Podcasts by RPG Backtrack
RPG Backtrack is a podcast in which we reflect upon some of the staple titles in this wide-ranging genre.
Further podcasts by RPGamer
Podcast on the topic Videospiele
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RPG Backtrack 256 – Dr. Thunder Fallout from 2022-04-15T12:52:43
The Outer Worlds is Obsidian's interpretation of a post-apocalyptic experience. Sam, Josh, and David hop on the podcast to talk about their adventures in this wacky space western.
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RPG Backtrack 255 – I Hate Sand from 2022-03-31T17:31:42
The Nintendo DS was the home of several strange RPGs. During this week's backtrack, we provide some mixed opinions about Sands of Destruction with guests Sam Wachter and Cassandra Ramos.
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RPG Backtrack 254 – The Transistor’s Bastion from 2022-03-20T20:56:40
The summer of 2011 gave us a little company named Supergiant Games, which has made several beloved games. Guests Sam, Ryan, and Pascal hop on to discuss the developer's first two titles: Bastion an...
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RPG Backtrack 253 – Gundam Rean from 2022-03-03T20:20:05
It’s time for the next part in the Legend of Heroes saga, Trails of Cold Steel II, featuring guests Josh Carpenter and Pascal Tekaia. The first game ended on such a cliffhanger that the fans must b...
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RPG Backtrack 252 – 32 Short Stories About Orsterra from 2022-02-17T22:19:34
Square Enix's first dive into the HD-2D style was an interesting yet divisive game. Join us along with guests Ryan Radcliff, Paul Shkreli, Jason McFadden, and Josh Carpenter as we talk about why e...
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RPG Backtrack 251 – Symphonia of the Night from 2022-02-03T19:55:59
It's a double dose of Tales as we talk about Tales of Symphonia and its sequel, Dawn of the New World! Get your ex-spheres ready because Robert Albright and Cassandra Ramos join in for the fun!
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RPG Backtrack 250 – Flipping Heck Mun, It’s Ni No Kuni, En’t It? from 2022-01-20T23:07:26
We rounded up guests Pascal Tekaia and Jon Jansen to talk about Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. Get your Wizard's Companion out of storage, because it's time to look back at when Level-5 fir...
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RPG Backtrack 249 – Need an RPG? Why Not Zeboyd? from 2022-01-07T13:09:56
We kick off 2022 with a duo of indie RPGs from a little company called Zeboyd Games. Join us along with Robert Albright, Ryan Radcliff, Pascal Tekaia, and Sam Wachter as we dive into these retro-in...
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RPG Backtrack 248 – Sexy Beat Takeshi from 2021-12-17T15:09:54
It's the final RPG Backtrack of 2021! Join this lively cast of guests, including Josh Carpenter, David McBurney, Ryan McCarthy, Pascal Tekaia, and Sam Wachter as we close out the year in Kamurocho.
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RPG Backtrack 247 – X Marks the Spot from 2021-12-09T13:58:53
This week's episode is about the hidden gem on the Nintendo system that never found its footing. Guests Ryan McCarthy and Micheal Apps both wonder if Nopons taste like potatoes while we talk about ...
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RPG Backtrack 246 – Making a Fus Ro Dah from 2021-11-18T19:54:03
It's been ten full years of dragons and memes from the Elder Scrolls universe, and for this week’s RPG Backtrack, Sam and Pascal hop on to reminisce about Skyrim. Maybe this episode will still be r...
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RPG Backtrack 245 – Day ‘Mon, Fighter of the Night ‘Mon from 2021-11-04T23:47:04
It's an island getaway this week on RPG Backtrack, as we tale a trip to Alola and catch some Pokémon. Cassandra, Robert, and Wheels take the island challenge as well. Now if only that stupid Cosm...
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RPG Backtrack 244 – Hot for Teacher from 2021-10-21T18:06:22
The next major arc of the Legend of Heroes series takes us to Thors Military Academy, where we learn that even teachers need a drink sometimes. Join us on this journey to Erebonia along with Pasca...
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RPG Backtrack 243 – Domo Arigato Solatorobo from 2021-10-08T01:23:05
It's time to give some love to CyberConnect2's passion project, Little Tail Bronx. Josh Carpenter and Casandra Ramos join the show to chime in about this adorable little DS game, Solatorobo: Red th...
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RPG Backtrack 242 – This Quest Goes to Eleven from 2021-09-23T19:09:54
We gushed about Dragon Quest's first game earlier in the year to celebrate the series' 35th anniversary. Now it's time to express our thoughts about the latest entry, Dragon Quest XI, with guests ...
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RPG Backtrack 241 – Dadga’s Dogma from 2021-09-11T15:25:04
On today's Backtrack, we talk about the finer points of exterminating deities in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo. Join us along with guests Anna, Cassandra, and David while we take a deep dive into Shin M...
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RPG Backtrack 240 – Rub Rabbids from 2021-08-26T23:54:09
Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle turned out to be a kid-friendly version of X-Com that we actually enjoyed! Join us along with guests Josh, Pascal, Wheels, and Paul as we shoot some Rabbids with Ne...
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RPG Backtrack 239 – Save Money. Farm Better. from 2021-08-12T12:29:50
It's time to put on our overalls, grab our hoe, and go back to the farm! Join us along with guests Sam and Ryan as we dig deep into the depths of indie darling Stardew Valley.
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RPG Backtrack 237 – Lions and Eagles and Deer, Oh My from 2021-07-30T12:34:18
It's time to celebrate Fire Emblem's glorious debut in high definition! Settle in for a fancy tea party, as we explore Fire Emblem: Three Houses with guests Anna, Cassandra, Josh, and Paul.
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RPG Backtrack 238 – Lions and Eagles and Deer, Oh My from 2021-07-30T12:34:18
It's time to celebrate Fire Emblem's glorious debut in high definition! Settle in for a fancy tea party, as we explore Fire Emblem: Three Houses with guests Anna, Cassandra, Josh, and Paul.
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RPG Backtrack 237 – Did You Probe Uranus? from 2021-07-18T16:39:17
BioWare's three-part space epic, Mass Effect, left an impression on the hearts of many people. Join us, along with guests Josh, Robert, Jervon, and Pascal as we ask the important questions, such as...
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RPG Backtrack 236 – Action Jensen from 2021-07-02T21:45:43
It's time to break out the oil cans and question our humanity. We're talking about Deus Ex: Mankind Divided (with a little bit of Human Revolution thrown in) on this week's episode of RPG Backtrac...
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RPG Backtrack 235 – Slambert It Up from 2021-06-18T03:45:06
The Legend of Dragoon is, without a doubt, the most polarizing game in RPG history. Maybe our guests Andy, David, Robert, and Pascal can help find a middle ground?
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RPG Backtrack 234 – Mystery ‘Sona Theater 3000 from 2021-06-04T23:01:47
What do you get when you take a cast of 25 characters from Persona, throw them in a clone of Etrian Odyssey, then add a dash of movie magic and a pinch of depressing social commentary? You get Per...
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RPG Backtrack 233: 35 Goo-d Years from 2021-05-21T19:23:23
A podcast draws near! Command? Join us with guests Cassandra Ramos and Andy as we celebrate Dragon Quest's 35th birthday. Needless to say, the game had a bit of an influence on all of our lives.
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RPG Backtrack 232: Dr. Elena and Ms. Millenia from 2021-05-06T23:56:20
The Dreamcast may have lacked in terms of... everything, but the RPGs it had were spectacular! In this episode, we get into Grandia II with guests Robert Albright, David McBurney, and Mike Moehnke.
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RPG Backtrack 231: Hug the Goat! from 2021-04-23T00:53:19
Our retro episode of RPG Backtrack briefly mentioned the feel-good RPG, Undertale. We felt the game deserved its own episode, since we also have a chance to bring up its spiritual sequel, Deltarune.
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RPG Backtrack 230: Dance Dance Revelation from 2021-04-09T22:45:33
RPGamer's Yakuza aficionados Josh Carpenter, David McBurney, Ryan McCarthy, and Sam Wachter weigh in on whether Yakuza 5 fulfilled any dreams, or was the stuff of nightmares.
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RPG Backtrack 229: For the Gravy! from 2021-03-25T23:26:31
For anyone who couldn't get enough job hats, Square Enix delivers with a sequel to its weirdly-named "Not Final Fantasy" for the 3DS. Join us along with guests Cassandra Ramos and Alex Fuller as we...
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RPG Backtrack 228: Hedgehog Age from 2021-03-12T00:45:27
BioWare was on top of the world in the late 2000s. Then it got the bright idea to make a portable game with a certain blue hedgehog, and the internet rejoiced... or did it?
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RPG Backtrack 227: Ballin’ Since ’96 from 2021-02-27T15:04:15
It’s the 25th anniversary of the launch of Pokémon Red and Green in Japan. You just weren’t a '90s kid unless you were bragging to your friends about how you found a Mew under the truck.
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RPG Backtrack 226: Sim City Evermore from 2021-02-11T23:14:26
Bandai Namco surprised us with a sequel to its team-up with Studio Ghibli. Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is a little less Ghibli than we would like, but guests Chris and Anna Marie Privitere stil...
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RPG Backtrack 225: A Frozen Tangled Toy Story from 2021-02-04T19:22:59
Like many games before it, Kingdom Hearts was a series that had trouble getting to three. Join us along with guests David McBurney, Ryan McCarthy, and Shannon Harle, as we discuss the long-awaited...
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RPG Backtrack 224: Slimecraft from 2021-01-08T13:03:11
What happens when Japan's most popular RPG decides to mimic the world's most popular sandbox game? Find out along with guests Robert Albright and Anna Marie Privitere as we mine some slimes and cra...
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RPG Backtrack 223: Blade-y Driver from 2020-12-18T03:18:35
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was one of the first major RPGs for the Nintendo Switch (if you don't count Breath of the Wild). Does it live up to the legacy of the Xeno series? Join us along with guests ...
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RPG Backtrack 222: Third Trail’s a Charm! from 2020-12-05T03:32:18
The last game in the Trails in the Sky trilogy took 10 years to come to the United States. That's a long wait! At least you don't have to wait that long for us to talk about it. Join us as one long...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 221: Can’t You Hear Me Yell-a? from 2020-10-09T03:22:29
Imageepoch made one final game featuring witches before the company disappeared, and Stella Glow proved a quite decent swan song. It's the subject of today's Backtrack, in fact.
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RPG Backtrack Episode 220: Grand Game Arts from 2020-08-11T04:26:07
After learning some things with Lunar, Game Arts created a series called Grandia that has quite a bit to recommend. We have some new points of view eager to chime in on this series today.
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RPG Backtrack Episode 219: Peregrine Falcom from 2020-06-07T22:35:39
Falcom has delivered a number of titles over the years that aren’t part of its currently-ongoing series, and we tackle a sextet of them here. ...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 218: Tell It to the Musou Marines from 2020-04-19T03:23:27
Every now and then, a Musou title crosses over into the realm of something we cover at RPGamer. A quartet of these games from the worlds of Dragon Quest, The Legend of Zelda and Fire Emblem someho...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 217: The Mothers of Invention from 2020-03-09T05:12:44
In Japan it’s called Mother, while for North America it’s called Earthbound. Either way, Shigesato Itoi’s series is unique and worth some discussion.
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RPG Backtrack Episode 216: Time After Time from 2020-02-10T20:32:56
Once upon a time, a Dream Team of RPG talent created something called Chrono Trigger. Years later, a sequel called Chrono Cross made its way onto store shelves. The tale of these two titles is told...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 215: Captain Diabetes from 2020-01-16T04:25:26
Not satisfied with a single venture into the RPG realm, South Park returned in 2017 with another turn-based excursion through a small mountain town in Colorado. Be prepared for language that is in...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 214: Echoes in My Mind from 2019-12-12T01:44:14
Remakes of Fire Emblem games were limited to the DS, until the second entry in the series saw a 3DS rendition. Something that originated on the Famicom occasioned quite a bit of discussion, presen...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 213: The Boys Are Back in Town from 2019-11-07T02:12:39
After a lengthy and problematic development cycle, Final Fantasy XV was released to the world in 2016. Many people subsequently played it and have a variety of things to say regarding the experien...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 212: The Roaches Did Survive from 2019-10-26T00:39:59
The Fallout series has gone through a number of permutations, and we’ve covered everything predating the fourth numbered one. The time has come to give...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 211: On the Horizon from 2019-10-06T23:37:22
Considering it was a brand-new intellectual property, Horizon Zero Dawn succeeded beyond what most publishers would have expected. We have a lot of people ready...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 210: Genre Splicing from 2019-09-06T00:29:38
What happens when the Shin Megami Tensei concepts are extended into other series, such as Etrian Odyssey and Fire Emblem? We get interesting fusions like the first Persona Q and Tokyo Mirage Sessi...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 209: The Pokemon Are Restless from 2019-08-19T05:09:36
Pokémon is such a sprawling series that it contains numerous titles varying from its usual template. We tackled a lot of them in this episode, and while the result may not be comprehensive regardi...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 208: Year XIL in the Land of LIA from 2019-07-26T00:55:41
Our progress in covering Tales of games continues with a pair called Xillia 1 and 2. Quite a bit is happening in this pair, and...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 207 – It Comes by Summon Night from 2019-07-15T03:15:15
A long-running series in Japan has only made occasional trips across the Pacific, but we managed to play some of all the ones that did. Here's a discussion on the sizable Summon Night lineage.
