Combo Chain - A JRPG Podcast

Allisa has already beaten Persona 5 Royal for her Dualshockers review, so in this episode she talks about her takaways, how the new characters and mechanics change the base game, and whether its worth going back to for people who played the original. We also give our first impressions on the Bravely Default 2 demo, Trials of Mana, and run through some of the latest JRPG news.

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With special guest Fletch, we take a deep dive into the infamous Neptunia series, where you play as moe girls who are the living embodiment of famous video game consoles. Specifically, we look at Megadimension Neptunia VII, the most refined and successful iteration of this bizarre but ultimately endearing franchise. If you're looking for a JRPG based on obscure jokes about game consoles, developers, niche genres and kusoge games, this is the game for you. Listen as Neptunia expert Fletch guides Paul through the delightful madness that is this series, and as Paul's initial skepticism gives way to actual appreciation and enjoyment of the game.

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Pictures by Allisa from the Persona 5 Royal preview event:

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Format change! Allisa James and Paul join up for a new twice-monthly look at the latest JRPG news and releases. We look at Nomura's Burden, aka Kingdom Hearts, the controversy over Yakuza's JRPG makeover, and take a look at the PC release of The Alliance Alive HD.

Not to worry—we'll still be doing the single game, deep-dive episodes, but every couple of weeks or so we're going to round up the latest in JRPG news, give first impressions on new releases, and chat about what we're playing (and what we want to see!)

Show Notes

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Allisa James and Paul take us through the epic conclusion of Xenoblade Chronicles—humans get turned into mechs, our characters see abstract astral visions, and they go to war with a god—this one's got it all, folks. Rarely does a JRPG with this much story stick the landing, but this one is the rare exception. And even more rarely does a game on underpowered systems like the Wii and the 3DS produce such vibrant worldbuilding. This one's special, folks.

Show Notes

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Allisa James joins us once again to discuss one of the most influential and divisive JRPGs of the past decade—Xenoblade Chronicles. We discuss how such an epic game was created on such subpar hardware, Nintendo's shift from refusing to release the game stateside to treating it as a core franchise, and, of course, the power of the Monado. This game has so much story we had to split it in half! Look forward to part two, coming soon.

Show Notes

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Paul goes it alone for this episode and indulges in his inner Yoko Taro fanboy as he covers a game which is, like all Taro games, incredibly sad. NIER spans thousands of years, is a high fantasy JRPG, but at its heart, is the story of a father and a daughter tragically separated from one another by disease, regret, and millennia. Join Paul as Yoko Taro brings the pain as only he can.

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Robert and Paul take it back to the old school with the original Phantasy Star, a game that was ahead of its time when released in 1989. Learn why Paul's friends thought this was a game for girls, his first JRPG, and the tropes and plotlines that inspired three (excellent) sequels.

Theme song is "Chiptronical" by Patrick de Arteagna.

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Allisa James and Paul M. Davis try their hand at one of the most engaging and charming JRPG's, Dragon Quest 8. It's the type of game that renews your faith in the genre as a whole, and hides a deceptively complex battle system behind some of your favorite JRPG mechanics.

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Follow @paulmdavis on Twitter for details of our benefit Twitch stream to support immigrants' rights and legal needs, running Friday, September 3 through Sunday, September 5.

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Davide Flandra joins us to unpack the highly divisive Fire Emblem game that resurrected the franchise...Fire Emblem: Awakening. Why is it so strongly loved and loathed? Did Intelligent Systems sell their soul to give Nintendo the hit they demanded? Find out in the latest episode of Combo Chain!

Show Notes:

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