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,...

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...

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! &nbsp...

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...

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 te...

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 v...

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 aesth...

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...

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 bonu...

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 o...

Welcome to 2024! The theme of the day is a look back at 2023. Each host brings a list of their accomplishments, picks and pans, and some of their favorite VGM too! As always, we’ve got input from our dear listeners as well. Get some great game recommendations, and find out which OSTs were our community’s favorites! A huge thank you to Indira J ( The Misadventures of Buddy and Friend ,...

We all love chiptune VGM, right? So many composers have written magical tunes for 8 and 16 bit console hardware. What some folks may not know is that there are also thousands of pieces of music written for these systems that weren’t meant for video games at all. On today’s show, Ed and Embassy Exclusive cohost Todd have selected a few amazing chiptune tracks from the demoscene. To make...

It’s our last episode of 2023! For this festive Christmas Eve release, the EE boys gather around their warm microphones and chat about a number of fun topics. Todd starts a chat about regrettable game purchases with a few amusing anecdotes. Joe wants to know which games have captured us in its clutches of addiction, citing games like Dead Cells as his personal vice. To round out the show, Ed...

Ed and Cameron are put to the test in another Blind Listen episode! This month, VGMbassy community member UtopiaNemo has provided the soundtrack from an obscure title called Sora no Fudousan. Ed and Cam must listen to the music and try to determine what the game is about, what system the game is for, and who the composer might be by the end of the show! Listen along and make your guesses, because...

There’s a good mix of light and heavy topics on this month’s show. Todd starts out with a discussion on the game collecting market, and games that might be out of reach for us due to pricing. Joe leads a chat about great uses of graphics and art design in games, and the hosts all have some very different takes on what that means. Lastly, Ed remembers the old TV setup he used to play ga...

On this month’s episode, Logan is back! Prepare to be schooled as they delve into the world of Undertale alternate universes, unraveling the intricate web of fan-created narratives that have sprung from Toby Fox’s iconic game. Logan passionately explores the diverse interpretations and imaginative twists that fans have introduced to Undertale’s original storyline. The focus of th...

If you could pick your favorite non-VGM music artist to make a video game soundtrack, who would you choose? This was just one of the topics of discussion on today’s show, and we got some really interesting answers from the listeners! Also featured: A chat about deck-building games which causes patron Ryan Steel to contribute a hilariously confusing testimonial, and some debate around the def...

It’s a particularly dark and foggy night at The VGMbassy, and strange phenomena are occurring around every corner! Joe and Ed have no choice but to convert the podcast studio into a makeshift radio station and report live on the unexplainable bedlam happening in the neighborhood. Join us for this spooky broadcast, complete with brand new commercials and a great selection of frightening VGM!...

On today’s episode, the boys say goodbye to summer and look forward to everything the rest of the year has to offer: Turning leaves, cooler weather, spooky season, and lots of holiday season games to play! Starting the discussion, Todd returns to the subjects of remakes and remasters, wondering what style of reimagined games best capture our attentions. Joe puts out a poll to gauge what ever...

When most of us think of Sega CD music, we immediately think about the epic soundtracks from games like Sonic CD, Ecco the Dolphin, or Final Fight CD; that is to say games with CD-quality audio in the standard Redbook format. Quite a few games in the library deviated from that, however, and utilized the Sega Genesis soundchip in concert with the powerful sample-based technology in the CD unit. On...

The crew tackles some hot and poignant topics today, in the wake of several popular news stories. Everyone’s got burning questions like “What will happen to Mario’s voice now that Charles Martinet is retiring?” and “How can we make more video games accessible to audiences now that over 87% of all published games are unavailable in the retail market?” Joe takes t...

This month’s episode is the result of a poll gone horribly wrong. Ed asked the VGMbassy Patreon subscribers what theme they’d like to submit songs for, and they overwhelmingly chose to torture our poor host with the worst game music ever heard. Not one to suffer by himself, Ed drags his Embassy Exclusive buddies Joe and Todd into the mix so they can all suffer and laugh at the awful mu...

This month, Ed and Todd are joined by Chris Murray and Ed’s wife Myla as they dive into the world of video game merch, sharing their favorite collectibles and discussing the gems they wish they had in their collections.  But that’s not all! Tune in as they recount their failed attempts at recapturing the magic of nostalgia, exploring the games that didn’t quite live up to their c...

id Software is well known for their iconic titles like Doom and Wolfenstein, but few have left as indelible a mark as the legendary Quake series. Today, we’re not just here to delve into the heart-pounding action and mesmerizing gameplay that captivated millions. No, we’re taking a unique auditory journey through the unforgettable musical landscapes that accompanied these games. Join u...

We’ve got an emotionally impactful show this month, centered around Joe’s request for listeners to send us pieces of VGM that hit them right in the feels. They sent in some very heartfelt testimonials, and we share them all along with samples of the music! Beyond that, we talk a bit about control schemes in games and whether simple or complex gets the job done best, and finish up the s...