Episodes

  • Ep 32: Live-a-Live

    Ep 32: Live-a-Live
    Sep 15 2022
    So a caveman, kung fu master, ninja, cowboy, tournament fighter, esper, robot, and a knight go into a bar and discover...a cosmic evil. We cover this long-obscure cult Super Famicom JRPG that only came to the west this year through a remaster. Both versions are a glimpse into a fascinating concept decades before its time, and the kind of risk-taking and wild experimentation that could be found in 16-bit JRPGS. Follow Allisa's writing here (https://linktr.ee/asjames) Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/combo-chain-a-jrpg-podcast/id1463536267)
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    52 mins
  • Ep 31: Radiant Historia

    Ep 31: Radiant Historia
    Aug 25 2022
    We bust out our flowcharts and get unstuck in time as we cover the time-traveling cult classic Radiant Historia. As a dying world contends with endless war and desertification, three heroes jump between multiple timelines to try and find a way forward. Both a throwback to classic JRPGs and an ambitious reformulation of them, Radiant Historia is a fascinating relic of the Nintendo DS era. Timeline flowcharts on Fandom (https://radianthistoria.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline) Follow Allisa's writing here (https://linktr.ee/asjames) Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/combo-chain-a-jrpg-podcast/id1463536267)
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    49 mins
  • Ep 30: Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

    Ep 30: Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
    Aug 9 2022
    River-kun comes for us all as we cover Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. The collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli was the subject of a lot of anticipation but has a complicated legacy. We discuss Drippy-gate, collecting the 'mons, and the game's similiarities to Frozen spinoff media. Allisa James' work on Linktree (https://linktr.ee/asjames)
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    40 mins
  • Ep 29: Fire Emblem: Three Houses w/ Six Dettmar

    Ep 29: Fire Emblem: Three Houses w/ Six Dettmar
    Oct 5 2021
    Pick your best boy or girl and join us as we cover Fire Emblem: Three Houses with special guest Six Dettmar! With the help of Koei Tecmo, Intelligent Systems (and Nintendo) turned the franchise around after the questionable Fire Emblem Fates. The result was an ambitious mix of mature themes, meaningful character development, branching narrative paths, dating simulation, and, of course, anime chess. Six Dettmar's shows on Scanline Media (http://scanlinemedia.com/) Allisa James on Siliconera (https://www.siliconera.com/author/ajamessiliconera/) and Techradar (https://www.techradar.com/author/allisa-james)
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    1 hr and 25 mins
  • Ep 28: 7th Dragon III Code: VFD

    Ep 28: 7th Dragon III Code: VFD
    Jul 13 2021
    Underrated and under-promoted, the absurdly titled 7th Dragon III: Code VFD didn't make much of a splash when it was released on the Nintendo 3DS. But there's plenty to love in the game, a mix of Rieko Kodama's sci-fi/fantasy aesthetic and Etrian Odyssey-esque dungeon crawling, even if you (like most westerners) missed the first two non-localized entries. Allisa and Paul take a deep dive into a mostly forgotten gem and find a game that's shockingly progressive (in its own problematic ways) as well as a engaging sci-fi fantasy epic, Allisa James on GamePur (https://www.gamepur.com/author/allisa-james) Please support us on Patreon and get a new patron-exclusive episode every month! We've restructured our Patreon rewards (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and are now releasing an extra Patreon-exclusive episode of Combo Chain every month! In this month's exclusive episode, we cover the divisive but fascinating Final Fantasy VIII. $5 patrons get access to the exclusive episodes, and $2 patrons will get our two public monthly episodes a week early. Please head over to our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and get extra Combo Chain while helping support us!
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Ep 27: Octopath Traveler w/ Iyane Agossah

    Ep 27: Octopath Traveler w/ Iyane Agossah
    Jun 8 2021
    As much of a storytelling experiment as it is a throwback to 16 and 32-bit JRPGs, Octopath Traveler is an ambitious, if flawed, entry in the genre. Journalist Iyane Agossah joins Paul and new full-time co-host Allisa James to discuss this anthology of eight loosely-connected stories, and how successful it is in its attempt to both innovate and call back to classic JRPGs. Iyane Agossah on Dualshockers (https://www.dualshockers.com/author/iyane-agossah/) Allisa James on GamePur (https://www.gamepur.com/author/allisa-james) Please support us on Patreon and get a new patron-exclusive episode every month! We've restructured our Patreon rewards (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and are now releasing an extra Patreon-exclusive episode of Combo Chain every month! In this month's exclusive episode, we cover the divisive but fascinating Final Fantasy VIII. $5 patrons get access to the exclusive episodes, and $2 patrons will get our two public monthly episodes a week early. Please head over to our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and get extra Combo Chain while helping support us!
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    1 hr and 52 mins
  • Ep 26: Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139... w/ Alexander McConnell

    Ep 26: Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139... w/ Alexander McConnell
    May 25 2021
    In our longest episode to date, we delve deep into the desperation, dualities, and despair of Yoko Taro's brilliant Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139... We cover the ways this remake vastly improves on the original, its themes of miscommunication, body shame, and existential despair, and detail the story and how it diverges in its numerous replays. As a spoiler alert, we also touch on its connections to lore from Nier: Automata (which you should play immediately) and the Drakengard series (which you should probably avoid playing). Mr. Clemps' DrakeNieR videos (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI1L9JVl6TFdwfvKUuebNp_zOAL5XXDT5) Please support us on Patreon - monthly patron-exclusive episodes stating in June! We've restructured our Patreon rewards (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and will be launching a third Patreon-exclusive episode of Combo Chain, released every month, starting in June! $5 patrons get access to the exclusive episodes, and $2 patrons will get our two public monthly episodes a week early. Please head over to our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and help support us!
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    3 hrs and 17 mins
  • Ep 25: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean w/ Robert

    Ep 25: Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean w/ Robert
    May 11 2021
    Take these broken wings and learn to fly again as we cover the underrated MonolithSoft JRPG, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean. Set in a surreal world of disconnected islands, the GameCube classic is a perfect example of the wild and experimental JRPGs that we don't get very often anymore, with a unique deck-building battle system and fourth wall breaking hijinks. Baten Kaitos interview with Shinji Noguchi (https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/05/03/baten-kaitos-interview) Robert on Twitter (https://twitter.com/pewteriscuter) Please support us on Patreon - monthly patron-exclusive episodes stating in June! We've restructured our Patreon rewards (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and will be launching a third Patreon-exclusive episode of Combo Chain, released every month, starting in June! $5 patrons get access to the exclusive episodes, and $2 patrons will get our two public monthly episodes a week early. Please head over to our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/Mirrorimagestudios?fan_landing=true) and help support us!
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    1 hr and 6 mins