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RPG Backtrack Episode 206: The Tell-tale Compile Heart from 2019-06-23T21:34:52
Founded as a subsidiary of Idea Factory, the Compile Heart company has been aiding and abetting a deluge of games over the years. These titles...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 205: Nancy Drew and the Case of Otherworldly Entities from 2019-05-20T23:20:58
Atlus would not be rushed into making a fifth main Persona game. Now that it’s finally been out long enough to warrant a Backtrack, plenty...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 204: Link Goes Wild from 2019-05-11T01:31:45
The Legend of Zelda in recent years has produced a couple of nonlinear adventures for the 3DS and Switch. Breath of the Wild, in particular, produced some disparate thoughts for the benefit of our...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 203: YO, KAI, Watch This! from 2019-04-15T01:12:10
A quick glance at the Yo-kai Watch games might superficially indicate nothing more than another portable monster collection title, but there's quite a bit more to distinguish them. Going into what...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 202: I’m Gonna Wreck It! from 2019-03-14T05:16:21
Let us return to the earlier days of the Kingdom Hearts series. This episode contains an attempt to disseminate the pertinent points of Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II.
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RPG Backtrack Episode 201: Return of the Dragon from 2019-03-01T06:38:05
In recent years the release of new entries in the Dragon Quest series hasn’t been very frequent. Dragon Quest VIII and Dragon Quest IX have nevertheless been around long enough to warrant a Backtr...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 200: An Octopus at the Opera from 2019-02-08T04:47:48
It was a time when relatively few RPGs crossed the Pacific, and not all of those that did were memorable. For our 200th episode, talking about the most operatic Final Fantasy on the Super Nintendo...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 199: What a ‘Stache from 2019-01-17T04:17:11
Nintendo keeps putting Mario into the RPG realm, so it's time to catch up with the 3DS installments that aren't remakes. It's also time to reflect a bit on the very first time Mario entered an RPG.
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RPG Backtrack Episode 198: First Starflight I See Tonight from 2018-12-29T20:59:04
A little title about exploring a large swathe of the galaxy, originally released on the PC and later on the Genesis, hasn't seen a new installment in decades but still inspires fond memories. This...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 197: A Pillar Is Forever from 2018-11-29T03:49:20
After over 77,000 Kickstarter backers contributed to Obsidian's campaign, a new title named Pillars of Eternity came to pass. We have quite a bit to say about this title that deliberately evokes th...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 196 – Map It Out from 2018-11-20T04:03:55
The 3DS saw some later Etrian Odyssey games that changed the core principles a bit. Two of them added significant narratives, and another mixed in...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 195: Old Wave from 2018-10-13T06:19:01
Developers were once consumed by the need to push technological prowess as much as possible, but in recent years a smorgasbord of titles that evoke earlier generations has been created. We here ta...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 194: Chasing the Dragon from 2018-09-26T01:21:46
Just when it seemed safe to talk about the seventh Dragon Quest, it was remade for the 3DS. Now that a little time has passed and the official Backtrack Statute of Limitations has expired, we can ...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 193: In Soviet Russia, Pokémon Catch You from 2018-09-01T04:54:01
The time has come to delve further into the twisty world of Pokémon in its fifth and sixth generations. Unexpectedly, since he never played a game in the series, we also pay tribute to Macstorm wit...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 192: Harpies, Dragons and Cavalry, Oh My from 2018-08-16T01:24:47
The Saturn received a number of exclusive titles that have yet to be ported elsewhere, and among them were several Working Designs gems. One that...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 191: Just Plain Vanillaware from 2018-07-28T19:38:29
Three-dimensional visuals are used by most developers now. Vanillaware is an important exception to that trend, and its Dragon’s Crown, Odin Sphere and Muramasa demonstrate just how nice two-dimen...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 190: A Wii ARF from 2018-07-05T00:57:47
Arc Rise Fantasia is a game that received something of a bad deal when it was localized, and even now hasn’t been experienced by many. ...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 189: No Fates but What We Make from 2018-06-21T04:18:01
Previous Fire Emblem titles were self-contained, but Fates is a different experience in its structure. Nintendo and Intelligent Systems made some interesting decisions here, and we delve into them...
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RPG Backtrack Episode 188: D2 The Mighty Prinnies from 2018-05-29T04:25:26
Once upon a time we managed to sustain an episode of the Backtrack that talked about Disgaea for an astoundingly long time. Even more games...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 187: “We’re Going to War” from 2018-04-24T21:07:20
The Langrisser series has only come across the Pacific legitimately on two occasions in different centuries, and neither is the high point of a venerable...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 186: “You Can Make History Young Again” from 2018-04-04T19:47:07
Radiant Historia was a fairly late release for the DS, and garnered quite a devoted following from those who were able to obtain it. Now...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 185: “The Hunt Is On” from 2018-03-20T23:24:25
A massive series from Capcom called Monster Hunter involves exactly what the title implies. Once the thrill of Monster Hunter gets into someone’s blood it...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 184: “Fragile, It Must be Italian” from 2018-03-06T20:25:33
In a world with little life left and lots of clues about what went wrong, a young man must puzzle a way to survive. This...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 183: “Estelle Is Swell” from 2018-01-25T21:11:37
Completing the localization of Trails in the Sky’s Second Chapter was not a task for the lighthearted, but XSEED eventually persevered. This episode details why...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 182: “Hearts of Graces” from 2018-01-13T17:21:18
Tales games just keep coming, and a couple of more recent ones come under the microscope today. One was embraced by almost everyone while the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 181: “Xenomorphing” from 2017-12-23T18:09:09
It was looking as if a highly-regarded title for the Wii wasn’t going to make its way to North America, but Operation Rainfall eventually produced...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 180: “Awakening the Fire” from 2017-11-07T19:00:34
A few years ago, it looked as if Fire Emblem was on its last legs. Intelligent Systems threw everything it could think of into a...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 179: “Lunar 2: Eternal Boogaloo” from 2017-10-12T20:29:44
It’s been a long time since a completely new Lunar game was released, and an even longer time since a completely new Lunar game that...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 178: “Monday the Thirteenth” from 2017-05-31T20:49:46
Square-Enix heard the cries of several people who needed to have more Final Fantasy XIII, and brought forth XIII-2. Whether this particular sequel is one...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 177: “Rim the Sky” from 2017-05-10T20:54:12
After Arena, post-Daggerfall, following Morrowind and past Oblivion, The Elder Scrolls reached Skyrim. Since its horses are more aggressive in a fight, the inability to...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 176: “As Seen on TV” from 2017-04-16T12:14:46
Long-running manga and anime often involve characters seeking to get stronger, so turning them into RPGs isn’t a completely inexplicable move. The results don’t always...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 175: “The Ys Have It” from 2017-03-19T16:07:43
