XVGM Radio is a VGM podcast, done in the style of a radio show. It was established in 2018 with one simple mission in mind: to bring an awesome & eclectic mix of Video Game Music to your ears! Each episode will bring you new music, new topics, and hopefully show you something you may not have heard, or might not have thought to listen to otherwise. With co-hosts Mike Levy, Justin Schneider, Ed Wilson, & NikoTengoku, you’ll hear from game music composers, fellow VGM lovers and podcasters as well…
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away….those are the words that began one of the greatest franchises in movie history. However, the video games based on those franchises were very much worthy of the same praise! That’s why on today’s episode of XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin are chatting about the Star Wars games and their amazing music! Mostly orchestral pieces, they chat about some of John…
Jeff Van Dyck’s musical career in video games has been a storied one. For over 30 years, Jeff’s music has continued blessing our ear drums, helping us create warm memories and exciting memories. Now, he joins us on XVGM Radio as Mike and Niko learn about his long history. We hear the story about how he met his wife at EA Games, what it’s like working on game music for systems like FM Towns as…
The Super Nintendo and Super Famicom have some of the greatest games ever made. But what sort of output did the system have in its twilight years? Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Ed look at the late life cycle of the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom from 1996 and beyond, official releases only (No homebrew/indie stuff here!) to showcase some quality music from the system’s end of the road era. From 1996…
Dragon Quest has had 11 mainline games, tons of spinoffs and ports galore. It’s a franchise known for ushering in the foundation of the Japanese Role Playing Game, or the JRPG. Originating on the Famicom in the mid 1980s, the game saw not one but FOUR games release on Nintendo’s first console. In this episode, we’ve decided to focus on the first three, known as the Erdrick Trilogy. With good…
March Madness is alive and well and what better way to celebrate than with a spotlight on some of the best game music that has adorned the courts of basketball game’s most celebrated titles! From Mike’s nostalgic stories about Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls fashion of the 90s, playing on the basketball courts and…going to restaurants just to play NBA Jam?! Niko joins Mike as the quarterly…
Many video game music composers try their best to fit into different musical genres but few do it as well as composers like Shinji Hosoe. On today’s episode of XVGM Radio, Mike and Ed discuss several of Hosoe’s game soundtracks, highlighting a wide variety of musical tracks. From techno and jungle to power metal and back to chiptunes, you can truly appreciate his chameleon-like nature to fit his…
This year, Nintendo is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Wii…and if you’re old enough to remember the release, you might want to go get your cholesterol checked out. Despite this, XVGM Radio is ushering in a new era for its 8th year of existence. As always, NikoTengoku joins us for the January episode, and much to Janine’s dismay, Mike and Justin have brought back Ed Wilson from…
It’s time for the holidays…and what did people receive as a gift during this time of year back in 1992? The Super Scope 6 of course! Nintendo’s successor to the NES Zapper was a bazooka-shaped monolith of potential. Though the final game library was small, the Super Scope 6 was full of untold gaming possibilities. From arcade ports like Operation Thunderbolt and Terminator 2: The Arcade Game, to…
Mike’s been raving about Phantom Breaker Battle Grounds for almost a decade. The heart-pumping soundtrack, exciting chibi anime beat-em up styled gameplay and intuitive leveling up system is a prime example of a game that should’ve gained more appreciation over the years. When the most recent version of the game, Phantom Breaker Battle Grounds Ultimate came out this year, we knew it was time to…
It’s BAAAAACCCCCKKK! Yes, it’s that time of the year again. SPOOKYFEST has returned for its 7th year and we’re pulling out all the tricks AND treats to celebrate the Halloween season! Fresh off the backs of the Spookyfest VIP Pass (If you didn’t get it, check it out on our Patreon!) We’re playing 11 killer tracks that have nowhere to hide from our greedy little ears! Feast upon discussions about…
