Retrograde Amnesia: Comprehensive JRPG Retrospective

What a gentle looking face this statue of a woman has. And what gentle ears you have, listener, to hear us injecting life energy into sick people, confirming midi-chlorians, wearing capes from space, meeting a girl of exceptional courage, sexually harassing the nurse, spawning infinite trees that eat people, meeting another anime space princess, seeking Lutz who is also Noah, improving body and soul, blackening the earth, christening a special boy of destiny, and praying for your safety. Yes, we will make it a hospital. 00:00:00 Our Next Miniseries is… 00:02:23 Intro 00:05:14 Meese Sick House 00:14:46 Raja Falls Ill 00:20:56 Carnivorous Forest 00:31:26 Esper Mansion 00:45:48 Inner Sanctuary 00:56:06 Real Net 01:01:29 Outro  Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

You shouldn't say such unscientific things. Let us us do it while we're somehow waltzing into another JRPG penguin town, "making improvements" to owls, creaming a guy, turning Chaz into a Hero Leader, buying a penguin follower, leading a breeder's life, slaughtering zombies, hearing word of man-eating trees, meeting Dark Element Lars, debating the relationship between monsters and computer, contracting illness, letting the kids go outside, and converting the inn into hospice. Rest in peace to those spirits who are victims of illness 00:00:00 Next Miniseries 00:02:35 Intro 00:05:26 Zosa 00:13:41 Zosa Houses 00:19:34 Climate Control Center 00:29:31 Reshel 00:30:43 Meese 00:35:13 Meese Houses 00:39:38 Real Net 00:45:30 Outro  Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

My head is out of whack. Solve this neural distress with us as we're growing new hands, making sure vehicles don't get cut, admiring the galaxy map, solving the button mystery, shootin' goop, greeting a treasure chest, putting Satan in the computer, wishing for greater robot lore, pitch-shifting gak, contrasting red and black, failing to fix climate chaos, keeping a special car in space, busting through ice in our new car, speaking with cats, feeling a fond remembrance, and discussing the unparalleled beauty of badminton equipment. I am living a real life version of a life simulator. 00:00:00 Real True Videogaming 00:05:14 Dezolis Spaceport 00:09:23 Kuran 00:18:04 Dark Force 00:29:07 Zelen 00:35:48 Myst Vale 00:43:31 Real Net 00:48:02 Outro  Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Two fists is the best situation. But you can also use two ears to hear us speaking with fire, curating creamsicle outerwear, admiring the JRPG snow town, humping a rock, speaking an untranslatable pun, identifying foundational videogame farts, going hard on Tic Tacs, huddling tight on winter nights, looking at this lot with suspicion, buying armor we already have, blowing hats off, thinking of our favorite Tyler, installing a grandfather in every town, respecting father and mother, freebasing Pez, and expecting to see a spaceship buried under the snow grave cave. Trust that body to us.  00:00:00 Coach Dad Update 00:02:47 Intro 00:05:12 Ryuon 00:18:41 Ryoun Houses 00:25:16 Ryoun Bar 00:34:52 Tyler 00:41:09 Tyler Houses 00:50:34 Tyler's Grave 00:52:52 Below the Grave 00:56:41 Real Net 01:03:10 Outro  Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com    

What a flamboyant landing! Embrace the reentry glitz as we're always feeling like something is wrong, confusing Marvel Chrises, becoming divided over robots wearing cloaks, shorting out, feeling safe with Wren, witnessing a procession of absurdities, destroying an important temple, dragging an old man around with us, taking a "pleasure trip," guarding what's left of this place, summoning the pocket rover, and wondering if you can make soap dirty. How strange, it's raining machines. 00:00:00 Chris Promotes Goat Soap 00:03:07 Intro 00:05:10 Uncomfortable Space 00:08:21 Red Alert 00:12:50 Crash Landing 00:17:06 Dezolis - Temple of Raja 00:31:10 Dezolis World Map 00:38:24 Real Net 00:46:10 Outro  Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Thank goodness you've revived. Now you can listen to us raising a spaceport out of the sand, losing another party member, investigating the dorms, caring for another's child, running out in a tab, remaining an influencer, sorting out the estranged families, falling into crack, slaying ooze, going to SPACE, looking at space, curing the problem, denying weather control, revealing a second teacher, extending the problem we cured, meeting up offline, and digesting gas station pills. Perhaps he was talking about the end of himself. 00:00:00 Bad Break Up 00:01:46 Intro 00:03:10 A Spaceport 00:05:35 Missing Student (Guild Quest) 00:09:29 Kadary Revisited 00:21:49 Fissure of Fear (Guild Quest) 00:29:47 Spaceport 00:32:55 Zelen 00:43:54 Real Net 00:45:29 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Everyone's mothers are congregating and looking sad. They're listening in as we're investigating a deadly premonition, becoming an honorable adult, withholding emotions through dark eyes, innovating narrative pain and agony through manga panels, revealing a dark backstory, checking Rune's stats, encouraging Hahn to leave, recalling videogame graves, getting inside the nucleus, making sure a robot carries the gun, doth seeking the power, assuming the battle was death-rigged, using weapons as items, putting a robot into the computer, and telecommuting with a guy in space. From now on, you have to carve out your own destiny, by yourself. 00:00:00 Seven Hour Sonic Adventure Podcast 00:02:12 Intro 00:04:44 Her Last Breath 00:14:07 Post Mortem 00:20:01 Krup: The Next Day 00:24:58 Saya's Schoolhouse 00:31:46 Return to Zio's Fort 00:38:56 Zio 00:46:58 Aftermath 00:52:54 Real Net 00:57:40 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

I can smell the urge to fight in you. With such pungency, you're aiding us in contracting pink eye, wasting MP on a robot, naming a kid "gunner," fearing the mono-eye robot, adapting weird machine parts for androids, refusing to look at naked robot, watching Gryz express facial emotion, worshipping a heroine of yore, aggressively referencing Phantasy Star I, locating the depraved daughter, putting our feelings in metal, rapidly blinking eyes, dying recovered, eliminating another jobber, and fearing her last breath. Put your adversary down by force. 00:00:00 Bubblegum 00:02:23 Intro 00:04:52 World Mappers 00:06:10 Plate System 00:21:00 Termi 00:27:05 Termi Houses 00:31:10 Laeda Tower 00:39:08 GyLaguiah 00:44:59 Real Net 00:49:32 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Do you like this kind of treatment? Audio injections of us imagining what Krup "tastes like," saying mighty cheeky things, emerging from the ground, freely restoring HP/MP, worrying about Dark Force, keeping a car in our pocket, fighting things with the car, looking all over the world for a fat dog, locating the secret bakery, dealing with earthquake surge pricing, recalling 9/12/2001, learning more about sinkholes, enshrining a heroine of yore, realizing this guy has a cuck chair, stealing joy from children, and refusing to buy into the immersion. Would this constitute some kind of clue? 00:00:00 Caught in the Act 00:02:04 Intro 00:05:17 Krup 00:09:48 Machine Center 00:14:16 Land Rover 00:20:25 Tinkerbell's Dog 00:28:19 Monsen 00:40:04 Monsen Houses 00:50:42 Real Net 00:59:19 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Only after destruction can we create a new world. Become reborn with us as we're playing in the cave in the church, living in idleness, filling pauldrons with puss, walking the red carpet, falling through a hole, obliterating a jobber, mistaking knees for ass, pulling more characters out of Bubblegum Crisis, showcasing medical power, taking a look at our own evil selves, confronting Zio, losing a rigged battle, applying healing magic that doesn't work, manifesting a car, and wondering if Phantasy Star IV invented primary protagonist incapacitation. School work is so stupid. 00:00:00 Robots In Disguise In Disguise 00:02:04 Intro 00:03:46 Kadary Church 00:12:39 Zio's Fort 00:19:18 Juza 00:21:45 Demi 00:27:35 It's Zio! 00:38:42 Krup Regroup 00:52:19 Real Net 00:57:08 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Do not run on the floor. Instead, run your ears on observing infinite lives, hearing about the troops, declining a free drink, enriching lives, rendering pixel ass, making sure they're bug ladies and not bunny ladies, splitting the cave-computer binary, tying into Phantasy Star III, decaying orbit, merging two guys into one guy, rejecting the M.E.T.A. meta, becoming annoyed at the cultists, uniting christ with computer, and blacking out at either snake church or tongue church. Purge the souls of the fools. 00:00:00 Coach Dad 1-0 00:02:23 Intro / Mechanical Man 00:05:41 Hunter's Guild 00:15:09 Hunter's Guild Back Room 00:18:43 The Ranch Owner 00:22:05 Wreckage 00:34:08 Passageway 00:39:56 Kadary 00:49:46 Kadary Buildings 00:58:04 Real Net 01:03:45 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

We're ex-convicts, no one will marry us now. We're doomed to a life of observing the need to fix bridges, inhabiting a dead town, fearing dentist technology, bowling alone, refusing to trust the neighbors, Wet Banditing our own house, vomiting all over the wall, observing a fluid town, stealing husband's secret savings, losing a lot in translation, interpreting a poster, panty-raiding ourselves, sneaking out of an inn, refusing to tell a fortune, and drinking to numb the pain. I don't seem to be in good shape today, come back some other time. 00:00:00 The Server Has a Tattoo 00:04:14 Intro 00:06:22 World Map 00:09:32 Nayla 00:13:01 Nayla Buildings 00:28:37 Aiedo 00:36:54 Aiedo Buildings 00:45:43 Big Market 00:57:12 Jail 00:58:28 Real Net 01:02:20 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

What on earth are you, and what is this place? To figure that out, we're doing it in the Birth Valley, re-entering the Techno Drome, expanding Chris' vocabulary, touring the Porsche factory, mixing monsters with machines, creating a bioactive environment, enjoying the Professor Holt bit, referencing Nei, citing sexy lady anime, determining the cat girl origin point, upsetting mother nature, stacking computers, breeding harmful monsters, meeting a computer child, and carrying the will of Seed. Sterilization treatment completed; please follow the line on the floor. 00:00:00 Marathon Man 00:03:06 Intro 00:04:32 Return to Birth Valley 00:05:45 Bio-Plant 00:21:32 Rika 00:31:44 Seed 00:45:57 Fresh Air in Zema 00:49:24 Real Net 00:56:20 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Somehow the body has become lighter. With your new carbon fiber ears, listen to us fading white, hiding Grandfather in the back, favoring the monger, reading lady numbers, deploying a custom animation, separating charge and information, making dirt wet for too long, accepting a Motavian party member, resolving the stone mustache, separating tears from sweat, violating a sacred area, knowing our limitations, and wearing sweat pants to church. The old man doesn't have any bad intentions. 00:00:00 On the Beach 00:02:29 Intro 00:03:46 Tonoe x Grandfather 00:16:17 Warehouse Basement 00:24:52 How Old Is ______ 00:27:18 Return to Zema 00:33:56 Igglanova Rematch 00:36:55 Exploring Zema 00:46:04 Real Net 00:51:24 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

What a pig this dog is! Before experiencing canine pork, we're finding Krup stuck in our teeth, lying about our academic career, telling people where I hurt myself today, spreading religion, leaving the cabinets open, embracing orange soda genericism, disinheriting a son, harnessing the power of CRBN, teaching kids in the home, figuring out if we're using magic, shooting meat ropes, banishing the natives to one town, sitting lost in thought, and welcoming the owl folk. It's about the only thing I'm capable of doing. 00:00:00 Sonic Speed Simulator 00:04:01 Intro 00:06:12 Rune-inations 00:08:19 Krup 00:11:48 Krup Houses 00:23:49 Saya School 00:36:57 World Map 00:37:40 Valleymaze Entrance 00:40:27 Valleymaze 00:42:50 Tonoe 00:47:12 Tonoe Market Stalls 00:50:07 Tonoe Houses 00:53:30 Real Net 00:59:29 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Well, Chaz, your brain seems to work a little bit. At least enough to listen as we're speaking with the beardy-guy-vestman, swallowing a town with quicksand, adding morality to terraforming, pounding Zima, performing a community raking service, experimenting with macros, stoning everyone in town, refusing to help orphaned children, discussing mustache petrification logistics, grifting Hahn, comically tugging our collars at the sight of cum, standing and thinking while caped, sporting a winning chin, losing a fight with a stance, and calling bullshit on Rudy (1993) and Rudy (1944). What a stupid name. 00:00:00 Dragon Quest I & II via Chris 00:02:24 Intro 00:04:36 Mile 00:15:11 Mile Houses 00:21:32 World Map 00:25:36 Zema 00:30:34 Birth Valley 00:37:17 Return To Zema 00:38:25 World Map 00:40:04 Molcum / Rune 00:52:24 Real Net 00:59:34 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

This monster business is no mystery after all. As we uncover the secrets, we're wondering if manga can be in color, installing headquarters in the basement, dropping multiple fishies, fingering to win, sweating to lose, producing the Venn diagram of veins and ticklers, conducting numerous brain activities, breeding monsters in the basement, teleporting before your eyes, hiding the basement situation, connecting the parcel to the monsters, and combining a bad guy haircut with a science robe. It seems like these are signs of something to come. 00:00:00 Chris Is Steamed 00:03:13 Intro 00:04:16 Principal's Office 00:10:43 Hahn Mahlay 00:18:44 Piata Clean Up 00:20:24 Basement Dungeon 00:35:15 Reporting To The Principal's Office 00:45:17 Wrapping Up Piata 00:46:32 World Map 00:48:49 Intro To Mile 00:49:15 Real Net 00:54:54 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

I've always wanted to go to a Town of Learning, so we can learn to make a podcast of listening. We're talking about throwing away a cake, tolling the bell, fearing The Computer, Chaz'ing a Rudy, erecting character sprites, rendering a world beyond the Genesis, locking up books, flipping through options, buzzing off, measuring the dew point, learning Chris' biggest scholastic achievement, falling victim to a strange religion, setting the table for the dirty kitchen, jumping in the fountain, and doing a bunch of that dust. Stop wasting time, there's nothing here. 00:02:24 Intro 00:03:39 Power On Prologues 00:09:36 Wake Up, Chaz 00:18:07 World Map 00:21:27 Piata Academy, Pre-Principal 00:37:21 Piata Outdoors 00:43:09 Piata Houses 00:43:55 Chris' Group Project 00:48:56 More Piata Houses 00:54:46 Real Net 00:58:28 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

On the second episode of our Phantasy Star IV background info, we're watching commercials in Japanese, realizing "cels" and "panels" are not interchangeable, looking at print ads, riding for Rick, revealing the dark phallus, appreciating the work of Boris Vallejo, speaking perfect french, traveling beyond history, citing The Cutting Room Floor, pacifying fans, filling batchin' samples, sleeping walking with thumbs, declaring Earthworm Jim "The Skyrim of Platformers," leaking prototypes, reading from zines, glitching level 99, pounding burger and cola, completing Phantasy Star, bailing on Phantasy Star II, and yearning to explore the alternate timeline. I wonder what the people will see in the final days? Check out the FunFactor Podcast for more fun stuff from Aidan and Ty. Ty Schalter (FiveThirtyEight, VICE) and Aidan Moher (Vulture, WIRED) review what rocked and what sucked about the classic video game magazines that inspired them to become journalists, authors, and critics--and what they can tell us about today's digital media and games. 00:00:00 Intro 00:03:05 Promotional Media 00:11:40 Merchandise 00:14:02 Game Box 00:21:24 Game Manual 00:23:29 Cut Content 00:27:30 Fan Fiction 00:28:52 Contemporary Reviews (featuring FunFactor) 01:04:37 Modern Reviews 01:11:02 MODS 01:14:03 Memories 01:26:08 Expectations 01:31:04 Counts 01:34:06 Real Net 01:39:03 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Hello and welcome to the first episode of our eighth season! We're covering Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium for the next 25-to-70 weeks. On this two-parter of an intro episode, we're peeling the skin off the Fake Net, buying children a $212 videogame, charging more money for more megabits, realizing the Mega Drive was online in 1990, de-making to the NES, creating a million ports, overthinking world details, not just plagiarizing Dragon Quest, building love and friendship around the stars, making something no one else was making, loving Star Wars, having snacks with the staff, and wondering if we believe game localization's most powerful ego weirdo. The current millennium ends on December 31st 3000. 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:54 What Is This Podcast 00:03:34 Release Information 00:10:52 Ports 00:19:54 Playing Phantasy Star IV in 2025 00:24:55 Development History / Interviews 01:06:42 Real Net 01:13:56 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com