Through new episodes, remakes, prequels and some combination of the above the adventures of Adol Christin continue. On the PSP, Vita and PC he goes,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 174: “Watch Out for Claptrap” from 2017-03-05T14:20:28
Instead of moving on to the number 3, the Borderlands series went down under with a Pre-Sequel to see what happened between the first two...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 173: “You Meddling Kids!” from 2017-02-12T13:19:04
For years, the Persona series’ last proper entry has been 4. To help understand the high level of anticipation the release of a fifth game...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 172: “Courageous Finances” from 2017-01-19T21:26:53
It may not be a Final Fantasy in name, but Bravely Default would have been a worthy entry in that varied series if a new...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 171: “The Hills of Oblivion” from 2017-01-16T19:37:56
Once more we venture into the world of The Elder Scrolls, this time with a game that helped popularize the idea of downloadable content. Oblivion...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 170: “Conformists” from 2016-11-16T20:30:46
There are some good ones, but the trend of licensed games being wretched has never gone away. Thus South Park’s first RPG being a delight...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 169: “Superego” from 2016-07-09T19:24:51
The corporate entity Square Enix hasn’t been known for frequent inventions of new IPs in recent years, but a DS game which received consistent acclaim...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 168: “The Fastest Ship in the Galaxy” from 2016-06-11T18:52:13
Rogue Galaxy borrows a few things from Star Wars, but the idea of a ship with sails moving between planets is a new one. Hear...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 167: “They’ll Kill Ya Five Times Before You Hit the Ground” from 2016-05-22T15:27:18
The further adventures of Kazuma Kiryu after the PS2 involve an Okinawa orphanage, joining with multiple others to deal with some missing money from the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 166: “Agarest in Peace” from 2016-05-11T19:03:01
Among the things for which Idea Factory is responsible, a series that involves multiple generations fighting evil across continents has gained a devoted audience. Precisely...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 165: “Lunar Excursion” from 2016-04-24T15:36:21
A certain game involving a young man’s dreams of being a Dragonmaster, and his childhood friend’s unfortunate appearance on the radar of villainy, showed up...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 164: “Beyond the Legend” from 2016-04-06T19:39:28
Sega had a lot of franchises that have been abandoned over the years, and one with a focus on fighting and summoning spirits showed up...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 163: “The Elder Dead Sea Scrolls” from 2016-03-27T13:11:24
The world of Morrowind is a gigantic one, and the multitude of places and things to partake of is fittingly enormous. The praise given to...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 162: “Do You Like this Rogue?” from 2016-03-13T20:31:40
In the early days of RPGs, a title constructed entirely of ASCII that depicted an adventurer being overcome by a variety of random forces inside...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 161: “Paths of Glory” from 2016-03-07T19:42:32
How do adventure game mechanics mesh with those of RPGs? In the case of at least most entries in the Quest for Glory series, pretty...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 160: “Triskaidekaphobia” from 2016-02-11T19:50:38
Few series make it to thirteen numbered entries, but Final Fantasy succeeded. The first installment with that number in its title has occasioned a lot...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 159: “Twice a Dragon’s Age” from 2016-02-11T18:41:49
Between Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age: Inquisition came a middle game that doesn’t get much love. Whether it deserves attention in spite of its...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 158: “Crossing the Border” from 2016-01-12T21:21:55
The world of Borderlands continues to revolve heavily around shooting things while Claptrap entertains. In the second game, hitting kneecaps and areas other than the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 157: “Take This Job and Love It” from 2015-12-27T16:56:18
The fifth Final Fantasy was left in Japan for years, though nowadays it’s available on a plethora of platforms. It may not be exactly what...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 156: “Arena of the Elders” from 2015-12-27T16:53:41
The Elder Scrolls began with obtuse games that are customarily bundled with later titles nowadays rather than being sold alone. For sheer quantity of material...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 155: “Bad Idea Factory” from 2015-11-29T17:32:49
Somehow the work of Idea Factory has been crossing the Pacific much more frequently in recent years. This is a look back at certain titles...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 154: “Delta Force” from 2015-10-30T18:36:46
Being a spy probably isn’t easy, but Alpha Protocol makes it look that way in certain regards. Some of what Obsidian tried to do with...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 153: “Demon Seed” from 2015-10-15T19:27:48
The Shin Megami Tensei brand has spread over a great number of platforms, and two recent entries on the 3DS are the subject this time....
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 152: “Shock to the System” from 2015-09-30T20:30:14
Back in the day, first person shooters didn’t come with RPG elements very often. System Shock and its sequel bucked the trend of 90s FPS...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 151: “Darkness in the Soul” from 2015-09-10T19:17:08
In the shift from Demon’s to Dark Souls, many subtle things changed. The location, mechanics, platform, and feel all experienced some alteration, but the fundamental...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 150: “Say Hello to My Little Wanzer” from 2015-09-01T20:36:38
The Wanzer is a human-piloted mech with enormous versatility. People piloting these devices are central to a series that spans many years and console generations,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 149: “It’s A Puzzle” from 2015-08-16T15:46:30
Once upon a time, the idea of melding RPG mechanics with objects dropping out of the sky in matchable shapes and colors would have seemed...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 148: “Crystal Clear” from 2015-08-16T14:32:15
Among the annals of NES action RPGs, Crystalis stands tall. It may not be the best game in the system’s library, but it deserves some...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 147: “The Gods Must Be Crazy” from 2015-07-19T18:01:56
Following up Deus Ex has proved a difficult task, but developers went ahead anyway. The results have been greatly varied, and we tackle all the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 146: “The White Knight on His Chronicles” from 2015-07-04T18:58:10
The PlayStation 3 hosted a short-lived series that does not feature Level 5 firing on all cylinders. Talking about this interesting experiment nevertheless makes for...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 145: “A Whale in Space” from 2015-06-19T04:08:27
It’s time to talk about a Final Fantasy. Which one? Well, it’s got improbable returns from death, monsters on the moon, a spoony bard, a...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 144: “God in the Machine” from 2015-06-14T16:56:03
In the future envisioned by Deus Ex, law enforcement is encroaching on the freedom of citizens around the world and corporations are pursuing a complementary...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 143: “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun” from 2015-06-07T19:39:34
It took the Persona series nearly as long as Street Fighter to count to three, but the reception once it did was enthusiastic. Here we...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 142: “You Now Have 12 Hours” from 2015-05-10T16:59:30
If Sega’s Yakuza series is accurate, urban Japan is filled with hotheads on every street corner just waiting to have whatever handy devices are lying...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 141: “World in My Eyes” from 2015-04-27T18:24:45
