Retronauts Episode 434: SquareSoft on PS1: Beyond RPGs
Enix? We don't know her.
Video game publishing magnate Square Enix has a reputation for making high-quality role playing games thanks to the lasting success of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and many other titles. Yet this was not always the case, as the history of SquareSoft predates both of those famous JRPG series, and even after the company found fame Square continued to create games in a variety of genres.
This was never more apparent than during the PlayStation 1 era, a time when experimentation ran wild thanks to the (relatively) cheaper costs of compact discs versus cartridges. Square certainly made some very famous JRPGs for the PS1, but it's unfair to summarize the company as if it exists solely to churn out turn-based fantasy games one after another.
On our podcast this week, Nadia Oxford, Jeremy Parish, and returning Square expert Andrew Vestal look back at a number of Square's creations for the PlayStation 1. Some have fantastic soundtracks, some are revolutionary in their approach to established genres, and some are Another Mind. One thing's for certain: These are all games worth talking about and we've got just the people to do it!
Description: Noted ancients Nadia Oxford, Jeremy Parish, and Andrew Vestal recall the many non-RPG titles Square Enix (as the trimmer, bolder Squaresoft) piled onto the 32-bit PlayStation. Fighters! Racers! Bird stuff! God bless the podcast.
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Artwork for this episode by John Pading and editing thanks go to Greg Leahy.
