Once again, it’s time for Masters of VGM! This year, we’re honoring female, trans, and genderqueer composers working in VGM, and I’ve got a batch of six honorees and two honorable mentions for you. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barS…

I kept writing down “smart” as an adjective for songs I wanted to play on the show, and I eventually got enough smart tracks that they became their own episode. Listen and watch your IQ go up! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENC…

It’s time for another collection of relaxing, laid-back VGM tracks in this fifth installment of the Chilly McFreeze series. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSIL…

After his escapades at Voltara Prime, Rando Calrissian just wants some peace and quiet and high-stakes gambling. But when Rando hears about the Pippin Device, a horrific weapon that could shatter the galaxy, he’s forced to spring into action with this grab bag of great VGM! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson o…

Spotify has pulled down a few of my episodes recently, so please be aware of that if you use that service to listen to the show. I expect they'll keep pulling episodes in the future, so please use https://linktr.ee/shujinacademy to find an alternative service. If you don't listen on Spotify, feel free to disregard this message. Thanks, and look for…

It’s another happy music episode in my Rose-Colored Pixels series of shows full of cheerful, upbeat VGM! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. LongTones…

This is an episode packed with jazzy jams of all shapes and sizes! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. LongTones, an experimental electronic jazz proj…

There’s a sad girl, crying as the snow falls. This is what her heart sounds like. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. LongTones, an experimental elect…

Sometimes, you gotta just keep on keepin’ on, and that’s what all these tracks will help you do. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. LongTones, an exp…

I come up with a lot of ideas, but all of them aren’t a good fit for a full-length episode, so this episode is actually four mini-episodes. Each one is devoted to an idea that works better in small bites than it would in a longer episode. Enjoy! Congratulations in advance go out to fellow VGM podcast bro Martyrus for reaching 100 episodes of his ex…

Halloween has come and gone, but spooky season lives on in our hearts all year round, so this is a great set of creepy tracks that I didn’t quite get out the door before Halloween. (But I meant to, and then life got in the way.) We here in the VGM podcast community have seen Spotify pull down some of our episodes recently without any explanation as…

I had so many tracks left over from the last episode that I decided to put them all together and make a Castlevania leftovers bonus episode. Enjoy all these cool songs that didn’t quite fit on the last episode for some reason or another! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing…

It’s spooky season, so I’m doing a whole episode full of Castlevania’s greatest hits! And come back soon for a bonus episode containing a whole bunch of deep cuts I didn’t have time for on this episode! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing amazing cover art. You can and sho…

What does it sound like when God talks to you? What does it sound like with the Light of the Universe gives you a sacred quest that no one else can accomplish? Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts,…

[NOTE: This is a re-upload of an older episode that I accidentally deleted. While it's not my best show, and definitely not my most popular episode ever, I'm reposting it for the sake of complete-ness.] This episode is devoted to some ominous songs. The episode title does not include a question mark, and that is intentional. Special thanks to fello…

Let’s all go to our happy place with this great collection of cheerful tracks! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art and also for that coveted Bluesky invite. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE…

VROOM VROOM with a collection of great tracks from racing games! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. BokiBokiPixelArt for the show logo. You can find …

To the best of my knowledge, Billy Dee Williams has never listened to this show, but if he did, I’m sure he’d love this grab bag episode. Check it out and enjoy a bunch of songs that have been rolling around on my list of tracks to play! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing…

It's June, and that means Masters of VGM! Our 2023 theme is "Unsung and Up-and-Coming", and I’m honoring six composers in this episode that are making great VGM, even if they’re not household names yet. Listen to learn about honorees Ben Prunty, Megan McDuffee, Garoad, Andrew Jeremy, Hiroyuki Yanada, and Victoria Dominowski. Special thanks for this…

We’re taking another lap with the songs of the Lotus and Top Gear games, this time featuring the work of Patrick Phelan and Neil Biggin! The checkered flag is in sight! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download …

Let’s drive off at top speed and explore the work of Barry Leitch on the Lotus and Top Gear games! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. BokiBokiPixelAr…

It’s a groovy VGM party with all these hip swinging songs that have a feel-good rhythm! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. BokiBokiPixelArt for the s…

Spring is in the air! That special time of year when a young man’s fancy turns to vocal tracks! And for this episode, we’ll celebrate with a bunch of great vocal tracks from the 32-bit era. Special thanks for this episode goes out to my darling daughter, who made some great suggestions for the format. If you want to reach me, you can find me on Mas…

It’s a whole bunch of laid-back VGM to help you relax and focus. Don’t worry if you haven’t listened to the first three episodes in the Chilly McFreeze series; you’ll still be able to follow the plot here. Because there is no plot; it’s all relaxing, calm VGM. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE p…

These songs have come to chew bubblegum and kick ass, and they’re all out of bubblegum. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE wherever you download podcasts, and check out his website at barSILENCE.com. VGM podcast bro and shop proprietor RayjKayj. Y…

Avast, ye scurvy sea dogs! This episode be all about game music for pirates, be they pirate heroes or pirate villains or even just pirate ships! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Special thanks for this episode goes out to fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE po…

Let’s kick back, pour a drink, and vibe with this episode all about cool music! Every song here is good groovy hangout music for a laid-back time. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE podcast wherever you download podcasts, and …

It’s a special holiday episode of Shujin Academy VGM Club! We’ll celebrate the 4th of July by playing lots of American-themed songs about America! There aren’t any other notable holidays in December, are there? Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of barSILENCE podcast for contributing cover art. You can and sho…

This episode is all about smart game music that sounds like making a plan. Use it as the soundtrack to plot out your next heist with your gang, or to defeat those meddling superheroes! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of BARSilence podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find barSILENCE podcas…

This is a special bonus episode of Shujin Academy VGM Club, where Professor Tom sits down for a chat with his buddy Jon to talk about video games and life and stuff. Thanks to BokiBokiPixelArt for the show logo. You can find him on Twitter @BokiPixelart. If you want to reach me, you can email me at shujinacademyvgmclub@gmail.com. You can find me on…

This is an episode all about cheerful, feel-good VGM. These are some songs that’ll put a smile on your face and a rainbow in your heart! Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of BARSilence podcast for contributing cover art. You can and should find BARSilence podcast wherever you download podcasts, and you can fi…

This episode is a look at pieces of VGM that appear somewhere other than their original games. Some of them are from ports, some of them are from sequels, some of them are from side-series games, and some are from entirely different games. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Jameson of BARSilence podcast for contributi…

For this episode, we’re going to take a whirlwind trip to the big city, and experience the vibrant culture and nightlife that draws people to a metropolis. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Fellow VGM podcaster Rayjkayj of VGMporium and entertainment podcaster Josh Grisham of Nerd Informants for this episode’s political ad. You can find …

September 9 is a special day: Castmas! The day each year where we celebrate the Dreamcast, Sega’s swan song console. To prepare for this holiday, I’m devoting a whole episode to this groundbreaking system. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Every Dreamcast fan who keeps the spirit of Castmas in their hearts all year long, no matter what d…

For the third episode in the Chilly McFreeze series of laid-back VGM, we’re playing a selection of chiptunes to help you relax. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Jameson of BARSilence podcast for contributing art for this episode. You can and should find BARSilence podcast wherever you download podcasts, and you can find him on Twitter @…

Professor Tom is on a sabbatical, so his cousin Lefty the Cowboy takes us through the sound of country music in retrogaming. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: Bedroth of the Very Good Music and BGMania podcasts for being the voice of Choco Bill. Find him on Twitter @VGMPod. Jameson of the BARSilence podcast for creating art for this epis…

All your favorite VGM podcasters are doing a series called “Masters of VGM”, where we do episodes devoted to our favorite video game composers. For my fourth and final entry into this series, I’m talking all about the incomparable Yuzo Koshiro, composer for Streets of Rage 1 and 2, Etrian Odyssey, Ys I and II, the Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune serie…

