RPGFan's Retro Encounter

First of all / I'm the soloist / The soul controller

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow was a highlight of the run of handheld Castlevania games of the 2000s, starring the soul-collecting teenager Soma Cruz. Four panelists with varying levels of Castlevania experience played or replayed Aria of Sorrow for Retro Encounter's Metroidvania Month, and the reviews are good (but maybe not Elden Ring good).

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Cory Tischbein, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow on RPGFan
The Castlevania Advance Collection on RPGFan

In which we all followed the Light, and read spoilers on the Dark

Three Retro Encounter panelists finished runs of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic this month, and discover the truth of the Star Forge, the Sith Academy, and Darth Revan. Droids guarding riddles, Sith guarding crystals, and one of the most famous video game plot twists of the 2000s are contained within this action-packed episode!

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Jonathan Logan; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on RPGFan

A few decades ago, in a BioWare far, far away...

Way back in 2003, Knights of the Old Republic was a standout RPG for the original Xbox that helped raise the public profile of BioWare, a sizeable Canadian developer of western-style RPGs. And less than a year before KOTOR is slated for a huge remake, a Retro Encounter panel of KOTOR veterans and neophytes comes together to train as Jedi to defeat the Sith.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Jonathan Logan; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on RPGFan

Abandon *some* hope, ye who play this game

In a semi-sequel to Retro Encounter's 2019 attempt to play the horror adventure sensation Until Dawn, the same two panelists reconvene with the 2020 Dark Pictures Anthology title, Little Hope. 17th-century witch trials, building character traits, and navigating trauma and guilt all take center stage in this entertaining horror romp. Also, this episode was recorded prior to Supermassive Games registering five trademarks for future Dark Pictures Anthology titles.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Little Hope on RPGFan

Skies of Arcadia has big ambitions in the second half of the game, and the Retro crew are finally allowed to sail beyond the sunset! With a new ship, their own secret base, and their very own crew to hand, these four foolhardy sailors discuss their favourite discoveries, crew members, and superbosses, all while mulling on the maturity of the characters, the beauty of exploration, and just how many different ways you can bend both hand-to-hand and ship combat to your will. There's no Rains of Destruction to fear, here. 

Featuring: Alana Hagues, Audra Bowling, Wes Iliff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Skies of Arcadia on RPGFan
SoA: Legends on RPGFan

Once dubbed the official Retro Encounter game, 2000's Dreamcast classic Skies of Arcadia finally sails on to the show. It's a fickle ship to get your hands on, but luckily, four Retro Encounter regulars are onboard to discuss this RPG all about optimism, friendship, exploration, and adorable space blobs. Will the two Skies of Arcadia veterans be able to recruit two newcomers onto their crew? By the sounds of their discussions on moons, colours, combat, discoveries, and the fact that they celebrate a grumpy old man, they might well be on their way to doing so!

Featuring: Alana Hagues, Audra Bowling, Wes Iliff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Skies of Arcadia on RPGFan
SoA: Legends on RPGFan

RPGFans? Not today, we're not!

Here at RPGFan, we write and talk about RPGs almost nonstop, but that's not all of who we are as fans of video games. Today, five RPGFan staff discuss ten of their favorite video games or series that aren't quite RPG enough for RPGFan, in a self-indulgent sequel to a 2019 episode. To his shame, the host accidentally says Puyo Puyo when he meant to say Panel de Pon. But the rest of the episode is a great discussion about video games that aren't RPGs.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Dom Kim, Abe Kobylanski, Jonathan Logan, Steven Mattern; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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What will be the Final Fantastic game among our Personal picks?

It's a new year, and Retro Encounter rings in 2022 with a bang, counting down a ranked list of fourteen PlayStation 2 RPGs, compiled from the panelists' own preferences, to eventually crown an official Retro Encounter Best PlayStation 2 RPG from the set. So what's the overall winner? How many Final Fantasy games make the list? How does Yuri Lowenthal factor into all this? Listen and find out!

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Wes Iliff, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Happy Last Year! (Good riddance)

A year has come and gone, and Retro Encounter has always been more about the past than the future. Four RPGFan staff discuss twelve of their favorite games of 2021, from remade trilogies to time loops to demon summoning to canine companionship. Listen to the end for a preview of the first few months of 2022 in Retro Encounter!

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Jonathan Logan, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Three worlds, four (maybe five) characters, and a whole whack of potential jobs: That’s Final Fantasy V in a nutshell! 

In today’s Retro, our four panelists will finish their exploration of the story of FFV, talk about some of our favorite jobs, and take a look at other versions of the game that have come out over the years. And now that the Pixel Remaster version of FFV is available on mobile and PC, we hope that more people will get a chance to play this retro gem from the 16-bit era! 

Featuring: Jonathan Logan, Audra Bowling, Cory Tischbein, Quinton O’Conner; Edited by Jonathan Logan

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Related Links:

Final Fantasy V Advance Review

Final Fantasy V (Pixel Remaster) Review