RPGFan's Rhythm Encounter

It's spring, and I suppose that means wedding season is beginning soon? In any case, it's the perfect time to debut a new series of episodes here on Rhythm Encounter: VGM for life events. Especially with the increased capacity for intricate instrumental music within soundtracks, RPGs are able to convey a variety of moods, emotions, and tones throughout your adventures. This gives fans a great opportunity to be thoughtful about how to use VGM in their daily lives and for major life events. As teased above, we're starting this series with a monumental life milestone–weddings. RPG music has always held a special place for Dr. Justin Lyn, so he and his wife incorporated it throughout their special day. Today, he's here to discuss and guide us through their process for this lovely life event.

Featuring: Hilary Andreff, Dr. Justin Lyn

Tracklist

BLOCK 1: THE CEREMONY!
0:14:43 - Wedding Ceremony Entrances: Faraway Promise - Xenogears – Shattered Memories
0:15:42 - Terra's Theme - Distant Worlds II: more music from FINAL FANTASY
0:17:21 - Eternity - Memory of Lightwaves - Final Fantasy X-2 OST
0:25:25 - Wedding Ceremony exit - Final Fantasy IV (Distant Worlds ver.)

BLOCK 2: THE RECEPTION
0:36:18 - First Dance: Melodies of Life - Final Fantasy IX OST
0:42:22 - Terra in Black - Final Fantasy VI / OC Remix

BLOCK 3: PERIPHERALS
0:57:40 - Highlight video: Don't Think Twice - Kingdom Hearts III OST
1:02:14 - Slideshow: Simple and Clean - Kingdom Hearts OST
1:05:34 - Face my Fears - Kingdom Hearts III OST

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Café music? You may be thinking this is more relaxing music, but it isn't — technically. We did do that 29 episodes ago (check out parts 1 and 2 in the links below), but this time, our panelists chose music from some of our favorite video game cafés. Sometimes that's relaxing, and sometimes it brings us music in a very different direction than we may expect. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and come hang out with us at the Emerald Café.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Audra Bowling, Mario Garcia; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode

• Rhythm Encounter 54 - Relaxing Rhythm Part 1
• Rhythm Encounter 55 - Relaxing Rhythm Part 2
• Garoad on Bandcamp
• Leela European Café on Yelp
• Good Housekeeping Bar in Highland Park
• Blind Barber in Highland Park

Tracklist
0:05:32 - Moon Bright (Andrew Jeremy) - Coffee Talk OST
0:10:32 - The Last Stand (Masayoshi Soken) - Endwalker: Final Fantasy XIV OST
0:26:58 - Bar "Dandelion" (Hayato Sonoda? {falcom sound team jdk}) - Ys IX -Monstrum NOX- OST
0:28:26 - You've Got Me (Garoad) - VA-11 HALL-A - Second Round
0:42:57 - Cafe Latte, the Color of Autumn Leaves (love solfege) - Café Enchante OST
0:46:04 - Chagall Cafe (Shoji Meguro and Atsushi Kitajoh) - Persona 4 Golden OST
1:02:31 - Professor E. Gadd (Yoko Shimomura) - Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga OST
1:04:01 - Dragon (Tor Linløkken) - The Longest Journey OST
1:29:08 - Mario's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Final Fantasy XIII isn't the only divisive entry in Square Enix's long-running series, but it sure evokes some passionate discussion amongst RPG fans. Love it, hate it, or in between it, the three games that follow Lightning and company's saga all have one thing that few people can refute: absolutely killer soundtracks thanks to people like Masashi Hamauzu, Naoshi Mizuta, Mitsuto Suzuki, and more. Join us as we discuss the music of the Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and generally restrain ourselves discussing the games themselves!

