Battle Bards

Is it even possible for pure joy to be derived from MMORPG music? Whether or not, the Battle Bards are going to take a serious stab at it in today's episode! Each piece is hand-picked and home-brewed to distill joy for the listener, coated in sparkling hopes and drizzled with fond memories. No matter what, you're in for an uplifting show! Episode 102 show notes (show page, direct download) Intro (feat. "Maple Island 1" from MapleStory 2, "Life Abundant" from Stargate Worlds, and "Farm" from Free Realms) "Village Theme 1" from ArcheAge "Sunlight of Morning" from Aion "Plotting Our Course" from WildStar "Sunnyside" from Granado Espada "Party in the Shire" from LOTRO "To Start a Journey" from Star Wars Galaxies "Lakeside" from Cabal Online Which one did we like best? Jukebox Picks: "Main Theme" from Dead Space, "Hot Pursuit" from Gravity Rush, and "Grazelands Dawn" from Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind Outro (feat. "Home Sweet Home" from RuneScape) Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitch

As the Battle Bards cruise into their second hundred episodes, it's time to cover a very long-lived fantasy MMO from 2002, Ragnarok Online. The game has an... interesting soundtrack and a devoted following in some circles, but as the crew discovered on today's show, the score is not without its criticisms. It's time to kick summer vacation to the curb and trumpet another parade of MMO music! Episode 101 show notes Intro (feat. "Aplen Rose" and "Theme of Alberta") "Theme of Lutie" "Splendid Dreams" "March with Irish Whistle" "Dream of a Whale" "Sleeping Volcano" "Antique Cowboy" "Christmas in the 13th Month" Which one did we like best? Mail from Frotierkilla Jukebox Picks: "Meet Tiki and Mermaid" from Dragon's Crown, "Devil's Swing" from Bendy and the Ink Machine, "Drake's Theme" from Uncharted Outro (feat. "Erebos' Prelude") Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher,Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!

Syp returns to the 8-bit era as he counts down his top 10 favorite Gameboy tunes. It's a harder task than you think, considering how long the system was out and how many great games and soundtracks were created for it! Chances are he'll ignore your favorite, but it'll be a fun show nevertheless with lots of cheery and catchy tracks. What's your favorite? Episode 11: Top 10 Gameboy tunes Intro "Theme" from The Smurfs "Staff Credits" from Metroid II "Town of Albano" from Lufia: The Legend Returns "Battle of the Holy" from The Castlevania Adventure "Stage 1" from TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan "Ripe Seeds" from Castlevania II "Theme" from Monster Max "Type B" from Tetris "Tal Tal Heights" from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening "Birabuto Kingdom" from Super Mario Land Outro (feat. "Cave Stage" from Turok 2)

After four years and over 700 MMORPG music tracks, the Battle Bards have arrived at their 100th show! For this centennial spectacular, Syl, Steff, and Syp reminisce about the most notable shows, their best soundtrack discoveries, and their favorite tracks. This super-sized show gets wrapped up with a bout of listener emails and a promise of another amazing hundred episodes! Episode 100 show notes Intro (feat. "A New Hope" from FFXIV, "Bard's Guild" from EverQuest, and "First Light" from Guild Wars) Favorite Soundtrack Discoveries over the past four years Steff: TERA ("Sanctuary" and "Godspeed"), League of Legends ("Braum" and "Demacia Rising"), and World of Warcraft: Legion ("Lion's Rest" and "Anduin") Syl: Runes of Magic ("Veranas Bridge" and "Traveling Tale"), Dragon's Prophet ("Auratia" and "Candlelight"), and Ultima X Odyssey ("Town Life" and "Rule City") Syp: Lineage 2 ("Praise the Victorious Knight" and "Talking Island Village"), WildStar ("Bandits, Thieves, and Epic Loot" and "A Story of Hope and Hea

The Battle Bards are on vacation at a tropical beach paradise! In the team's 99th episode, they examine beach, resort, and island music cues from MMORPGs. Can it still be a resort when everything around you is out for murder? As long as the music is this good, who cares? Episode 99 show notes Intro (feat. "Maple Island 1" from MapleStory 2 and “Castaways” from World of Warcraft) "Starter Beach" from Wonderland Online "Dolphin Island" from Rose Online "Costa del Sol" from FFXIV "Caribbean Port" from Pirates of the Burning Sea "Oceania Town" from Uncharted Waters Online "Port BGM" from Lime Odyssey "A Tropical Getaway" from WildStar Which one did we like the best? Jukebox Picks: "Run Program" from Tron Run_r, "Theme" from The Tenth Line, and "Oakvale" from Fable Anniversary note Outro (feat. "Palmgil Oasis" from Aura Kingdom) Stinger Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher,Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!

