RPG PodQuest

It's been a long time coming. In the shadow of the launch of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Evan and Nick revisit the often-forgotten Wii U essential: Xenoblade Chronicles X. For a second run at the Xenoblade structure and a first try at both HD development and open-world design, this game is one of Evan's personal favorites- but why? In this episode, we cover a number of mechanical concepts that set the game apart from the titles that bookend it, and hopefully gush enough to generate more interest in this criminally underappreciated sci-fi epic. In this episode: Introduction and History - (0:00:35) Combat and Classes - (0:13:37) Skells and Exploration - (0:22:27) Quests and Party Members - (0:50:43) Online Play and Outro - (0:57:09) Don't forget to send your Quest(ion) ideas to us @RPGPodQuest on Twitter, or by sending us email at RPGPodquest@gmail.com!

This week, we select one passable joke contained within the episode to use as its title. And by "we," I mean me, Evan. Cut me some slack. We talk about some weird Square Enix stuff that was announced last week before delving into our recently played games. There's an eclectic mix from across systems, here, and if you're looking to donate to those suffering in Ukraine, Nick recommends some RPGs from the recent Humble Bundle. In our quests, Fewture discusses long lost Game Cube titles, Evan recounts the hell that is Mass Effect 3, and a game that Nick finds impenetrable... on console. In this episode: Introductions - (0:00:35) News - Diofield Chronicle, Valkyrie Elysium, Chrono Trigger PC Update (0:01:55) New Games - Dodgeball Academia, Nobody Saves the World, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin (0:10:15), Super Dodgeball Advance, Trails in the Sky, Risk of Rain, Humble Bundle Games for Ukraine: Littlewood, Backspace Bouken, Ganbare! Super Strikers (0:13:26), Potato Flowers in Full Bloom Demo, Xenoblade Definitve Edition, Neurodeck (0:19:35) Quests - Fewture: An RPG with the Most/a very immersive world (0:34:35), Evan: PLAY an RPG of your co-host's choosing! OR PLAY an RPG chosen by the audience (0:43:14), Nick: A frustrating RPG (0:51:44) Quest Rolls and the Job System - (1:00:20) Plugs - (1:11:10) Don't forget to send your Quest(ion) ideas to us @RPGPodQuest on Twitter, or by sending us email at RPGPodquest@gmail.com!

Fewture is out this week, but Nick and Evan are still more than willing to assault one another mentally by talking about games they love. After reviewing the more fascinating parts of the Pokemon Presents announcements, Nick is determined to inflict emotional damage on Evan by talking about the Legend of Heroes games. Evan attempts to retaliate by talking about Xenoblade Chronicles to no avail, so he brings up Zelda in an attempt to quell the beast. Then, Nick misinterprets his quest, while Evan suffers through the opening hours of the third game in a trilogy that released on the Wii U. In this episode: Intros - (0:00:58) News - Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon Arceus DLC thoughts (0:01:58), Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero English Dates Announced (0:25:07) New Games - Legend of Heroes (0:25:54), Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition and a Zelda tangent (0:42:37), Kirby and the Forgotten Land Demo (1:02:21) Quests - Nick - The most difficult/a very hard final boss in an RPG (1:04:06), Evan - BOSS BATTLE: PLAY an RPG of your co-host's choosing! OR PLAY an RPG chosen by the audience (1:12:43) Quest Rolls and the Job System - (1:31:20) Outros and Plugs - (1:34:40) Don't forget to send your Quest(ion) ideas to us @RPGPodQuest on Twitter, or by sending us email at RPGPodquest@gmail.com!

We begin with a new host this week in the form of Fewture, who has plenty of neat games to talk about. That's good, because outside of his quest, Evan's docket is pretty sparse, although Nick has been keeping up with the video game times with a small glimpse at Elden Ring, among others. We then discuss Fewture's RPG history, iconic towns, and a wild RPG known as Nepenthe. In this episode: Introductions - (0:00:35) News - Soul Hackers 2 (0:03:00) Games - Steam Next Fest: Small Saga, Symphony of War (0:10:06) Lost Ark, Nox, Nobody Saves the World, Elden Ring (0:15:05) Quests - Fewture's RPG History (0:43:05), Evan: A great town from an RPG (0:48:08), Nick: ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY an RPG-maker or fan-made game (0:56:33) Dice Rolls and the Job System - (1:05:58) Plugs and Outro - (1:14:03) Don't forget to send your Quest(ion) ideas to us @RPGPodQuest on Twitter, or by sending us email at RPGPodquest@gmail.com!

We lost a member of the expedition, but we keep on trucking. We discuss the sad news surrounding the Wii U and 3DS Eshops, Nick weighs in on another Mobile phone game (but it's OK, it's on the Switch), and Evan dives into Monark, a classic Evan game. We then head out for our quests, with Evan lamenting an overshadowed Wii classic, and Nick talking about his first ever Shin Megami Like RPG. Introductions - (0:00:29) News (WiiU / 3ds Eshop end of life) - (0:01:40) Games - Egglia Rebirth (0:05:30), Monark (0:12:06), Triangle Strategy Demo (0:27:54) Other games: Picross, Puzzle and Dragons Switch (0:33:12) Quest Time - Evan: An RPG that deserves a sequel (0:36:04), Nick: An RPG that is “all-gimmick, no-polish” (0:45:00) Dice Rolls and the Job System - (0:55:10) Plugs and Outro - (0:57:35) Special Note: Nick edited this episode, and is very very rusty. So be nice, it was a learning exercise.

We talk video games. And the Nintendo Direct. Timestamps to come.

Jeremy was away last week, which means it's time for a no-holds barred discussion about Pokémon Legends. Well, we talk about some other stuff, too. Nick shares his go-to co-op fix in LEGO City Undercover, while Evan... talks about Pokémon Legends. Then, our quests take us to distant lands: first to Japan for a Shonen Jump Famicom Mini, and then to China to take a look at Genshin Impact, among other mobile titles. In this episode: Introductions - (0:00:35) News - (0:01:55) Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden New Games (and still kinda News) - (0:13:35) LEGO City Undercover, good co-op or co-viewing games, and Nintendo sales figures, (0:23:46) Pokémon Legends Arceus Quests - (0:52:29) Nick: ENEMY ENCOUNTER: Play a game released before 1990 (1:12:36) Evan: A Mobile RPG Worth Playing Live Rolls and the Job System - (1:30:08) Plugs and Outro - (1:32:50)

On the precipice of breaking into Pokemon Legends Arceus, the party has other games to debate, bemoaning the lack of RPG depth in the story mode of Mario Golf Super Rush, demoing a new JRPG from Shin Megami Tensei veterans, and playing the most popular MMORPG of the current era (it's FFXIV). Then, they report on quests that pose numerous difficulties, and Evan must concede a truth about late 80s RPGs that he finds deeply unsettling. In this episode: Introductions - (0:00:35) New Games - (0:02:00) Final Fantasy XIV, (0:12:35) Mario Golf Super Rush, (0:23:32) Monark Demo, (0:31:35) Pokemon Legends Arceus, (0:40:38) Vast: The Crystal Caverns, (0:45:25) Guild of Ascension Quests - (0:48:29) Jeremy: An RPG series you could just never get into, (1:04:24) Nick and Evan: An RPG released before 1990 that you DON'T consider to be an RPG Live Rolls and the Job System - (1:23:50) Plugs and Outro - (1:30:30)

Up is down! Black is white! One host leaves early, the others must fend for themselves! In the interest of setting up quests for next episode, we clear them out first, discussing niche relatable protagonists, niche JRPGs, and one of Evan's personal favorite games (even though it's not his quest). We then discuss the news of Microsoft's fiscal irresponsibility before covering games that we have been playing. In this episode: Introductions - (0:00:35) Quests - (0:02:00) Jeremy's Quest, (0:11:00) Evan's Quest, (0:26:05) Nick's Quest Live Rolls and the Job System - (0:44:50) News - (0:49:55) Majora's Mask on NSO, Microsoft's Blizzard Activision Acquisition Nick's New Games - (1:01:30) The Great Ace Attorney, Archlion Saga Jeremy's New Games - (1:19:10) RPGolf Legends, Hearthstone Evan's New Games - (1:31:27) Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, Lumines, Eternal Radiance Plugs and Outro - (1:45:55)

Happy New Year! As we move into 2022, the PodQuest continues by making up for lost time. We discuss a number of holiday-break games, some of which are timely and relevant, and some of which are old N64 games that are still somehow timely thanks to Nintendo Switch Online. Then, the party reports on their quests, taking pot shots at The Witcher and Pokemon (such bravery, much controversy) while singing the praises of a KEMCO release, of all things. In this episode: Introductions - (0:00:35) News - (0:01:40) Dragon Quest III HD2D Fakeout, E3 Online Musings New Games - (0:08:16) Darksiders III, (0:16:50) Final Fantasy Legend, (0:26:06) Loop Hero, (0:32:11) Unsighted, (0:36:15) Yoshi's Story, (0:40:15) Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, (0:47:50) Mario Party Superstars Quests - (0:53:00) Jeremy's Quest, (1:02:10) Nick's Quest, (1:14:55) Evan's Quest Live Rolls and Plugs - (1:26:20)

Evan and Nick are back with news updates from The Game Awards, the latest Nintendo Indie World, and other news sources from throughout the web. We talk about a number of new games before delving into discussions on open world and roguelike gameplay. The episode culminates in a rant about the Torchlight trilogy and the most spirited defense of Spore you will ever hear. In this episode: (0:00:35) - Introductions! (0:02:31) - News: FF7 PC, Zelda Patent Leaks, Sea of Stars Indie World, Edge of Eternity for Switch (0:22:40) - New Games: Unpacking, (0:31:22) - Star Renegades, (0:42:35) Halo Infinite, (0:49:27) Death's Door, (0:52:45) Dreamscaper (1:02:24) - Quests: Evan's Quest, (1:21:15) Nick's Quest (1:39:00) - Live Rolls and Plugs

After a holiday hiatus, the party has regrouped in order to tackle new quests. We talk about a myriad of subjects from this week, from space-themed RPGs (our selection is pretty meager) to well-designed third-party controllers (does such a thing exist?). Nick and Jeremy touch upon relevant titles like Chrono Cross and... West of Loathing, I guess? Evan also waxes nostalgic about three RPGs using a grid-based character customization system. In this episode: (0:00:35): Introductions! (0:01:20): Nick's New Games: Star Ocean, Final Fantasy X, Science Fiction RPGs (0:13:30): Jeremy's New Games: Dragon Lapis, Ocarina of Time (NSO), Good Switch Controllers, Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion, Twilight Princess Picross (0:36:55): Evan's New Games: SMTV, Pokemon Shining Pearl (0:59:26): Quests: Jeremy's Quest: ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY a

This week, we're down one host due to technical difficulties, but that won't stop us from blathering on about RPGs old and new. Speaking of old, Evan starts to feel his age as he attempts to tackle Shin Megami Tensei V on hard mode, while Nick basks in the retro glow of Knights of the Old Republic. Keeping with thematic consistency, Nick returns to the stars in his quest while Evan bemoans the writing in another "collecting" game. In this episode: (0:00:00): Theme and Intro (0:02:04): News- Fantasy Life Online comes to a close (0:11:50): New Games- Nick and Evan: Shin Megami Tensei V Nick: Knights of the Old Republic Evan: Kingdom Two Crowns (1:00:05): Quests- Nick's Quest: An RPG with better aesthetics (music, art, maybe story?) than gameplay Evan's Quest: An RPG with a bad story, but great gameplay (1:29:13): Live Roll (1:34:30): Plugs and Outro

Season 2 of the RPG Podquest begins here! We can't help but sneak in some Metroid love during this episode, but the dreaded topic of Zelda's status as an RPG rears it's ugly head while we tackle our quests. Good thing Evan is in charge of naming the episodes. In this episode: (0:00:00): Theme and Intro (0:02:15): News: BrilliantDiamond and ShiningPearl, RPGolf Legends (0:17:15): Evan's New Games- Monster Sanctuary, Phoenotopia (0:30:00): Jeremy's New Games- Super Metroid, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Metroid II: Return of Samus (0:49:05): Nick's New Games- Caligula Effect 2, Shin Megami Tensei V (1:03:15): Quests- An RPG with a Great Battle System, an RPG with a very immersive world, a Non-RPG that you think qualifies as an RPG (1:30:00): Live Rolls and the Job System (1:40:40): Plugs and Outro

Welcome back to the RPG Podquest! In this episode: (0:00:35): Introductions and New Hosts! (0:10:50): New Games - Monster Train, Moco Moco Friends, Diablo Immortal, Fantasy Life Mobile, and Super Metroid (0:51:30): Evan's Quest - 34. A sub genre you hate/never got into. Jeremy and Nick share their RPG identities and greatest challenges. (1:26:00): Plugs and Outro

In this episode: (9:07): What we're playing - Ys IX, Tetris Effect, DungeonTop, Eastward (40:19): Evan's Quest - 30. ENEMY ENCOUNTER: Play an RPG on an older piece of hardware/old console (1:01:55): Will's Quest - 36. The best RPG in a series (1:25:45): Next quest rolls

In this episode: (2:43): News - Pokemon, Sora in Smash (13:51): What we've been playing - Earth Born (Eastward), Metallic Child, Ys Origin, Digimon Cyber Sleuth, Fantasian (1:10:26): Evan's Quest - 7. An RPG crossed with an unexpected/surprising genre (1:23:16): Will's Quest - 33. An RPG that deserves a sequel (1:33): Next Quest Rolls

In this episode: (1:55): News - Tokyo Game Show, Pokemon (20:05): What we've been playing - Tales of Vesperia, Scarlet Nexus, Astria Ascending, Earth Born, Cardaclysm: Shards of the Floor (57:28): Will's Quest - 31. The best/a great final dungeon in an RPG ***Spoiler alert for discussion about the final chapter of Final Fantasy VIII*** (1:10:30): Evan's Quest - 26. An RPG that is “all-gimmick, no-polish” (1:26:55): New quest rolls

In this episode: (2:33): What we're playing - Outer Worlds, Tales of Vesperia, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars, The Magister, Space Grunt, Nintendo Direct, Xbox Gamepass, and more! (1:02:40): Evan's Quest - An action RPG with good mechanics (1:13:10): Will's Quest - An RPG concept you think could be done better/A mechanic done in an RPG that you think should be more broadly applied (1:27:20): Next Quest Rolls

In this episode: (2:57): What we've been playing - Shadows of Adam, Lost in Random, Eastward, Ys VIII, Trails of Cold Steel, Tell Me Why, Skatebird. (56:45): Will's Quest - 22. An Action RPG with Good Mechanics. (1:08:33): Evan's Quest - 18. An underrated JRPG (that you've played). (1:27:15): New quest rolls.

In this episode: (2:30): What we're playing: Undertale, Children of Morta, Ys VIII, Library of Ruina, Azurebreak Heroes, Going Under, Wintermoor Tactics Club, One Deck Dungeon (47:03): Evan's quest - 14. An RPG (series) that you could never get into. (1:01:51): Will's quest - 21. A non-RPG you think does not qualify as an RPG. (1:19:35): New quest rolls

In this episode: (2:33) - What we've been playing (35:15) - Will's Quest - A western RPG that looks/feels more like a JRPG. (55:46) - Evan's Quest - An RPG with better side quests than the main narrative. (1:09:15) - New quest rolls.

In this episode: (3:58) - What we're playing: Oninaki, Black Book, Ys VIII, Ys IX, Tales of Arise Demo, Digimon Cyber Sleuth, SMT3, Habitica (43:30) - Evan's Quest: 9. A bad sequel to an RPG (1:0046) - Will's Quest: 15. A monster catching/raising RPG you love (1:22:03) - Rolls for next quest

In this episode: (1:43) - Pokemon presents (13:56) - What we've been playing (34:26) - Will's Quest: 10. ENEMY ENCOUNTER - Play a less than 20hr RPG (1:03:14) - Evan's Quest: 8. A Strategy RPG you love (1:27:30) Next quest rolls The RPG Quest Board 1. An RPG with your favorite/a great battle system 2. An overrated JRPG (that you've played) 3. An RPG with your favorite/a great Soundtrack 4. A NON-RPG that you think qualifies as an RPG 5. A sub genre you love 6. A JRPG that looks/feels more like a WRPG 7. An RPG with better aesthetics than gameplay 8. A Strategy RPG you love 9. A bad sequel to an RPG 10. ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY a less than 20 hour RPG 11. An RPG with great environmental design 12. An RPG with better side quests than the main narrative 13. An RPG without a traditional leveling system 14. An RPG (series) that you could just never get into 15. A monster catching/raising RPG you love 16. A retro RPG that does ONE THING better than modern releases 17. An RPG with your least favorite battle system 18. An underrated JRPG (that you've played) 19. A WRPG that looks/feels more like a JRPG 20. ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY the opening hours of an RPG you've already finished 21. A NON-RPG that you think does NOT qualify as an RPG 22. An action RPG with good mechanics 23. An RPG with a “novel twist” 24. An RPG concept you think could be done better 25. A roguelike/lite RPG you love 26. An RPG that is “all-gimmick, no-polish” 27. An RPG crossed with an unexpected/surprising genre 28. An RPG with branching storylines 29. A JRPG that you want to play that never got localized in the west 30. ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY an RPG on an older piece of hardware/old console 31. The best/a great final dungeon in an RPG 32. The most difficult/a very hard final boss in an RPG 33. An RPG that deserves a sequel 34. A sub genre you hate/never got into 35. A great side quest from an RPG 36. The best RPG in a series 37. A great town from an RPG 38. A great RPG minigame 39. A great character design from an RPG 40. BOSS BATTLE: PLAY an RPG of your co-host's choosing!

In this episode: (2:00) - Games we're playing: Boyfriend Dungeon, Dreamscaper, Neo The World Ends with You (15:15) - How the quest structure works (21:26) - Will's first quest - A subgenre you love (37:36) - Evan's first quest - An overrated JRPG that you've played The RPG Quest Board 1. An RPG with your favorite/a great battle system 2. An overrated JRPG (that you've played) 3. An RPG with your favorite/a great Soundtrack 4. A NON-RPG that you think qualifies as an RPG 5. A sub genre you love 6. A JRPG that looks/feels more like a WRPG 7. An RPG with better aesthetics than gameplay 8. A Strategy RPG you love 9. A bad sequel to an RPG 10. ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY a less than 20 hour RPG 11. An RPG with great environmental design 12. An RPG with better side quests than the main narrative 13. An RPG without a traditional leveling system 14. An RPG (series) that you could just never get into 15. A monster catching/raising RPG you love 16. A retro RPG that does ONE THING better than modern releases 17. An RPG with your least favorite battle system 18. An underrated JRPG (that you've played) 19. A WRPG that looks/feels more like a JRPG 20. ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY the opening hours of an RPG you've already finished 21. A NON-RPG that you think does NOT qualify as an RPG 22. An action RPG with good mechanics 23. An RPG with a “novel twist” 24. An RPG concept you think could be done better 25. A roguelike/lite RPG you love 26. An RPG that is “all-gimmick, no-polish” 27. An RPG crossed with an unexpected/surprising genre 28. An RPG with branching storylines 29. A JRPG that you want to play that never got localized in the west 30. ENEMY ENCOUNTER: PLAY an RPG on an older piece of hardware/old console 31. The best/a great final dungeon in an RPG 32. The most difficult/a very hard final boss in an RPG 33. An RPG that deserves a sequel 34. A sub genre you hate/never got into 35. A great side quest from an RPG 36. The best RPG in a series 37. A great town from an RPG 38. A great RPG minigame 39. A great character design from an RPG 40. BOSS BATTLE: PLAY an RPG of your co-host's choosing!

Welcome to RPG PodQuest! In our first episode, we kick off the show by introducing our hosts and the RPGs we love. Then we debate the age old question, "What is an RPG anyway?"--and answer the riddle once and for all! There's also pie, numbers, and parties! Tune in to our next episode to find out about the quests we plan to take on, and more!