This week on Retro Encounter, four panelists get together to talk about Persona 2: Innocent Sin , the PS1 RPG that we never saw until its PSP remake over 10 years later. Topics include the engaging characters, the less than engaging combat, and somehow...disaster bisexuals. Don't ask. Just listen. Be sure to check out next week's episode to hear the end of our month of Persona ! Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Alana Hagues, Leona McCallum, Jo Padilla; Edited by Brian Ingemanson Get in Touch: RPGFan.c...
Sep 18, 2020•1 hr 9 min
Rhythm Encounter is back for the first time since 2017! (This is an different podcast entirely). But in a Grand Cross of a cosmic coincidence, Rhythm Encounter's return occurs during Retro Encounter's Persona Month, so we (Retro) chose to do an episode all about the music of the Persona series to celebrate their (Rhythm) return. Bop along to our jams, and check the tracklist below! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Hilary Andreff, Alana Hagues, Peter Triezenberg; Edited by Michael Sollosi Tracklist 00...
Sep 10, 2020•1 hr 34 min
Persona 4 stars a group of meddling teenagers (and one bear) determined to bring a serial killer to justice, but what makes that killer tick? Retro Encounter jumps into the TV World and journeys into the mind of a murderer in a new episode of RPG Villains. The identity of Persona 4's culprit constitutes a spoiler, so listener beware. Turn this whodunnit into a yaheardit! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Hilary Andreff, Lucy Gray, Jo Padilla; Edited by Michael Sollosi Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us...
Sep 04, 2020•1 hr 12 min
This. Is. RPGeopardy! RPGFan is hosting a third quiz show in which four RPGFan staff compete for absolutely nothing at all in a trivia competition where the clues are (mostly) all about RPGs. Retro Encounter's most frequent host wrote the rounds, so don't be surprised to hear multiple Dragon Quest(ions). Can you figure out This, That, and The Other? Listen and find out! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Nilson Carroll, Jo Padilla, Tyler Trosper, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael Sollosi ...
Aug 27, 2020•1 hr 27 min
Retro Encounter just hit a new milestone, and that means another self-congratulatory gimmick episode. Retro Encounter solicited listener emails all summer, and today we read and react to all that we received. At episode's end, we pick five games from the listener suggestions to be part of a new listener poll! Please listen to the episode and then vote in the survey! It's too late to write us an email, but you can vote in the survey for a future Retro Encounter game journal! Featuring: Michael So...
Aug 20, 2020•2 hr 24 min
Retro Encounter draws their shared adventure in the Beanbean to a close in this podcast episode, discussing Luigi's solo missions, the collection of the Beanstar pieces, the brothers' journey through Joke's End, and confronting the final villains in a surprising moment of body horror. Today, Superstar Saga. Next week, episode 250! Featuring: Peter Triezenberg, Pete Leavitt, Jo Padilla, Michael Sollosi Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: retro@rpgfan.com Twitter: @rpgfancom Instagram: @rpgfancom F...
Aug 16, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Retro Encounter tackles the 2003 GBA classic Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga this week, and the panel is divided on whether the game's timed-hits combat, silly humor, and early-aughts dungeon puzzles have aged well or poorly. The panel is unanimous on Superstar Saga's treatment of coffee and condiments. So is Superstar Saga a classic coffee grind, or just a grind? Listen to find out! Featuring: Peter Triezenberg, Pete Leavitt, Jo Padilla, Michael Sollosi Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: retr...
Aug 10, 2020•1 hr 7 min
Retro Encounter's journey to unite the Valerian isles, expel the manipulative Knights Loslorien, and stave off invasion from a hell dimension comes to a close, with the messy conclusion to Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. Collectivist vs. Individualist ideals, how characters are treated in different ending paths, and Yasumi Matsuno's love of obscure content all feature heavily. What endings did we get? Is it worth it diving into the post-game? Listen and find out! Featuring: Michael Sollosi,...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Five years after podcasting about Final Fantasy Tactics, Retro Encounter tackles Yasumi Matsuno's prior magnum opus, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together! We discuss the Super Famicom classic's multi-layered, politics-heavy story, fascinating class system, and key differences between the PS1 and PSP versions before speculating on which Queen songs would make the best subtitles for a future Ogre Saga game. Is Canopus the most dominant birdman since Tony Hawk? Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Nilson Car...
