On the last day of 2020, Retro Encounter celebrates the year's video games while offering good riddance to essentially everything else.  From roguelikes that play like Diablo to open worlds that play like Persona to Japanese adventure games of multiple narratives to Irish adventure games of self-discovery, the Retro Encounter panel discusses their favorites in 2020 RPGs and podcasts. 

From all of us here at Retro Encounter, thank you for listening.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Nathan Lee, Eva Padilla, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Micah Coates

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Retro Encounter examines another entry in the Supergiant Games catalog in an episode all about Transistor, the 2014 action RPG that rewards careful planning with swift execution of its customizable abilities.  The beautiful visual and audio presentation, 2nd-person narration, creative boss fights, and Function loadouts of Transistor take center stage in today's Retro Encounter! 

Retro Encounter waits for their Turn and kills the podcast Process in the second episode of Supergiant Month!  

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Eva Padilla; Edited by Micah Coates

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Retro Encounter loves Tales Of RPGs, and Retro Encounter's host loves ludicrous fantasy drafts.  Naturally those two passions collided in a podcast, in which five Retro Encounter panelists discuss their (mostly) favorite Tales Of characters and relationships in the format of a fantasy sports draft.  Who is the first overall pick?  Which Tales of Symphonia summon is stolen?  Who are the president, vice president, and treasurer of the Crop Top Boyz?  Listen and find out!  

Sorry, fantasy auctions are way to much to deal with in podcast form. 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Kaleb Curry, Niki Fakhoori, Alana Hagues, Stephanie Sybydlo; Edited by Michael Sollosi

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Retro Encounter kicks off Supergiant Games Month with a podcast all about Bastion, SG's breakout 2011 title in which a Kid wakes up in a mysterious broken city with only a voice to guide him and a hammer to smash things up.  In this episode three panelists discuss The Kid's journey, including his arsenal of weapons, the beautiful accompanying soundtrack, and a few bold story choices.  

You know how many times The Podcast went off the rails?  ...about 5 times. 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Eva Padilla; Edited by Brian Ingemanson

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Final Fantasy X-2. Great job system, great battle system, well-made pop songs.  But how about the rest of the game? Our panel has some criticisms about the side quests, main story, and overall presentation of FFX-2, but they try to balance the bad with some good in the newest Retro Encounter.

Well, that sure was a video game.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Eva Padilla, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Micah Coates

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Crowdfunding services like Kickstarter, IndieGogo, and Fig have disrupted traditional game production and become an inescapable part of how video game consumers and developers interact, but the crowdfunding revolution within video games is less than ten years old.  Today's Retro Encounter is a discussion of how crowdfunding has affected the modern gaming landscape, as well as a few of our favorite (or most notorious) crowdfunded video game project.  

Listen to the newest Retro Encounter after pledging to the $0 tier!  

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Robert Fenner, Tina Olah; Edited by Brian Ingemanson

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The sequel to the 2nd game ever covered by Retro Encounter finally gets its own journal episodes over five years later!  We revisit the world of Spira and its new dueling factions, critique Dressphere fashion choices, and discuss Yuna's career change in our latest episode. 

Which Final Fantasy X character evokes a comparison to a classic Saturday Night Live character?  Listen to find out! 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Eva Padilla, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Micah Coates

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Final Fantasy X-2 review

Retro Encounter 261 - Finding Paradise

Kan Gao and Freebird Games deliver the fourth game in the SIgmund Corp. Saga later this year, so in anticipation of Impostor Factory Retro Encounter is playing Finding Paradise, a game about memories, regrets, and making sure toilet paper rolls are on the hanger and not at the edge of the bathroom sink.  

Dive into our minds with the latest Retro Encounter!   

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Zach Wilkerson; edited by Michael Sollosi

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Retro 260 - RPG Vampires: Fangs for the Memories

Vampires are a staple of horror, and to celebrate Halloween Retro Encounter is celebrating the vampires of RPGs.  From the psychic vampires of Mass Effect to the protagonist of a game literally called Vampyr, we hold a supernatural discussion to run a small gamut of (actual) bloodsuckers who don't suck (figuratively).  

Drape your best cape and listen in!  

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Hilary Andreff, Audra Bowling; edited by Michael Sollosi

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Phantasy Star IV is the culmination of a four-game saga that puts the 2,000-year struggle of the Algol System into a context, and in today's Retro Encounter episode we dive deep into its final battle.  We spent plenty of time in Phantasy Star IV's battles and dungeons, but we forget to go into the adorable final credits scene.  That's our error. 

It's macros, combos, and more in the latest Retro Encounter! 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Mark Tjan; Edited by Brian Ingemanson

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Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium review