Nostalgium Arcanum
A Repository For The Pop Culture That Made Us Who We Are
Displaying 10 items of Nostalgium Arcanum with the tag "rpg".
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Final Fantasy X
August 17th, 2026 | 3 hrs 47 secs
00s, 2000s, fantasy, final fantasy, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, jrpg, jrpgs, nobuo uematsu, playstation, ps2, religion, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, square, videogame, videogamer, videogamers, videogames, videogaming
Final Fantasy X dives deep into complex themes of religion and race, love and sacrifice. From the opening strains of its memorable score, the game immediately grabs its audience with its narrative ambition, and unique aesthetic beauty. We recruit game critic Luis Aguasvivas (NPR) and podcaster Dave Jackson (Tales From The Backlog, https://talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/) to join our pilgrimage to slay god, religion itself, and some scrub Blitzball teams along the way.
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Video Game Soundtracks
August 10th, 2026 | 4 hrs 9 mins
chiptunes, games, gaming, genesis, jrpg, jrpgs, music, nes, nintendo, playstation, ps1, ps2, psx, retro games, rpg, rpgs, score, snes, super nintendo, video games
From the moment you pop in a quarter or press start, video games have used music to enthrall, entice, and plumb even more complex emotions, far more than one might expect from the push of a button. On this podcast we celebrate the composers who have wrestled microchips, midi, and mp3s into the rich sonic (and sometimes Sonic) tapestries that elevate simple zeroes and ones into powerful musical experiences. We're joined by a full panel of games podcasters including Dave Jackson (Tales From The Backlog), Rick Firestone (Pixel Project Radio) and Chris Coplien (Retro Hangover) to roundtable our favorite game soundtracks.
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Shadow of the Colossus
August 3rd, 2026 | 2 hrs 30 mins
bluepoint, fumito ueda, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, ico, jrpg, playstation, ps2, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, sony, the last guardian, ueda, video game, video games, videogame, videogames
"Shadow of the Colossus" truly casts a colossal shadow. When the question arises as to whether video games are art, this game is always Exhibit A in favor. Haunting, simultaneously minimalist and maximalist, Fumito Ueda's masterpiece challenged gameplay design in order to perfectly meld play with emotion. We're joined by guests Professors Funky and Aria from the Tabletop Hot Takes podcast (https://tabletop-hot-takes.captivate.fm/) to wander the Forbidden Lands and go aggro on skyscraper-sized beasts, but perhaps at the cost of our souls.
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Paper Mario
May 18th, 2026 | 1 hr 34 mins
game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, jrpg, mario, n64, nintendo, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, video game, video games, videogame, videogames
Far from, leaving us flat, Paper Mario injected whimsy and dimensionally creative play into the standard turn-based RPG formula for an unforgettable romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. We're joined by Emily Merritt (@aspecificegg) of the No Small Games podcast (https://nosmallgames.com/) to unfold why this highly unusual game is so special.
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Final Fantasy VII
April 20th, 2026 | 2 hrs 55 mins
1990s, 90s, fantasy, final fantasy, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, jrpg, jrpgs, nobuo uematsu, playstation, ps1, psx, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, videogame, videogamer, videogamers, videogames, videogaming
By 1997 SquareSoft had honed its turn-based JRPG engine and operatic story to a fine point. Although Final Fantasy VII followed on its exquisite predecessor, no one could have predicted what a groundbreaking phenomenon the series' first 3D entry would be. The fusion of cyberpunk and medieval motifs, its melancholy but striving world, emotional soundtrack, and unforgettable characters have stood the test of time. Guest podcaster Gen Moonen ("Fun" and Games, www.genmoonen.com) joins our party to celebrate nearly 30 years of Final Fantasy VII casting a planet-changing spell.
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Final Fantasy IX
January 13th, 2025 | 1 hr 40 mins
1990s, 90s, fantasy, final fantasy, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, jrpg, jrpgs, nobuo uematsu, playstation, ps1, psx, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, videogame, videogamer, videogamers, videogames, videogaming
For those who love video games with an emotionally resonant story, Final Fantasy IX is a place to call home. We're joined by Rick Firestone of the Pixel Project Radio podcast to celebrate this compelling entry in the long-running series, its memorable characters, impactful story, and all-time great soundtrack. Kupo!
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The Legend of Zelda (Series)
August 12th, 2024 | 1 hr 31 mins
breath of the wild, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, link, nintendo, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, tears of the kingdom, videogame, videogamer, videogamers, videogames, videogaming, zelda
Hey! Listen... to this podcast about Nintendo's perennial adventure series, The Legend of Zelda. This series links to the past, between worlds, and continues to breath new wind into the kingdom of Hyrule for nearly 40 years with no signs of stopping. Guests Phil Head of the Spectrum Days podcast and comedian Rich Baker (@richbakercoaching) join us for this retrospective on a game series with endless wisdom, courage, and power.
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Fallout
April 29th, 2024 | 1 hr 35 mins
1950s, 50s, amazon, ella purnell, fallout, games, gaming, jazz, mac, pc, pc games, pc gaming, postapocalypse, postapocalyptic, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, scifi, twilight zone, videogame, videogames, videogaming, walton goggins, zombie
Duck and cover! We're going back to the radioactive world of tomorrow as companion B.T. Moorer joins us to open the vault to Fallout. This unique videogame series and its recent blockbuster TV adaptation use an alternate history post-apocalypse to spin stories that, twist, turn, disgust, and delight all at once. We give it a big thumbs up!
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ActRaiser
December 18th, 2023 | 35 mins 58 secs
enix, faith, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, god, nintendo, religion, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, sim-city, snes, square, supernintendo, urban planning, video games, videogames, videogaming
Lo and behold! In ActRaiser you get to play God, literally. In this SNES classic combines two different gameplay modes (hack/slash and city-building sim) to create an overall experience that is still worshipped today.
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Chrono Trigger
July 24th, 2023 | 1 hr 9 mins
1990s, 90s, games, gaming, jrpg, nintendo, playstation, retro games, retro gaming, role playing game, role playing games, rpg, snes, square-enix, squaresoft, time travel, video games
Time keeps on slippin' as Matt Storm of the Fun & Games podcast (@funandgamespod) travels with us back to 1995 to revisit Chrono Trigger, one of the most highly regarded and influential video games ever. With an adventure that criss-crosses eons and an indelible soundtrack, the story of Chrono remains enthralling nearly three decades on.