RPGFan's Retro Encounter

Four Dragon Quest aficionados who haven't attended live sporting events in over a year celebrate their love of the seminal Japanese RPG by pretending it's fake sports! Retro Encounter is doing another fantasy draft, and this time it's to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the slimy and sagacious series. 

Which Hero is the number one overall pick? Whose draft board gets undercut repeatedly? Listen in and find out! 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Wes Iliff, Rob Steinman, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

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Four panelists recruited twenty-seven times as many heroes in playing Suikoden III over April 2021, and have plenty to say about it! Suikoden III's complex politics, different motivations between its multiple protagonists, and surprise turns from series mainstay characters are all up for discussion.

Is your father figure an immortal barbarian? Or literally another species? Maybe you're his clone? No judgments here.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Leona McCallum, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Brian Ingemanson

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Suikoden III on RPGFan

Suikoden III evokes the halcyon days of the PlayStation 2, when RPGs were many, UI conveniences were few, and Konami actually made video games. Suikoden III's politically-charged story and army of named characters are consistent with its predecessors, but it's split narrative and pants-optional waterfowl are all its own.

Get to know Fubar (Fine, Unique, Beautiful Animal Riding) in the latest Retro Encounter!

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Leona McCallum, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Brian Ingemanson

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Suikoden III on RPGFan

What RPG uses dice-roll physics, requires rare drops from Skeleton Mages, and is exclusive to the 3DS Shop? Crimson Shroud and absolutely nothing else! Yasumi Matsuno (Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy XII) teamed up with Level-5 (Dark Cloud, Dragon Quest VIII) to produce one of the most unique RPGs for the 3DS way back in 2012, and we're absolutely here for it.

After playing this game, you'll start feeling bad for goblins and hatred for skeletons.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Eva Padilla; Edited by Michael Sollosi

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Crimson Shroud on RPGFan

Final Fantasy XIV's 2017 expansion had players visit the highlands of Gyr Abania and the steppes of Othard, but not as a tourist. Stormblood is a game about casting the light of liberation unto an oppressed people, and helping them tear down an imperialist regime. Stormblood is quite personal and political for an MMORPG expansion, but we're here for it. 

Raise your weary head and heed the call to arms ringing in your heart in today's episode of Retro Encounter! 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Eva Padilla, Mark Tjan

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Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood on RPGFan

One of the most common reader or listener comments that RPGFan social media receives is "not an RPG," and we take some umbrage at that. RPGFan prides itself on covering a diverse array of games, which includes some games that might be considered hybrid RPGs or RPG-adjacent. Today, Retro Encounter responds to that query directly, assembling a set of questionable RPGs, and deciding once and for all if they are indeed RPGs.

Do we think Zelda is an RPG? How about Dissidia? Listen and find out!

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Quinton O'Connor, Eva Padilla, Stephanie Sybydlo

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Two Retro Encounter panelists played through four Muramasa: The Demon Blade endings and still can't stop gushing over the 2D action RPG's gorgeous backgrounds. But those backdrops aren't the only shiny things in Vanillaware's theatrical tour de force - there's also the lusciously animated food, the Hitoshi Sakimoto soundtrack, and our smiling faces. 

"If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart." -The Buddha, who is literally in this video game.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Eva Padilla: edited by Michael Sollosi

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RPGFan's Muramasa: Rebirth review (Vita)

Before 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (but after Odin Sphere) the art-focused JRPG developer Vanillaware made Muramasa: The Demon Blade, an action RPG steeped in Japanese folklore and following a long tradition of ninja action arcade games. But how compelling are the characters, animations, and other elements of Muramasa?  Listen and learn! 

This podcast won't possess your body and displace your soul, probably.

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Eva Padilla; edited by Micah Coates

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RPGFan's Muramasa: Rebirth review (Vita)

It was early in 1996 when a couple of modest, lightly-janky Gameboy games were released in Japan, beginning a phenomenon that is persisting (and thriving) to this day. Those games were Pokemon Red and Green, the very first generation of Satoshi Tajiri and Game Freak's monster-catching series! A quarter century on, Pokemon is now the biggest multimedia franchise in the world, and what began as a respectable 151 creatures has ballooned to an incredible 893.

On this episode of Retro Encounter, 5 panelists discuss the history of this storied series: where it's been and our hopes for where it could go in the future, for trainers of all ages. It's a great big world out there, and we're glad Pokemon's a part of it!

Featuring: Eva Padilla, Niki Fakhoori, Josh Louis, Quinton O'Connor, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Eva Padilla

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Intro Song: "Pokemon GSC Is What I Like" by Botanic Sage

In 2015, Final Fantasy XIV players trekked to the north and looked to the sky in Heavensward, the fan-favorite expansion game that raised character levels to 60 and introduced Eorzeans to Ishgard.  Three Retro Encounter panelists and FFXIV players of varying experience levels discuss their love of Heavensward and Ishgard, from the friendly bugs of Dravania to the Warring Triad of Azys La, in the second part of our Final Fantasy XIV podcast miniseries!   

We're seeking the peace of reason in the latest episode of Retro Encounter!

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Liz Maas, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Micah Coates

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RPGFan's Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward review