Deep fried Retro! This week we get the panelists back together to chat about the second half of Grandia II. Listen in while we talk about late game changes in tone, how well the pacing holds up, and if Ryudo is still endlessly hilarious. Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Ben Love, Claton Stevenson; Edited by Zach Wilkerson Opening and ending music by Mile…

PlayStation IV: A New Hope The PlayStation 4 was a massively successful console, with incredible sales, an official lifespan of seven years, and game releases continuing to the present day. And moreso than its predecessor, the PS4 had a rich selection of RPGs. Today, four Retro Encounter panelists each composed individual top ten lists of PS4 RPGs,…

Episode 50 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! It's titled, "Everyday Exposures in Canada’s Chemical Valley." https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ You'll hear Sarah Marie Wiebe, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Advisor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria, in British Columbia, Can…

Episode 49 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called: “Gulf War Illness and MCS.” I’m speaking with with Beatrice Golomb, MD, PhD. Dr. Golomb is a professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. She served as a primary care doctor for a panel o…

You can't go back, but you can move forward. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes was one of the most hotly anticipated RPG releases of 2024, as a successor to the fan-favorite Suikoden series in all but name, written and designed by Suikoden's late creator Yoshitaka Murayama. So did Eiyuden live up to expectations? Are we excited for a potential Eiyu…

Inside every cynic, there is a disappointed idealist. Grandia II felt like an RPG ahead of its time in 2000, with sophisticated active-time battles, smart underlying systems, and clever writing anchored by Ryudo, Grandia II's sarcastic protagonist. Today's episode of Retro Encounter discusses the characters, mechanics, and first-half story of Grand…

I've walked for miles / My feet are hurting. Content Warning: this podcast episode addresses many sensitive topics, including mental health issues and self-harm. Is Omori an offbeat retro-styled RPG about a journey through a young person's psyche? A story about a group of friends reconnecting after drifting apart following tragic circumstances? Or …

On this episode, the boys talk about the 2003 video game, Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne! Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 *** If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/nudecla…

Episode 48 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called “A Mother, Daughter, & MCS.” I’m speaking with Adelia Shepherd and Sherry Crowell-Shepherd who live in Nova Scotia on the East Coast of Canada. You’ll hear them talk about how Sherry’s MCS influenced their mother-daughter relatio…

Accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. No one of sound mind plays an RPG out of spite. Players want to enjoy the games they play, sometimes with a fair amount of hype and anticipation beforehand. Today, we walk in between joy and despair, and discuss ten games that the panel wanted to love but struggled to connect with. A few o…

But my dreams, they aren’t as empty / As my headspace seems to be Content Warning: this podcast episode addresses many sensitive topics, including mental health issues and self-harm. Omori is an indie game that takes on dark themes such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and loss in a thoughtful, poignant manner. But it’s also chock-full of subversive…

Episode 47 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called “The Canary Professor.” I’m speaking with anthropologist and professor, Liza Grandia, Ph.D. Liza is an associate professor of anthropology in the Dapartment of Native American Studies at the University of California Davis. She id…

To love is to suffer Three RPGFan panelists are joined by RPG enthusiast YouTuber David Vinc to discuss the favorites and frustrations about the world of RPGs. Does our guest prefer the predictable comfort of Dragon Quest or the unstable beauty of Final Fantasy? Which panelist has played Lufia II dozens of times? How about games where you recruit d…

Are you courageous enough to try Retro Encounter yet? Back in February, Persona 3 Reload released, much to the delight of many on staff, So, this week, two veterans of Persona 3 and one newbie get together to chat about Persona 3 Reload. How does this one compare to the rest of the series? What’s our favorite party composition? Is Koromaru still th…

Episode 46 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called: “Finding Environmentally Safe Housing.” I’m speaking with Scott Daniska. Scott Daniska, an independent researcher with a background in biology and genomics who has MCS. After five years trying to rent safe apartments in Massachu…

Elc the Kid Arc the Lad II is an improvement over the first in nearly every way, as a more dramatic, dynamic, and lengthy PS1 RPG only held back by some technical limitations, a lack of save points, and an excess of towers. Four Retro Encounter panelists played Arc the Lad II last month, and this game holds up well enough to have a great discussion…

On this episode, the boys talk about the 2016 video game-based movie, Dead Trigger! Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 *** If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/nudeclangaming …

Episode 45 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called: “Ecosickness in U.S. Fiction." I’m speaking with Heather Houser, Ph.D., professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of the 2014 book, “Ecosickness in Contemporary U.S. Fiction.” We explore how: Write…

Arc seeking Ark While it was a launch title for the PSOne in Japan, Arc the Lad was something of a swan song by the time it finally released in the West. It also stands as one of the final works of the now-defunct Working Designs localization company. Today our four panelists dig into this hidden classic, Finding equal parts joy and frustration in …

Final Fantasy the mini game chroniclesBy The RPG Show

To be the sad man / Behind Mako eyes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, one of the most anticipated RPGs of 2024, reimagines many of the most dramatic and emotional moments of Final Fantasy VII, from Cloud’s flashback to Barret’s hometown and beyond, in a segmented open world environment driven by a mix of action combat and classic Final Fantasy ATB. Four …

On this episode, the boys talk about the 2016 video game-based movie, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter! Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 *** If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube…

Retro. Retro never changes. But boy, long-running RPG series sure can! Back when a small group of developers at Interplay Productions released Fallout in 1997, I'm sure they couldn't imagine they were setting the foundations for one of the most iconic RPG series of all time. From its humble beginnings as an isometric CRPG to Bethesda's first-person…

Episode 44 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called: “American Breakdown.” I’m speaking with author and activist Jennifer Lunden, who goes by her last name, Lunden. Lunden is the author of “American Breakdown: Our Ailing Nation, My Body's Revolt, and the Nineteenth-Century Woman W…

Warriors! Come out and play~~~ Omega Force, a subsidiary of Koei Tecmo, has made a name for itself over the past 25 years with dozens of entries into its Musou series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors in particular. Today, a Retro Encounter panel discusses Musou's origins as historical sims, its litany of different series, and its later evolut…

On this episode, the boys talk about the 2016 video game-based movie, Assassin's Creed! Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 *** If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/nudeclangam…

I’ll see you on the dark side of the moon. Retro Encounter sees Final Fantasy IV through to its logical conclusion, from journeys to the center of the earth to heartbreaking family reunions, then, Alice, you’re going to the moon. Four Retro Encounter panelists talk the second half of Final Fantasy IV, including the changes made to the Pixel Remaste…

I am not my Dark Knight’s keeper Final Fantasy IV is a 1991 RPG full of colorful characters and high drama. But how does it hold up after 33 years of perspective? Four Retro Encounter panelists who grew up (separately) playing Final Fantasy IV give the classic SNES RPG another look (together), discussing everything from the opening cutscenes to Kai…

Episode 43 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called: “The Chemical Age.” It features a conversation with Frank A. von Hippel, Ph.D. Frank is a professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on toxicology and health disparities, with a…

The real Infinite Wealth was the friends we made along the way. Ichiban Kasuga returns in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Ryu Ga Gotoku 8 in Japanese), teaming up with former Like a Dragon protagonist Kazuma Kiryu in a wild turn-based open-world RPG set in both Japan and Hawaii. Four RPGFan staff, all of whom highly anticipated Infinite Wealth prio…

Can you SMELL what the Hawke is cooking? Dragon Age II had a mixed critical reception back in March of 2011, so we’re giving it a fresh perspective in March of 2024. Today’s Retro Encounter panel makes an exodus to Kirkwall to determine how they feel about DA2’s excellent characters and dialogue juxtaposed with DA2’s one-city setting and rigid time…

Episode 42 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called "Fighting to Breathe." It features a conversation with Nicole Fabricant, Ph.D. Nicole is a professor of Anthropology and director of Latin American and Latino/a Studies at Towson University in Maryland on the east coast of the U.…

