Of warrior mice and podcast men. Adaptations! In advance of an RPGFan feature later this month, three Retro Encounter panelists talk about their favorite stories and IP from outside the realm of video game RPGs, and how they each could be adapted into RPGs. 1980s novels aimed at young adults, 2000sā¦ Read More »
A couple weeks ago, we kicked off Metroidvania March with an episode on Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Today we turn our attention to what is, in many ways, the true origin of this sub-genre of adventure games, and the first half of its name before “-vania” would be added in subsequent years: Super Meā¦ Read More »
Jay Bilas is on hand to break down Flying-type wingspans. It’s time to d-d-d-d-draft! Several RPGFan staff are enjoying Pokemon Legends: Arceus in the early days of 2022, so four Retro Encounter panelists are celebrating good times by drafting teams of their favorite monsters and trainers from the Pā¦ Read More »
First of all / I’m the soloist / The soul controller Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow was a highlight of the run of handheld Castlevania games of the 2000s, starring the soul-collecting teenager Soma Cruz. Four panelists with varying levels of Castlevania experience played or replayed Aria of Sorrow forā¦ Read More »
In which we all followed the Light, and read spoilers on the Dark Three Retro Encounter panelists finished runs of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic this month, and discover the truth of the Star Forge, the Sith Academy, and Darth Revan. Droids guarding riddles, Sith guarding crystals, and oneā¦ Read More »
A few decades ago, in a BioWare far, far away… Way back in 2003, Knights of the Old Republic was a standout RPG for the original Xbox that helped raise the public profile of BioWare, a sizeable Canadian developer of western-style RPGs. And less than a year before KOTOR is slated for a huge remake,ā¦ Read More »
Abandon some hope, ye who play this game In a semi-sequel to Retro Encounter’s 2019 attempt to play the horror adventure sensation Until Dawn, the same two panelists reconvene with the 2020 Dark Pictures Anthology title, Little Hope. 17th-century witch trials, building character traits, and navigatiā¦ Read More »
Skies of Arcadia has big ambitions in the second half of the game, and the Retro crew are finally allowed to sail beyond the sunset! With a new ship, their own secret base, and their very own crew to hand, these four foolhardy sailors discuss their favourite discoveries, crew members, and superbosseā¦ Read More »
Once dubbed the official Retro Encounter game, 2000’s Dreamcast classic Skies of Arcadia finally sails on to the show. It’s a fickle ship to get your hands on, but luckily, four Retro Encounter regulars are onboard to discuss this RPG all about optimism, friendship, exploration, and adorable space bā¦ Read More »
RPGFans? Not today, we’re not! Here at RPGFan, we write and talk about RPGs almost nonstop, but that’s not all of who we are as fans of video games. Today, five RPGFan staff discuss ten of their favorite video games or series that aren’t quite RPG enough for RPGFan, in a self-indulgent sequelā¦ Read More »
What will be the Final Fantastic game among our Personal picks? It’s a new year, and Retro Encounter rings in 2022 with a bang, counting down a ranked list of fourteen PlayStation 2 RPGs, compiled from the panelists’ own preferences, to eventually crown an official Retro Encounter Best PlayStaā¦ Read More »
Happy Last Year! (Good riddance) A year has come and gone, and Retro Encounter has always been more about the past than the future. Four RPGFan staff discuss twelve of their favorite games of 2021, from remade trilogies to time loops to demon summoning to canine companionship. Listen to the end forā¦ Read More »
Three worlds, four (maybe five) characters, and a whole whack of potential jobs: Thatās Final Fantasy V in a nutshell! In todayās Retro, our four panelists will finish their exploration of the story of FFV, talk about some of our favorite jobs, and take a look at other versions of the game thaā¦ Read More »
Four RPGFan panelists discuss the āodd one outā of the Final Fantasy 16-bit era, 1992ās Final Fantasy V. For those who loved RPGs during the SNES era, there was a game that forever seemed out of reach: Final Fantasy V. This unlocalized title was so legendary that it inspired the very first fan transā¦ Read More »
Husbands should be like Kleenex: Soft, strong, and disposable. Romance, drama, comedy, regret, and… rice? Impostor Factory is a visual novel of sorts that looks like a 16-bit RPG, the third game in Kan Gao’s Sigmund Corp trilogy after To the Moon and Finding Paradise, and oh boy does it leave an iā¦ Read More »
Remember us. Remember that we once podcasted. Emet-Selch, the principal antagonist of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, is a unique blend of a foppish eccentric, a world-erasing psychopath, and a grieving survivor. He’s a complicated, entertaining foil to the Warrior of Light, and Retro Encounter iā¦ Read More »
Hiya, Hugo! Hiya, stupid! Whatcha wanna go get demon energy for? Our two panelists navigate through Ys Origin’s three protagonists in our second episode on the 2006 prequel! Up for discussion are the Ys Origin endgame narratives, midgame boss battles, and family dynamics of the cursed Fact bloodlineā¦ Read More »
It rhymes with “Geese.” Not with “Wise.” Retro Encounter travels between 1989 and 2006 in playing Ys Origin, the prequel to the original Ancient Ys Vanished, Nihon Falcom’s influential action RPG. In today’s Retro Encounter the panelists discuss co-protagonists Yunica Tovah and Hugo Fact, the layoutā¦ Read More »
It wouldn’t be Star Trek without an inevitable sequel! The crew of the USS Retro Encounter is back after last week’s Star Trek-focused episode. This time, we’re taking a look at the follow-up to 25th Anniversary, the 1993 point-and-click adventure game, Star Trek: Judgment Rites. With the cast of thā¦ Read More »
It’s time to explore strange old worlds with the crew of the USS Retro Encounter! In this episode, our landing party of Trekkies beam into the 1992 point-and-click adventure game, Star Trek: 25th Anniversary. Featuring the vocal talents of William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and the rest of the Enterpriā¦ Read More »
Retro Encounter finished their star-studded journey across the cosmos this month, but does Cosmic Star Heroine live up to to Zeboyd’s influences and fan expectations? The panel loves the visual design and battle designs of the game, but has issues in other places. But which boss was designed by theā¦ Read More »
Retro Encounter is blasting off again with two episodes on Cosmic Star Heroine, a 2010s crowdfunding success heavily inspired by specific 16-bit RPGs. The panel loves the visual style and battle system of Cosmic Star Heroine, but isn’t 100% sold on the story, characters, or soundtrack. How exactly dā¦ Read More »
The Church of Retro opens its confessional booth again, and three RPGFan panelists discuss the games and series for which they are the most embarrassed not to have played. So which JRPG Fan has never played a Suikoden title? Which Mega Man fan has never played Battle Network? Listen and find out! Reā¦ Read More »
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment is about a teenager assuming a world of responsibility, adults confronting their worst selves, and teens and grown-ups working together to prevent a demon from the Cthulhu Mythos from swapping the magnetic poles of Planet Earth. Four Retro Encounter panelists reject theā¦ Read More »
Retro Encounter brings the band back together in a brand new timeline, reuniting most of the team that podcasted on Persona 2: Innocent Sin in September 2020 to discuss its sequel, Persona 2: Eternal Punishment one year later. Converging timelines, video game grownups struggling to find their place,ā¦ Read More »
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