RE-VGM

The tele. The Console. The Idiot Box. The Boobtube. The Telly. The Big Screen. The Tube. If you recognize any of these terms, most likely you’ve watched the television while growing up, that electronic box with cables running behind it and sometimes is attached to a pair of antennae (aka rabbit ears). Today we are celebrating World Television Day, in honor of the TV. Proclaimed by The United...

Yup, in the middle of the month, it’s our special episode of “On Stage Now” (and actually, the last one for this year until January next year), and this month’s musician is Noteblock. Noteblock (real name Evan) is a video game remixer and composer. He has been remixing since 2014 every other week. He has done solos and collabs with other musicians, like Theology, Lacey John...

Every first Friday of November is “Love Your Lawyer”, a day dedicated to all the civil servants in suits that argue or defend for our rights to life, liberty, and property. It’s a time to show an appreciation for their work in and out of the courtroom, preparing and filing the paperwork, researching for precedence and evidence, and trying to sway the judge and jury in their favor...

It’s spooky time, everyone! Halloween has arrived and we’re doing a proper celebration of an episode on Friday, instead of the week before the holiday. We’ll be playing tracks from MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) that have Halloween-themed events: a game based on MUDs (multi-user dungeons), a free game that has gone through several versions, and a cozy s...

Today, October 24th, Jet Grind Radio (first released in Japan as Jet Set Radio) was released in the North American regions for the Sega Dreamcast. It was an action, single-player platforming game that involved tagging over rival gang’s graffiti throughout Tokyo to regain territory, while avoiding other gang members and the authorities. You’ll also learn there’s a certain vinyl be...

It’s that time again for our… wait a minute. The end of the month is not here. Why? Because October 31st, Halloween, falls on a Friday, so I’ve decided to switch places so that I can do a proper Friday episode for Halloween. For this week, we’ve got our special episode of “On Stage Now”, featuring CG5. CG5 (real name Charlie Green) is a musical talent who sings,...

Today’s episode is a celebration of Team Fortress 2, released on October 10, 2007. It was a part of The Orange Box, which included Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2 of HL2, and Portal. It was later ported to the Sony PlayStation 3 and later made as a standalone the following year for Microsoft Windows. Three years later, Team Fortress 2 became free-to-play. You’ll play as one of nine class...

Last week, I went to a meet-up being organized by one of my high school classmates, Eduardo. He wanted to have a gathering with family and friends before he started treatment for his cancer. It was a lively time at the pizza place, as people talked to each other and took selfies with their mobile devices. Overall, he was happy to see everyone who could attend, taking control of his life and dealin...

The air is getting colder, the days are getting shorter, and that means September is almost over. That also means it’s time for our special episode of “On Stage Now”, where we feature a VGM cover or remix musician or group with some info and then play their repertoire of works. This month’s musician is Vincent Moretto, a guitarist and producer from France. He blends metal,...

Ahoy mates! It’s time to weigh anchor and set sail as we celebrate “International Talk Like a Pirate Day”, on September 19th. Nothing too complicated, other than tiring  your wind pipes. This day was created by two friends who, in the midst of shouting words of encouragement while playing racquetball, starting talking to each other as pirates. They decided to create a special day...

Sometimes a video game is so popular and hyped-up that it may cause the servers to crash: too many people trying to buy and too many players online at the same time. It’s frustrating, testing a player’s patience, taxing a computer’s CPU, and straining the Internet lines. The recent release of “Hollow Knight: Silksong” is proof of this Steam, one of the popular softwar...

Today we are celebrating the Japanese release of River City Girls! If you played River City Ransom on the Nintendo Entertainment System, then you’ll enjoy this beat’em up brawler as it follows two friends, Kyoko and Misako, travelling through the city find their boyfriends, Kunio and Riki. It’s a simple matter of smashing the buttons to beat down your enemies and bosses, but you...

