Radio Hour, Volume 89

Episode #434 of BGMania: A Video Game Music Podcast. Today on the show, Bryan wraps up the month of July 2026 with another eclectic mix in Radio Hour, Volume 89!

Another month, another grab bag of new releases, forgotten oddities, and picks I can't fully explain but absolutely stand by. We've got a couple of fresh soundtracks I've been sitting with, a listener submission so gloriously strange I can't stop thinking about it, a Mega Man opener that surprises exactly nobody, and a mini-spotlight doubling as a little review of a game I enjoyed and wanted to shake by the shoulders in equal measure.

Email the show at bgmaniapodcast@gmail.com with requests for upcoming episodes, questions, feedback, comments, concerns, or any other thoughts you'd like to share! Special thanks to our Executive Producers: Jexak, Xancu, Jeff & Mike.

EPISODE PLAYLIST AND CREDITS

Spark Mandrill Theme from Mega Man X [Makoto Tomozawa, 1993]

Shine from Mixtape [David Gray, 1993/2026]

Love Me Forever! from Rhythm Heaven Groove [Tsunku feat. Ado, 2026]

Defiant Lament from Ascend to ZERO [INFX, Ando & MIIM, 2026]

Live to Survive from Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online [Ryota Nakano feat. Aimer, 2026]

Town of Beginnings from Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online [Takayasu Sodeoka, Jacopo Trifone & Daniel Beijbom, 2026]

Reach for the Rainbow from Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online [MintJam feat. Leia Kato, 2026]

Planet Rain from The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon [Hayato Sonoda, 2024]