Retrograde Amnesia is a deep-dive video game podcast dedicated to exploring classic Japanese Role-playing Games (JRPGs), chapter by chapter, beat by beat. The show blends structured narrative analysis, humor, and immersive production to guide listeners through the worlds, characters, and themes of the genre’s most beloved and strange stories.
Praised for its thoughtful pacing, encyclopedic research, and a blend of sincerity and irreverence, Retrograde Amnesia offers a cozy look back for players who want to engage more deeply with their favorite games within the medium. Play along with the hosts or reminisce your enduring thoughts as we trek through the stories we grew up with.
Each season covers a single game in exhaustive detail, using a a meticulous scene-by-scene format to reexamine every moment. Whether it’s dissecting the political intricacies of Final Fantasy Tactics, or unraveling the existential dread of Xenogears, the show approaches every game with a balance of critical insight and deep appreciation for the medium.
Listeners have described the show as:
“One of the best out there”
“If you love retrospective type podcast this is one of the best out there. They pick great games and take their time going through them. Just the perfect type of podcast for me. It’s like getting to live through these games from my childhood again without having to play all the way through them. Great job guys, I hope there are many more episodes to come.”
— SIumlord, May 27, 2024“What a gem”
“Discovered these guys when I was searching up stuff on Xenosaga, and saw a back catalog of amazing games. Started with [Final Fantasy VIII] and am about to do the next season. Chris and Eric are hilarious, insightful, and worth your time to listen to. Also Fakenet will you marry me.”
— laser canon death sentance, January 23, 2024“Witty, smart, and highly detailed”
“Chris and Eric rock. They play off each other super well, it’s like hanging out with a couple guys with a bottle of whiskey and even though you never have a chance to get a word in, you don’t really want to. Thoughtful and interesting with hilarious in jokes they are more than happy to bring you in on.”
— alinktreetothepast, October 19, 2023
Since 2019, Retrograde Amnesia has been a destination for thoughtful JRPG fans seeking to reckon with the games they grew up loving — while learning to love the ones they missed.
Retrograde Amnesia is hosted by Eric and Chris — two old pals who have been thinking about JRPGs for multiple decades.
I love battles. I fear nothing. On this god forsaken installment we’re playing cards with groupies, assembling protagonists, channeling shōnen energy, swallowing Cid’s propaganda, developing a gunblade fetish, stating chicken wuss etymology,…
DRINK? This time we’re revisiting Dr. Kadowaki, avoiding Selphie, constructing artifice, no-selling the disciplinary committee, chatting up a lunch lady, living alone in a multi-student dorm, questioning the necessity of T-Rexaurs in captivity,…
Let us pursue another dumb idea that turned into a good idea. As we’ve casually mentioned for the past few months, we’ve been working on a new (occasional) show, GOD BLESS THE RING, an exploration of the history, lore, and gameplay of classic beat ’em…
My forehead hurts. Today we’re waking up, passing concussion protocol, pronouncing Quistis, foreshadowing a lady, collecting a student, moping through class, blending into the background, showing favoritism, sorting through our desk, developing…
Hey, it’s season three of Retrograde Amnesia. For the debut of our Final Fantasy VIII coverage, we’re clarifying release dates, questioning the budget, identifying developers, reading Famitsu interviews, challenging the staff, mispronouncing…
Give us all the liquid substances you have in this box. On our final episode of season two, we’re fast forwarding time, finding a future as a fisherman, cutting Lynx to ribbons, bickering over Serge’s attention, experiencing diarrhea, losing the…
Everything exists for this one moment. Tonight we’re fighting the Dragon God, descending to nihilism, listening to final boss music, talking to sacred ghosts at the beach, dealing with destiny, identifying true father, talking with everyone about…
It is your will to choose destruction. This time, I guess, we’re beating up sentient jelly, cheesing out with the Grandream, enduring a sadness wave, visiting ethereal Viper Manor, listening to the sage of reason, chatting up the Chrono Kids,…
We’re forever your friends, no matter which timeline this is. Today we’re getting a letter from a dead scientist, alluding to a secret heritage, leaning into Magus lore, believing in a glam rock king, breathing underwater for antigravity…