Perfect World -- it's not just a massive games publisher, it's also an MMORPG! The team at Battle Bards timidly tiptoe into this unknown soundtrack, not sure of what may lurk around the next bend. Is it a pile of suck? An undiscovered gem? Forgettable fluff? We're not going to tell you in the intro here, you'll have to listen along with us to find out! Episode 97 show notes Intro (feat. “Rising Tide Theme” and "Frostcovered City") "Fly With Me/Etherblade City" "Archosaur" "Plume City" "City of Raging Tides" "Descent Theme" "Genesis Theme" "Cube of Fate" Which one did we like the best? Jukebox Picks: "Main Theme" from Horizon Zero Dawn, "The Capital with a Beautiful Lake and the Holy Sword" from Tales of Zestiria, and "Caprice" from Morrowind Anniversary show incoming! Outro (feat. "Everywhere") Stinger Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher,Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!

What was originally the swan song -- the "final" game developed -- of Square turned into the studio's flagship franchise that is now in its 30th year. For the return of Retro Reprise, Syl and Syp take a nostalgic journey back through the first nine Final Fantasy games, looking at the music from the NES, SNES, and PlayStation eras. Missing the combat tracks? Stay tuned for part 2 of this series! Episode 10: Final Fantasy adventures Intro Final Fantasy I: "Main Theme" Final Fantasy I: "Prelude" Final Fantasy I: "Airship" Final Fantasy I: "Matoya's Cave" Final Fantasy II: "Chocobo Theme" Final Fantasy IV: "Victory Theme" Final Fantasy IV: "Love Theme" Final Fantasy VI: "Terra's Theme" Final Fantasy VI: "Aria Di Mezzo Carattere (Opera Theme)" Final Fantasy VII: "Aeris' Theme" Final Fantasy VII: "Cosmo Canyon" Final Fantasy VII: "Chasing the Black Caped Man" Final Fantasy VII: "Ahead on our Way (Kalm Village)" Final Fantasy VIII: "Liberi Fatali" Final Fantasy VIII: "Balamb Garden" Final Fantasy VIII: "Fisherman'

"Magic can be ANYthing!" The forces of magic run deep within MMORPGs, casting shadows of wonder wherever we look -- and listen. In today's show, Syl sparks a musical revolution as her fellow Bards struggle to rise to the challenge of defining what, exactly, constitutes a "magical" track and evokes that particular feeling. Did we nail it? You'll have to join us for the journey to find out! Episode 97 show notes Intro (feat. “The Magic Shop” from PlaneShift and "The Magic Forest" from LEGO Universe) "Ethereal" from Lord of Ultima/Ultima X Odyssey "Crystal Castle" from Fiesta Online "The Fortuneteller" from The Secret World "All Out of Breadcrumbs" from WildStar "Lost in a Spiderweb's Beauty" from Dungeons and Dragons Online "Garangdol Plains" from ArcheAge "The Elven Prophecy" from Runes of Magic Which one did we like the best? Jukebox Picks: "The Calm" from The Binding of Isaac Rebirth, "Kingsmouth Ahead" from The Secret World, and "Santa Monica" from Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines Outro (feat. “Magic Un

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." With those words, you know you're in for a rollicking good adventure -- and some impressive and spellbinding music to match! On today's episode, the Battle Bards return to Star Wars: The Old Republic to look at the music of the recent expansions. Has the Force been with this MMO's soundtrack? I've got a bad good feeling about this! Episode 96 show notes (show page, direct download) Intro (feat. “Star Wars Main Theme,” "Fallen Empire Main Theme," and "Scorpio, the Deceiver") "The Alliance" "Versus Arcann" "Aries, the Mischievous" "Lana, the Advisor" "Odessen, the Sanctum" "Serenity" "Fulfilling Destiny" Which one did we like the best? Jukebox picks: "Twin Seeds" from Nights into Dreams, "Boss Theme 1" from One-Way Heroics, and "Menu" from Spore Outro (feat. "Escape from Zakuul") Stinger Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!  

