RPGFan's Retro Encounter

If I could turn back time / If I could find a wayFour RPGFan staff played through Dragon Quest XI this month, and it left them full of feelings. But were those feelings satisfying or wanting? How did they find DQ11’s notorious third act? Spoiler alert: this is a wonderful video game, despite what other RPGFan podcast hosts might say. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Gio Castillo, Wes Iliff, Tin Manuel; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomDragon Quest XI on RPGFan

I love it when villagers rhyme / it makes me as glad as a slimeDragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was hailed as an instant classic when it launched worldwide in 2018, and with more than five years of perspective our panel agrees. They discuss Dragon Quest XI's charming characters, rock-solid mechanics, and (unfortunately) repetitive music in today's episode of Retro Encounter, in which Jade kicks some fools and Rab remembers things past. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Gio Castillo, Wes Iliff, Tin Manuel; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomDragon Quest XI on RPGFan

Rock the DragonKazuma Kiryu starred in at least a dozen video games in the last eighteen years and experienced a remarkable fictional life. In today’s podcast, two of RPGFan’s most enthusiastic Like a Dragon advocates examine the life and times of the Dragon of Dojima, as part of Retro Encounter’s Year of the Dragon celebrations.  Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Jonathan Logan; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomRPGFan's So You Want to Get into Like a Dragon

Opinions are like cats. The internet is full of them. We mostly fall into conventional wisdom here on Retro Encounter when it comes to what games deserve celebration and which games do not (there will not be an episode on Beyond the Beyond anytime soon), but we don’t always go with the grain. Five panelists each share two of their more offbeat, uncommon RPG beliefs, ranging from a certain series needing to reboot to several games being just too damn long. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Audra Bowling, Paul Dennis, Aleks Franiczek, Stephanie Sybydlo; Edited by Paul DennisOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Should we double check the envelope?We’re in the middle of entertainment awards show season, and it’s high time Retro Encounter decides a worthy ballot for the RPGs with the best characters, music, visuals, gameplay, and story. But to make things interesting, we’re drafting four games for each category, and no RPG can be drafted more than once. Does that make sense? If you listen to the episode, then all will become clear! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Aleks Franiczek, Jimmy Turner, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Fill my heart with Retro / And let me play RPGs forevermoreWe're back this week to discuss the second half of Moon, a game that parodies RPGs so much it almost becomes an Adventure game. How does the second half of the game compare with the first? Did we get all the love? Just how many frustrating minigames can one man take? Listen in to find out!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomMoon on RPGFan

FOUR HUNDRED BABIESIf you’ve listened to a Retro Encounter multiple of 50 before, you know that the panel is going to come up with a public poll for a future Retro Encounter episode. This time around, we’re having a shark party! The panel will “invest” in pitches from twelve Retro Encounter panelists from past and present in a game inspired by a certain entrepreneurial television show. It took 8 years and 8 months, but Retro Encounter made it to 400 episodes.  Time to get this party started, but once the party's over, don't forget to vote in the poll below! Link to Episode 400 Poll (Google Form)Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Aleks Franiczek, Lucas Greene, Wes Iliff, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael SollosiGuest-starring: Hilary Andreff, Tom Cox, Robert Fenner, Alana Hagues, Derek Heemsbergen, Jonathan Logan, Stephen Meyerink, Eva Padilla, Mike Salbato, Robert Steinman, Stephanie Sybydlo, Peter TriezenbergOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Bubby, if you ain't got Retro Encounter, you'll stop breathing and pass the heck out.After waiting over two decades, we finally got a localization of this quirky gem, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure. So, we got three of our panelists to discuss the first half of the game. We talk about the odd gameplay mechanics, just how many times we passed out before we figured out the Love system, and the games Moon went on to inspire. Listen in to find out what we thought on its opening hours!Featuring: Zach Wilkerson, Aleks Franiczek, Ben Love; Edited by Zach WilkersonOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomMoon on RPGFan

Movin’ to the country / I’m gonna eat a lot of ToadstoolsSuper Mario RPG turned 27 in 2023 (!), and to celebrate, Nintendo and ArtePiazza released a snazzy new remake. Three Retro Encounter enthusiasts discuss the new remake’s new look, gameplay adjustments, and breezy difficulty, as well as Mario RPG’s influence over the intervening decades. Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Jimmy Turner, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Michael SollosiOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancomSuper Mario RPG's remake on RPGFan

2023 and Me In true RPGFan podcast fashion, Retro Encounter always looks back. In an annual tradition since 2015, a Retro Encounter panel examines the previous year of RPGs and highlights a few favorites. What RPG is labeled a platonic ideal? What two 2023 downloads might be among the best DLC of all time? How about that Baldur’s Gate 3? All of this and more in the final Retro Encounter episode of 2023! Featuring: Michael Sollosi, Aleks Franiczek, Jonathan Logan, Zach Wilkerson; Edited by Paul DennisOpening and ending music by Miles MorkriGet in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: retro@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomInstagram: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom