XVGM Radio

Mike and Justin Hosted their first ever panel together, and they did it at Retro World Expo in Hartford, CT on September 28th, 2019! The guys wanted to do something to attract a big audience, and what better way to do that then to have the ultimate retro battle when it comes to VGM: Super NES versus Sega Genesis! After cultivating a wide range of tunage, the guys got the audience to participate in...

To be in a video game music cover band in 2019, there needs to be a gimmick of some sort. Fortunately, Super Thrash Bros. have a rock solid one. These gents combine wacky Smash Bros. themed showmanship and metal medleys with Smash Bros. themed costumes for a combination that can’t be beat! Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin are lounging with  Super Thrash Bros.  members Eric Germain (Ness; Drums...

Everyone join in now: Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Biiirtthhhdaayyyy dear Sega Dreamcast, Happy Birthday to you! The Sega Dreamcast is largely considered to be Sega’s swansong and the final console to focus on arcade-based-ports to home-grown video games. Utilizing the NAOMI hardware, Sega was able to easily port games from the arcade to the console market. Sadly, the Dreamc...

Do you hear that sound? Can you feel it? The cool ocean breeze in your hair, the salt on your tongue. But wait…doesn’t this sound familiar? It’s because it’s the opening line in our guest’s mantra for his own show: KVGM Radio! That’s right! XVGM and KVGM our joining stations for a special summer jams(z) episode with KVGM net-jockey, Hammock a.k.a. Brennan. Sit back and relax or pull back the...

Zoom! Whoosh! Boing! Vroom! Start your engines and turn the volume up , because the XVGM Radio guys are going racing! Kart racing to be specific! Today, we’re checking out the wild and wacky world of the Kart Racing video game genre and the tunes behind the engine sounds. Celebrate good times and good memories with songs that range from the weird and wonky to the bouncy and funky. Sure, we could’v...

Following the N64 smash hit, Goldeneye, RARE lost the Bond license. But this didn’t matter much to them, as their spiritual successor to Goldeneye pushed the Nintendo 64 to its limits. Hailed as one of the greatest First Person Shooters of all time, Perfect Dark introduced gamers to Joanna Dark, the Carrington Institute, the evil corporation Datadyne and the alien races of the Maians and the Skeda...

Super Mario RPG kicked off a huge franchise unknowningly which has spawned two different Mario role playing game series: Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi games. Today, we’re taking a listen across vast amounts of Mario RPG games to hear both original tracks and Mario franchise remixes as well. With a full variety of tunes to hear, there’s everything from Swing to Industrial-inspired, and everything...

Namco, a long time developer and publisher in the video game industry, wanted to take their Famicom development to the next level. They created the NAMCO 163 expansion chip, which enhanced audio capabilities on the Famicom; making the system sound like a PC-Engine at points. A small set of games had this chip installed in it, and while not all of the games we’re talking about took advantage of all...

Water themes in video games: You either hate them or love them. We’ve been getting a ton of rain lately, so what better way to forge through the storm then to talk about water themes in video games?! Justin and Mike put away their umbrellas and chat about an eclectic mix of tunes based on either bosses, levels song names or entire games that focus on water! Listen closely as the XVGM Radio boys sl...

It’s co-host spotlight time…AGAIN! This time around, Mike picks the tracks for the episode. Hear tracks ranging from the NES to the Playstation 4 as Mike and Justin take you on a audio journey through Mike’s wacky mind. From conversations about Simon Belmont telemundo style, to handling calls from anyone from “Mike’s mom” to an angry planet devourer, and even a little jokey ribbing of Mike’s...

Freedom Planet, the 2014 indie darling developed by Stephen Diduro (aka Strife) set the bar for games influenced by Sonic the Hedgehog and Rocket Knight Adventures. But a Sonic style game needed a Sonic styled composer…or did it? Enter Leila “Woofle” Wilson, who brought her love of JRPGs, Funk and New Jack Swing to compliment Strife’s more Mega Man focus, along with Shane E...

Jump that block, switch that dial and twist that piece! Puzzles make you think, wonder and learn and today on XVGM Radio, we aim to do the same. We’ll be playing video game music from all sorts of musical genres, all with the puzzle game commonality in mind. Join Justin and Mike as they try to speak to Q-Bert, talk about Jeddy and Fraison, and…boner jamz. Also, ZOOP! All on this super chill...

