The VGMbassy

It’s the final episode of Embassy Exclusive, closing out this show and The VGMbassy series as well. It’s been a fantastic journey, and Ed, Joe, and Todd spend their final time on the mic remembering their favorite moments from the podcast and distributing personal thank-yous to everyone who’s contributed over the years. The show may be ending, but the Discord community lives on, and all are welcome to join! A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Jason Letourneau for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Periodical, Kung-Fu Carlito, Scott McElhone, Chris Murray, Claire Myers, Mike Stark, KeyGlyph, Kyle Krull, The Diad, Daryl Bowers, Tom Hunt, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – “Epilogue 3” from Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster (PS, Xbox, Switch, PC, 2021) Composed by Nobuo Uematsu, Ayumu Murai, Hirosato Noda, Tomonori Adachi, Reo Uratani, Shingo Ktaoka, Yuko Komiyama, Eri Tsunemoto, Kenot Hasegawa, Masato Kouda, and Masaya Tsunemoto 2 – “Town Scape” from Neural Gear (Sharp X68000, 1990) Composed by Keishi Yonao 3 – “Credits” from Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future (DC, PS2, 2000) Composed by Tim Follin

Some great topics on the show this month, ranging from fun and light, to a bit more serious. First up, Todd leads a discussion on what he calls “slow burner” games, which a player may start and stop playing for months or even years. Joe is interested in VGM soundtracks which are so good, it made us go buy the actual game. And lastly, a long and thoughtful discussion about AI being used in game development, with some fantastic input from our listeners and Patrons. Do we finally solve the AI problem once and for all? Let’s find out! A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Jason Letourneau for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Periodical, Kung-Fu Carlito, Scott McElhone, Chris Murray, Claire Myers, Mike Stark, KeyGlyph, Kyle Krull, The Diad, Daryl Bowers, Tom Hunt, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – “Blue and White” from Etrian Odyssey (DS, 2007) Composed by Yuzo Koshiro 2 – “Aqua Kitty Theme” from Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender (PS, Xbox, PC, Switch, Mobile, 2013) Composed by Electric Cafe 3 – “Crush Under Foot” from Grey Goo (PC, 2015) Composed by Frank Klepacki

Summer is upon us, and Ed and Myla have decided to go for a joyride! This month’s show is all about summer drivin’ tunes from driving games. We cruise the neighborhood with some light jams, pick up the pace as we enter the highway, then unwind at a roadside bar to close off the show with some southern-fried blues. Roll down your windows, fire up the CB radio, and join the convoy!   A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Trevin Hughes (aka chiptune composer Jredd) for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Kung-Fu Carlito, Muddle MADness, Scott McElhone, Periodical, Chris Murray, Mike Stark, Keyglyph, Kyle Krull, Claire Meyers, The Diad, Professor Tom, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Follow The VGMbassy on Twitter: @TheVGMbassy Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist:   1 – “It’s Electro Gal” from Heading Out (PC, 2024) Composed by Damian Czajka and Lukas Bonzzi, aka Serious Sim 2 – “Life Race” from My Summer Car (PC, 2016) Composed by NinjaBaka 3 – “Shiny World” from Outrun 2006 Coast 2 Coast (Arcade, Windows, Xbox, PS2, PSP, 2006) Composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Yasuhiro Takagi, Fumio Ito, and Richard Jacques 4 – “Tennessee – Race 5” from SnowRunner (PC, PS, Xbox, Switch, 2020) Composed by Steve Militz and Citrus Prana 5 – “Go Crazy” from Art of Rally (Everything, 2020) Composed by Slava Korystov (Tatreal) 6 – “Backwater Bog” from Hill Climb Racing 2 (Mobile, 2016) Composed by Filippo Vicarelli

With the ghost of the former E3 season fading behind them, a few bastions of gaming remain in June – most prominently is a content-packed and exciting Nintendo Direct! We start off the show with Ed, Joe, and Todd reviewing the featured games and dishing on which titles we’re most anticipating. Joe’s interested in discussing kid-friendly games and which titles we like sharing with the younger members of our families. Last up, Ed’s talking art! Which 8-bit player sprite is your favorite of all time? The boys chime in, and we get a ton of opinions from our listeners too. Did yours get mentioned? Listen in to find out! A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Jason Letourneau for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Periodical, Kung-Fu Carlito, Scott McElhone, Chris Murray, Claire Myers, Mike Stark, KeyGlyph, Kyle Krull, The Diad, Daryl Bowers, Tom Hunt, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – “The Vestiges” from Unsighted (Switch, PC, Xbox, PS4, 2021) Composed by Fernanda Dias 2 – “A Trip to the Alivel Mall” form Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Switch 2022), Composed by Hirokazu Ando, Jun Ishikawa, and Yuki Shimooka 3 – “Breakthrough” from Blaster Master – Blasting Again (PS1, 2000) Composed by Satoshi Asano

Ready for a nostalgia trip with a twist? On this month’s episode, Ed takes the reins and curates a fantastic selection of some of his favorite video game music for Joe and Myla to experience for the very first time! It becomes a VGM battle of sorts, where Ed plays the original versions of beloved tunes and then surprises Joe and Myla with one or more remakes. From the chiptune classics to techno and rock reimaginings, our hosts will listen, discuss, and cast their votes on which version reigns supreme. The conversation takes some interesting turns, so beware: you may never look at Simon Belmont the same way again! Will the original 8-bit magic capture their hearts, or will the modern, polished remakes win them over? Tune in to hear their candid reactions, spirited debates, and, of course, the final verdict!   A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Trevin Hughes (aka chiptune composer Jredd) for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Kung-Fu Carlito, Muddle MADness, Scott McElhone, Periodical, Chris Murray, Mike Stark, Keyglyph, Kyle Krull, Claire Meyers, The Diad, Professor Tom, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Follow The VGMbassy on Twitter: @TheVGMbassy Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: Castlevania – Heart of Fire/ Can’t Wait till Night 1 – “Heart of Fire” from Castlevania (NES, 1987) Composed by Kinuyo Yamashita and Satoe Terashima 2 – “Don’t Wait til Night” from Haunted Castle (Arcade, 1987) Composed by Kenichi Matsubara 3 – “Don’t Wait til Night” from Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (Xbox360, PS3, 2011) Arranged by Yasushi Asada   Cybattler – Interception (Mission 1) 4 – “Interception (Mission 1)” from Cybattler (Arcade, 1993) Composed by Pao, U Masaaki, and Y Tsugumi 5 – “Interception (Mission 1)” from Psyvariar Delta (Switch, PS4, PC, Arcade, 2018) Composed by Tetsuro Sato, Kenichi Arakawa, Kazushi Tsurukubo, Misako Tago, Kazumine Tsushima, Takashi Egawano, Yasuhisa Watanabe, Daisuke Matsumoto, Takeshi Miyamoto, Daisuke Nagata, Takashi Okamoto, and Ayatsugu Otowa   Dangun Feveron  – Barofever/ Sad Barofever 6 – “Barofever” from Dangun Feveron (Arcade, 1998) Composed by Ryuichi Yabuki, Nanpei Misawa, and Ryo Sakai 7 – “Sad Barofever (FM Arrange)” from Dangun Feveron (PS4, XB1, 2017) Arranged by Tatsuhiko Kasuga 8 – “Sad Barofever (VIP Arrange)” from Dangun Feveron (PS4, XB1, 2017) Arranged by Jaelyn Nisperos aka Chibi-Tech   Undercover Cops – Sarah Sowertty 9 – “Sarah Sowertty” from Undercover Cops (Arcade, 1992) Composed by HIYA-UNIT aka Takushi Hiyamuta 10 – “Sarah Sowertty (Arranged)” from the Undercover Cops Original Soundtrack CD (1992) Composed by Takushi Hiyamuta and Arranged by Mishiru Ohshima, with Guitar by Takayuki Hijikata