Studio Ghibli’s entrance into the gaming world ought to have been a time of rejoicing, but the reception Ni no Kuni received was not quite...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 140: “Is It Really That Bad?” from 2015-04-27T18:21:51
Usually we talk about games that have some kind of following behind them, but the topic is a little different this time. This is a...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 139: “Soultaker” from 2015-03-29T14:55:22
In 2009 Atlus took a risk by ordering the largest print run for a game in its history, but that gamble paid off handsomely. Corpses...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 138: “Over the Borderline” from 2015-02-15T15:31:29
When it comes to the first Borderlands, lots of talk about gathering guns shares space with love for the simple pleasure of administering a shotgun...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 137: “Just One More Story?” from 2015-02-01T17:52:31
Project Rainfall helped bring several titles to the Wii in North America, and one of them features a title reminiscent of another series Hironobu Sakaguchi...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 136: “Shepard in The Right Stuff” from 2015-01-18T14:01:13
The Mass Effect trilogy comes to a conclusion in grandiose fashion, but many people were not happy at the time. How it looks after a...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 135: “Dramatis Persona” from 2015-01-04T20:19:09
The second Persona is a duo of titles with an unusual release history, and detailing it is an arduous undertaking. The Backtrack crew proved willing...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 134: “Lost in the Mist” from 2014-12-31T21:50:40
Mistwalker supplied the Xbox 360 with some unique content, and a title involving immortals seeking the return of their memories got considerable praise. Discussion of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 133: “It Wasn’t Always an Oxymoron” from 2014-12-23T19:59:20
While Final Fantasy spawns a lot of heated talk, relatively little of it is devoted to the earliest entries. The NES era spawned the series,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 132: “Then Some Heroes Come Along” from 2014-12-07T19:50:07
The bar for bringing Legend of Heroes titles across the Pacific had been set rather low, making it easy for XSEED to impress gamers when...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 131: “Infinite Inapplicability” from 2014-11-07T19:56:20
Dealing with games made by tri-Ace usually requires a bit of effort, and in recent years it hasn’t gotten any easier. Maybe this attempt to...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 130: “Night of the Living Vagrants” from 2014-10-18T22:07:56
Yasumi Matsuno’s work includes a title from the late PS1 era that defies easy explanation. Attempting to describe it anyway may require a flow chart...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 129: “My Fist Your Face” from 2014-10-05T16:18:50
There’s something addictive about walking forward while beating everyone encountered along the way into a bloody pulp. This procedure has occasionally been used in titles...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 128: “House of the Devil” from 2014-09-21T18:05:18
It’s time once again to venture into the vast Megami Tensei universe. This particular grouping involves tactical maneuvers of people and their demons summoned through...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 127: “Sheparding the Flock” from 2014-09-21T16:45:04
Get set for some more explosive outer space adventures courtesy of BioWare, as the second installment of its massive trilogy comes under scrutiny. Does it...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 126: “What Happens in New Vegas, Stays in New Vegas” from 2014-09-07T20:57:11
Of course there are people and things to shoot around New Vegas, but this most recent incarnation of the Fallout universe doesn’t stop there. Enjoy...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 125: “How Many Dragons in an Age?” from 2014-08-18T21:46:18
The start of BioWare’s ongoing series brought a lot of thoughts to the surface. Some are profound and challenging, others lewd and depraved, with plenty...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 124: “Mapping the World Tree” from 2014-07-30T21:44:34
In the world of gaming, anything that can be described as educational is a definite turn-off. First-person dungeon crawlers count as learning experiences in a...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 123: “Konami’s Trail of Tears” from 2014-07-24T22:01:23
One final hurrah for the Stars of Destiny came out of Konami, though it wasn’t officially intended as such. Then the DS got a game...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 122: “Follow the Captain Shepard” from 2014-07-06T21:23:37
BioWare wanted to convey the ineffectual nature of the human race when compared to other species populating the galaxy. This naturally took the form of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 121: “The Rock Goes in an Arc” from 2014-06-26T22:42:09
Ah, Sony, holder of many now-dormant IPs. One of those was a pretty good tactical series that hasn’t been seen for a number of years,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 120: “You Could Wake Up Dead Tomorrow” from 2014-06-22T17:50:05
Blizzard once had an idea to send players through the realms of the afterlife, beating up the locals and grabbing whatever desirable things they happened...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 119: “We Can Be Heroes” from 2014-06-07T19:07:32
Falcom has a storied development history, and one of its larger series saw multiple versions before ending up on the PSP for a few installments....
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 118: “Can’t We Get Beyond Thunderdome?” from 2014-05-27T21:31:18
The ruins of the central Atlantic region of the US are open to in-depth exploration, as Bethesda takes a crack at the post-apocalyptic future. Thinking...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 117: “The Shadow Knows” from 2014-05-12T19:24:36
Hironobu Sakaguchi, Nobuo Uematsu, and Akira Toriyama got together again to inaugurate Mistwalker as a studio. The results were unfortunately not up to the standard...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 116: “The Secret Ingredient” from 2014-04-27T22:18:38
Gust makes a long-running, plentiful series that doesn’t adhere to many of the usual RPG stereotypes. Here’s a trilogy of them on the PS3, sporting...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 115: “Dust in the Wind” from 2014-04-12T07:27:29
After the first Fallout, eight decades passed before a new hero had to undertake a quest. That quest involved meeting a number of strange new...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 114: “Ogres in My Pocket” from 2014-04-01T19:09:58
It’s Yasumi Matsuno’s vast Ogre world, but the game format for this bunch is rather different than March of the Black Queen. Just because things...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 113: “Over Level 9000!” from 2014-03-12T14:24:39
Nippon Ichi has made a number of other titles over the years, but a certain series took off in the public imagination and continues to...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 112: “You’re a Real Ogre” from 2014-02-13T17:59:46
An early Yasumi Matsuno title on the SNES remains a complex and rewarding experience, while its direct sequel provides one of the few opportunities we...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 111: “After the Apocalypse” from 2014-02-11T18:02:19
The world would have been a different place had World War III happened, and the early Fallout titles showed a number of ways that the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 110: “Marvel’s Civil War” from 2014-01-20T20:36:34
No longer able to contain its use of Marvel characters to just the X-Men, Raven Software went all-out for a grand spectacle with the license....
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 109: “Lean and Green with an Edge That’s Keen” from 2014-01-11T19:06:36
No matter where or when the action takes place, Link rarely gets a chance to rest. If it’s not sailing or steering a train on...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 108: “Coins, Robots, Knights and Phantoms” from 2013-12-05T20:08:05
The original PlayStation hosted a great variety of titles that don’t come up in conversation much nowadays, and among them are some interesting tactical items....
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 107: “Tactical Stars of Destiny” from 2013-11-29T14:19:47
There was a long break after Suikoden III, and the results did not seem to warrant confidence in the series’ future. The Island Nations and...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 106: “Ingmar Bergman’s Persona” from 2013-11-27T19:23:38
The Persona series has been in the news a lot lately, but enthusiasm for the first entry seems relatively lacking. An analysis of both the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 105: “All That Glitters Is Not Shining” from 2013-11-23T18:37:29
Was it really necessary to extend the Shining series into the action RPG realm? Regardless of how little clamor there was for such a thing,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 104: “I’m the Juggernaut, Bitch!” from 2013-10-26T21:14:30
When it comes to licensed games, the X-Men have been stuck in some real stinkers over the years. A few broke the curse of adapting...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 103: “Violent Vandalism” from 2013-10-15T21:37:17
Konami and tactical RPGs may not go together much, but one series managed it for a little while. It’s bloody good fun to dissect in...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 102: “Leeartha… Leterra… Legaia!” from 2013-10-10T20:01:30
There once was a title on the PS1 that involved saving the world from nasty things lurking in the mist. Doing so was mostly accomplished...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 101: “Aesop’s Something or Other” from 2013-09-14T21:55:59
Much was promised by Peter Molyneux when it came to a series that took huge quantities of money and time to create. His promises were...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 100: “A Light to Brighten the Darkness” from 2013-09-01T09:16:59
When tactical RPGs were almost unheard of on consoles, the Sega Genesis saw a couple that attracted fans with fond memories many years later. Other...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 99: “Flight of the Valkyria” from 2013-08-16T18:29:48
Word of mouth built about a tactical title Sega released, enough to justify two sequels so far. The company’s handling of the new franchise has...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 98: “Rolling a 7” from 2013-08-11T16:37:32
Square could have let roll with sequels to a certain tremendously successful game promptly, but years passed before they came to fruition. The number of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 97: “Another Day, Another Meseta” from 2013-07-26T06:46:57
Sega revived a venerable series with the Dreamcast, but was determined to promote multiplayer over the internet with this incarnation. From the era of dial-up...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 96: “La Makai Phantom World” from 2013-06-29T21:07:07
A little girl with the ability to put spirits into objects, a foolish demon who almost burns his dimension out of existence, multiple consumers of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 95: “Central Middle Earth” from 2013-06-13T22:27:32
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, one...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 94: “Ou Est le Sol Ciel?” from 2013-06-01T09:14:47
This particular Gust series has many trademark RPG elements, including tongue-twister subtitles for the games. It also steadily progresses in misogynism, until the amount of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 93: “Devil Doll” from 2013-05-27T21:41:55
Being a detective in an alternate history version of Tokyo with demons crawling all over the place isn’t that hard. It just demands a willingness...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 92: “Master of Swordplay” from 2013-05-09T22:02:44
Link went through several phases during the GameCube era. First he demonstrated cel shading, then he tempted gamers to buy GBA link cables, and after...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 91: “Y’know, for Kids!” from 2013-04-23T21:29:54
Cavia’s occasional ventures into the RPG world have been filled with bloodshed and piling up huge numbers of corpses. The other tenets of these games...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 90: “Bauxite Republic” from 2013-04-04T21:15:15
Instead of venturing further into a galaxy far, far away BioWare chose to enter a land inspired by, but hardly identical to, imperial China. The...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 89: “A Quartet of Quintet” from 2013-03-24T13:53:34
Reviving barren worlds was a theme Quintet visited more than once, right up to the end of the company in fact. Bring back the faded...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 88: “Go to Hfil” from 2013-03-17T10:33
Once upon a time, Akira Toriyama created a long-running series that has lasted in the public consciousness far longer than its contemporaries. Given that it...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 87: “Is This Your Card?” from 2013-02-24T18:53:53
The GameCube got the occasional exclusive, and Monolith Soft delivered a pair of them later in the system’s life. Managing cards for combat and contending...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 86: “Rasputin’s iPhone” from 2013-01-28T20:59:08
From a monastery in Wales to China, through many scenic spots in Europe and Japan, this tour finally hits the western hemisphere. Many emotions will...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 85: “Mr. Sinistral” from 2013-01-20T20:22:25
Once upon a time, a land with rearranging geography had the little problem that a quartet of titans wanted to rule. Saving the planet from...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 84: “108 Stars in the Heavens” from 2012-12-01T17:43:54
Enjoy a scenic tour of just some of the locations various Stars of Destiny call home. Start in the Scarlet Moon Empire, move to the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 83: “We Have the Technology” from 2012-11-19T22:09:17
A certain Square title involving giant robot combat and questionable theological ideas is the showcase this time. If that’s not enough, an offshoot Final Fantasy...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 82: “The Devil Rides Out” from 2012-11-06T04:53:43
Unappealing wastelands populated by those with demonic avatars may not seem to connect with Hindu mythology. Lo and behold, the Megami Tensei universe makes it...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 81: “A Wizard Did It” from 2012-10-24T04:53:48
For once, the attempt on the Backtrack to remember an entire series came to naught when its earlier games were just too archaic. The ones...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 80: “Show Me Those Canines” from 2012-10-10T20:54:59
It’s time to wolf down a howling good bowlful of puppy love. Scratch that itch to bark at the moon and bury a bone in...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 79: “Dragonwyck” from 2012-09-24T21:23:47
From the minds of Yuji Horii, Koichi Sugiyama, and Akira Toriyama came a long-running series that sets the charts afire in Japan. It grows up...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 78: “Once Upon a Time in the West” from 2012-09-05T20:28:27
It’s round-up time, and a big herd of steers is loose on the prairie. Looks like a might few RPGs are among ’em, so sit...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 77: “Welcome to the Machine” from 2012-08-22T21:15:07
Not many games that are offline feature going online as a key component of their setting. One episodic series with tie-ins from other media did...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 76: “Under a Cloud” from 2012-08-07T22:06:25
Level-5 was a new company back when it made some games that featured town building in addition to dungeon exploration. How entrancing they are seems...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 75: “A Link to the Future” from 2012-07-17T21:11:04
He’s a green-clad gadget man, a master of many dungeons with the tools to traverse them. He’s an elf, a mute warrior, an unquestioning savior...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 74: “Night of the Demon” from 2012-06-21T20:09:40
What would one’s probable reaction to encountering a demon be? In a realistic scenario death would most likely occur, but in video games making friends...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 73: “Romancing the SaGa” from 2012-06-05T19:41:49
Among the formidable tasks undertaken by the Backtrack crew, none may demand more willpower than explaining how to play the most maligned Akitoshi Kawazu product...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 72: “This Is the Climax” from 2012-05-22T20:54:25
From the days of the Genesis right up to modern handhelds, Climax keeps making games. Looking at things from a different angle is strongly encouraged...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 71: “The Force Is With Us” from 2012-05-02T21:24:19
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away LucasArts let a couple of RPGs be made. Many things die in the course of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 70: “Under the Cherry Tree Moon” from 2012-04-22T22:50:14
In a world where demonic forces seek to bring the great cities to their knees, something must be done. Turns out that young women piloting...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 69: “The Magical Kingdom” from 2012-04-04T21:38:32
Brownie Brown made a couple of tasty confections for Nintendo handhelds filled with gummy products. How much magic is there when students have to prove...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 68: “Luigi Mario” from 2012-03-21T19:52:37
This is the continuing story of two brothers from Brooklyn. Be it evil alien fungi, shattered heavenly bean confections, those who have fury, or clogged...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 67: “I Know Kung Fu” from 2012-03-12T20:11:51
Bringing the story of Ryo Hazuki into existence cost many millions and failed to enchant the enormous audience needed to recoup them. The question of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 66: “I’m Going to Disneyland!” from 2012-02-28T21:43:55
Trust in me poor unfortunate souls, I’ll make a man out of you. Be prepared Prince Ali, someday my prince will come. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo. (Kingdom Hearts)
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 65: “Risky Gambits” from 2012-02-13T21:53:13
There once was a place called Ivalice, that was filled with meanies and malice. Years it took to create, filling Square Enix’s plate, but the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 64: “Way of the Dragon” from 2012-01-31T22:47:48
Within please find the story of what for a long time was Capcom’s premiere RPG series. It involves a great many Ryus and Ninas, along...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 63: “The Fault Lies Not in the Stars” from 2012-01-15T21:32:14
Once upon a time, tri-Ace decided to borrow some elements from Star Trek in making an RPG. Thus was a series spawned that continues in...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 62: “Bio Hazard Level 4” from 2012-01-09T17:59:12
New York cops have it rough a lot of the time, but Aya Brea would gladly tackle some drug dealers instead of the evil mitochondria...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 61: “Tactical Genius” from 2011-12-23T13:56:16
A guy named Ramza walks into a bar just a few minutes before a guy named Wiegraf. Their differences are resolved quickly and painfully. Whether...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 60: “Taste the Torment” from 2011-12-12T21:32:07
What can change the nature of a man? Quite a few things, actually, but this game is definitely one of them. (Planescape: Torment).
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 59: “Deep Light Dungeons” from 2011-11-29T18:54:10
So the only way you know the Shining series is by its superb tactical installments? Well, there were a couple of games that did some...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 58: “SaGa: The Final Frontier” from 2011-11-20T17:36:33
The time has come to once more boldly go where Akitoshi Kawazu has gone before. Remember the PlayStation days of his signature series, and rejoice....
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 57: “It’s-A Me, Paper Mario!” from 2011-11-06T16:28:15
Intelligent Systems likes emphasizing how two dimensional Mario plots are with some RPGs that have poor depth perception. Only by listening can their shallowness be...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 56: “Mana From Heaven?” from 2011-10-25T22:54:52
In one of the most changeable series around, there’s plenty of leeway to have some discussion. The Mana games, particularly the earlier ones, have now...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 55: “The Dark Crystal Chronicles” from 2011-10-09T13:42:25
When Final Fantasy returned to a Nintendo system after years of Sony exclusivity, it was news. Thus the Backtrack crew members bare their souls to...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 54: “Two-Dimensional Thinking” from 2011-09-25T14:46:06
Eschewing the trend of three-dimensional gameplay, Vanillaware demonstrates how sticking to two dimensions can be stunning. Thus it is fitting that the studio’s games warrant...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 53: “Kicking Jack Russell” from 2011-09-11T21:07:29
Observe unique personalities wandering about to their own daily rhythms, interrupted only by constant kicking. This is a hallmark of a certain tri-Ace title that...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 52: “The Land of Hyrule” from 2011-08-25T21:34:01
It involves unusual names for otherwise-ordinary creatures, the collection of artifacts to enable travel elsewhere, and one of Nintendo’s most well-regarded series. Join us in...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 51: “Benjamin’s B-Movie” from 2011-08-14T15:24:31
Remember when Squaresoft was trying to get gamers outside Japan interested in RPGs? Two of those on the SNES spawned some memories, and they’re ready...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 50: “Dragonslayer” from 2011-08-07T20:50:21
Today’s episode contains two acts. In the first, memories are cast back to a series that almost singlehandedly started the console JRPG. In the second,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 49: “In Dreams” from 2011-07-29T20:59:39
Once upon a time, a man with the ability to jump on a lot of platforms and dreamwalk had an adventure. That well-regarded PlayStation game...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 48: “Opening a Can of Whupass” from 2011-07-04T10:38:40
Once upon a time, a company called Working Designs localized many games for Sega systems. The Saturn was granted a number of these, and two...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 47: “Dying Is Easy” from 2011-06-26T18:04:24
In today’s series, the consequences of failure are painful and unavoidable. Learn why we prefer to tempt death on a regular basis in one of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 46: “Dirt Rage” from 2011-05-31T21:39:09
We go back into wacky worlds of farmers who want to live peacefully and get married. Something is very different about these games, however, and...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 45: “Ultimate Power” from 2011-05-22T15:40:32
The world of Britannia holds many surprises, such as TIE fighters and some sympathetic gargoyles. Learn about the land of Lord British and the Avatar...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 44: “Ragnarok” from 2011-05-09T21:23:18
The realm of Asgard watches the mortal world, and its Battle Maidens descend to administer the gods’ business. Learn why this is unquestionably a good...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 43: “Double D and D Dose” from 2011-04-30T10:47:09
A couple of other titles sneak into the mix, but mostly we’re talking about games with enormous Dungeons and Dragons inspiration. One of them is...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 42: “Vana’diel Awaits” from 2011-04-14T19:44:04
Once upon a time, taking Final Fantasy into the online world caused shockwaves. Now that almost ten years have passed, how does Square Enix’s still-going...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 41: “Xenophobic Cutscenes” from 2011-04-06T07:20:56
The Xenosaga series may be justly accused of many issues, but a lack of ambition is definitely not one of them. For good and for...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 40: “Have Gun, Will Travel by Dragon” from 2011-03-22T21:28:23
In its last rush of games for the Saturn, Sega’s localizers put forth a title that has seen its value rise to a stratospheric level....
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 39: “Crystal Frontier Tierkreis Remnant” from 2011-03-06T23:09:52
It’s not so much when compared to March 2011, but March two years ago was stuffed with releases. Comprehensive coverage of these games would require...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 38: “The SaGa Begins” from 2011-03-06T22:58:13
What were RPGamers looking for Game Boy RPGs in the early ’90s to do? The answer involves carnivorous monsters and the deaths of deities, as...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 37: “I Caught ‘Em All, and the Pain Won’t Stop” from 2011-02-24T23:08:30
Vicious beasts are kept confined inside tiny balls, released by their masters only to do battle. Strangely, the creatures seem perfectly okay with this, and...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 36: “Witch Hunt” from 2011-02-20T11:21:33
What ties the Witcher together with a surprisingly large number of games released in February 2009? Not much, except for the fact that they share...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 35: “Bewitching Witches” from 2011-02-12T13:56:58
Theoretically, games starring beguiling witches should be fascinating and fun to play. Our frequent divergence onto the subject of manatee mangling would appear to belie...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 34: “The Ballroom Blitz” from 2011-01-25T22:59:19
A strange land called Spira features outlandish Tetsuya Nomura outfits and a propensity for group hallucinations. Take a trip with us through this oddly captivating...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 33: “Peaceful, Productive Planting of Produce” from 2011-01-14T14:24:50
Death, destruction, and world-threatening crises will not be found within. Relax and enjoy some idyllic farm life while looking for love, content in the knowledge...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 32: “A Whale of a Tale About the Tail’s Tall Tales” from 2011-01-10T23:29:59
Do Tales games and excessively long podcasts go together? If you answered in the affirmative, definitely listen to this episode. (Tales of…, part 2).
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 31: “Vyse the Legend” from 2010-12-14T22:26:23
Today we’re flying through the skies in ships powered by Moon Stones, fighting with and alongside the other denizens of the airways, and competing with...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 30: “The Mighty Mighty Magics” from 2010-12-05T17:14:22
Hunting dragons while drunk is not a wise proposition, but a certain series allowed it once upon a time, with the risk of eradication as...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 29: “The Deity Is Unhappy” from 2010-11-20T15:00:43
Playing God can be entertaining, and many years ago Enix created a game that allowed players to be the supreme being. How it feels to...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 28: “Gespenst Kick!” from 2010-11-03T14:42:09
Twin Bird Strike, Cross Smasher, Black Hole Cluster, Jet Magnum, Mega Graviton Wave, Code: Kirin, Phantom Phoenix, Claymore Avalanche, Cosmo Nova, Sonic Javelin, Blade Tonfa,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 27: “I Like Killing Things” from 2010-10-24T21:23:27
It is a rare thing indeed, to find an RPG in which the combat is so addictive that it compels constant combat. Game Arts produced...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 26: “Symphonia’s Phantastic Eternal Destiny” from 2010-10-04T21:53:28
Today, the Tales series gets a lot of time under the spotlight. In exchange for giving each game some quality time, we didn’t even attempt...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 25: “Blade Runner in the Mist” from 2010-09-26T18:57:58
For some reason, the last PS1 Final Fantasy gets overlooked frequently. That was all the more reason for us to discuss the game at length,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 24: “I Don’t Believe It!” from 2010-09-09T21:18:40
In the past, a Dream Team of Japan’s developers created a certain RPG. In the present, we talk about how that game has endured over...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 23: “Get the Point Yet?” from 2010-08-26T07:22:08
Gordon Sumner has created a lot of good music, but he’s not the Sting we’re talking about today. A quick blurb cannot encapsulate everything the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 22: “Ys Is Easy to Say” from 2010-08-13T06:44:54
We bumped into a breezy pun regarding the Ys series, but don’t take that to mean we go the easy route. Rock out and crash...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 21: “Samurai Beat Dragons” from 2010-07-30T08:50:14
The time has come to narrow our audience as much as possible. To that end, we discuss one of the Saturn’s greatest games, which of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 20: “Vampire Killer” from 2010-07-16T10:16:20
A whip may be the preferred method of fighting Dracula’s minions, but Glyphs and Souls will do it just fine also. Hear all about the...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 19: “Eight Ball in the Moon’s Pocket” from 2010-07-03T10:16:20
Clearly, all of us Junctioned Silence for status protection, because there’s a lot of talk about Drawing and extraterrestrial love scenes. Choose a side of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 18: “Phantastical” from 2010-06-20T20:02:26
Take a trip to the Algo system, and pack plenty of Meseta in case the Motavian tourist traps raise their prices. Alis, Rolf, Rhys, and...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 17: “The Mean Streets of Seattle” from 2010-06-03T00:17:45
Decades of domination by Microsoft, Starbucks, and the revival of grunge have had their effect on Seattle. We take you to 2050 and explore what...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 16: “Brightly Shines the Sun” from 2010-05-21T00:11:43
Do you like puzzling dungeons, Camelot’s penchant for user-friendly menus, some of the GBA’s best-ever graphics, possibly Motoi Sakuraba’s finest hour for compositions, Djinni sea...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 15: “Sorrowful Moon of Dissonance” from 2010-05-09T02:20:55
We braved the horrors of Dracula’s castle in both the past and future. Hear the stories of our adventures, from which we were lucky to...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 14: “The Fantasy That Is Never Final” from 2010-04-22T23:00
What is fourteen squared, divided by forty-nine, plus three? It is a number that, in conjunction with this episode’s title, reveals the subject of our...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 13: “(Robo)Trekkin’ on the SNES” from 2010-04-01T23:00
Armed robots with a cheerful demeanor are the focus in this episode. Even by the offbeat standards of other Enix RPGs on the Super Nintendo,...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 12: “Bound on Pickup” from 2010-03-18T23:00
What are we talking about this time? Well, it involves hippies, Prince Poo, eating hamburgers straight from a garbage can, absentee fathers, Smaaaaaaaash attacks, and...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 11: “Metroidvania” from 2010-03-03T09:02:03
A lot of heroes in Castlevania have taken on Dracula, but not all of them did so in an RPG way. Simon Belmont and Alucard...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 10: “Madden to Oblivion” from 2009-09-02T15:09:18
Bethesda has a long history before Fallout 3. Here we discuss the Elder Scrolls series from Arena to Oblivion with a side of football and...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 9: “Take Heed” from 2009-07-03T13:44:32
On this episode of the RPG Backtrack, the panel takes heed as they travel to the Silver Star of Lunar and beyond. Join us as...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 8: “You Spoony Son of a Submariner” from 2009-05-12T12:53:21
Which is better: Final Fantasy IV or Final Fantasy VI? The Backtrack crew tackles this debate and FF composer Nobuo Uematsu until we can’t stand...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 7: “Get a Job” from 2009-03-30T21:26:54
It’s time to get a job. In this tough economic climate, the Backtrack panel has to go to the past to find one, but they...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 6: “Light Warriors” from 2009-02-26T08:33:20
Light Warriors get ready to hit yourselves. The Backtrack panel tackles the first two Final Fantasy games in this episode.
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 5: “Best of 2006” from 2008-12-23T23:10:51
As 2008 comes to an end, the Backtrack panel looks back in time. We decided to skip back two years to award the best of...
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 4: “Julian, Medion, Synbios” from 2008-12-04T15:43:29
We are missing one regular, but we have a special guest on this episode. Shining Force rocks.
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 3: “Out of Mana” from 2008-10-24T13:20:36
For the third RPG Backtrack, the cast discusses Secret of Mana. There is love and hate all throughout this one, folks.
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 2: “The Ogres” from 2008-09-23T10:52:36
On this episode the cast tackles Matsuno's two Ogres and beyond.
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RPG Backtrack – Episode 1: “Super Mario RPG” from 2008-08-26T18:34:34
The RPG Backtrack starts our pilot episode with discussion of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
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