Retronauts episode 106: Final Fantasy V

Just in time for the Four Job Fiesta (and a new book!), we dive deep into the beloved RPG.

Jeremy Parish July 3, 2017 8:22 AM Read + Mission control for ; former EIC of http://1UP.com and http://USgamer.net ; taking dapper (and frogs) back from the Nazis.

Following on our Final Fantasy IV episode, we at Retronauts prove we have at least mastered the art of mathematics at least as far as counting to the next number. That's right: This week's episode tackles Final Fantasy V, the cult favorite entry of the long-running entry of the franchise. "But wait," you mutter in puzzlement, "how can a numbered entry in the most popular RPG series in the world be a 'cult favorite'? That makes no sense!" Yes, well, Square decided to pass over this game for localization back in the day, so only people interested enough in the series to explore its past have experienced it in English... and for those most part, those localized versions have been, um, lacking.

Nevertheless, the game inspires enough enthusiasm to have created the Four Job Fiesta, a collective playthrough in which people limit themselves for charity. In a handy coincidence, the 2017 Fiesta is running right now! And in a not-so-coincidental turn of events, one of this episode's contributors — Chris Kohler — is just about to launch a campaign for a book centered on Final Fantasy V for Boss Fight Books. There's something special about this little game, and in this episode we attempt to highlight what precisely that in within the space of about two hours.

MP3, 52.2 MB | 1:53:42

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Episode description: Our 30th anniversary deep-dive series continues with the fifth entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, the 16-bit cult obsession Final Fantasy V. Bob and Jeremy are joined by pop culture pundit Shivam Bhatt and Chris Kohler, who wrote the book on the game.

This episode's tunes come from Final Fantasy V, obvs. Check out those fat bass guitar lick samples Uematsu used in this game. Mmm, so good. (Ad music used under Creative Commons license from Artofescapism and Seclorance.)

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