XVGM Radio

After a bit of a hiatus, the XVGM Radio guys are back to their regular schedule, and what better way to start things off then with a bunch of random tracks?! Every 20 episodes, Mike and Justin flip a coin to decide the order of the next 20 episodes, in addition to playing free picks! On today’s episode, we discuss proto-harem anime based games like Ranma ½, get our dance shoes on with a bunch of s...

Do you feel the wind in your hair as you drive across that bridge everyday while headed to and from work? Is the sweat beating down your brow as you jog to the rhythm of your favorite VGM? Or are helmets, wheels and safety gear involved in your jams from game land? Well this episode of XVGM Radio is right up your alley, as we journey through 11 fantastic tracks involving motion in video games. Mov...

It’s about time! Hailed as one of the greatest JRPG experiences of all time, and for good reason, Chrono Trigger’s the complete package for all gamers. Therefore, Justin and Mike bring in a special guest who not only is a huge fan of the game and it’s stellar soundtrack, but also named his podcast after a song title: Drew Mackie of Singing Mountain. Drew joins the XVGM Radio boys for a celebration...

What do Karaoke Machines, bizarre PCM voice samples and shamisens have in common? They’re all points of discussion on today’s episode where Mike and Justin do a deep dive on Zuntata, the in-house composers and live band for Taito! Formed in 1983, Zuntata was largely carried by composers like Hisayoshi Ogura, though there were over a dozen members over the years, all of which brought us some of the...

School’s out and summer is all the rage…but that doesn’t stop Mike and Justin from challenging their minds when it comes to video game music! Back on Episode 54, Mike and Justin did an episode entirely on Continue themes in games, which was challenging to say the least. But now, they’re headed on a different part of their VGM studies by assigning each other some homework! Mike picks a game a...

Since the dawn of the internet, video game fans have gathered to celebrate their favorite franchises. One of the most dedicated fanbases is for Mega Man, specifically the classic series that started on the NES, and saw a resurgence on later generations like Mega Man 9 and 10 on the Wii, and more recently, Mega Man 11 on the Switch. But those classic 8-bit style games feature some of the best video...

Continue themes in video games: Essentially a step stool to repeat a failure. But are these tunes worth revisiting outside of the gaming experience? Mike and Justin think so, and so they challenged each other to come up with a large assortment of some unique continue tracks. From discussions about songs that either sound like adult films or Japanese Benny Hill skits, to discussions about memorable...

With Sega’s arcade ventures dwindling at the time, the Japanese arcade game maker decided to try their hand at making consoles, and eventually this led to today’s featured console, the Sega Master System. Called the Mark III in Japan, this PSG-based audio system (which also featured FM Synth in certain games) has always had a mix of somber or cheery sounding music. On today’s episode of XVGM Radio...

Get ready for some spreadshot, some rocket lawnchairs and discussions about Kevin Bacon-lookalikes dealing drugs, because XVGM Radio is blasting their way onto the scene with an episode focused on the Run ‘n Gun genre and it’s music! Often looped in with shoot ‘em ups and First Person Shooters (FPS,) Run ‘n Guns are more like action platformers that focus on blowing away everything in sight; and t...

When Playtonic Games set out to develop a new 3D Action Platformer in the vein of Donkey Kong Country and Banjo Kazooie, they went back to the original composers who made those games sound so fantastic: David Wise (DKC) and Grant Kirkhope (BK.) But how did those games influence the sound with this new franchise that’s been born out of a love and labor of the 64 bit era? Today on XVGM Radio, we’re...

A Podcast is nothing without it’s listeners. That’s why Episode 50 is both a celebration for us AND a chance to celebrate YOU! We’ve been advertising this one for a few months now, and thankfully, you guys brought the goods. But instead of picking and choosing which tracks to play, we decided to just play them all! Janine, or favorite sweater and glasses wearin’ producer (Who also happens to be a...

Growing up in the 1980s, Justin and Mike latched onto tons of different IPs in various incarnations. From cartoons to movies and even commercials, the nostalgia of the 80s has never burned brighter for our generation. Even newer generations are looking back at the 1980s for everything from fashion to music. On this week’s show, the XVGM boys are listening to music from video games that took their...

Hailed as one of the greatest video game experiences ever, Final Fantasy VII was a game changer. It revolutionized the Japanese Role Playing Game market and the art of storytelling in a video game at the time of its released. Now, almost 23 years later, we are about to see a remade version of the game that captured our hearts back in 1997. But on the eve of Final Fantasy VII Remake’s release date,...

There’s plenty of Konami classics that never made their way outside of Japan. We could probably do an entire episode like this featuring the Ganbare Goemon series! However, today we’ll be focusing our efforts on two shoot ‘em ups (SHMUPS, Shooters, Shmupdangos, whatever you wanna call them!) Falsion, a Famicom Disk System game that took use of the 3D Glasses that premiered on the same day, as well...

When co-hosts pick tracks on a video game music podcast, it’s typically songs they enjoy. But what if you tried to guess which picks your co-host would pick? In this episode, Justin and Mike reverse their picks, allowing Mike to pick tracks he thinks Justin would enjoy, and Justin to choose Mike’s tracks. What follows is an enlightening episode that showcases the strength of how well the two hosts...

In the mid-2000s, Nintendo threw their rhythm-based games hat into the mix with the Game Boy Advance Japanese exclusive, Rhythm Tengoku. The franchise eventually was brought to other regions of the world, and with it, a smorgasbord of tasty audible treats. From smooth jazz to ska to hip hop infused metal, this series has it all when it comes to musical genres! Screaming from the highest of high ro...

What oozes neon, smells of decaying bugs and gives you a neck injury? Why, it’s Valfaris, of course! Released in 2019, Valfaris brought a 1980’s Heavy Metal Magazine aesthetic to the run-n-gun genre, and along with it came an equally brutal, tranquil, and exciting soundtrack by Ex-Celtic Frost member, Curt Victor Bryant. It’s not everyday you get certified rock stars on the podcast, so Mike and Ju...

Japanese computer systems and consoles rarely coincide, but when it comes to Fujitsu, the two go hand in hand. Meet the FM Towns Computer System and the FM Towns Marty Console. Two systems with similar audio components that take the best of the 16 bit era (FM Synth, Redbook Audio, and PCM Sample-based music) and combines them all into one. Today’s episode, the XVGM Radio hosts are digging deep int...

Sierra Games is heralded as one of the premiere adventure game developers and publishers that existed. Deep care went into the development of the games they created, thanks to a husband and wife creative partnership between Ken and Roberta Williams. Together, they formed Sierra Games, a developer and publisher which created some of the most memorable adventure games ever made. But what about the s...

The XVGM Radio boys get into the festive spirit by choosing tons of awesomely epic winter and/or holiday themed tracks to get you in the mood, no matter what you celebrate! Listen in as Mike and Justin chat about the mysterious “Furniss Flare”. Hear the guys determine if there’s too many Xenos….and of course, Nermel gender lore on Garfield. It’s all on this snowball-throwing, ice-level slidin’, mo...

It’s time for another roll of the dice because XVGM Radio is back for their second round of free picks! We’re choosing songs from all across the VGM spectrum and bringing you a surprising mix of music. From new to old, from licensed games to obscure MAC-Exclusive shooters, to back-to-back mech based games, the VGM we’ve chosen here is going to surprise everyone! Hear Justin talk about an Exclusive...

An episode that’s been a year in the making, Justin and Mike finally sit down and pick some of their favorite remixes! From nostalgic classics dating back to the beginnings of OCREMIX, to some more contemporary stuff from labels like Gamechops and even Youtube, this episode is a musical variety the likes of which ONLY XVGM Radio can deliver! Plus, hear the guys stumble onto a hidden treasure trove...

Grit your teeth as you plow through innocent bystanders, hold up stores for insurance protection, and burn forests down with your flamethrower…it’s your world in Shakedown Hawaii. The successor to Retro City Rampage had a lot to live up to, and thankfully it doesn’t suffer from sequelitis, as it’s one of the best indie games this year. Take on the role of an aging 1980’s CEO, or his spoiled...

It’s that time once again for…SPOOKYFEST….2019! Yes, Spookyfest has returned to a backyard near us. Every year we host a special Halloween-themed episode of our show, but it’s totally done outdoors like a concert festival! Hear the crowds roar in between songs as Mike and Justin dig up 10 ghoulish tracks, a ghastly outro…and even a Patreon request! Listen to the guys discuss Knuckles’...

Castlevania music has a special place in our hearts. But what about the wacky, wild world of Castlevania cameos, bizarre ports and side story games and other ‘Vania obscurities? Mike and Justin take the listener on a bumpy hayride past Dracula’s castle, and into his backyard to listen to some of the stranger versions of mainline games in the Castlevania franchise. From mobile to only in the arcade...