RPGFan's Retro Encounter

Being off Retro Encounter makes Cuno sad!
This week on Retro Encounter, our host returns to talk about a topic near and dear to him: the best and worst kids in RPGs. We know know children are usually the worst in media, so what does a good one look like? How many of them are secretly much older? Which games will some panelists never play after this conversation? Listen in to find out!
Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Paul Skevington; Edited by Zach Wilkerson
Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri
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Your tier list met with a terrible fate, hasn’t it?
This week brings Part 2 of Retro Encounter’s legendary The Legend of Zelda tier list. There are still 11 more entries to cover and the final ranking to decide. How do less popular entries like Spirit Tracks stack up against classics like A Link to the Past? How much can these guys yap about their favorite and least favorite Zeldas? Find out what our group’s Frankenstein list looks like by listening now!
Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Mike Salbato, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson
Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri
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Retro! Retro! Kooloo-Limpah!
This week’s Retro Encounter marks the return of the tier list! This time around we’re ranking 20 entries in The Legend of Zelda franchise. What better way to celebrate 40 years of the beloved series than for our four panelists to upset each other with their differing takes? Apparently, opinions were so strong and thorough that we had to divide the lengthy recording into two episodes. What games did we prioritize for our first nine picks? What ranked higher: Zelda II: Adventure of Link or Tears of the Kingdom? The answer may or may not surprise you, and you'll have to listen in to find out!
Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Mike Salbato, Matt Wardell; Edited by Zach Wilkerson
Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri
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Three years hence the War of the Knights...The old ways rang of their death knell, a fresh wind began to blow. The path the one knight chose, he continued being a knight even after.
This week on Retro Encounter, our panel returns to discuss the second half of Falcom's oft-forgotten dark fantasy action RPG Xanadu Next. We cover the game's creative boss fights, the emergence of Castle Strangerock from the depths of Lake Orwell, and wax poetically about the bittersweet ending sequence. Give it a listen and find out why Xanadu Next remains one of Falcom's all-time classic titles.
Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Audra Bowling; Edited by Zach Wilkerson
Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri
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Still...An ancient castle that only appears in the mist, and a holy sword that rests therein...It's like a fairy tale! Just hearing about it makes my heart beat faster!
This week on Retro Encounter, a panel of Falcom afficianados (and one relative newcomer) explores the ruins of Xanadu Next's Harlech Island. Released all the way back in 2005 (and brought to US shores courtesy of XSEED Games in 2016), Xanadu Next is one of Falcom's oft-forgotten classics, with a dark, somber tone and slower pace influenced by Yasumi Matsuno's Ivalice universe (Vagrant Story in particular). We discuss Charlotte Wells and our unnamed protagonist knights' inauspicious start to their investigation of Harlech Island's ancient mysteries, how the game's combat compares to other isometric action RPGs like Diablo, and the merits of interconnected world design. Give it a listen if you love Falcom's golden era of PC releases, or if you're curious about the game's ingenious (at times frustrating) key economy.
Featuring: Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love, Audra Bowling; Edited by Zach Wilkerson
Opening and ending music by Miles Morkri
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