On this episode, the boys talk about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nudeclan Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our YouTube Cha…

If I could turn back time / If I could find a way Four RPGFan staff played through Dragon Quest XI this month, and it left them full of feelings. But were those feelings satisfying or wanting? How did they find DQ11’s notorious third act? Spoiler alert: this is a wonderful video game, despite what other RPGFan podcast hosts might say. Featuring: Mi…

I love it when villagers rhyme / it makes me as glad as a slime Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was hailed as an instant classic when it launched worldwide in 2018, and with more than five years of perspective our panel agrees. They discuss Dragon Quest XI's charming characters, rock-solid mechanics, and (unfortunately) repetitive music i…

Episode 41 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called "Silent Winter: Toxic Chemicals and Chronic Illness." It features a conversation with with Joanna Malaczynski. Joanna lives with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and is the author of the 2021 book, “Silent Winter: Our Chemical…

The guys review this Chrono trigger inspired RPG.By The RPG Show

Rock the Dragon Kazuma Kiryu starred in at least a dozen video games in the last eighteen years and experienced a remarkable fictional life. In today’s podcast, two of RPGFan’s most enthusiastic Like a Dragon advocates examine the life and times of the Dragon of Dojima, as part of Retro Encounter’s Year of the Dragon celebrations. Featuring: Michae…

On this episode, the boys talk about the 2016 video game-based movie, Warcraft! Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/nudeclangaming Podcast …

Opinions are like cats. The internet is full of them. We mostly fall into conventional wisdom here on Retro Encounter when it comes to what games deserve celebration and which games do not (there will not be an episode on Beyond the Beyond anytime soon), but we don’t always go with the grain. Five panelists each share two of their more offbeat, unc…

Episode 40 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called “Surviving and Detoxing in Toxic Times.” It features a conversation with Dr. Jenny Goodman. Dr. Goodman is a medical doctor specializing in environmental medicine based in London, England. (We share the same last name, but we are…

Should we double check the envelope? We’re in the middle of entertainment awards show season, and it’s high time Retro Encounter decides a worthy ballot for the RPGs with the best characters, music, visuals, gameplay, and story. But to make things interesting, we’re drafting four games for each category, and no RPG can be drafted more than once. Do…

Fill my heart with Retro / And let me play RPGs forevermore We're back this week to discuss the second half of Moon, a game that parodies RPGs so much it almost becomes an Adventure game. How does the second half of the game compare with the first? Did we get all the love? Just how many frustrating minigames can one man take? Listen in to find out!…

Episode 39 of The Chemical Sensitivity Podcast is available now! https://www.chemicalsensitivitypodcast.org/ It’s called “Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity.” It features a conversation with Julia Lupine. Julia is the author of “Under a Rock: An Electrosensitive Survival Guide.” You’ll hear Julia talk about how she adapted to having Electromagnetic H…

The guys discuss this instant classic 30 years in the making.By The RPG Show

This week, the boys talk about all things last year... And this year too! What's our 2023 game of the year? Who is Audience Maximus? Listen and find out! Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Chec…

FOUR HUNDRED BABIES If you’ve listened to a Retro Encounter multiple of 50 before, you know that the panel is going to come up with a public poll for a future Retro Encounter episode. This time around, we’re having a shark party! The panel will “invest” in pitches from twelve Retro Encounter panelists from past and present in a game inspired by a c…

The guys review one of the best hand held RPG’sBy The RPG Show

Bubby, if you ain't got Retro Encounter, you'll stop breathing and pass the heck out. After waiting over two decades, we finally got a localization of this quirky gem, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure. So, we got three of our panelists to discuss the first half of the game. We talk about the odd gameplay mechanics, just how many times we passed out before…

The clan reviews Grandia II. Discord Server: discord.gg/cFFx4N5 If you would like to contact Nude Clan, check out the links below: Watch us play and record our podcast live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nudeclangaming Check out our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/nudeclangaming Podcast RSS Feed: https://nudeclan.libsyn.com/rss Facebook …