After a short hiatus, the EE boys are back with Ed’s wife Myla with some new hot topics to discuss! Joe leads a chat about what kinds of progression we like in our video games, be it earning powers along the way, or mastering powers your hero already has. Spurred by the news of Microsoft contemplating a purchase of Valve, Todd is concerned about the state of the video game industry. We all voice similar concerns and talk about the direction the industry could go in these trying times. Lastly, Myla’s been playing Little Kitty, Big City and loving it! She’s curious about what our favorite video game animals are, and we hear some fantastic responses from our listeners. A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Jason Letourneau for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Periodical, Kung-Fu Carlito, Scott McElhone, Chris Murray, Claire Myers, Mike Stark, KeyGlyph, Kyle Krull, The Diad, Daryl Bowers, Tom Hunt, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – “Citadel Agartha 1” from Rogue Legacy 2 (Switch, PC, Xbox, PS4, 2022) Composed by A Shell in the Pit (Gordon McGladdery and Judson Cowan) 2 – “Area 2” from Blaster Master (NES, 1988) Composed by Naoki Kodaka 3 – “Quack Fighter II Theme” from Little Kitty, Big City (Switch, PC, Xbox, 2024) Composed by Riley Koenig

In the spirit of Easter Sunday, we’re talking about resurrection and reconciliation on today’s episode, particularly in the realm of retro game series. Todd asks us to think about some older games with fatal flaws and what we’d do to fix them and make them worthy of our time. Ed asks about bringing old game series back to life, and how they’d fit in with modern gaming aesthetics. And lastly, Joe’s been inspired by Metal Gear Solid parody game UnMetal and wants more stealth-based game recommendations. A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Jason Letourneau for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Periodical, Kung-Fu Carlito, Scott McElhone, Chris Murray, Chris Myers, Mike Stark, KeyGlyph, Kyle Krull, The Diad, Daryl Bowers, Tom Hunt, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – “Finale” from Dicey Dungeons (PC, Switch, Xbox, Playstation, 2019) Composed by Chipzel 2 – “Fox’s First Mission” from UnMetal (PC, Playstation, Xbox, Switch, 2021) Composed by Jose Jaime Hidalgo de la Torre 3 – “Snow & Mechanica” from Contra: Operation Galuga (PC, Xbox, Playstation, Switch, 2024) Composed by Eirik Suhrke, Yuko Komiyama, Konami Kukeiha Club, and Norihiko Hibino

As we head into our triple-digit episode numbers, Ed has brought back a fun show concept last seen on episode 44: the Mystery Indie Bundle VGM series! With the exception of our first track, all of the music played today are from games that were purchased as part of a blind pack of Steam keys. Ed has hand-picked some of his favorite music from those titles, making for a fun and eclectic episode. We’ve got music from Dominick Ninmark, Dale North, SonicPicnic, and more!   A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Trevin Hughes (aka chiptune composer Jredd) for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Kung-Fu Carlito, Muddle MADness, Scott McElhone, Periodical, Chris Murray, Mike Stark, Keyglyph, Kyle Krull, Chris Meyers, The Diad, Professor Tom, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Follow The VGMbassy on Twitter: @TheVGMbassy Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – “Ghost on the Road” from Pacific Drive (PC, 2024) composed by A Shell in the Pit (Gordon McGladdery) https://ashellinthepit.bandcamp.com/ 2 – “Here We Go (Again)” from Dead Estate (PC, 2021) Composed by Major https://majorwipeout.bandcamp.com/ 3 –  “Gaul Hard Fight” from Asterix & Obelix XXL Romastered (PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, 2020) Composed by Fabrice Bouillon-LaForest (original game, GBA, PS2 and GameCube) and arranged by Valentin Lafort 4 – “Returning to the Refuge” from Sparklite (PC, PS4, XB1, Switch, Android, 2019) Composed by Dale North https://dalenorth.bandcamp.com/ 5 – “Grand Mountain Radio 105.5” from Grand Mountain Adventure (Android, PC, 2022) Composed by Viktor Sehr and Sebastian Sehr 6 – “The Guardian Forest” from For the King (PC, 2018) Composed by John Robert Matz https://johnrobertmatz.bandcamp.com 7 – “Collective Consciousness” from Danger Scavenger (PC, 2020) Composed by Szymon Weiss https://szymonweiss.bandcamp.com/ 8 – “Stage 1 (Neon Crisis) from Bot Vice (PC, Switch, 2016) Composed by Dominick Ninmark Bot Vice Original Soundtrack | Dominic Ninmark 9 – “Nabel’s Theme” from Strikey Sisters (PC, 2017) Composed by Dominic Ninmark Strikey Sisters Original Soundtrack | Dominic Ninmark 10 – “What’s on the Menu?” from Speedrunners (PC, 2016) Composed by SonicPicnic https://sonicpicnic.bandcamp.com 11 – “A Winter is You (Icy Mountain Phase 2)” from Chenso Club (PC, 2021) Composed by Knasibas https://knasibas.bandcamp.com  

