RPGFan's Rhythm Encounter

We're getting festive today on Rhythm Encounter, but maybe not in the way you'd expect. It's the end of year holiday season, and we are taking inspiration from a holiday that celebrates another thing I like as much as video game music: books! Jólabókaflóðið — which roughly translates to "Christmas book flood" — is an Icelandic Christmas Eve tradition where people gift each other books and stay up reading them, possibly with a nice hot cocoa. We thought this was a great opportunity to provide some excellent video game music to pair with various authors, genres, and specific reads. Please join our assembled panel of connoisseurs as we discuss the two together. Happy reading, listening, and holidays!Featuring: Hilary Andreff, Rob White, Audra Bowling, and Matt Wardell; Edited by Mike SalbatoLinks and books mentioned in this episodeJólabókaflóðið official siteBetween Two Fires - Chris Buehlman (The Road x Dark Souls)Blade Runner “Ash” Comic Series (2019, 2029, 2039) - Michael Green and Mike JohnsonBrave Story - Miyuki MiyabeChronicles of the Avatar Series - F.C. Lee (Kyoshi and Yangcheng duologies) and Randy Ribay (Roku duology)The City and the City - China Miéville (Disco Elysium adjacent)Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and his Years of Pilgrimage - Haruki MurakamiFifteen Dogs - Andre Alexis (Gods give dogs human intelligence)Legend of Exorcism: Tianbao Fuyao Lu Series - Fei Tian Ye XiangLegends & Lattes - Travis BaldreeThe Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-ExupéryThe Midnight Library - Matt HaigNorwegian Wood - Haruki MurakamiPandora’s Star - Peter F. HamiltonThe Pillars of the Earth - Ken FollettPiranesi - Susanna ClarkeThe Shadow on the Glass - Ian IrvineShakespeare’s Tremor and Orwell’s Cough - John J. Ross, M.D.TracklistIn Search of Lost Time0:12:26 - Before the Fall (Laurence Chapman) - Heaven’s Vault0:23:05 - Last Silhouette (Masafumi Takada) - Digimon Story: Time StrangerThe Canterbury Tales 0:33:55 - Adventure of the Would-be Hero (Oliver Good) - Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars0:45:32 - Sic arsit historia kiersis (Alkemie) - PentimentThe Left Hand of Darkness0:57:42 - Voices from the Abyss (Izumi Wu, Rizet Tseng, Hong Zhang Su) - Xuan-Yuan Sword 71:12:29 - The Insulindian Miracle (Sea Power) - Disco ElysiumA Scanner Darkly1:23:55 - Signal Haze (Amos Roddy) - Citizen Sleeper1:35:17 - When Mother Was There (Shoji Meguro) - Persona 51:52:40 - Matt's Bonus Track!Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

In the distant past of 2021, our panel on Rhythm Encounter 74 chose songs based around eight elements of their choosing. Today we follow up on this elemental idea, but focused on four core elements of water, earth, fire, and air. With each element represented by two people, we compare and contrast each others' approaches. Where could we take the concept next? Let us know!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Matt Wardell, Audra Bowling; Edited by Mike SalbatoLinks for this episodeRhythm Encounter 74 - It's Elemental, My Dear WattsThirsty Suitors Game dev tries re-enacting OWN GAME in real lifeChinese Traditional Erhu Music Vol. 1 - Lei QiangXeen Music on BandcampFor Long Tomorrow by toe on YouTubeTo Be Hero X Character Songs on YouTubeTracklistWater (Go With the Flow!)0:11:56 - Verdant Overflow (Darren Malley) - Mythic Ocean0:14:37 - Currents (Miki Higashino, arr. Yoko Ueno, vocals KOKIA) - Genso Suikoden II Music Collection ~Orrizonte~/Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 1: Swordsman of HarmoniaEarth (We Will Rock You!)0:30:04 - Earth Dancer (Noriyuki Asakura) - Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma0:36:03 - Vagrant Song (Appalachia) [feat. Jillian Aversa] (Ryan Ike) - Where the Water Tastes Like Wine Fire (Get Out of the Kitchen!)0:54:02 - Destiny of Love (Inon Zur feat. Aubrey Ashburn) - Dragon Age II: Epic Times0:57:27 - Bhangra Battle (Marskye) - Thirsty SuitorsAir (This Will Blow Your Socks Off!)1:14:41 - Dragonhead Island (Tsukasa Usui) - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom1:18:00 - A Moment with Zelda (Takeshi Hama) - The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword1:41:32 - Matt's Bonus Track!Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

With another quarter come and gone, we reflect on the games and music released in the last three months to showcase some of our favorite discoveries! From new takes on classics, to brand new music IN classics, alongside straight up new games, there have been several notable happenings in RPG music. Check out our six picks, and don't miss the list of links for everything we considered in the show notes, since there are many worthwhile musical releases you won't want to miss.Featuring: Mike Salbato, Matt Wardell, Patrick Gann; Edited by Mike SalbatoLinks for this episodeRhythm Encounter 134 - Masashi Hamauzu SpotlightFinal Fantasy Piano Collections, RankedTracklist0:03:45 - Alexandra’s Shop (Tyler Mire) - Quartet0:14:43 - Düstersee (comp. Masashi Hamauzu, arr. Junnosuke Usui) - SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered0:28:05 - Shadow of You (Satoshi Okubo) - Dear me, I was...0:41:20 - Wind Scene (Chrono Trigger) (comp. Yasunori Mitsuda, arr. & perf. Ohta Mitsuhiro) - Guitar Cover Collection from SQUARE ENIX MUSIC Channel0:58:37 - Kookai Foundation (comp. Yasunori Mitsuda, arr. Hiroyuki Nakayama, perf. Benyamin Nuss) - Across the Kosmos ~ Xenosaga Piano Collection1:08:05 - Cradle of the Abyss (Leenzee, 8082Audio) - Wuchang: Fallen FeathersAlbum links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

It sure is weird to think that our last dedicated Final Fantasy XIV episode was almost four years ago, with Episode 69: What Moogle Wakes Me? Today, with a 75% different set of panelists, we return to "RPGFan's Favorite MMORPG" with selections from several of FFXIV's expansions, including fan favorites like Endwalker and Shadowbringers, up through 2024's Dawntrail. Join us as we adventure throughout Eorzea, The First, and beyond!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Mario Garcia, Matt Wardell, Wes Iliff; Edited by Mike SalbatoLinks for this episodeMisheard Lyrics: Alphascape v3.0 [O11] - YouTubeTracklistTowers and Giants0:14:25 - A Long Fall (Masayoshi Soken) - Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers0:16:40 - In the Belly of the Beast (Masayoshi Soken) - Final Fantasy XIV: ShadowbringersSerenity0:33:58 - Skybound Emerald (Daiki Ishikawa) - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail0:38:22 - Sands of Amber (Masayoshi Soken) - Final Fantasy XIV: ShadowbringersLord of the Castle0:58:02 - A Trail Unending (Masayoshi Soken) - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail1:01:02 - Amatsu Kaze (Masayoshi Soken) - Final Fantasy XIV: StormbloodPeaceful Days1:21:39 - The Day Will Come (Endwalker) (comp. Nobuo Uematsu, arr. Takafumi Imamura) - Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker1:24:51 - Coffee Break (Masayoshi Soken) - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail1:51:48 - Matt's Bonus Track!Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

It's been almost exactly 11 years to the day since we last welcomed video game arranger, producer, and saxophonist Sean Schafianski onto Rhythm Encounter, so it's long past time we had him on again! With a string of excellent new arrangement albums throughout last year and this year, there's so much to talk about. From his work on Jazz Arrange Version: Chrono Cross to a 3 "disc" full remaster arrangement of Final Fantasy VI and so much more that even two hours only covered so much of it!But it was a great conversation with music you don't want to miss. Be sure to check below for links on where you can listen to more of Sean's work as well.Featuring: Mike Salbato, Patrick Gann, Sean Schafianski; Edited by Jono LoganLinksRhythm Encounter 19 - Schmoozin' with Schafianski | RPGFanSnarky Puppy - Lingus (We Like It Here)Sean's WebsiteSean on BandcampTracklistClowns, Gods, and Bird Folk0:12:36 - Dancing Mad (comp. Nobuo Uematsu) - Remastered Soundtrack: Final Fantasy VI, Disc 30:16:15 - Island (comp. Yoshino Aoki) - Letters from Wyndia: Music from Breath of Fire IIITime & Space0:45:13 - Primitive Mountain (comp. Nobuo Uematsu) - Remastered Tracks: Chrono Trigger0:47:20 - Fields of Time (Home) (comp. Yasunori Mitsuda) - Jazz Arrange Version: Chrono CrossStorm Clouds1:09:16 - Matataki Village (comp. Tomohito Nishiura) - Remastered Tracks: Dark Cloud1:10:58 - Distant Thunder (from Secret of Mana) (comp. Hiroki Kikuta) - Remembrance: A Game Music Tribute1:48:09 - Sean's Bonus Track!Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

The Switch 2 is here! Is what we would have opened with had this episode gone up on time. Still, Nintendo's latest is the newest console on the market and it's doing pretty well, so we gathered up some fans of Nintendo music for this one. To try something new and to celebrate a wider range of Nintendo music history, each panelist was allowed to choose one non-RPG song, which resulted in a great episode of both expected and unexpected musical choices.Even branching out like this barely scratches the surface of Nintendo's long music history, but we gotta start somewhere! If you're still reading this, we both know there's only one way to kick this off: Let's-a-go!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Gio Castillo, Matt Wardell, Tom Cox; Edited by Mike SalbatoTracklistBlock of Affection0:27:38 - ‌Because I Love You (Keiichi Suzuki, arranged by Kenji Kondo) - Mother 1+20:31:01 - Caring (Kazuki Komai) - Fire Emblem EngageGiants and Monsters0:47:24 - ‌Yellow Giant (2023 Remaster) (Tatsuhiko Asano) - Doshin the Giant0:49:54 - Ecruteak City (Go Ichinose) - Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilverButter Galaxy1:16:46 - ‌Gusty Garden Galaxy (Mahito Yakota) - Super Mario Galaxy1:19:10 - Butter Building (Tomoya Tomita, Jun Ishikawa, Hirokazu Ando) - Kirby's Epic YarnFrom the Stars1:38:08 - ‌Title (Kenji Yamamoto) - Metroid Prime1:40:16 - Fight Against Smithy (Yoko Shimomura) - Super Mario RPG (Remake)2:09:40 - Tom's Bonus Track! Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