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Wes Iliff, Audra Bowling, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode:

• Kenneth Pinyopusarerk on IMDb
• Prasert Prasertvithyakarn: IMDb & Final Fantasy Wiki
• Peter's review of Final Fantasy XV: Dawn of the Future
• Peter's Crystal Tools Without a Craftsman Feature
• Rhythm Encounter 12 - Red-Letter Date (see Bonus Track)

Tracklist
0:07:47 - The Promise (Masashi Hamauzu) - Final Fantasy XIII OST
0:09:16 - Blinded by Light (Masashi Hamauzu) - Final Fantasy XIII OST
0:23:26 - Fang's Theme (Masashi Hamauzu) - Final Fantasy XIII OST
0:26:54 - Dust to Dust (Masashi Hamauzu) - Final Fantasy XIII OST
0:42:04 - Plains of Eternity (Naoshi Mizuta, Joelle) - Final Fantasy XIII-2 OST
0:45:38 - Worlds Collide (David Whitaker · Naoshi Mizuta) - Final Fantasy XIII-2 OST
0:58:20 - Death Game (Mitsuto Suzuki) - Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII OST
1:03:20 - Lightning Returns (Mitsuto Suzuki) - Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII OST 
1:23:28 - Mike's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Do you miss the days when you and your friends would be sitting around, bored out of your minds on a Friday night, until someone randomly said “Hey! Let’s go to karaoke!” Well, you’re in luck cause the crew at RPGFan is inviting you on an RPG karaoke night you’ll never forget! To celebrate April Fool’s Day, we have eight staff members sharing their talents and singing some of your favorite songs from RPG history! Just remember, it’s karaoke, so singing along is welcome!

Featuring: Jono Logan, Hilary Andreff, Scott Clay, Greg Delmage, Patrick Gann, Mario Garcia, Lucy Gray, Michael Sollosi; Edited by Jono Logan

Tracklist
0:00:14 - Baka Mitai (I've Been a Fool) (Ryosuke Horii, Mitsuharu Fukuyama) - Yakuza Series
0:05:25 - Heaven (Reiko Tanaka, Shoji Meguro) - Persona 4 Golden
0:13:10 - Setting Sail, Coming Home (Darren Korb) - Bastion
0:20:51 - Aria di Mezzo Carattere (Yoshinori Kitase, Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy VI
0:27:07 - Simple & Clean (Utada Hikaru) - Kingdom Hearts Series
0:38:22 - No Scared (One OK Rock) - Black Rock Shooter: The Game
0:44:36 - Luna’s Boat Song (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
0:55:00 - Pokémon Theme (John Siegler and John Loeffler) - Pokémon Cartoon

Listen and comment on our post on RPGFan.

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Once we heard some of the music in the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster titles, we knew they would warrant their own episode. With Final Fantasy VI finally releasing last month, we we able to listen to the updated soundtracks to all six games, and each one is a delight. In today's episode of Rhythm Encounter, our four panelists brought songs to represent all six titles in the series. With only 8 total tracks, it was hard to pick the best ways to represent our favorites, but we did our best!

Let us know what you think and your favorite musical moment from the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Zach Wilkerson, Audra Bowling, Jono Logan; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode:

• Rhythm Encounter 54 - Relaxing Rhythm Part 1

Tracklist
0:09:30 - Chaos Shrine (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster
0:12:12 - Main Theme of FINAL FANTASY IV (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster
0:36:23 - Home, Sweet Home (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster
0:38:55 - Celes’ Theme (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
0:55:55 - The Crystal Tower (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster
1:00:13 - Searching for Friends (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
1:18:20 - The Decisive Battle (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster
1:22:19 - Finale (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster
1:46:20 - Jono's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Maybe you know Kumi Tanioka as a composer, arranger, or pianist, or maybe you don't know her at all! But considering her immense contributions to Final Fantasy XI and the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series over the years, you may have heard her work, regardless. Today our small panel convenes to discuss some of Tanioka's well-known work and lesser-known contributions to the music scene. Each of these songs feature her as a composer, performer, arranger, or even a combination. Kumi Tanioka is truly a multi-talented musician worth celebrating.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Patrick Gann; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode:

• Rhythm Encounter 61 - A Very Yoko Shimomura January
• Rhythm Encounter 70 - Black and White Magic

