RPGFan's Rhythm Encounter

Composer Masafumi Takada is likely not as well known as some VGM composers by name, but it's very likely you have at least heard of the games he has worked on, especially the Danganronpa series. It's been awhile since our last composer-centric episode—we gushed about the wonderful Kumi Tanioka in episode 79—so we knew it was time to do another. Join us on a journey of strategy, murder, digital monsters, and possibly more murder. Happy Pre-Halloween!

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Patrick Gann, Neal Chandran, Gio Castillo; Edited by Mike Salbato

Tracklist
0:08:39 - Climax Reasoning/Closing Argument (Masafumi Takada) - Danganronpa OST
0:12:41 - Something Eroding (Masafumi Takada) - Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth OST
0:31:00 - Welcome to this Wonderful Space (Masafumi Takada) - Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth OST
0:35:38 - La fille aux cheveux de lin (Masafumi Takada and Torn) - Flower, Sun, and Rain
0:57:03 - Tomorrow to start (Masafumi Takada) - Epica Stella (Vanguard Bandits) OST
1:00:00 - HOPPER's vol.1 [Bonus Track] (Masafumi Takada) - The Silver #02 + PARADE
1:30:02 - Gio's Bonus Track!

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

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As soon as we learned that the creators of the Wild ARMs and Shadow Hearts series were launching a Kickstarter for two new projects, Armed Fantasia and Penny Blood, we knew it was the perfect time to talk about the music of the teams' legacy. Also, how else would we get away with combining the music of Wild ARMs and Shadow Hearts into a single episode? So sit back and take a musical journey with us across the wild west of Filgaia, France, Japan, and more, as we enjoy the music of Michiko Naruke, Yoshitaka Hirota, and Yasunori Mitsuda.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Wes Iliff, Tyler Trosper, Audra Bowling; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode

• Armed Fantasia & Penny Blood Double Kickstarter
• Dreams From Our Wildest Hearts: Penny Blood and Armed Fantasia Dual Developer Interview
• The Ecstasy of Gold - Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) - YouTube
• Rhythm Encounter 38 – Strange Wilderness
• near death experience, Shadow Hearts Arrangetracks - YouTube

Tracklist
0:03:39 - Into the Wilderness (Michiko Naruke) - Wild ARMs OST
0:05:50 - ~ICARO AGAIN (Advertise II) (Yoshitaka Hirota) - Shadow Hearts: Covenant OST
0:16:48 - Battle Knight Blazer (Michiko Naruke, Arranged by Noriyasu Agematsu and Masato Kouda) - Wild Arms the Vth Vanguard (Wild Arms 5) Original Score Vol. 2
0:20:38 - Astaroth (Fallen Angel Battle) (Yasunori Mitsuda) - Shadow Hearts: Covenant OST
0:36:01 - Lone Bird in the Shire (Michiko Naruke) - Wild ARMs OST
0:37:39 - The Fate (Cluster Amaryllis / Spider Lily) (Yoshitaka Hirota) - Shadow Hearts: Covenant OST
0:54:12 - Their Name Is Schrodinger Family (Michiko Naruke) - Wild ARMs Advanced 3rd OST
0:57:28 - Alice - Piano Arrangement (Yoshitaka Hirota) - Shadow Hearts: Covenant OST
1:15:58 - Mike's Bonus Tracks!

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

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Last month, we celebrated the music of the SNES with The Road SNES Traveled (episode 89), and today we turn our ears to Nintendo's then-competition, the SEGA Genesis! While SEGA's 16-bit console didn't have the sheer number of RPGs found on the SNES, there are plenty of gems to be found in the likes of Phantasy Star, Shining Force, and more. Come listen to some great music that Nintendidn't have.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Wes Iliff, Patrick Gann; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode

• Armed Fantasia and Penny Blood Coming to Kickstarter from Wild ARMs and Shadow Hearts Creators
• Dreams From Our Wildest Hearts: Penny Blood and Armed Fantasia Dual Developer Interview