Are they music critics or funky spelunkers? Today, the Battle Bards are both as they delve into the secrets of MMORPG cave and cavern music. It may not be a part of these games that you think about muchly, but underground spaces tend to be assigned their own unique sounds and themes. Let's check them out! Episode 95 show notes Intro (feat. "Cave of Wonders" from Vanguard, "Cave of Life" from MapleStory, and "Christmas Caverns" from RuneScape) "Mysterious Cavern" from Shroud of the Avatar "Misterious Cave" from Lineage II "Caverns of Time" from World of Warcraft "Ursa Caverns" from Rappelz "Nameless Cave" from Ragnarok Online 2 "Memorial Caverns" from Free Realms "Kaphras Cave" from Black Desert Which one did we like the best? Jukebox picks: "Main Theme" from Dragon Age Origins, "To the Ends of the Galaxy" from Stellaris, "Main Theme (Amiga)" from Secret of Monkey Island Outro (feat. "Frostshard Cavern" from Aion) Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and 

Do you find the German language to be inherently terrifying? Then you're going to love the soundtrack to this German MMORPG! Actually, it's quite lovely and a diamond in the rough, at least according to some of the Battle Bards. Today's episode ventures into territory marked by a drakensang -- a "dragon's song" -- and emerges refreshed and renewed. Episode 94 show notes Intro (feat. "Overture," "Where Ignorance Rules" and "A Glimpse of Atlantis") "Opening/River of Time" "Fight for Glory" "Potpourri" "Freunde/Friends" "Born in the Era of Heroes" "Ferdok" "Kusliker Scherzo" Which one did we like the best? Jukebox picks: "Hornet" from Hollow Knights, "Boost" from Velocity 2X, "Main Theme" from LEGO Dimensions Outro (feat. "Home of Old Habits") Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!  

It's taken this long, but the Battle Bards have gone completely and irreversibly insane in the membrane! Today the team cracks open the door of the MMO music funhouse to see what off-kilter, crazy, and manic tunes may be found. WARNING: Once you've entered the asylum, you might find yourself a resident... for life! Episode 93 show notes Intro (feat. "Cutely Grotesque and Certifiably Insane" from WildStar, "The Dream Palace" from The Secret World, and "Mischief" from Infinite Crisis) "The Lunatic Court" from Guild Wars 2 "Woman Peeling Potatoes" from Tree of Savior "Steel Rose" from Aion "The Vault (Joker's Funhouse)" from DC Universe Online "Select a Sim 2" from The Sims Online "The Haunted Manor" from Final Fantasy XIV "Dirge of the Damned" from Glitch Which one did we like the best? Jukebox picks: "Tailor Made" from Lemmings (SNES), "Main Theme" from Robinson the Journey, and "Delphinus Delphis" from Abzu Outro (feat. "Dark Astoria Raimi Arcade" from City of Heroes) Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle

Strap in for a fiery ride across the skies in today's episode of Battle Bards! While Dragon's Prophet was not fated to last long -- at least in North America -- it did leave behind a treasure trove of music that we've only started to dig into. The bards get a little dragonish themselves for this show, perhaps of a different opinion of what constitutes the perfect score for giant flying lizards. Episode 92 show notes Intro (feat. "Rise of a Hero -- Call of Battle" and "Candlelight") "Auratia" "River" "Flicker of Life" "The Black Swan" "Commoner's Dream" "Light's Path" "Helmoth" Which one did we like the best? Jukebox picks: "Main Menu" from Conan Exiles, "Richer" from Valkyria: Azure Revolution, "Early Game 1" from Majesty Outro (feat. "Dawn") Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!  

Take a stroll through the trees and become totally lost in the foliage, drinking in the sounds of the forest with today's show, as the Battle Bards go hiking through the woods to hear the music that they inspire. It's an hour of forest tales on this week's exploration of MMORPG soundtracks, so journey with us from Ultima X to Final Fantasy XI! Episode 91 show notes Intro (feat. "Southern Janost Forest" from Runes of Magic and "Caledon Forest" from Guild Wars 2) "Kingwood" from Ultima X Odyssey "Albion Campacorentin Forest" from Dark Age of Camelot "The Breeze of the Old Forest" from Rappelz "Golden Wood Impression" from LOTRO "Scatherran Forest Light" from RIFT "Redwood (Ancient Forest)" from Aion "The Sanctuary of Zi'tah" from FFXI Which one did we like the best? Jukebox picks: "Forest" from The Last Guardian, "Flash Forward" from Virginia, and "Heliosphere" from No Man's Sky Outro (feat. "The Song of the Forest" from Blade and Soul) Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player

Expecto MMOsium! The Battle Bards have donned their robes and taken to casting nasty spells on each other with their wands, all in the spirit of today's soundtrack -- Wizard101. This surprisingly expansive kid MMORPG visits a wide range of genres and has a score to match. But was the experience magical or mundane? Episode 90 show notes  Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Home Sweet Home," and "Grizzleheim 2") "Avalon - High/Abbey Road" "Polaris - Ballet Theme" "Avalon - Main Theme" "Wysteria - Pickswick Academy" "Marleybone - Theme 1" "Darkmoor - Main Theme" "Wintertusk - Austrilund" Which one did we like the best? Jukebox picks: "Bulls Eye" from Club Penguin, "Top of the World" from Eagle Flight, and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" from The Witcher 3 Outro (feat. "Polaris - Bad Ballet Theme") Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!

