon Meteor.

1
Final Fantasy VII: Cid & Vincent 1:06:06

2+ y ago1:06:06

1:06:06

Cloud and crew head back to Nibelheim and meet Vincent, then off to Rocket Town and an introduction to Cid. Then Yuffie steals our materia so we're off to the mystical land of Wutai.

1
Final Fantasy VII: Cosmo Canyon 1:04:39

2+ y ago1:04:39

1:04:39

We visit a magical place and see more examples of clumsy representation in FFVII. We hear a bit from John Eric Bentley (voice of Barrett) via Crashing Game night, and experience one of the most emotional moments of the game.

1
Final Fantasy VII: The Gold Saucer 1:06:46

2+ y ago1:06:46

1:06:46

Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Nanaki learn about Barrett's past and visit the Gold Saucer for the first time. Plus, the real-world parallels to an energy company sending private military personnel to massacre a small town.

1
Final Fantasy VII: A military parade for CEO Rufus Shinra 53:16

2+ y ago53:16

53:16

We comment on Rufus Shinra, the welcoming ceremony, and displays of military might. Plus, FFVII continues to blow us away with its presentation and complex themes on our way to Costa Del Sol.

1
Final Fantasy VII: The Nibelheim Incident, Version One 1:23:08

2+ y ago1:23:08

1:23:08

The Nibelheim Incident in its original telling by Cloud Strife. Themes emerge more clearly surrounding memory, reliable narrators, the nature of magic, sympathetic villains, making choices in a crisis, and what gives you strength in moments of abject horror.

1
Final Fantasy VII: The Trail of Blood 1:05:24

2+ y ago1:05:24

1:05:24

Our heroes infiltrate Shinra, learn about the Ancients, meet Red XIII, and walk the trail of blood in one of the more memorable segments of FFVII.

1
Final Fantasy VII: Don Corneo and the Shinra Conspiracy 1:11:33

2+ y ago1:11:33

1:11:33

Cloud and Aerith infiltrate Wall Market, do a little cross dressing, find Tifa in a strange place and meet Don Corneo who reveals a larger conspiracy. Plus, the romantic elements of the story deepen.

1
Final Fantasy VII: The Promise & The Flower Girl 1:02:31

2+ y ago1:02:31

1:02:31

In this episode, we make a promise to Tifa, meet Aerith Gainsborough and do a deep dive on her character, then begin to open up some of the deeper spiritual themes of Final Fantasy VII. Plus, more hints at Cloud's mysterious past, and a discussion on some of the ambiguous gender dynamic at play.

1
Final Fantasy VII: Barrett Wallace's complicated legacy 1:09:35

3y ago1:09:35

1:09:35

We dive into the complicated legacy of Barrett Wallace and begin to talk representation in FFVII. We also start to think about the consequences of the ecoterrorism and meet Tifa who hints at Cloud's past.

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