Tracklist
0:03:51 - Thray (aka "Rune") (Masaki Nakagaki) - Phantasy Star IV
0:05:22 - Ally 1 [Neo-Holy War] (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Langrisser II
0:21:42 - Wandering Warriors (Motoaki Takenouchi) - Shining Force II
0:25:58 - Battle Theme (Zable Fahr) - Pier Solar and the Great Architects
0:46:38 - Stone place (Yuzo Koshiro) - Beyond Oasis
0:50:48 - Erias (Hiro aka Hiroshi Kawaguchi) - Sword of Vermilion
1:14:12 - Mike's Bonus Track!

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

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On Rhythm Encounter, we enjoy discussing games and music we love, but sometimes excellent RPG music comes from unlikely places. Our panelists' challenge this time around was to find games that generally don't make it to any "best of" lists, whether based on our personal preferences or a wider critical or player consensus. But just because a game was — or should be, in some cases — overlooked doesn't mean the music isn't worthwhile! So join us as we talk about RPGs where the music is perhaps the most redeeming part of the overall package.

Also, because we forgot to answer the "repeat appearance" title mentioned during the intro, the answer is Shadow Hearts: From the New World!

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Michael Sollosi, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode

• Rhythm Encounter 85 – Analyzing RPG Music with 8-bit Music Theory
• Rhythm Encounter 86 – RPG Music from the Future

Tracklist
0:08:43 - Atland (ZOOM Sound Team) - Lagoon OST
0:11:08 - Fight Tune "Girl Named Shelke" (Masashi Hamauzu) - Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII OST
0:36:36 - Battle Theme I (Masashi Hamauzu) - UNLIMITED:SaGa OST
0:38:42 - Second Armageddon (Hirokazu Ando) - Arcana OST
0:57:10 - Wonder of Electron (Yoko Shimomura) - Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
0:59:12 - Cipher Peon Battle (Tsukasa Tawada) - Pokémon Colosseum OST
1:19:56 - Altar of the Barrier (Miyoko Kobayashi) - The Granstream Saga OST
1:22:17 - Adios (Yoshitaka Hirota) - Shadow Hearts: From the New World OST
1:45:41 - Hilary's Bonus Track!

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

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As the summer heat goes on for many of us, what's a better way to chill out than with a cold drink? A cold drink AND an episode of Rhythm Encounter packed full of summer-y tropical music! Today we sail the seas, spend time in port, and visit an oasis, island, and even an archipelago, with music spanning several generations of RPGs. Crack open a coconut and have a listen!

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Stephanie Sybydlo, Peter Triezenberg, Greg Delmage; Edited by Mike Salbato

Links for this episode

• StarTropics Reimagined Soundtrack (YouTube)
• Golden Sun: A World Reignited OCRemix Album
• Rhythm Encounter 6 - Summer Chill

Tracklist
0:05:17 - Peter - Oho Oasis (Yoko Shimomura) - Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions OST
0:06:26 - Mike - Summer (The Sun Can Bend An Orange Sky) (ConcernedApe) - Stardew Valley OST
0:28:00 - Greg - Veniccio (Tomohito Nishiura) - Dark Cloud 2 OST
0:29:16 - Steph - Ligou Isle From A Window (Kenji Ito) - Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song OST
0:45:50 - Steph - Seaport City of Ruan (Falcom Sound Team jdk) - The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky OST
0:47:49 - Greg - Apojii Archipelago (Motoi Sakuraba) - Golden Sun: The Lost Age OST
1:04:45 - Mike - Ocean World Map (Yoshio Hirai) - StarTropics
1:07:39 - Peter - Besaid Island: Narukami Chillhop Remix (originally by Masashi Hamauzu) - Narukami Music
1:35:27 - Peter's Bonus Track!

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

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Look out, you podcasters! It’s an extended ROBERT FROST REFERENCE. But at least it describes this episode.