Candles will no longer haunt Syp's dreams -- Simon Belmont is here to whip them out of existence once and for all! Oh, and also Dracula. In today's show, Castlevania on the NES gets the star treatment as Syp dives into the music from the gothic horror platformer trilogy. Episode 9: 8-bit Castlevania Intro (feat. "Mansion" from Castlevania II) "Vampire Killer" from Castlevania "Starker" from Castlevania "Wicked Child" from Castlevania "Out of Time" from Castlevania "Bloody Tears" from Castlevania II "The Silence of the Daylight" from Castlevania II "Beginning" from Castlevania III "Deja Vu (Vampire Killer)" from Castlevania III "Stream" from Castlevania III Outro (feat. "Stage Clear" from Castlevania III)

When the sun goes down, the Battle Bards' work has just begun! In this week's episode, the crew explores nighttime music cues in MMOs, chasing the ever-elusive feel of what that period between dusk and dawn sounds like in game. Don't fall asleep! Episode 89 show notes Intro (feat."Shire Nights" from Lord of the Rings Online and "Moons of Evening Star" from Elder Scrolls Online) "Painted Skies" from FFXIV "Nacht" from Drakensang "Starry Night" from Aura Kingdom "Candlelight" from Dragon's Prophet "Nighttime Music" from Black Desert Online "Palace at Night" from Chronicles of Spellborn "Rogshire Night 2" from Runes of Magic Which one did we like the most? Jukebox Picks: "Heroic Assault" from Gears of War 2, "E3 2016 Trailer" from Cosmic Star Heroine, and "Main Theme" from Atlas Reactor Outro ("Dusk of God" from MapleStory) Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!

The new hotness on the MMO scene is Revelation Online, the Chinese import that has gamers abuzz with its flashy graphics and rounded theme park offerings. But how does its soundtrack hold up? The Battle Bards investigate an eastern game with a western composer -- World of Warcraft's Neal Acree. How does it come off? Episode 88 show notes Intro (feat. "Bamboo Thicket" and "Imperial Camp") "Swamp Town" "Altar of Purification" "Calm Blue" "Underwater Adventures" "Mystic Forest" "The Chosen (Main Theme)" "TianYu Island" Which one did we like the most? Jukebox Picks: "Prologue" from Rime Burta, "The Light in Us All" from Planet Coaster, and "Main Theme" from Oblivion Outro ("The Chosen") Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertainment Network!

It was the 8-bit console pretty much nobody owned -- and yet has endured longer than any console to date. The Sega Master System has a fascinating history and some (if not a ton of) great chiptunes. Give it a listen and you might learn a thing or two about the video game industry while rocking out to some great VGM! Episode 8: Sega Master System Intro "Side-Crawler's Dance" from Wonder Boy III "Bridge Zone" from Sonic the Hedgehog "First Stage" from Double Dragon (PSG vs. FM) "Main Title" from Alien 3 "Push" from Zillion "Medusa's Lullaby" from Ecco II: The Tides of Time Outro

It's high time that the Battle Bards lay prostrate at the feet of their social and intellectual superiors, the high and mighty Elves! Yes, it's a full episode of elven music, a virtual rainbow of harps and swirly magic and slightly grumpy hosts who use this opportunity to unload their gripes against this fantasy race. Episode 87 show notes Intro (feat. "Teldrassil" from World of Warcraft and "Elf Wood" from MapleStory) "Grey Havens" from LOTRO "Elf Forest" from Forsaken World "Allemantheia (The City of Truth)" from TERA "High Elf Tomb" from World of Warcraft "Unicorn's Rest (Elven Village)" from Lineage 2 "Elven Theme" from Allods Online "Rena's Theme (Hope of the Elven)" from Elsword Online Which one did we like the most? Jukebox Picks: "Rhyldan" from The Repopulation, "OST" from Fantasy Life, and "Welcome to Rapture" from BioShock Outro ("Rena's Theme") Email the Battle Bards! Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM , Google Play and Pocket Casts! Find more podcasts at The Gaming and Entertai