Advertise on podcast: Axe of the Blood God: An RPG Podcast

It's a very special episode this week as Victor interviews Bradly Halestorm, the founder of LionWing Publishing, a team that specializes in localizing Japanese tabletop RPGs both old and new. We learn all about his history with RPGs and what it's like to license and localize Japanese books from 20+ years ago. It's a real treat and we get into the weeds, especially when we discuss LionWing's upcoming release from their wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, Wares Blade; a fantasy mech tabletop from the 80s. I hope you all enjoy this episode of Axe of the Blood God! Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and get merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: The challenges of working through snail mail The future of Shin Megami Tensei: Tokyo Conception Finally, another guest that respects 7th Dragon! Timestamps: 6:08 - Main Topic - Interview w/ Bradly Hale of LionWing 1:10:33 - Wares Blade Music Used in this Episode: Axe of the Blood God Theme - [Lena Raine] VITALITY - [Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne - Incense Disc] LUCK - [Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne - Incense Disc] STRENGTH - [Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne - Incense Disc] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pokemon Champions is here and we have expert guests Casey DeFreitas and Kallie Plagge to get you up to speed. We get deep into the tall grass of Pokemon competitive battling, and ask the question: How do the gatcha components of Pokemon Champions affect players new and old? The tension between serving the new player and fulfilling the seasoned player runs high! Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and get merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: Pokopia  Slay the Spire 2 Monster Hunter Stories 3 The funniest moment of Nadia's life Timestamps: 00:07:40 - Main Topic 01:02:40 - Random Encounters 01:03:53 - Tavern 1:26:42 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Axe of the Blood God Theme - [Lena Raine] Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Champions Music - [Pokémon Champions] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pre-order Nadia's book!https://retrogamebooks.com/products/from-pixels-to-prose-what-video-games-taught-me-about-storytellingOnce you're done that come back and listen to a nice chill episode on a relaxing slow news week. Victor and Nadia discuss their favourite canine and feline party members in RPG history with plenty of help from our community! All that and so much more on this domesticated episode of Axe of the Blood God! And the name of the KTEH producer I was trying to think of was the late Karen Roberts. Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and get merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: From Pixels to Prose by Nadia Oxford Animorphs Weird Canadian TV Final Fantasy Dissidia Duellum update! Timestamps: 10:08 - Main Topic - The Best Cats and Dogs in RPGs 54:13 - Random Encounters 59:54 - Tavern - Nadia Wrote a Book! 1:23:00 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Axe of the Blood God Theme - [Lena Raine] Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Break it down - inside the cinema - [Persona Q2] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ride on! Victor and Nadia are joined by special guests David Oxford and Ash Paulsen to discuss the new Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection. Is this the best Mega Man collection yet in terms of raw options? Do we recommend jumping into the Mega Man RPGs from the Star Force series? Did we mention you can probably skip Star Force 2? All that plus a very exciting surprise segment, and much more on this cosmic episode of Axe of the Blood God! Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and get merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: The Mega Mandela Effect Vector Translations' Xenosaga I&II DS fan-translation Blue Reflection: Quartet Tomodachi Life Dissidia Duellum How to play Boktai in 2026 Kura5 Timestamps: 11:30 - Main Topic - Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection 55:28 - ITS THE RAGTIME MOUSE 1:04:28 - Random Encounters 1:12:22 - Tavern - Tomodachi Life, Dissidia Duellum 1:36:32 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Ragtime Mouse - [Final Fantasy IX] Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Rise as a Hero - [Mega Man Star Force] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With takes as hot as the desert sands, Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Joseph Bradford discuss March's hottest RPG Crimson Desert. Does it work as a prequel to hit MMO Black Desert Online? Is it greater than the sum of its many many many parts? Does anyone like the main guy? All these questions and more answered on this sandy-but-not-as-sandy-as-you'd-think episode of Axe of the Blood God! Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and get merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: Dread Delusion Animal Crossing City Folk The Ratline Dragon Quest X Greiga Master's Mega Man Battle Network: Phantom of Network PC Port I promise, I PROMISE, we will do our best to stop talking about how awful AI is but studios need to stop forcing our hand. We want to to be free from this curse. Timestamps: 13:08 - Main Topic - Crimson Desert 1:22:48 - Random Encounters - AI in Crimson Desert 1:50:08 - The Tavern 02:10:08 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Having Fun - [Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Probably a good idea to start learning how to salvage a dead civilization and there's no better teacher than Ditto. Pokopia is here and Eric and Nadia have plenty to share about this new Pokemon spin-off from the developers behind the cult-classic Dragon Quest Builders. Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and get merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: It's always been Dragon Slayer Slay the Spire 2 Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Patch 7.5 Live Letter Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Timestamps: 11:12 - Main Topic - Pokopia 49:40 - Random Encounters 54:00 - Sharlayan Dropouts - Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.5 - Trail to the Heavens 1:15:20 - The Tavern - Monster Hunter Stories 3 1:30:08 - Slay the Spire 2 02:07:26 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Celadon City - [Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's A some Qs.From RPGs that deserve a fighting game adaptation to the importance of physical strategy guides; it's a jam-packed extra-long episode as Nadia, Eric, and Victor answer questions from our community and prove themselves incapable of effective time management -- to your benefit! Further Reading:Sharlayan Dropouts - Our FFXIV Fighting Game Roster Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: Gary Larson's Far Cry I forgot to mention that the spin-off that I really want is a Final Fantasy Fitness Boxing Eric's been playing Pokopia Eric's been playing Slay the Spire 2 Timestamps: 12:00 - Main Topic - March Mailbag! 23:32 - Ys? 25:00 - Fan-translations 30:36 - Noping out 37:52 - The perfect Valkyria Chronicles/Sakura Wars 41:04 - Embarrassing games 47:20 - Challenges that elude us 52:12 - What RPG should be a fighting game 1:04:00 - The importance of old strategy guides 1:18:56 - The past few months of change 1:34:00 - Resident. Eeeevilll. 1:36:32 - Random Encounters 1:50:30 - The Tavern - Pokopia 2:02:26 - The Tavern - Slay the Spire 2 02:07:26 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Theme of Valkyria (Guitar Version) - [Valkyria Chronicles III] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a cavalcade of indie RPG demos fighting for your attention this week and Eric, Nadia, Victor, and special guest Lucas White are here to help you find some of the ones worth wishlisting! From hardcore dungeon crawls, to neon musicals, to impressionistic adventures, and everything in-between! Plus Pokemon, Tales, Ys, and a whole lot more on this jam-packed episode of Axe of the Blood God! Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: Did Tales of Berseria need the Remaster treatment? Pokemon 30th Anniversary announcements galore! Winds, Waves, HitClips! Ys X: Proud Nordics might just have the sauce Everything is Battle Network Timestamps: 09:58 - Main Topic - Steam Next Fest RPG Highlights! 10:20 - Parasite Mutant 22:20 - Annihilated 29:12 - Zero Parades: For Dead Spies 44:00 - THREE VERSES^3 49:40 - Calamity Angel: Special Delivery 54:24 - Esoteric Ebb 58:16 - Vampire Crawlers 1:04:32 - Curse Chapter: Dawnthief 1:07:04 - People of Note 1:13:04 - Random Encounters 1:18:46 - Mini-boss! - Pokemon News Galore! Winds, Waves, HitClips! 1:26:24 - The Tavern - Ys X Proud Nordics 1:36:24 - Tales of Berseria Remastered 01:49:20 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Theme of Velvet - [Tales of Berseria] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. Visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information.It's been a hell of a news week so we're gearing up for an Oops! All Random Encounters. From major pillars of the game industry collapsing in spectacular fashion, to sequels we never thought we'd see; it's a jam-packed week that is sure to have ramifications that we'll be feeling for years on this tumultuous episode of Axe of the Blood God! Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: Sony shuts down Bluepoint Pokemon FireRed and LeafGreen Shutaro Iida's passing The ghost in Mario 3's shell Timestamps: 07:30 - Main Topic - Random Encounters - Xbox news! 29:36 - Bluepoint 1:00:00 - .hack//ZERO 1:15:44 - Tavern - Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse 01:38:08 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Mac Anu - [.hack//INFECTION] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gas leak isn't the only thing in the air; so is love!Whether you spent Valentine's day with that special someone or that special someone is you, we've got an episode full of our favourite romanceable NPCs in RPGs, with a game show twist! Nadia, Eric, and Victor tell on themselves while trying to read each other's minds. All that and more on a very lovely episode of Axe of the Blood God. Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: Discord is introducing their age-verification system; what we're doing about it Timestamps: 09:28 - Main Topic - Valentine's Day Special - Round 1 - Fire Emblem 21:20 - Round 2 - Mass Effect 36:56 - Round 3 - Stardew Valley 52:04 - Round 4 - Harvest Moon 1:04:56 - Round 5 - Dragon Quest 1:09:44 - Round 6 - Final Fantasy 1:22:04 - Round 7 - Pokemon Champions 1:30:40 - Round 8 - Tales of Symphonia 1:37:32 - Round 9 - Baldur's Gate 1:44:56 - Round 10 - Love and Deepspace 44:37 - Random Encounters (minibosses) 01:20:30 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined is here, and so are the hot takes! Nadia, Eric, Victor and guest Lucas White react to the game and the criticism it’s getting out the gate. What is “quality of life” in gaming, and if you could “Click” (2006) your way through life, would you? Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod⁠ and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at ⁠https://shop.bloodgodpod.com⁠ Also in this episode: Yakuza 3 drama Baldur’s Gate 3, the show? Nintendo Direct Nadia is learning to play bass out of spite Timestamps: 08:22 - Main Topic - DQVII 44:37 - Random Encounters (minibosses) 01:20:30 - Nadia’s Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Seven Mysteries - [PARANORMASIGHT The Seven Mysteries of Honjo] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Six months in, we ask the question, "How is the Switch 2 holding up as an RPG machine? Nadia, Eric, and special guest Ash Paulsen discuss the Nintendo Switch 2's RPG lineup, from Switch 1 upgrades, to system exclusives, to that glint of Pokopia on the horizon. It's a great couch system, but does it travel well? Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: New and improved Octopath Traveler 0 An update on Haunted Chocolatier Some side-eye-worthy comments from Bethesda Distant Worlds, baybeee! Timestamps: 09:04 - Main Topic - The Switch 2 as an RPG Machine 41:33 - Random Encounters 51:54 - The Tavern - Octopath Traveler 0 and Distant Worlds 01:07:49 - Nadi'a Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] Pub - [Lunar Knights] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] A Long Fall (The Primals) - [Final Fantasy XIV - Scions and Sinners] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Millennial Fair is in full swing! Nadia, Eric, and special guest Michael Higham discuss what makes the best starter towns. Did you wake up and everyone in the town doesn’t know you? Did you rebuild the town brick by brick? Is your starter town lowkey just a hub? Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Life Is Strange Reunion Ubisoft is imploding Being a delinquent in an igloo Timestamps: 09:25 - Main Topic - RPG Towns 01:07:28 - Random Encounters 1:28:12 - Nostalgia Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Overworld Main Theme - [FFVII] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Soup’s on! Nadia, Eric, and special guest Rebekah Valentine are cooking up an RPG Stew of games they’ve been playing lately. Plus, how prerelease parties at your local gaming store help build community, (the “G” in MTG stands for “gathering”). Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: Nadia’s MAGfest Recap Comments on genAI at Cygames Final Fantasy VII Remake in “Streamlined Progression” Mode Timestamps: 11:04 - Main Topic - RPG Stew 01:18:32 - Random Encounters 1:28:25 - Magic the Gathering Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Main Theme - [Octopath Traveler 0] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A New Year means new resolutions and for many of us that includes making a pledge to chip away at the ever-growing backlog. Are you going to tackle a new series? Revisit an old classic? Are some of last year's hits on sale for the right price? Or do you need something effervescent to pair with a white meat? Eric, Victor, and special guest John Carson discuss what drives them to check games of the list, and whether that's even something we should be beating ourselves up over. Subscribe for bonus episodes and discord access at https://www.patreon.com/bloodgodpod and celebrate our 10th Anniversary with new merch at https://shop.bloodgodpod.com Also in this episode: More comments on genAI at Larian Final Fantasy XI updates for 2026! Fire Emblem Path of Radiance on Nintendo Switch Online Magic the Gathering Update Note: Microsoft and the Xbox brand remain subjects of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement for their complicity in the ongoing apartheid and genocide of Palestine. Visit https://www.bdsmovement.net/microsoft for more information. Timestamps: 12:04 - Main Topic - How To Handle One's Backlog 59:12 - Random Encounters 1:16:32 - The Tavern - Holiday Gaming Habits 1:30:26 - Magic the Gathering Nook Music Used in this Episode: Do Your Best - [Breath of Fire III] A Curious Tale - [Secret of Mana] Shinjuku - [Shin Megami Tensei NINE] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices