RPGFan's Retro Encounter

I wanna be an RPG fan when I grow up.

This week on Retro Encounter we gather to discuss the RPGs that defined our taste. Not necessarily our favorites, but games that helped us understand what we value in an RPG or in games in general. Does Final Fantasy show up? Who likes the most obscure Metroidvanias? Who surprises the host with their love for racing games? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Lucas Greene, Ben Love, Paul Skevington; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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I've traveled back in time from next week. Please listen to this episode.

This week on Retro Encounter, the panel gets back together to discuss the second half of Tales of Graces f. Our discussion ranges from the increasingly excellent combat, the less than excellent dungeon design, and the good, the bad and the ugly of the Future Arc. Which game would we like to see get the remaster treatment next? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Wes Iliff, Paul Skevington, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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We have to look for the podcast, Cheria. It's the only way.

On this week's Retro Encounter we get together to talk about the first half of Tales of Graces f, a game renowned for its combat system, and maybe less so for its storytelling. Four players of varying knowledge (and skill) talk about whether Tales of Graces f lives up to its reputation, the delightful characters, the sometimes frustrating dungeon design, and much more. Listen in!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Wes Iliff, Paul Skevington, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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This is his story.

This week on Retro Encounter, we take a deep dive into the themes, obsessions, and gameplay quirks of one of the "father" of Final Fantasy: Hironobu Sakaguchi. How much did he really matter to the series? Does his work after leaving Final Fantasy hold up? Who can't stop talking about their disdain for Lost Odyssey? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Bring my beloved Retro Encounter to me.

This week we dive into the second half of Final Fantasy IX, chatting about the emotional story beats, rooster men, and terrible card games that some of us somehow enjoy. Does it still hold up all these years later? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Mario Garcia, Wes Iliff, Rob White; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Doesn't it feel nice to listen to Retro Encounter under the stars?

This week, the new host and a few huge fans dive into the first half of Final Fantasy IX. How does this classic hold up? Do we like the combat? Which monster doesn't like Vivi very much? Listen in to find out!

Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Mario Garcia, Wes Iliff, Rob White; Edited by Zach Wilkerson

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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"Saying goodbye doesn’t mean anything. It’s the time we spent together that matters, not how we left it."

In a reminiscence-heavy episode of Retro Encounter, four panelists discuss the podcast's origin story, recording process, and favorite episodes and memories of nearly ten years of podcasting. Longtime showrunner Michael Sollosi officially steps down to hand off the podcast's reins to a new host, but also an old friend. 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Peter Triezenberg, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Retro Encounter 450 Game Journal Poll! 

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. 

2024 is (finally) behind us, and there is plenty to talk about. In one of the strongest years for RPGs in recent memory, five Retro Encounter panelists bring ten games to show and tell in discussing a few of their favorite RPGs of the calendar year. Fittingly, the conclusion to the Year of the Dragon has Dragon Quest, Dragon Age, and Like a Dragon feature prominently. 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Wes Iliff, Joshua Lindquist, Jonathan Logan, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Life is like a hurricane / Here in Townburg

Dragon Quest III's open-ended exploration and high-stakes story comes to a conclusion for our four intrepid panelists, who struggled through volcanoes, ghosts, and unchecked capitalism to obtain the six orbs and take on Dragon Quest III's final run of antagonists. Surprise reunions, incredible series-wide callbacks, and version comparisons all enter the discussion in the latest episode of Retro Encounter! 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Aleks Franiczek, Wes Illiff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Dragon Quest III on RPGFan
Dragon Quest III HD-2D on RPGFan

The more Dragon Quest changes, the more Dragon Quest stays the same. 

A podcast episode appears! Dragon Quest III was a blockbuster success in Japan in 1988, and its nonlinear progression, fun job system, and spirit of adventure influenced every Dragon Quest game to come. DQ3 also has a shiny new 2024 HD-2D remaster, and today on Retro Encounter different panelists play the NES 1988 and 2024 versions to compare, contrast, and celebrate this landmark Japanese RPG. 

Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Aleks Franiczek, Wes Illiff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi

Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri

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Dragon Quest III on RPGFan
Dragon Quest III HD-2D on RPGFan