Retrograde Amnesia: Comprehensive JRPG Retrospective

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  

The game is over but the game is not over. One our final episode for season seven, we're smelling the ocean on the breeze, losing all MP, putting faith in our strength, spending our brains out, affirming Ghaleon's insanity, declaring Jessica Day, requesting an adult, creating an open door policy, realizing Luna has no idea what the hell Ghaleon was trying to do, starting Jessica's domestic education, causing weird vibes, engaging in scat play, talking to Kyle too many times, raiding Luna's unmentionables, and realizing Victor made the game (multiple interpretations). Season 8, featuring Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium, starts next week! 00:00:00 Slop Children 00:05:39 Intro 00:09:04 Friends Assembled 00:12:56 Meribia NPCs 00:20:59 Meribia Houses 00:41:26 Black Rose Street NPCs 00:49:07 Goodbye, Nash & Mia 00:59:17 Black Rose Street Houses 01:05:51 Meribia Port NPCs 01:07:37 Mel's Mansion NPCs Part I 01:10:28 Goodbye, Kyle & Jessica 01:23:48 Mel's Mansion NPCs Part II 01:27:46 Phacia!? 01:29:15 Tempest! Fresca! 01:30:49 Epilogue Finale 01:35:57 Wrap It Up 01:42:34 Real Net 01:53:33 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

I am disgraced yet again. Season seven continues with us listening to a death rattle, making sure the Ocarina is in Alex's pocket, assigning jealousy as a motive, dumbing ourselves down for women, desecrating her sanctum, fighting for the ones we love, getting a little action, wishing for stronger hints, realizing girlfriend might be a bomb, confirming girlfriend must stay god, winning with the power of idealism, telling a lady that we're destined to be together, mutating after turning evil, censoring nudity, and receiving permission for Wheaties. Just go home and resign yourself to mankind's fate (another episode). 00:00:00 Please God Let It End 00:01:21 Intro 00:02:37 Magic Emperor: Defeated? 00:07:10 Pre-Stairs Friend Pep Talks 00:16:22 Alex & The Staircase 00:23:47 Staircase Friends 00:31:06 Ascension 00:35:08 Confrontation Anime 00:42:31 The Gang Regroup 00:45:18 CG ANIME CUT SCENE 00:47:56 Sega CD Ending 00:59:14 Real Net 01:04:56 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Do we care about the fate of the world? Hell no. We're only concerned with exploring the wasteland of the mind, imbibing the sweet nectar of the woman kind, conquering our greatest fears (again), escaping the maze of our wretched inner-selves, living in the body of a goddess, running out of unlimited time, correcting god, beholding the power of salvation, suffering a promo endurance round, perceiving decadence, rebuffing everyone after a one-hit death, getting stuck in the healing loop, and probably defeating the last boss. All you've ever done is dream of your great adventures. 00:00:00 We Finished Vagrant Story 00:01:23 Intro 00:04:20 Ships of Regret and Sleep 00:19:10 Xenobia 00:26:41 Final Battleground 00:38:49 Hero Lines 00:46:30 Last Boss Fight 00:56:18 Real Net 01:05:12 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Even if you wanted to make this a twist, there's nowhere to twist. Before we twist it off, we're revealing the secret true identity of Laike, speaking of plot elements specifically, giving it a yank, turning into a dragon, realizing the Grindery is a Frontier machine, once again imagining a more socially conscious game, consuming sleep medication, debating the ideal final dungeon, leaving our fate in our hands, wishing Nash would behead a lady, overcoming the struggle of being human, eating Ghaleon's slop, and enduring another dream self-doubt realization sequence. Yes, we will make sure god stays dead. 00:00:00 Spiraling Concept: Foundational Experience 00:03:36 Intro 00:05:30 Laike's Sword 00:15:20 White Dragon 2 00:17:50 Sega CD Check In 00:27:45 Fortress of Althena I 00:28:16 Royce 00:32:17 Royce II 00:35:43 Fortress of Althena II 00:42:12 Fortress of Althena III 00:51:56 Xenobia 00:58:44 Ship of Regret and Sleep 00:59:04 Real Net 01:06:34 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Nothing can justify what he has done. Nothing except us reacting incorrectly, marrying a child, debating Ghaleon's power, exhibiting egregious Mega Man 4 opinions, decoding sunscreen, obeying out of fear and not respect, rescuing a puppy, giving up the drink, realizing Nash deserves nothing, joining in the madness, favoring self determination, referencing "new types," streaming romantic rhetoric, killing god, trapping everyone in the good vs evil binary, and sacrificing, well, something. Althena gave us free health care and nothing else. 00:00:00 Super Sonic 00:01:40 Intro 00:02:59 Meribia, With Jessica & Mia 00:21:13 Gathering The Boys 00:30:03 Merbia, With Full Party 00:36:46 Black Rose Street, Full Party 00:38:05 Mel's Mansion, Full Party 00:40:22 Field Trip To Burg's Cliff 00:49:25 Transmigration Anime 00:58:48 Laike's Debrief 01:01:02 Real Net 01:03:23 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Hey kids, weird day, huh? Days like this include human men delivering victory lines, jerking off after the massage, hacking through romance with a machete, losing the cut-scene, ditching the Vader outer wear, failing to keep up with the lore, forming the N.W.O., retiring the Dragon Master gear, sleeping for three days, distinguishing pudding from a smoothie, recognizing Negative Attitude Man, suspecting Eternal Blue is much better, voluntarily contracting rabies, and drinking away our problems. We're all 15. 00:00:00 Delta Rune 00:00:15 No Title 00:02:25 Intro 00:04:19 We…Won? 00:14:10 Anime 00:18:11 We Lost 00:28:15 Broken Blade 00:34:25 Alex In Mel's Mansion 00:36:26 Alex In Meribia 00:44:57 Alex In Black Rose Street 00:55:03 Alex At The Meribia Port 00:55:24 Mia & Jessica Consultation 00:57:31 Real Net 01:02:38 Outro Patreon: patreon.com/retroam Bluesky: @retrogradeamnesia.bsky.social YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RetrogradeAmnesia E-Mail: podcast@retrogradeamnesia.com Website: www.retrogradeamnesia.com  

Has anyone told you that you're gorgeous? It's true, as obvious as when we're rolling a turd, suffering a pincer attack, wishing there were anime in an anime moment, yanking off nipples, adapting dragon technology, vowing to stop a cretin, stumbling into a fairy garden, chafing at a wicked manner, laying off the goblin workforce, shopping at Home Depot, peeling back Chris' Secret Garden meta layer, searching for the new Golgotha, accepting Phacia's sacrifice, and engaging in what is surely going to be the final battle. I think his lust for power has enslaved his soul 00:00:00 Salamander 00:02:35 Intro 00:04:32 Outside the Grindery  00:13:07 Grindery Part I 00:19:05 Grindery Part II 00:22:51 My Secret Garden 00:37:00 Grindery Part III 00:41:47 Phacia 00:48:44 Inner Sanctum 00:53:10 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