Strife's Sanctum

For my 100th episode, I had very few topics in mind. I knew I'd have to do something I considered special. That said, it makes all the sense in the world to celebrate the completion of a full P4G playthrough by talking about it at length. The uploads are still a couple weeks from finishing at time of posting, so bear that in mind before watching. Podcast Schedule (Based on Sunday Upload Dates)...

Legend of Legaia complete, now it's time for Leigh and I to discuss our experiences. Podcast Schedule June 18th: Chobits June 25th: Persona 4 Golden *100th Episode* July 2nd: Space Battleship Yamato 2199/2202 July 9th: Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht July 16th: RWBY Volume 9 July 23rd: 2-Year Podcast Anniversary If you're interested in more Leigh shenanigans, check out her Twitch s...

Another trip down memory lane with a comedy that has deeper meaning than one would immediately see. Chobits has some poignant moments that stand the test of time for me, and I recommend this as an easy watch. Podcast Schedule June 25th: Persona 4 Golden *100th Episode* July 2nd: Space Battleship Yamato 2199/2202 July 9th: Xenosaga Episode 1: Der Wille zur Macht July 16th: RWBY Volume 9 July 23rd:...

This week sees the return of original programming. We start with a nice romantic comedy from last year. A couple of interesting characters, a good lewdness that doesn't stray TOO far, and a great sense of comedic timing help this show standout. I'm happy it is getting a second season soon. Podcast Schedule: June 11th: Legend of Legaia w/LeighClipse June 18th: Chobits June 25th: Persona 4 G...

Mega May concludes with a game that has a battle system that carries its entire runtime. While it apes Pokemon in writing and tone, MMBN's grid based action card system is so unique, it stands on its own as a game (and franchise) that found an audience and re-release to this day. Podcast Schedule: June 4th: My Dress-Up Darling June 11th: Legend of Legaia w/LeighClipse June 18th: Chobits June 2...

Mega May continues with a departure from the norm: Legends. A 3D shooter/platformer type game in the vein of Tomb Raider, Legends goes for a very kid friendly presentation. However, it offers good characters and heavy customization options for Mega Man (Volnutt) to use against enemies. Podcast Schedule: May 28th: Mega Man Battle Network June 4th: My Dress-Up Darling June 11th: Legend of Legaia w/L...

Mega May continues with the second in the X lineup. While the game has some advancements, they also take a couple steps back in presentation (lack of environmental disruption of later stages). However, the game still features some great music, and continues the slightly darker bend of the Mega Man mythos. For those who haven't listened to the X1 episode, please go here first: https://spotifyan...

*Posting this a few days early because of vacation* This week starts what I hope will be a recurring series each year: Mega May! There are so many Mega Man games, it'd be hard to do them scattered throughout the year. So, I'll do my best to condense multiple games into one month. I'll start with the game that began it all, Mega Man. While it is a solid experience, it shows its age with...

This week's anime review is a sleeper hit from late last year. If you're looking for a period piece show with class drama and a dash of mysticism, this one fits the bill. It is held together by the two main leads. Podcast Schedule (Based on Sunday Dates): May 7th: Mega Man 1/Powered Up May 14th: Mega Man X2 May 21st: Mega Man Legends May 28th: Mega Man Battle Network June 4th: My Dress-Up...

This week's game review is one of the staples of Square's golden era of the 90s. Widely regarded as one of the best JRPG ever, Chrono Trigger is made by veterans of Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy developers. Fashioning an all new story, Chrono Trigger managed to create many new standards for the genre. While it isn't my favorite of the vaunted SNES JRPGs, I would be remiss if I didn&#3...

If you missed the first episode reviewing SxF, check this out first https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/gnyU9cRp3yb This week, we dive back into the ridiculous antics of the Forger Family. They add a new family member, deal with love triangles, family drama, but still maintains the awesome rush of comedic energy from the first half. Podcast Schedule (Based on Sunday Dates): April 23rd: Chrono Tri...

This week's review goes all the way back to 1987. First on the MSX2 home computer, and then ported to the NES, this was the start of the crazy headtrip that was the Metal Gear franchise. It's a grounded start, given what I know about the franchise in the Solid days. The limitations of the old school hardware forced a very simple, puzzle like game. There's still a multitude of weapons,...