All your favorite VGM podcasters are doing a series called “Masters of VGM”, where we do episodes devoted to our favorite video game composers. For my third entry into this series, I’m doing a career retrospective for Yoko Shimomura, best known for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series. Special thanks for this episode goes out to: –Bedroth of Very …

All your favorite VGM podcasters are doing a series called “Masters of VGM”, where we do episodes devoted to our favorite video game composers. For my second entry into this series, we’ll listen to the greatest hits of Shoji Meguro. This episode also serves as a de facto mixtape for the Persona games, since Meguro composed most of the music for the…

All your favorite VGM podcasters are doing a series called “Masters of VGM”, where we do episodes devoted to our four favorite video game composers. For my first entry into this series, I’m going through the greatest hits (and a few other songs) of my favorite VGM composer, Nobuo Uematsu. Special thanks to Bedroth of Very Good Music and everyone el…

Sometimes, a bad game has a good soundtrack. This episode is all about some terrific soundtracks from mediocre games. You can find the archives of Kotaku’s Morning Music feature at https://kotaku.com/culture/morning-music, and you can find the article that helped inspire this episode (and introduced me to the Waterworld soundtrack) at https://kotak…

The history of gaming has quite a few failed systems, in addition to the well-known consoles like the SNES and the PlayStation. The Neo Geo Pocket Color, the CD-i, the 3DO, the Atari 5200 - the list goes on and on. For this episode, we take a look at the sounds and history of one of the least-known systems of the 8-bit era: the Aipu FZ22, a console…

After my first chill music episode, I decided to make another episode devoted to laid back VGM. I may even make some more in the future. This is an episode that’s heavy on the music, so if you like a lot of VGM without much talk in your VGM podcast, you’re in luck today. If you like the chill VGM concept and you want to hear more, check out my fell…

For the first time ever, Shujin Academy VGM Club welcomes a guest. Save Point Sam (also known as Professor Tom’s son) joins the show to play some Pokémon songs and discuss the finer points of Pokémon with Professor Tom, who knows little of Pokémon beyond what he’s seen on TV. This is an interview-type show, and as you may imagine, the ratio of musi…

To celebrate the release of King of Fighters XV, we’re devoting an entire episode to SNK’s venerable franchise mash-up fighter. I hope you like the Neo Geo sound, because this one is all King of Fighters, all the time. You should watch the amazing Woo vs Reynald match from Evo 2013’s KOF XIII tournament. It was one of the coolest grand finals sets …

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day, and this episode is devoted to video game songs that are all about romance! Special thanks to the voice of Heart Containers. Your devotion to romanticism is admirable, and it shows in the promo. If you want to reach me, you can email me at shujinacademyvgmclub@gmail.com. You can find me on Twitter at @ShujinVGMClub, and…

I like laid back video game music, and this episode is devoted to some of my favorite tracks that are calm. Special thanks to the mysterious voice of Save Point. You know who you are, and I’m glad you helped with this episode. If you want to reach me, you can email me at shujinacademyvgmclub@gmail.com. You can find me on Twitter at @ShujinVGMClub, …

Ninjas abound in classic gaming as both protagonists and antagonists. This episode is a look at some classic VGM songs from games that prominently feature ninjas. Special thanks to friends of the show Scott Horberg for a headset and Josh Grisham of Nerd Informants for being the voice of ninja magic. If you want to reach me, you can email me at shuj…

Nobuo Uematsu is considered the Final Fantasy composer. But that’s not all he did. This episode is a look at some of his songs that aren’t for mainline Final Fantasy games. Email me at shujinacademyvgmclub@gmail.com. You can find me on Twitter at @ShujinVGMClub, and on Instagram at ShujinAcademyVGMClub. Please leave me a five star rating on iTunes …

This episode is all about songs from Sega's super deluxe arcade cabinets, which featured immersive cockpits and force feedback to pull you into the game. Email me at shujinacademyvgmclub@gmail.com. Follow me on Twitter at @ShujinVGMClub. Follow me on Instagram at shujinacademyvgmclub. Track Listing: 00:00 - Talk Segment 1 00:05 - Super Hang-On: Ope…