State of the Arc Podcast

Before the golden age, JRPGs were undergoing an exciting period of experimentation! In Part 2 of our History of JRPGs series, we're joined once again by game designer and author Pat Holleman to explore the years 1988–1990, when Japanese developers began pushing the boundaries of what an RPG could be.

From Final Fantasy II's unconventional progression systems, which led to the birth of SaGa, to Dragon Quest IV's ambitious storytelling, we examine how the industry's biggest franchises continually reinvented themselves and borrowed ideas from one another. We also explore the early histories of Ys, Phantasy Star, Megami Tensei, Mother, and Fire Emblem, along with overlooked classics like Crystalis.

Why were developers so willing to radically reinvent successful games? How did technological limitations shape their creative decisions? And how did these experiments lay the foundation for the golden age that followed? Join us as we trace the evolution of one of gaming's most beloved genres and discover how these formative years helped define the RPGs we know today!

Time Codes:
1. Intro (0:00)
2. How Technological Limitations Shaped JRPGs (2:50)
3. Dragon Quest III and Rapid Innovation (5:30)
4. Why Early JRPG Sequels Were Experimental (12:28)
5. Final Fantasy II and the Origins of SaGa (15:49)
6. Ys II and the History of Nihon Falcom (21:12)
7. The Birth of SaGa and Its Influence on Pokémon (29:38)
8. Phantasy Star II (36:20)
9. Mother and Its Lasting Influence (43:44)
10. Dragon Quest IV (51:14)
11. Final Fantasy III (56:54)
12. Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II (1:01:48)
13. Phantasy Star III (1:05:14)
14. Fire Emblem and the Birth of Tactical JRPGs (1:12:59)
15. Crystalis: An Overlooked NES Classic (1:17:02)
16. The JRPG Landscape in 1990 (1:19:30)

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Hello everyone! We're hard at work on a lot of behind-the-scenes things I wanted to update you on. We've got new episodes on the History of JRPGs, Silent Hill 2, and Chrono Trigger in the works, plus a brand-new studio space we're VERY close to debuting. I just need a little more time to get things in order, so thank you for your patience as we transition to a new look and format for the show!

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Casen has never played J-Pop Sphere Hunters before, and so this travesty is quickly being amended. The thing about Final Fan-Service X-2 is that, unlike its namesake, it presents us with the aftermath of its own deconstructed world. What to do now? Is the rampant fan service part of the results of bringing about such a world? The Idol culture an adequate replacement of previous religious traditions? What happens in the power vacuum after a theocracy has been toppled? We tackle all this and more in our exciting discussion on Final Fantasy X-2, a game that is often misunderstood, and often perfectly understood all too well. We discuss religion, tradition, deconstruction, the difficulty of reconstruction, the wisdom of patience, and the way that we can idolize games (like Final Fantasy X).

**Listen on Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3

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**Listen on iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837

**Listen on Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ

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Kingdom Hearts IV is coming out next year and the new trailer is FIRE. We thought we were done with the series, and now our collective curiosities are peaked! Joining us today is Best Guy Ever @BestGuyEver ! https://www.youtube.com/@BestGuyEver/videos , and his podcast https://www.youtube.com/@InternetGeniusShow .

**Listen on Spotify**: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gIzzvT3AfRHjGlfF8kFW3

**Listen on Soundcloud**: https://soundcloud.com/resonantarc

**Listen on iTunes**: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/state-of-the-arc-podcast/id1121795837

**Listen on Pocket Cast**: http://pca.st/NJsJ

Discord Link: https://discord.gg/RFMF6gpHr
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Nintendo just gave us our best look yet at the Ocarina of Time remake, and while nearly everything about it appears remarkably faithful to the original, its new visual direction left us with a lot to talk about!

In this episode, Casen goes into the latest Nintendo Directs completely blind as we react to the Ocarina of Time remake, debate Link's redesigned appearance and the game's new art style, and ask how much a remake should preserve the original's visual identity. Then we jump into the rest of Nintendo's announcements, including Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Fire Emblem, Xenoblade Chronicles, Resident Evil, Metroid, Persona, Romancing SaGa, and several surprises we weren't expecting.

What did you think of the new look for Ocarina of Time? Is this exactly what you wanted from a remake, or has something been lost in translation?

Time Codes:
0:00 – Intro
1:27 – Zelda’s 40th Anniversary Direct
3:01 – Ocarina of Time Remake Reveal
9:25 – Our First Impressions
10:36 – Something About the Art Direction Feels Off
16:03 – What Happened to Link’s Face?
17:27 – Is Link’s New Design Too Busy?
24:01 – The Plastic / Porcelain Look
26:01 – Moving Away From the Original Art
29:13 – Was Puppet Theater an Influence?
30:58 – Why Art Direction Matters
35:27 – Final Fantasy VII Revelation & Crisis Core
36:11 – Star Fox
36:59 – Fire Emblem
38:07 – Pikmin & a Very Silent Hill-Looking Game
38:53 – Xenoblade Chronicles 3
39:33 – The Climbing Game
40:32 – Resident Evil Remakes
42:21 – The New Wii Sports?
43:34 – Metroid: Ravenous
44:53 – Eternal Anima
45:33 – Romancing SaGa 3
46:24 – Persona 4 & Persona 6
47:20 – Kirby Gets Weird
48:47 – Our Nintendo Direct Standouts
50:28 – Outro

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