Tracklist
0:05:00 - Gustaberg (Kumi Tanioka) - Final Fantasy XI OST
0:09:10 - Monster Ronde (Tanioka and Yui Morishita, piano duet!) - Piano Collections Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
0:33:50 - Wish... (comp. by Ryuji Iuchi, arr. and piano by Kumi Tanioka, vocals by Emi Evans) - Shenmue Piano Collection
0:39:12 - Zaurak Terminal ★ (comp. by Kumi Tanioka) - Code Age Commanders OST
0:55:27 - The Girl Who Stole the Stars (Piano Duo ver) (Yasunori Mitsuda, arr. Yui Morishita) - CHRONO ORCHESTRA Arrangement BOX
1:00:23 - Dungeons of Lost Time (comp. by Kumi Tanioka) - Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: EVERY BUDDY! OST
1:27:07 - Hilary's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Ah, Valentine's Day. That day when a little cherub works as hard as Santa Claus, flying around the world and launching volleys of heart-tipped arrows into the buttocks of potential lovers. That's how it works, right? In this episode, our panel brings eight tracks to represent several forms of love across time (seriously, we have games represented from as far back as 1991 with Final Fantasy IV, up to 2019's Hades), including people from other worlds, dreams, or even the castle next door. So grab a loved one — whether that's a person, pet, or favorite tea — and enjoy the romance.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Alana Hagues, Audra Bowling; Edited by Jono Logan

Tracklist
0:06:04  - Theme of Love (Final Fantasy IV) (Nobuo Uematsu, arr. Shiro Hamaguchi, Arnie Roth, Sachiko Miyano, Naoshi Mizuta and Hiroyuki Nakayama) - Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY
0:11:26 - Crono & Marle -A Distant Promise- (Yasunori Mitsuda, arr. Aaron Manca) - EPOCH: A Tribute to Chrono Trigger
0:37:00 - Lucia's Theme (Noriyuki Iwadare and Victor Ireland, vocals by Jennifer Stigile) - Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete OST
0:43:00 - Good Riddance (Darren Korb, vocals by Ashley Barrett and Darren Korb) - Hades OST
1:03:22 - For River - Piano (Sarah & Tommy's Version) (Kan Gao) - To the Moon OST
1:06:23 - English promotional version of "Ballad of the Wind Fish" (Ryo Nagamatsu) - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (2019)
1:25:49 - Hikari - PLANITb Remix - [Short Edit] (Utada Hikaru) - Kingdom Hearts OST
1:28:20 - 1000 Words (Orchestra Version) [Kazushige Nojima, Noriko Matsueda, and Takehito Eguchi with vocals by Jade from sweetbox] - Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission OST
2:01:50 - Audra's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Over on Random Encounter & Retro Encounter, we've talked about our favorite games of 2021, and now it's time to discuss our favorite music! Four panelists come together with an extra-large playlist today, covering a wide range of music released throughout the year.

Yes, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is here, but so is Ys IX, ENDER LILIES, Impostor Factory, and more! We hope this helps you discover some highlights that you may have missed, because there was no shortage of amazing music released during 2021. What are some of your favorites?

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Patrick Gann, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Jono Logan

Tracklist
0:04:50 - Endwalker (Masayoshi Soken, The PRIMALS, Sam Carter) - Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker Single
0:07:40 - Battle - Da'at (Ryota Kozuka) - Shin Megami Tensei V OST
0:10:42 - Village Pride (TPR) - To The End of the World: Melancholy Music from Xenogears
0:28:04 - Besessenheit (comp. Masashi Hamauzu / arr. Noriyuki Kamikura) - DESTINY 8: SaGa Band Arrangement Album Vol.2
0:31:28 - Norse Wind (Falcom Sound Team jdk (Mitsuo Singa for this particular track)) - Ys IX Monstrum NOX OST
0:33:58 - Earth or Sky (Day Version) (Kan Gao) - Impostor Factory OST
0:51:23 - Deeplurker (Gareth Coker) - Ruined King: A League of Legends Story OST
0:54:06 - Follow Fi / The Spirit's Guidance (Takeshi Hama) - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD OST
0:57:12 - Everyday Life (Lena Raine) - Moonglow Bay OST
1:17:26 - Forest Kingdom (Keiichi Okabe, arr. ROZEN + REVEN) - NieR: Become as Gods
1:21:06 - Sky Temple (Yuzo Koshiro) - Actraiser Renaissance OST
1:28:13 - Harmonious (Yamato Kasai) - ENDER LILIES: Quietus of the Knights OST
1:54:23 - Pat's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Whether or not you play Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you may know that Nintendo's latest entry in its fighter series features more than a few characters from RPGs: 31 of its 82 characters are from our beloved genre, and that number grows if you want to bend the rules and include Mario characters because of games like Super Mario RPG and Mario & Luigi.