Fresh off the heels of our 100th episode spectacular, the Embassy Exclusive crew continues the festivities with more memories, fun topics, and some great music! A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Jason Letourneau for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Periodical, Kung-Fu Carlito, Scott McElhone, Chris Murray, Chris Myers, Mike Stark, KeyGlyph, Kyle Krull, The Diad, Daryl Bowers, Tom Hunt, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – “Barren Corridors” from Timespinner (2018) Composed by Jeff Ball 2 – “Title Theme (Beeper Version)” from Fairlight (ZX Spectrum, 1985) Composed by Pennsoft 3 – “Next Steps” from Celeste 64: Fragments of the Mountain (PC, 2024) Composed by Lena Raine

The day is finally here! Ed, his wife Myla, and their youngest kiddo Logan are all decorating the Embassy for a blowout 100th episode celebration. This one is packed with special guests, cameo appearances, and the debut of the NEW VGMbassy Theme Song, arranged by PAPRIUM co-composer Trevin Hughes, aka Dredd! Ed is hosting a BYOV party, where each guest brings their own VGM tune that reminds them of the VGMbassy in some way. Each segment sees the arrival of a new guest, all of whom have been VGMbassadors on previous shows and prominent members of the podcast’s community. Lots of memories and laughs (and a few touching moments) are had throughout this plus-sized episode, wrapping up with some exclusive news regarding the next era of the VGMbassy. We’re continuing the celebration onto our Embassy Exclusive show at the end of the month, so please write in (or send a voice recording) to [email protected] and shout out your favorite guests, shows, and memories, and we’ll include it on the episode!   A huge thank you to Indira J (The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend, Sacrimony) for the amazing VGMbassy artwork and design, and to Trevin Hughes (aka chiptune composer Jredd) for the podcast theme song! Check out the VGMbassy Patreon for some fantastic bonuses, including exclusive podcast content! Thanks to our supporting Patreon patrons, who help make this show possible: Ryan Steel, Cameron Werme, Kung-Fu Carlito, Muddle MADness, Scott McElhone, Periodical, Chris Murray, Mike Stark, Keyglyph, Kyle Krull, Chris Meyers, The Diad, Professor Tom, Cameron Chiles, and Dan Laughton. Follow The VGMbassy on Twitter: @TheVGMbassy Check out the Instagram account for artsy-fartsy game-related images: @TheVGMbassy Listen here or find us on iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app: The Tracklist: 1 – Cameron Werme: “Praying Hands (VRC6 Version)” from Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (GB, 1991) Composed by Hidehiro Funauchi and Arranged by Cameron Werme 2 – Bedroth: “Flight” from Panzer Dragoon (Saturn, 1995) Composed by Yoshitaka Azuma 3 – Alex Messenger: “Wakakusa GCC Spring Theme” from Swingerz Golf (GC, 2002) Composed by Takeshi Arai 4 – The Diad: “The Grind” from Going Under (Switch, PS4, PC, XB1, 2020) Composed by Felix Peaslee and Chong the Nomad 5 – UtopiaNemo: “Backpack” from Grindstone (iOS, Android, Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, 2019) Composed by Sam Webster 6 – Ryan Steel: “Journey Through Time” from Fire Emblem Warriors (Switch, 3DS, 2017) Composed by Yosuke Kinoshita, Kosuke Mizukami, Shinichiro Nakamura, and Hiromu Akaba 7 – Dan Laughton: “Patology” from Pato Box (PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, XB1, Vita, 2018) Composed by Controvol (Luis Vázquez De Lara Padilla) 8 – Chris Murray: “Throbbing Heartbeat (Event Battle 3)” from Ys X -Nordics- (PS4, PS5, Switch, 2023) Composed by Mitsuo Singa 9 – Kung-Fu Carlito: “Fight and Flight” from Rivals of Aether (PC, XB1, 2015) Composed by Flashygoodness