It's been nearly nine years since we published our first episode about RPG forest music, so it is high time we revisited the topic! Forest music comes in several varieties, from contemplative to mysterious, upbeat to foreboding, and many more. Today's long-awaited episode covers RPG music with a real range, both in terms of styles but also in that the games span many years, between 1995 and 2022! Give it a listen and let us know what some of your favorite forest music is.Also, an important note to our listeners: We apologize for the delay in publishing this episode! We have recently been short staffed in the audio editing department. So while we have continued to record Rhythm Encounter episodes during this unplanned hiatus, it has taken longer than planned to edit them. We are hoping to be back on our regular bi-weekly schedule starting here, though! We appreciate your patience, and hey, if you or anyone you know would want to help us with editing our podcasts, let us know! And thank you to Jono Logan for stepping in to edit!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Gio Castillo, Audra Bowling; Edited by Jono LoganLinks for this episodeRhythm Encounter 37 – Foliage Ocean in St. LouisHylics 2 OST on BandcampTracklistArboreal Aspirations0:09:04 - ‌In the Deep Woods (ConcernedApe) - Stardew Valley0:11:08 - ‌As I Feel, You Feel (Nobuo Uematsu) - Final Fantasy V: Dear FriendsBacon & Eggs0:33:03 - ‌Starting Over (Naoshi Mizuta, perf. by Joelle) - Final Fantasy XIII-20:38:20 - ‌Secret of Forest (Yasunori Mitsuda, arr. by Guido - Hiroshi Hata and Kalta Ohtsuki) - Chrono Trigger: The Brink of TimeGreat Silence1:04:50 - ‌Silence of the Forest (Revo) - Bravely Default1:09:15 - Dungeon1 The Great Forest (Takashi Tsuzuki and Seitaro Tsuzuki) - Eiyuden Chronicle: RisingDevilish Visitors1:22:26 - ‌A Visitor in the Forest (Marika Suzuki) - Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin1:24:18 - ‌Devil Forest (Hiroyuki Yanada) - Last Bible III1:45:11 - Audra's Bonus Track!Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Continuing our new run of quarterly new music updates is our first episode for 2025, and it's a truly notable start. We have a range of new music today, from well composed soundtracks that play homage to earlier console generations to new projects from popular Minecraft composer C418. We also continue to take our definition of music from a certain timeframe liberally and even have music for a game that doesn't exist (anymore). May these episodes help you learn more about new game music releases, and we'll be ready for more next quarter!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff; Edited by Mike SalbatoLinks for this episodeExtremely OK Games: Final Earthblade UpdateTracklist0:04:58 - ‌Batten Down the Hatches (Winifred Phillips) - Flint: Treasure of Oblivion0:12:08 - Child of the Earth (Lena Raine) - Earthblade ~ Across the Bounds of Fate0:23:28 - ‌Acoustic: Main Theme of FFVII - Battle Edit (Nobuo Uematsu, arr. Takaaki Nakagawa) - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Acoustic Arrangements0:34:00 - A Different Sun (Amos Roddy) - Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector0:43:22 - Truth (Ada-P) - Urban Myth Dissolution Center0:52:08 - Main theme (Mili feat. Cassie Wei) - ENDER MAGNOLIA: Bloom in the Mist1:09:02 - Hilary's Bonus Track!Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is almost here, so what better time to dive into this musically fascinating "side" tale from 2015? Many fans were surprised that the first Xenoblade Chronicles was not followed by a "2" (though that happened later), but by Xenoblade Chronicles X. The name and looks alone made it clear this was a different beast: XCX features some now-familiar Xenoblade components and scale, but the more "worldly" nature of its story outside of the "main" plot thread was almost as divisive as its soundtrack to some players.When your first game features music by Yoko Shimomura, ACE+, Manami Kiyota, and Yasunori Mitsuda, pivoting soundtrack duties to "Attack on Titan guy," Hiroyuki Sawano, makes people take notice. The whole Xenoblade series is packed with unforgettable music, but there's no denying that none of them sound quite like the sometimes weird, often catchy, and above all, wholly unexpected, Xenoblade Chronicles X.Featuring: Mike Salbato, Wes Iliff, Stephanie Sybydlo, Sean Cabot; Edited by Mike SalbatoTracklistUncontrollable Wes0:08:25 - ‌Uncontrollable0:11:05 - Don't worryZ5 Sean0:25:55 - ‌Black tar0:29:55 - ‌Z5 MiraWir Stephegen0:43:03 - ‌Wir fliegen0:46:25 - ManonMike X1:00:44 - Shiro no Tairiku1:05:44 - ‌Theme X1:32:44 - Everyone's Bonus TrackAlbum links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

It's time for Music of the Year! 2024 was absolutely stacked with game releases. Some even felt it was one of the all-time best years in gaming. And the side effect of a year filled with excellent games means a year of excellent soundtracks. For this annual special, we let each panelist bring on three songs. Even so, how did we pick just nine today? It wasn't easy.2024 being such a great year for RPG music meant that one episode could not contain our Music of the Year celebrations, so we have split it into two back-to-back episodes. Enjoy the likes of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Arco, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and much more today. Then come back next week for three more panelists' highlights of the year!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff, Michael Sollosi, Gio Castillo, Patrick Gann; Edited by Mike SalbatoLinks for this episodeThe End of Service: A NieR Re[in]carnation Postmortem RetrospectivePat's Picks0:02:58 - The World's Heartbeat (comp. Kenji Ito, arr. Tsutomu Narita) - SaGa Emerald Beyond0:04:49 - Battle! (Terapagos - The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero) (comp. Toby Fox, Go Ichinose, Rei Murayama, arr. Go Ichinose) - Pokémon Scarlet & Violet0:08:16 - Lantern&End (Keiichi Okabe) - SINoALICEHilary's Picks‌0:39:58 - Renoir (Lorien Testard) - Clair Obscur: Expedition 330:42:55 - Moiety Theme (Robyn Miller) - Riven (2024)0:45:01 - Nadie Los Podrá Salvar (José Ramón "Bibiki" García) - ArcoMichael Sollosi's Picks‌1:17:52 - Impregnable Triangle (Chihiro Aoki) - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth1:20:59 - Coral Crown (Darren Korb, feat. Erin Yvette, Ashley Barret, Judy Alice Lee) - Hades II1:25:04 - Queen's Blood - Prodigious Pedigree (Mitsuto Suzuki) - Final Fantasy VII RebirthAlbum links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Between our recent milestone of 150 episodes and the start of a new year, we will have some fun changes coming to Rhythm Encounter, starting with this episode. New games and music release all the time that don't always fit with our episode themes. Starting today, we will release a "new music" episode every few months to spotlight the latest in RPG music. These episodes will typically be a shorter listen with a smaller panel, featuring 6–8 songs each. Today, Mike and Hilary highlight Metaphor: ReFantazio, Ys X: Nordics, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, and more!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Hilary Andreff; Edited by Jonathan LoganLinks for this episodeRhythm Encounter 53 - Feel the Burn!Rhythm Encounter 150 - Name That (RPG) TuneTracklist0:00:47 - Warriors in Arms (Shoji Meguro) - Metaphor: ReFantazio0:09:35 - Ceruleum Smoke at High Noon (Takafumi Imamura) - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail0:21:31 - Heroes in Training (Winifred Phillips) - Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord (Remaster)0:30:27 - Alefgard (Koichi Sugiyama) - Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake0:35:44 - Facing the Distant Horizon (Falcom Sound Team jdk) - Ys X: Nordics0:41:34 - VS. The Rutile All-Stars (Lena Raine) - Beastieball0:57:09 - Mike's Bonus Track!Album links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan. This post also contains a bonus listing of more recent music that were considered for this episode, so don't miss it!Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom

Retro Encounter can't be the only one making quiz show episodes. Rhythm Encounter had to get in on the action to celebrate our 150th episode milestone! Which of course means making our contestants identify songs, composers, and more across five themed rounds. Who will triumph? Feel free to play along too and see how you do! We had enough fun with this one that we don't want to wait another 150 episodes to bring it back. But for now, put your quiz show hats on (those are a thing, right?), make some guesses, and ring in 150 episodes with us!Featuring: Mike Salbato, Patrick Gann, Hilary Andreff, Gio Castillo; Edited by Jonathan LoganRounds0:05:31 - Round 1: Better Together0:16:45 - Round 2: This One's for the Girls0:35:35 - Round 3: This, That, or the Other: Sakuraba Edition0:51:50 - Round 4: Final Fantasy Arrangements1:13:10 - Round 5: Know Your Eras1:31:06 - Round 6: Final QuestionAlbum links for places to buy, stream, and more are available in our post on RPGFan.Get in Touch:RPGFan.comRPGFan ShopEmail us: music@rpgfan.comTwitter: @rpgfancomBluesky: @rpgfan.bsky.socialInstagram: @rpgfancomThreads: @rpgfancomFacebook: rpgfancomTwitch: rpgfancom