This week's anime review is a trip down memory lane. Alongside Chobits, this is my favorite show from CLAMP. Made concurrently while Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle was airing, xxxHOLIC is a comedy horror with leanings into the occult and ayakashi/yokai spirits (similar to Mushi-shi). Held together by a unique art style and a fascinating female lead character, this show is one I always enjoy re-wa...

There are very few games in the past decade I would put on par with the golden age 90s/early 2000s icons. Ys VIII, Dragon Quest XI, Persona 5, and this. From a long line of critically acclaimed brawler games from an underrated franchise that is finally getting its due, Like A Dragon takes Yakuza in an amazing new direction. It amps up Yakuza's half crime thriller/half insane weird sandbox styl...

This week's review is a strange one. RWBY has been an indy staple for a long time. Volume 9 has just recently been released. While the show was on hiatus, they partnered with Shaft to create an anime tie-in that featured both old school volume 1-2 recaps and an all new story. The remixed stuff was great. The all new material...not so much. Podcast Schedule (Based on Sunday Dates): March 26th:...

Final Fantasy VII is done, and Leigh and I wanted to talk about a lot of things.  This playthrough, FFVII Remake, other nostalgia remake properties, and other fun junk.   Podcast Schedule (Based on Sunday Dates):   March 19th: RWBY: Ice Queendom  March 26th: Yakuza: Like A Dragon  April 2nd: xxxHOLIC  April 9th: Metal Gear  April 16th: Spy x Family (Cour 2) ...

This week's review is a classic 90s anime.  It has seen a resurgence thanks to Stampede, which the initial episodes I cover as well.  Trigun is a show about super silly stuff, until it isn't.  It gives you just enough love for the characters before earning its ending and gravitas with some seriously gripping moments.  There's a reason this show is a constant rewatch for me. &nb...

This week's review is a staple of the SNES/Genesis era.  Widely regarded as one of the best games of all time, Phantasy Star IV managed to work wonders for the franchise.  Great writing, visuals, and effective heroes and villains stretched the boundaries of what the franchise had done to that point.     Podcast Schedule (Based on Monday Upload Dates):   March 6th: Tri...

This week's podcast is something a little different.  I normally don't do rankings of things, but there are some subjects I have shown to have an intense familiarity with: Final Fantasy, naturally, being one of those.  So, I came up with an idea of doing a deep dive podcast into the main villains of Final Fantasy.     To do this, I had to consider several factors - Given m...

This week's review is about a North American Square subsidiary's attempt at taking Secret of Mana's gameplay and turning it into a different experience.  While not always the most engaging game story wise, Evermore blends some cool ideas and sometimes amazing music and ambience into a serviceable 15-20 hour experience.  For anyone needing more Mana (with a facelift), this was a cool atte...

This week's review is an amazing anime that caught me off guard with how good it was.  Other than SpyxFamily, it was the best show I'd watched recently.  It has a great mix of humor, sophisticated imagery and music, cool classism/racism dynamics, and very sensualized approaches to vampire culture.  Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   February 13th: Secret of Evermore&n...

This week's review is about a game franchise I should have gotten into long ago: Shantae.  It's a whimsical, light hearted, dopey platformer about an awesome half-genie with awesome hair.  In a long lost time, I was a platformer fan as a kid.  Games like this are great, and make me appreciate them all over again.   Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   February 6th:...

This week's review is a dorky infotainment show about working out.  You would think a show with this premise wouldn't work at all, however, this hits all the perfect comedic notes whilst actually providing accurate exercise advice.  This spoke to me in a way no other show had done before, because I was a fitness instructor/personal trainer a decade ago.  It also helps that the intro...

This week's review is a continuation of the Ys franchise's modern efforts.  While Lacrimosa of Dana goes down as a critical and commercial success (and my favorite of the franchise), Monstrum Nox veers into a darker, moodier direction.  It also attempts to add Assassin's Creed style traversal mechanics for interesting effects.  Sadly, the game's story progression and overall content...

This week's review is an older anime.  It's got decent action, but gets bogged down at times by the chemistry of the main pair and the lackluster school stuff.  However, it is decent enough that even 20 years later, it's still a good enough watch.   Tentative schedule (based on Monday Dates)   January 16th: Ys IX: Monstrum Nox  January 23rd: How Heavy Are The Dumbbell...