Bosses: Those pesky creatures, monsters or people who stand in your way of reaching the next level or the end of the game. Some are considered pushovers and others are part of some of the most memorable moments in gaming. Today, Mike and Justin take a listen to some of those nail-biting, hair-pulling, controller throwing songs that you may end up hearing over and over again. From silly comparisons...

The Atomiswave, an arcade system based on the NAOMI hardware found in the Sega Dreamcast, had a string of stellar hits on it that were both exclusive, and non-exclusive. Today, we take a look at one of the titles that has never been ported outside of the Atomiswave and emulation: Dolphin Blue. Developed in 2003, this love letter to Metal Slug combines 16 bit 2D Run ‘n Gun action with breathtaking...

Video game music cover bands have been going for decades now. It’s tough to stand out in a crowded genre, but we think Lame Genie pulls off something special. On this episode, we are joined by Lame Genie members Mike Costigan, Kyle Sawaia and Jeff McGowan for a not-so-serious discussion on their band, Taco Bell sponsorships, melting their brains with anagram knowledge, all while comparing 5 of the...

Sometimes, tracks we pick for the show don’t quite fit a theme or we find something special we want to hold onto for a while, only to unleash it to the world along with a barrage of other ear-melting tracks. Such is the case with free picks. Every 20 episodes, we’ll be gathering up the stragglers that didn’t quite make it onto our themed shows, from games both popular and obscure. From Mike and Ju...

Most video game music podcasts focus on bringing the nostalgia on hot and heavy. Normally, we partake in this ideology. After all, video games and specific VGM tracks are home to some of our warmest memories from childhood and on. Today, we’ll be diving into the unknown as we explore games we’re told are classics, and yet…we have little to no experience with the games or their soundtracks! M...

Back in the 80s and 90s, the Beat ‘Em Up began to evolve into one of the most celebrated (and imitated) genres of all time. However, what was always constantly refreshing were the tunes that arcade and console Beat ‘Em Ups were pumping out, while the quarters were being pumped in. Today on XVGM Radio, Justin and Mike explore the vast musical genres of Beat ‘Em Ups; Get ready to defeat the baddest...

Arguably the most popular handheld gaming system in history, the Game Boy was a smorgasbord of great games, all on the go. Thankfully, portability didn’t rule out having a stellar sound chip and this episode is just the tip of the iceberg. We enlist the help of Niko, better known as WiiGuy309 or simply Wii Guy, to help us sort through the entire Game Boy library to bring you some memorable tracks!...

Two video game music podcast hosts are here to talk about the soundtracks from Data East’s yesterday….Are you a BAD ENOUGH DUDE to listen all the way through?! Mike and Justin are revisting the glory of Data East’s arcade and home offerings, both from the developer themselves, or their affiliated hired developer. You’ll hear plenty of time travelling arcade bangers that’ll make you want to sink yo...

Plenty of games nowadays have tried to emulate and pay tribute to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. But few are able to pull it off utilizing the minute details, especially when it comes to the music of the Playstation era. Enter, Timespinner, 2018’s indie darling. A game that tells the story of a blue-haired Time Messenger named Lunais, in a side scrolling, action-platforming adventure that wil...

It’s co-host spotlight time! Justin takes center stage as he picks all the tracks for this episode! From Intellivision to Playstation 4, Justin takes the listener through a nostalgic and personal journey through his taste in video game music and shares his thoughts about some of the more iconic games that he’s enjoyed over the years. Hear the tale of how Justin arranged music for his very own wedd...

A tale of swords and destinies, Soul Calibur has become a legendary series featuring some of the greatest fighting game advancements ever; and within those achievements are musical compositions that deserve vast amounts of recognition. Today we visit the stage of history and the world of Soul Calibur as we uncover some of the finer details about the lore, characters, gameplay mechanics, and of cou...

Sometimes considered the greatest crossover of its time, when Capcom and Disney worked together, the results were a mixed bag of highs and lows regarding gaming. However, the music was always a treat; one that many gamers would possibly consider some of the best of its time. On this episode, Justin and Mike are joined by Rob and Pernell of Rhythm & Pixels, a fellow VGM podcast focused on frien...

It’s that SPOOOOOOOOKYYYY time of year again, and the XVGM Radio gentleghouls are here to host a radio festival styled show, live, called SPOOKYFEST 2018! Grab a Belmont’s Wall Meat turkey leg and make a reservation for Boosette’s bed and breakfast, because we’ve got tons of creepy, crawly tracks from a wide variety of games, all with that SPOOOOKYYY sound that’s perfect for this time of the year....