For our purposes here on Rhythm Encounter, it's also important that the Smash Bros. games contain an epic amount of music and arrangements of these RPG songs, specifically created for Smash. There's so many songs — Ultimate contains 1,068 tracks — we asked our panelists to pick arrangements from any Smash Bros. game that comes from a game we cover. The result is sure to be, well, a smashing good time.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Alana Hagues, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Jono Logan

Tracklist
0:10:51 - Hyrule Temple (Akito Nakatsuka, arr. Shogo Sakai) - Super Smash Bros. Melee & Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
0:13:45 - Snowman (Keiichi Suzuki and Hirokazu Tanaka, arr. Shogo Sakai) - Super Smash Bros. Brawl & Mother Series
0:33:55 - Unfounded Revenge/Smashing Song of Praise (comp. and arr. Shogo Sakai) - Super Smash Bros. Brawl & Mother 3
0:37:47 - Route 10 - Pokémon Black / Pokémon White (GAME FREAK, arr. Yoko Shimomura) - Super Smash Bros. 3DS / Wii U & Pokémon Black & White
0:54:18 - Lament of Innocence (Michiru Yamane, arr. ACE) - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate & Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
0:57:03 - Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Hiroki Morishita, arr. by Masato Coda) - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate & Fire Emblem Fates
1:13:43 - Cosmo Canyon (Nobuo Uematsu, arr. Yoko Shimomura) - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate & Final Fantasy VII
1:16:00 - Aerith's Theme (Nobuo Uematsu, arr. Keiichi Okabe) - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate & Final Fantasy VII
1:40:14 - Mike's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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Once upon a time, an RPGFan editor remarked that Chrono Cross (where’s that remaster?) smelled like a piña colada. This little side comment sparked an idea with our own Michael Sollosi about what other RPG and drink pairings might sound and taste like. Over a year later, four panelists have chosen some RPG music and drink pairings that are sure to delight.

Of course, you don’t have to drink to enjoy this music, and we obviously recommend NOT trying all 8 of these pairings in one (or even three) sittings, so if you drink at all, please drink your sidecars and warm milk responsibly.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Michael Sollosi, Quinon O’Connor; Edited by Jono Logan

Tracklist
0:06:54 - Grandport, City of Commerce (Yasunori Nishiki) - Octopath Traveler OST (pairing: Sangria Ala Felicia)
0:10:35 - Zelda's Lullaby (Milk Bar) & Hilda's Theme (Milk Bar) (Koji Kondo, Ryo Nagamatsu) - The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Sound Selection (pairing: Warm Milk)
0:29:32 - Gothic Neclord (Miki Higashino) - Suikoden II OST (pairing: Bloody Mary)
0:33:46 - Draw! (Ryan Ike) - West of Loathing Original Soundtrack (pairing: A shot of bourbon)
0:53:21 - 04:42 Still Free (Danger) - Haven Original Soundtrack (pairing: Stormalong's "Red Skies at Night" cider)
0:56:30 - Crossroads (Atsushi Kitajoh) - Persona 5 OST (pairing: Sidecar)
1:17:16 - Chrysanthemum In Winter (Motoi Sakuraba) - Star Ocean: Till the End of Time OST (pairing: Bailey's Sundae)
1:20:00 - Lonely Space (Andrew Jeremy) - Coffee Talk OST (pairing: Espresso Martini)
1:47:45 - Hilary's Bonus Track!

Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.

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