Jul 23, 2020•1 hr 13 min
Two Trials of Mana scholars from 2019's Retro Encounter episodes return for a revisitation on the 1995 classic, specifically in the context of its 2020 remake. We talk visual upgrades, new classes, and some questionable English-language voice acting in a 1-year podcast anniversary all about a 25-year video game anniversary. Which is worse, Kevin's caveman accent or Charlotte's trouble with consonants? Listen and learn! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Greg Delmage Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: r...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 3 min
We here at Retro Encounter are taking a short break from talking about classic RPGs to play a party game. Four Retro Encounter panelists take turns to divulge facts both true and false, with the others guessing the lies. We learned a little about each other, all thanks to July having a fifth Thursday nestled in the month. Listen to the episode, and also congratulate RPGFan's new Editor-in-Chief! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Mike Salbato, Peter Triezenberg, Zach Wilkerson Get in Touch: RPGFan.com ...
Jul 10, 2020•47 min
Pokey Minch is a major villain both Earthbound and Mother 3, and somehow reminds you of every kid you ever hated in grade school as well as billionaire fascists of both fiction and history. In this episode we dive deep into Pokey Minch's journey, motivations, and unusual traits. This is RPG Villains. Does Pokey Minch bear some resemblance to modern world leaders? Maybe! Listen to the episode! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Hilary Andreff, Jo Padilla Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: retro@rpgfan.c...
Jul 03, 2020•52 min
Our panel has reached the end of Yakuza 0, and with it comes new beginnings for Dragon of Dojima and the Mad Dog of Shimano. Four panelists discuss Yakuza 0 for another full episode, and there is enough drama for two games and foreshadowing for six more in the crime story's dramatic conclusion. What metaphor is represented on your gangster back tattoo? All of this and more on the latest Retro Encounter! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Jonathan Logan, Jo Padilla, Rob Steinman Get in Touch: RPGFan.com...
Jun 26, 2020•1 hr 34 min
Yakuza 0 is a game about violence. And honor. And... real estate? Yakuza 0 tells a compelling crime drama about the intertwining tales of series hero Kazuma Kiryu and fan favorite villain Goro Majima in 1988, 17 years before the story of the first Yakuza game, but you're forgiven if you can't be bothered to complete more story missions with all the distractions that 1980s Kamurocho and Sotenbori have to offer. Four Retro Encounter panelists discuss the wealth of content and absurd tone of Yakuza...
Jun 18, 2020•1 hr 6 min
Retro Encounter's Tournament of Consoles continues, whittling down a list of eight to a single champion. Three PlayStations, three Nintendo handhelds, one Super 90s machine, and whatever the hell you're supposed to call the Switch are our final eight gladiators in our console colosseum, but only one outlives and outlasts this cast of celebrated consoles. Listen to the end to discover Retro Encounter's official Favorite Console to Play RPGs! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Stephanie Syb...
Jun 13, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Retro Encounter's host misses being able to watch sporting events while playing RPGs on a 3DS or Vita, so he gathered a panel of five panelists to hold a replacement tournament. Seventeen video game consoles are considered for the title of Retro Encounter's Favorite Console On Which to Play RPGs, but only one wins. In part 1 of 2, the panelists condense the Starting Seventeen to an Essential Eight. What consoles reign supreme in round 1? Listen and find out! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hag...
Jun 04, 2020•1 hr 10 min
Our panelists experienced Mother 3 to its dramatic conclusion, and in doing so dug an egg out of the trash, frolicked through a field of sunflowers, and located seven golden needles. It's Earthbound callbacks, theories about razors and bananas, and a lot of shed tears in part 2 of our Mother 3 episodes! If you've ever fantasized about kissing a mer-man, dream no longer. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Jo Padilla, Zach Wilkerson Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: retro@rpgfan.com Twitte...
May 28, 2020•1 hr 26 min
Mother 3, a Japan-only Game Boy Advance RPG, the final game in Shigesato Itoi's trilogy, the subject of many direct questions to Reggie Fils-Aime. We won't say exactly how, but four Retro Encounter panelists played Mother 3 over the month of May and have a lot to talk about, including (but not limited to) grief, capitalism, and snakes. Explore Mother 3 and avoid bad crime shows from the early 2010s in the latest Retro Encounter! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Jo Padilla, Zach Wilkerso...
May 21, 2020•1 hr 5 min
The Game Boy Advance was a huge success for Nintendo in the early 2000s, giving the world five Pokemon games, three Fire Emblem games, the first Mario & Luigi RPG, and so much more. Four Retro Encounter panelists gab GBA on today's episode of Retro Encounter! Listen to us discuss all the Game Boy Advance games under the sun, especially because Boktai needs to be played in sunlight. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Pete Leavitt, Leona McCallum, Tina Olah Get in Touch: RPGFan.com Email us: retro@rp...