Several games in an afternoon,
And sorry I could not play them all
And be one gamer, long I paused
And stared one down, to start it soon
Noting its lauded soundtrack’s call;

Then took the other, music less represented
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it’s novel and less frequently mentioned;
As for inspiring podcast discourse
Both are worthy, one a less familiar refrain,

This quandary before our panel lay
Each panelist with the SNES catalogue in full display
Oh, keep Chrono and FFVI for another day!
Yet knowing how each episode has its life,
We step boldly onward without looking back.

We’ll be fielding questions with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Yes, there is excellent music that is not here, and we–
We’re taking the road SNES traveled by,
And for this episode, that has made all the difference.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Michael Sollosi, Greg Delmage; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode

• Charles Deenen on IMdB
• One Ring (The Shire OC Remix by Brandon Strader)
• OCRemix: Super Mario RPG: Window to the Stars

Tracklist
0:06:13 - Title Theme (Charles Deenen) - J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, Vol. I
0:08:32 - Be Absentminded (Motoi Sakuraba) - Tales of Phantasia OST
0:29:45 - Theme of Onett (Keiichi Suzuki) - EarthBound OST
0:32:18 - Still, the Road is Full of Dangers (Yoko Shimomura) - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars OST
0:51:02 - Powell (Hiroki Kikuta) - Trials of Mana OST
0:55:13 - Underground Castle (or The Mines) (Yukihide Takekawa) - Soul Blazer OST
1:14:54 - Impregnable Defense (Masaharu Iwata) - Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen OST
1:17:16 - For the Savior (Yasunori Shiono) - Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals OST
1:42:35 - Greg's bonus track!

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

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You don't need to couple up for this square dance, since today we talk about strategy RPG music. Strategy RPGs don't always set their battles on a square-based grid, but since there's only so many that use circles, hexagons, and other non-square shapes, we felt the name was apt. Our four panelists brought a diverse range of music from some strategic games, so there's sure to be something for everyone. You may be surprised by some selections, too! So sit back and listen to us discuss strategy RPG music and the sorrows of the common man.

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Niki Fakhoori; Edited by Mark Mahler

Tracklist
0:04:00 - Desert Land (Hitoshi Sakimoto) - Final Fantasy Tactics OST
0:06:42 - Allies of Fate (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Langrisser I & II OST
0:28:28 - Honki no Uso (Ver. true heart) (Vocals: Kaori Oda, Lyrics: Michiko Naruke, Composer: Noriyasu Agematsu) - Wild ARMs XF OST
0:33:03 - True Courage (Tenpei Sato, vocals by Sara Thomas & Jody Fleischer) - Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure OST
0:55:19 - Running Fire (Tenpei Sato) - Disgaea: Hour of Darkness OST
0:59:05 - Battle 1 (Atsushi Fukase and/or Tatsuya Fujiwara) - Rondo of Swords
1:21:49 - Kiss Twice (Hiroki Kikuta) - Koudelka
1:28:18 - Leif's Army, Seeking Victory - Base (from "Fire Emblem: Thracia 776") (Yuka Tsujiyoko) - Shippuujinrai Sounds of Fire Emblem from Cipher Festival
1:55:50 - Sollosi's bonus track!

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

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If you know your RPGFan history very well, you'll know that when we started in 1997, we started under the name of LunarNET. While we didn't exclusively cover Lunar, the love of this series and Grandia (also from Game Arts) was essential to our founding. Since the SegaCD version of Lunar: The Silver Star just celebrated its 30th anniversary on June 26th, 2022, we decided it was the perfect time to dedicate an episode to Noriyuki Iwadare's timeless work on the series.

While Lunar is admittedly a small series with only two main games and a pair of spin-offs, the two main games have been remade — multiple times in the case of The Silver Star. Each version brought with it new musical arrangements, so don't let the smallness of the series fool you — there is a lot of wonderful music to experience!

Featuring: Mike Salbato, Patrick Gann, Zach Wilkerson, Scott Clay; Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode

• LunarNET: Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Lyrics Comparisons
• LunarNET: Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete Lyrics Comparisons

Tracklist
0:06:32 - LUNAR (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar ~The Silver Star~
0:09:39 - Opening Credits Remastered (Noriyuki Iwadare, arr. Sean Schafianski) - Lunar Eternal Blue (Sean Schafianski Remastered ver)
0:25:11 - A Boy Undeterred by the Unknown (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar Silver Star Harmony OST
0:26:50 - Wind's Nocturne (The Boat Song) (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar Silver Star Story Complete OST
0:46:30 - Footsteps of the Decisive Battle (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar ~ Eternal Blue
0:50:21 - Boss Battle (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete OST
1:05:05 - Eternal Blue [Rondo - Light and Shadows] (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete OST
1:10:05 - Betrayal (Part of Ending Theme) (Noriyuki Iwadare) - Lunar Silver Star Story Complete OST
1:27:07 - Pat's bonus track!

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

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I am here in the present with a podcast recorded in the not-too-distant past because we all had an urgent need to discuss SONGS FROM THE FUTURE. Not really sure what sort of fate we're trying to promote or avoid by bringing you these tunes, but rest assured this music is an enjoyable listen. We've picked a range of music, from hacking tunes to futuristic towns and gardens, to discuss what makes music and media "futuristic" and maybe get you thinking about the future in a positive way. Get your jetpacks, lasers, and extra computer monitors ready and join our stalwart panel on this (sort of) time travel journey.

Featuring: Hilary Andreff, Audra Bowling, Greg Delmage, Mario Garcia; Edited by Jono Logan

Tracklist
0:05:55 - Access the Grid (Takeharu Ishimoto) - Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance OST
0:10:24 - A Beautiful Song (Keiichi Okabe, arr. Shotaro Seo) - NieR:Automata Original Soundtrack HACKING TRACKS
0:26:15 - Gaia's Garden (Deniz Akbulut) - CrossCode OST
0:28:25 - Silence and Motion (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy VIII OST
0:50:02 - A Trail of Hope (John Paesano) - Mass Effect: Andromeda Original Score
0:52:41 - Sarif Industries (Michael McCann) - Deus Ex Human Revolution OST
1:13:03 - The Dead Sea -Tower of Geddon- (Yasunori Mitsuda) - Chrono Cross OST
1:16:10 - Robo's Theme (Yasunori Mitsuda) - Chrono Trigger Symphony Vol. 2 - The Blake Robinson Synthetic Orchestra
1:41:23 - Mario's bonus track!

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

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Here at Rhythm Encounter, we have the unique opportunity to bring listeners two interview episodes in a row! No, it's not MAGFest (though we do enjoy going there when we get the opportunity). We had the chance to chat with 8-Bit Music Theory, head of the fascinating and fun YouTube channel about music theory through a video game lens. He was generous enough to share information about his new arrangement album of GameCube songs, walk us through some music theory vocabulary using some of his RPG applicable videos, and do some analysis of (relatively?) obscure RPG music that we've chosen on the spot!

Featuring: Hilary Andreff, Patrick Gann; 8-Bit Music Theory, Edited by Jono Logan

Links for this episode

• 8-Bit Music Theory YouTube Channel
• Purchase "Let's Play" on Bandcamp or Amazon

Tracklist
0:03:02 - 8-bit discusses his new album, Let's Play
0:18:06 - Musical terminology primer
0:57:55 - 8-bit's creative process for videos
1:15:34 - On the spot analysis
1:16:16 - Furious Battle - The Final Fantasy Legend (Makai Toushi SaGa)
1:25:43 - Epic Poem to Sacred Death - Valkyrie Profile OST
1:41:23 - A Maiden's Thoughts (from Chibi-Robo!) - Let's Play

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

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