Episode 115 – Same Song, Different System: Paper Mario The Thousand-Year Door

We’ve covered the Mario RPG games and their music WAY back on Episode 29 but today, we’re revisiting one of the best Paper Mario games out there: Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door. Recently, it received a remaster on the Nintendo Switch and while the original soundtrack is an option in this new version, …

Episode 105 – The Musical History of Natsume Part 3

Continued from Episodes 99 and 102, Mike and Justin close out the musical history of the developer, Natsume Co. Ltd. After the split between Natsume Co. Ltd. and Natsume Inc, Natsume Co. Ltd. would continue to work on developing games, mostly on the Super NES and eventually handhelds like the Game Boy Color. Here is …

Episode 104 – Shantae Tunes

Wayforward’s Shantae on the Game Boy Color was the swansong release on the handheld and the beginning of a franchise in the making. Now, Shantae has not only blossomed into a 5 (soon to be 6) game series, but can be widely considered Queen of the indie game scene. One particular stand out in this …

Episode 102 – The Musical History of Natsume Part 2: Natsume Inc.

Continued from Episode 99, Mike and Justin hit the dusty trail of Natsume’s musical history for a second time to uncover the North American-based publishing (and sometimes development) side of the company. Splitting from Natsume Co. Ltd. in 1995, Natsume Inc. began publishing a wide variety of games mostly in North America. From tales of …

Episode 101 – Elevator Action Returns

Step into the world of Elevator Action Returns: A place full of guns, explosions and most importantly…elevators! Justin and Mike climb back into the world of Taito’s in house band, Zuntata; more specifically Yasuhisa Watanabe’s stellar soundtrack for this exciting sequel to the original arcade classic, Elevator Action. From funk elements to jazz and light …

Episode 99 – The Musical History of Natsume (Part 1)

It’s Technostasy! Since 1987, Natsumi, a company created by ex-Konami employees, has been one of the best developers from the 8 and 16 bit eras of gaming. However, their history has been muddled by confusing ownership and history to the common fan. Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin uncover the truth behind Natsume’s story …

Episode 98 – Arwing Odyssey w/ Ro Panuganti

Star Fox 64 is sometimes viewed as the evolution in the Star Fox franchise’s musical journey. But with this more cinematic orchestral vision, the sounds of a more popular style of music has disappeared. But with musician Ro Panuganti’s prowess, Arwing Odyssey is born. A Progressive Metal thematic voyage through most of Star Fox 64’s …

Episode 97 – Super Famicom Japan Exclusives w/ NIKOTENGOKU

New Year! New Episode! Starting off 2023, our 5th year as a podcast, we’re joined once again by our good pal, NikoTengoku! The Super Famicom (or as we know it outside of Japan, the Super NES) is host to a COLOSSAL list of excellent game soundtracks, but the Japan exclusive stuff usually gets overlooked. Niko …

Episode 87 – Super Nintendo: ORCHESTRATED with Orchestral Fantasy

The Super Nintendo is known for having some of the most lush compositions in 16 bit history. But have you ever wondered what these tracks would sound like with real instruments? Our guest today is Andrew Thompson who runs a musical project where he answers that very question and the results are EPIC! Mike and …