The end of August is near, which means it’s time for our special episode of “On Stage Now”. This month, we’re featuring Kirby’s Dream Band, a multi-member cover band from San Diego, CA. Yes, they play covers of video game music, but it’s their live performances that make them attractive. After each track, they change hats and costumes to fit the theme for their...

Every August 22nd, “Be An Angel Day” is a day for people to do an act of kindness. It may be as simple as opening a door for someone or as great as helping carry someone’s groceries to their car. The day was created by Jayne Howard Feldman, an ordained interfaith minister, Reiki master, and the curator of Angel Heights Healing Arts Center, who claimed she was inspired by angels....

I’ve got good news and bad news. First the bad news: there will be no Masters of VGM this year and for the foreseeable future, as there was no one able to pick up the mantle. And now the good news: a bunch of other podcasters decided to carry on with their own event, called the VGM Hall of Fame! Simply put, participating podcasts put forth an original soundtrack from a video game to be on th...

Today, on August 8th, we are celebrating International Cat Day. First put together by the International Fund for Animal, this day honors on the most popular pets, with an estimated 350-370 million cats owned and about 480 million that are strays or feral. There are 75 recognized breeds of cats (according to The International Cat Association), and between TICA and CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Associati...

HTTP, HTML, Gopher, Mosaic… If you recognize these words, then we were there when the World Wide Web was just beginning. Today, on August 1st, we’re celebrating World Wide Web Day, that online place where we browse the pages, game with friends across the world, and stream our favorite videos, music, and podcasts. Tim Berners-Lee is the father of the World Wide Web, creating and buildin...

July is about to end, which means it’s time for our special episode of “On Stage Now”. It’s an episode where I step back after introducing a musician of covers or remixes of video game music and play their works for all to hear. This month, we’re featuring Smooth McGroove. A virtuosic musician of acapella, Smooth McGroove (real name Max Gleason) has been performing co...

Today we’re celebrating the arcade release of Street Fighter IV in Japan, back in July 18, 2008. The following month, August 12th, it was released in the North America regions. In 2009, it was ported to consoles in February and later July to Windows. As the first original main entry in the series since Street Fighter III back in 1997, SF IV features 3D models and backgrounds yet maintains th...

The open road lays ahead of you. You look far down the lane and then mount your two-wheeled stallion. With a turn of the key, the beast between your lets roars to life. You twist the handle, coaxing its combustible instincts, and then, after kicking up the stand, you accelerate your way onto the road. The wind rushes about you as the sun bears its heat… Today, on the second Friday of July, w...

Today, on the Fourth of July, we are celebrating Independence Day properly… Well, on Episode 22, we celebrated the Fourth of July with video games about America in some form. This year, we’re celebrating with video games that highlight independence and freedom: a colony sailing to the New World, Allied Forces fighting against power-hungry regime, and a one-man army up fighting to take...

June went by fast, with today as the last Friday of the month. That means it’s time for our special episode of “On Stage Now”, and this month’s musician is Rachel Hardy. Rachel Hardy has lived and breathed music since high school, when she started posting videos of her covers of music from video games and other popular media on YouTube. In the meantime, she’s earned a...

This past Sunday was Father’s Day, celebrated on the third Sunday of the June. Similar to Mother’s Day, this day honors fathers and dads of all families and relations. Sure, they work hard to earn a living and at times offers words of advice or humor, but they may feel dutiful to protect their family and their children. Their presence may be felt or absent, yet fathers can provide some...

One of my favorite days of the week, Friday the 13th, which means it’s time for something superstitious and mythical. Previous episodes have discussed fear (#15), death and dying (#51), video game superstitions (#92), RNG or randomness (#136), and Christmas (#149). For this Friday the 13th (the only one happening in 2025, in fact), we’re discussing a few superstitions and myths during...

On June 6, 1993, “The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening” was released on Japan for Nintendo’s Game Boy. It would later be released in the North America and European regions on August 6th and December 1st respectively, and then the following year worldwide. It was initially developed as an attempt to port “A Link to the Past” from the Super Nintendo Entertainment...