May 14, 2020•1 hr 25 min
Is Final Fantasy VII Remake the most-anticipated RPG in history? Are the character portrayals up to high fan expectations? Was the combat too opaque? Why is it called Final Fantasy VII Remake without clarifying that the game is releasing in multiple parts? All of these questions and more, asked and anwered by a mostly-positive somewhat-frustrated team of Retro Encounter panelists. Spoilers abound in a very special Remake Retro Encounter! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Jo Padilla, Pete...
May 11, 2020•1 hr 47 min
The panelists of Retro Encounter are stuck at home, and at least four of them decided to watch the Castlevania animated series available on Netflix. The cartoon is loosely based on the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, and our podcast is loosely based on the concept of discussing video games and related topics that interest us. This counts. Is the Castlevania animated series bloody awesome or does it pale in comparison to the games that inspired it? F...
Apr 30, 2020•1 hr 19 min
Aurora borealis? At this time of day? Localized entirely in the Freil Empire? Yes! But all our panelists had to wait until the World of Evil near the end of the game to see it. And in many ways, it is a riveting, yet quickly escalating conclusion as we make our way through the second half of this older Quintet GEM. Listen on to hear us wax poetical about the fleeting nature of existence when we visit the Mountain of Souls, ponder Dr. Leo's motives and...whatever's going on in his lab, and finall...
Apr 23, 2020•1 hr 35 min
The group hunts out monster lairs around the globe to some amazing slap-bass tunes as they discuss the very well-received early Quintet RPG Soul Blazer...and discover the importance of waiting at the title screen for game intros on some of those old titles. This segment of our divinely inspired adventure covers up through St. Elles (the third area of the world), but it still includes a range of unique creatures, such as talking elevators and rafts, goats musing on the nature of reincarnation, an...
Apr 17, 2020•1 hr 25 min
Retro Encounter is a little more serious than usual this week, as five panelists discuss video games as escapism, video game characters with whom we identify, and specific emotional attachments to video games, in the context of mental health and self-care. It's an episode full of personal stories and serious topics, and about how video games can be rewarding in ways other than simple fun. Featuring: Hilary Andreff, Lucy Gray, Alana Hagues, Jo Padilla, Zach Wilkerson
Apr 10, 2020•1 hr 30 min
Retro Encounter wraps on Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE with a discussion on the game's second half, including standoffish new co-workers, tokusatsu superheroes, and whatever the hell The Opera of Light is supposed to be. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Nathan Lee
Apr 03, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE sounds like a fever dream. Atlus makes another RPG about teens saving the world from extra-dimensional shadows by teaming up with spirits, except all of the shadows and spirits are Fire Emblem characters and all of the teens are pop stars? Two Retro Encounter panelists dissect and celebrate the Mad Libs weirdness of one of the Wii U's signature RPGs. Also that's a musical sharp sign and not a hashtag. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Nathan Lee
Mar 27, 2020•1 hr 7 min
The spice must flow! Retro Encounter once again muses on the hypothetical and the unlikely in our second Adaptations episode! What movies, books, and TV shows would Peter, Tina, and Audra like to see turned into video games, and how would we go about it? All I know is that I'm kicking myself for not mentioning Tron. Featuring: Peter Triezenberg, Audra Bowling, Tina Olah
Mar 20, 2020•56 min
Dragon Quest V is a video game near and dear to the hearts of many Dragon Quest fans, but how about its animated adaptation? Three Retro Encounter panelists tackle Dragon Quest: Your Story, a cartoon that makes some very strange decisions in retelling the story of Dragon Quest V. Sort of. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Alana Hagues, Zach Wilkerson
Mar 13, 2020•1 hr 7 min
NieR: Automata ramps up the drama in its second half, with 2B, 9S, A2, and other androids with alphanumeric designations exploring post-apocalyptic earth. Our panelists talk about the philosophy, fashion, hard decisions, and even the end credits of NieR: Automata, and how all of the above hurt their feelings. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Caitlin Argyros, Jo Padilla, Zach Wilkerson
Mar 06, 2020•1 hr 46 min
Retro Encounter discusses the 2017 RPG superhit NieR: Automata, in which the panelists discuss the philosophy, action, music, colors, and more of Yoko Taro's magnum opus. Nothing can stop us from getting to the end of A route, except for aggressive moose. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Caitlin Argyros, Jo Padilla, Zach Wilkerson
Feb 21, 2020•1 hr 42 min