Today on XVGM Radio, we’re taking a look (and listen) to the audio history of Human Entertainment. Formed via a merger between Try Co. Ltd. and Communicate Inc in 1987, Human Entertainment was initially called Sonata, mostly handling ports from larger developers such as Konami and Bandai. After two years of this, 1989 saw the … Read more "Episode 126 – Human Entertainment: The Musical History"
Pool, Billiards, Snooker, Carom…whatever you call them, video games have a long history involving the most laid back of all sports, Cue Ball Based Sports. But what about their music? Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin highlight some wild ranges of VGM in cue ball videogames. From discussions on eating crackers in hell,a shout … Read more "Episode 125 – Cue Ball Sports VGM"
What’s faster than the speed of light? Mega Man Battle & Chase’s North American release date, that’s what! Released in 1997 in Japan and 1998 in Europe, this game completely missed it’s planned North American release despite ads and previews running for it in magazines. Initially forgotten as “just another kart racer copycat,” true fans … Read more "Episode 124 – Mega Man Battle & Chase Soundtrack…
Matt Creamer, aka Radd Daddy, aka Norrin Radd, RETURNS to XVGM Radio to talk about his amazing soundtrack for Retroware’s Prison City game. We’ve chat with Matt previously about many of his soundtracks, even had him on one of our live shows before! A true friend to the podcast, Matt isn’t afraid to get into … Read more "Episode 123 – Prison City w/ composer Matt Creamer"
Marred in 90s era video game controversy, Konami’s Lethal Enforcers series, along with Mortal Kombat, Night Trap, and several other games, had ironic targets on their backs for their innovative, realistic (at the time) graphics involving firing a fake plastic gun at the screen, killing human targets. Years later, the series is best known for … Read more "Episode 122 – Lethal Enforcers I & II (Same…
Product placement and advertising in video games is a wild, wacky thing. Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin are joined by fellow VGM podcast CRT Soundsystem, where Reese and Tom bring some unique tracks to the mix! The hosts chat about Redline, Fast food chicken preferences, and gamer munchies. The Americans on the podcasts … Read more "Episode 121 – Product Placement VGM w/ CRT Soundsystem"
Free Picks…the very definition of randomness. Every 20 episodes, Mike and Justin think back to stuff they’re playing, or perhaps pick a track suggested by our Discord members (Thanks ElectricBoogaloo for this month’s pick!) What follows is an episode full of tongue twisters, caller requests from questionable callers and Justin goes all in on Destiny … Read more "Episode 120 – Free Picks 6: The…
Released in 1987, the Sharp X68000 would lead the way for Japanese computer systems, ending its reign around 1996. Utilizing the Yamaha YM2151 sound chip would make the computer sing some of the best FM synthesis based VGM ever released. Today on XVGM Radio, we’re joined by our third host NikoTengoku to spotlight just a … Read more "Episode 119 – The Sounds of the Sharp X68000"
Multiplayer games can create some of the most memorable times for gamers but what few people talk about is their music. Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin focus on the Party Game genre (with a few examples that fit further into the multiplayer aspects.) The guys chat about the mountain that is One Piece’s … Read more "Episode 118 – Party Games Music"
Returning to the topic of Natsume’s musical history, Mike and Justin revisit one last time for a sort of epilogue on the history of Natsume via Tengo Project. Formed from an offshoot of Natsume Co. Ltd in the mid to late 2000s, Tengo Project is a small team of Natsume’s original staff who have been … Read more "Episode 117 – The Music Of Tengo Project"
Greetings boils, ghouls and everyBOOdy in between! Welcome to another SPOOOOOOOOKYFEST 2024! Each year, Mike and Justin get together for an “outdoor festival” that everyone can go to and enjoy some spooky halloween tunes! From horror movie based IPs with insanely creepy swamp tracks to bad William Shatner impressions, this episode is chock full of … Read more "Episode 116 – Spookyfest 2024!"
We’ve covered the Mario RPG games and their music WAY back on Episode 29 but today, we’re revisiting one of the best Paper Mario games out there: Paper Mario and the Thousand Year Door. Recently, it received a remaster on the Nintendo Switch and while the original soundtrack is an option in this new version, … Read more "Episode 115 – Same Song, Different System: Paper Mario The Thousand-Year…
Justin comes in with a jump off the top rope! BOOM! Mike goes down, and it’s ONE-TWO-11? Yes, 11 tracks of excellent wrestling music from video games are coming your way on this super-charged episode of XVGM Radio! Hear the guys chat about their Wrestling game (and Wrestling TV) experiences. Plus an extra special appearance … Read more "Episode 114 – Wrestling Game Music"
There’s two things that don’t get the recognition they deserve when it comes to video games: Game Boy Advance soundtracks and licensed games. Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin build up a musical tale to combat this inaccurate statement with a GBA soundtrack from a licensed game that rocks! Robots, based on the CGI … Read more "Episode 113 – Robots GBA/DS Spotlight with Composer Ian Stocker"
High score rankings have been a thing since the 70s in video games. But the music layered behind them didn’t really pick up until the 80s. Justin and Mike examine these tunes to explore the eastern vs western comparisons. Eastern composers tend to create much shorter high score music than western composers and the guys … Read more "Episode 112 – High Score Jamz"
Many of today’s indie and AA developers know their retro. That’s why there’s an abundance of amazing games available for modern platforms which channel the games of our pasts. Thankfully, game composers of the current era haven’t forgotten the roots of VGM either, as the amount of modern games which rely on catchy melodies, punchy … Read more "Episode 111 – Modern Retro Game Music"
Music touches all aspects of the soul. It’s a large part of what makes us human. In tough times or happy moments and everything in between, music can be therapy in many ways and video game music is no different. On today’s episode, we sit down for a chat with Norihiko Hibino and listen to … Read more "Episode 110 – Musical Therapy: An Interview w/ Norihiko Hibino"
It’s that time of year again! It’s January in a new year and as always with XVGM Radio, we bring in the big guns: NikoTengoku! Our old pal and honorary third co-host Niko joins us once again to ring in 2024 with a somber note: Emotional VGM. Whether the moments in the games touched our … Read more "Episode 109 – Emotional Damage VGM w/ Niko Tengoku"
In 1994, video game system manufacturers were just starting to shift into the realm of 3D-based video game consoles thanks to the fifth generation. But one company decided to continue building upon the legacy of 2D in the mid-90s with their final console release: NEC. The PC-FX was host to 62 games which utilized 2D … Read more "Episode 108 – The NEC PC-FX"
Though Halloween season is over, we’re still playing with gore! XVGM Radio sits down with VGM composer Jason Létourneau to discuss his music in the 8-bit modern retro classic, Infernax. Hear us grill Jason to learn about his process and how some of our favorite modern VGM composers helped him early in his game composing … Read more "Episode 107 – Infernax w/ composer Jason Letourneau"
They’reeeee bacccckkkkkk! The XVGM Radio boys are back for another haunting year of SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOKY songs to celebrate the holiday season! Join Mike and Justin on their 5th annual Spookyfest, complete with crowds cheering them on, buying Poltergust 4000 vacuums and gettin’ their sour pukes on! Two special Patrons make requests, the guys try their best … Read more "Episode 106 – Spookyfest 2023"
Continued from Episodes 99 and 102, Mike and Justin close out the musical history of the developer, Natsume Co. Ltd. After the split between Natsume Co. Ltd. and Natsume Inc, Natsume Co. Ltd. would continue to work on developing games, mostly on the Super NES and eventually handhelds like the Game Boy Color. Here is … Read more "Episode 105 – The Musical History of Natsume Part 3"
Wayforward’s Shantae on the Game Boy Color was the swansong release on the handheld and the beginning of a franchise in the making. Now, Shantae has not only blossomed into a 5 (soon to be 6) game series, but can be widely considered Queen of the indie game scene. One particular stand out in this … Read more "Episode 104 – Shantae Tunes"
PING! BLAM! DING-DING-DING-DING! CH-CHUNK! Pinball certainly has some exciting sounds. Video pinball brings the experience of pinball home to consoles, PCs or on the go. But what rarely gets discussed by video pinball aficionados is how great the music is in these games. Today, we’re getting our flippers ready to beam 11 exciting tracks up … Read more "Episode 103 – Video Pinball VGM"
Continued from Episode 99, Mike and Justin hit the dusty trail of Natsume’s musical history for a second time to uncover the North American-based publishing (and sometimes development) side of the company. Splitting from Natsume Co. Ltd. in 1995, Natsume Inc. began publishing a wide variety of games mostly in North America. From tales of … Read more "Episode 102 – The Musical History of Natsume…
Step into the world of Elevator Action Returns: A place full of guns, explosions and most importantly…elevators! Justin and Mike climb back into the world of Taito’s in house band, Zuntata; more specifically Yasuhisa Watanabe’s stellar soundtrack for this exciting sequel to the original arcade classic, Elevator Action. From funk elements to jazz and light … Read more "Episode 101 – Elevator Action…
WE DID IT! 100 EPISODES OF XVGM RADIO! We’re still thrilled to be able to bring you engaging topics and themes, a wide variety of VGM related guests and of course, fun wacky times with a dash of game music knowledge. Thanks so much for listening to our little show! In celebration, we decided to … Read more "Episode 100 – Request Hotline"
It’s Technostasy! Since 1987, Natsumi, a company created by ex-Konami employees, has been one of the best developers from the 8 and 16 bit eras of gaming. However, their history has been muddled by confusing ownership and history to the common fan. Today on XVGM Radio, Mike and Justin uncover the truth behind Natsume’s story … Read more "Episode 99 – The Musical History of Natsume (Part 1)"
Star Fox 64 is sometimes viewed as the evolution in the Star Fox franchise’s musical journey. But with this more cinematic orchestral vision, the sounds of a more popular style of music has disappeared. But with musician Ro Panuganti’s prowess, Arwing Odyssey is born. A Progressive Metal thematic voyage through most of Star Fox 64’s … Read more "Episode 98 – Arwing Odyssey w/ Ro Panuganti"
New Year! New Episode! Starting off 2023, our 5th year as a podcast, we’re joined once again by our good pal, NikoTengoku! The Super Famicom (or as we know it outside of Japan, the Super NES) is host to a COLOSSAL list of excellent game soundtracks, but the Japan exclusive stuff usually gets overlooked. Niko … Read more "Episode 97 – Super Famicom Japan Exclusives w/ NIKOTENGOKU"
Matt Creamer (AKA Norrin Radd) has been one of our favorite guests (and composers) for some time now, but he’s been holding back from us. He’s unleashed his final musical form in the mold of Slayin’ 2’s original soundtrack and it is A BANGER/ROCKER! Now it’s time for you to feast your ears on over … Read more "Episode 96 – Slayin’ 2 with composer Matt Creamer"
It’s well known that Sony’s Playstation 2 dominated sales during the 6th generation of gaming. However, this was also during the era where Sony attempted to take on the task of toppling Nintendo’s handheld juggernaut abilities. Enter the Sony Playstation Portable, Sony’s first major foray into the handheld market. Many games from the PS2 were … Read more "Episode 95 – PS2/PSP VGM Memories"
It’s that spooooooooooky time of year again! Celebrate Halloween with the video game music podcast hostesses with the mostestes….that’s a word. Justin and Mike host Spookyfest each year and now that they’re back to their normal outdoor festival activity, you’re in for a fright of a good time! From discussions of Peanuts characters becoming VGM … Read more "Episode 94 – SpooOOookyfest 2022"
Marvel Comics’ X-Men series is a franchise that means a lot to millions all over the planet. In the 90s, it was the pinnacle of X-citing, engaging storytelling coupled with a major media boost thanks to the comics, collectible cards, Saturday morning cartoons and of course, video games. On today’s episode of XVGM Radio, Mike … Read more "Episode 93 – X-Men Game Music w/ Carlos from Heroes Three"
Indie composers of video games are leading the way with their creativity, ingenuity and hunger to create the next wave of classics. One such composer is Nicole Marie T, who we had the pleasure of interviewing. From her love and appreciation of Sega to her evolution into a Sony fan, Nicole’s video game upbringing shines … Read more "Episode 92 – Nicole Marie T Composer Interview"
If you had to pick four legendary composers that best represents you…as well as all of video game music, who would you pick? Well, that’s the question that our pal Bedroth from VGMVGM (Very Good Music Video Game Music) Podcast asked the community of VGM podcasters…and we broke the rules and picked a bonus one, … Read more "Episode 91 – Masters of VGM"
Nostalgia can be a powerful thing. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, there was plenty of stuff Mike and Justin reflected on in this episode from their youth. Though as always when they pick a topic, sometimes they approach the idea differently for fun results. Episode 90 is a perfect representation of this method … Read more "Episode 90 – Nostalgic Themes"
The Sega Genesis GEMS Driver is often considered one of the worst drivers created for video game music. However, we are optimists when it comes to most chips, so today, we’re taking a deep look into the GEMS driver. Who created it, why it was important to Western composers, the benefits of it and the … Read more "Episode 89 – The Best & Worst of Gems Driver Songs (w/ specia guest Dya)"
It should be pretty obvious if you’ve heard the show before that Mike and Justin LOVE comedy. So on this episode, which just so happens to release on April Fools for no specific reason, the guys get deeply personal and share never before heard stories before. Listen to some wacky tunes about sunflowers, finding secrets, … Read more "Episode 88 – April Fools!"
The Super Nintendo is known for having some of the most lush compositions in 16 bit history. But have you ever wondered what these tracks would sound like with real instruments? Our guest today is Andrew Thompson who runs a musical project where he answers that very question and the results are EPIC! Mike and … Read more "Episode 87 – Super Nintendo: ORCHESTRATED with Orchestral Fantasy"
