Tales from the Backlog David Jackson

Fumito Ueda's trilogy of Playstation games- Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian- are idiosyncratic, minimalist art pieces. The final game in the trilogy, before the unfortunate dissolution of Japan Studio, was The Last Guardian, showcasing the uneasy partnership between an unnamed boy and a large, fearsome beast named Trico. The Last Guardian pushes back on the idea that games need to be responsive and frictionless, instead forcing you to rely on your shaky communication with an animal to progress through the game. Your mileage may vary with how willing you are to put up with this, but for me, this was a beautiful experience that I love with my entire heart.


Joining me to discuss The Last Guardian is Chris, one of the hosts of the Franchise Festival podcast. It is a podcast that is well-thought out and worth your time, and you can find it on your favorite podcast app or listen for free on their Patreon page!


TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:07
Story Setup 15:39
Cooperation with Trico 31:43
Visuals/Animation 48:56
Music 1:01:27
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:06:51
SPOILER WALL 1:18:52


Music used in the episode is credited to Takeshi Furukawa:
Homeward, Overture - Lore, Forest, Courtyard, Falling Bridge, The Tower, Victorious, Finale II, End Titles


Find Dave's appearance on the Retro Spectives podcast on their website!


Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
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Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages


Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

From the first screenshot I saw of Roadwarden (Moral Anxiety Studio), I knew that I needed to check the game out. The art is simple, yet striking, and any screenshot will convey the quality of writing. Once I booted up the game, I found that the choose-your-adventure writing, the confident RPG mechanics and the music wrapped this into a rich total package.


Joining me in this episode is returning guest Bryan Skursha of Pixelated Playgrounds podcast. Pixelated Playgrounds is a gaming book club style podcast, similar to Tales from the Backlog. It is worth your time, and you can check them out on your favorite podcast app or by visiting their website!


TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts: 1:57
Story/World Setup 10:32
Story, continued 27:35
Visuals/Music/Sound Design 44:09
RPG/Choose Your Adventure Gameplay 55:21
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:21:46
SPOILER WALL 1:28:07


Soundtrack is credited to Nick Roder. You can support them by purchasing the Roadwarden OST on Bandcamp. Music used in this episode: Roadwarden, Pelt of the North, Howler's Dell, Creeks, Heart of the Woods, Foggy Lake, The Spirits, Hovlaven, Roadwarden Reprise


Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages


Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Cyberpunk 2077 has had quite a journey. From the disastrous launch, the warranted criticism, and years more work by the developers at CD Projekt Red, the game is finally in proper working condition, fine tuned into a magnificent experience. Add in the Phantom Liberty expansion, and you have some of the most compelling storytelling in AAA gaming.


Joining me for the discussion is Adam Gumbert of Respawn Aim Fire, a gaming variety show, and Isle of Misfit Rolls, a D&D actual play podcast. You can check out Adam on Respawn Aim Fire and Isle of Misfit Rolls!


TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:49
Story Setup 11:46
Story Pacing 42:30
Music 50:52
Gameplay 1:06:01
Exploration/Driving 1:20:02
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:29:34
SPOILER WALL 1:34:40


Music used in the episode is credited to P.T. Adamczyk, Marcin Przybyłowicz and Paul Leonard-Morgan. Tracks used: V (Przybyłowicz), Extraction Action (Leonard-Morgan), Never Looking Back (Adamczyk), Wushu Dolls (Przybylowicz), The Rebel Path (Adamczyk), Never Fade Away (Samurai - Refused), You Shall Never Have to Forgive Me Again (Adamczyk), Scavengers (Adamczyk), I'm a Netrunner (Adamczyk), Been Good to Know Ya (Przybyłowicz), Test of Loyalty (Adamczyk). You can support the artists by purchasing the album on Bandcamp.


Check out the King of Games 1996 tournament on Retro Hangover podcast!


Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages


Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Sometimes you hear about a game and you know you're going to love it. God Hand, released by Clover Studio and Capcom in 2006, is one of those games. Despite hearing about its difficulty (which was true, my hands still hurt), I loved playing this game and it deserves its resurging cult status. Now if only someone could convince Capcom that this is worth remastering. We can dream, can't we?


I'm joined in this episode by the wonderful Derek Van Dyke of Super Deluxe Gamescast and Castle Bravo podcasts, which you should check out for your video games and Godzilla media needs, respectively. Follow these links for Super Deluxe Gamescast and Castle Bravo or search on your favorite podcast app!


TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:59
Story Setup/Campy Tone/Humor 16:09
Soundtrack 38:25
Combat 49:34
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:07:41
SPOILER WALL 1:16:21


Music used in the episode is credited to Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda: Peek-a-Boo!, Be Ready, Gene's Rock-a-Bye, Smoking Roll, Top of the Humans, Sunset Heroes, It's a Smile World, Broncobuster, God Hand


Mazinger Z Theme by Ichirou Muzuki


Listen to the King of Games 1996 over on Retro Hangover!


Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages


Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

As the Legend of Zelda series has pivoted to free-flowing and creativity-focused open words, "The Zelda Formula" has fallen by the wayside, left in the memories of those who grew up with it. That's certainly the case for me, as I welcomed the change that Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom brought to the series. However, the old ways still hold a place in my heart, and I was happy to revisit The Minish Cap for this episode. This marks an interesting period in the series, where Capcom worked with Nintendo to develop the handheld Zelda games, and they knocked this one out of the park. Thank you to the patrons for voting this game on to the show!


I'm joined in this episode by Jared Moss from Play Along Podcast to discuss it. Jared is a Zelda head and was the perfect guest for this episode. You can and should check out everything that he is doing over at Play Along Podcast by using this link or on your favorite podcast app!


TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:31
Story Setup 15:11
Visuals/Music 23:40
Gameplay 38:41
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:10:25
SPOILER WALL 1:23:29


Music used in the episode is credited to Mitsuhiko Takano: File Select, Title Theme, Hyrule Field, Picori Festival, Hyrule Town, Mt Crenel, Dungeon Boss, Minish Woods, Vaati's Wrath


Dave's guest appearance on "Fun" and Games podcast
Listen to the King of Games 1996 over on Retro Hangover!


Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages


Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

Video games have the power to connect with players to tell stories, but have you ever considered the role that video games had in shaping your taste in music? From sports games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, Madden and FIFA to rhythm games like Guitar Hero, Rock Band and Fuser, and even non-licensed soundtracks like Mega Man, The Last of Us and Final Fantasy...video games have had a big role in shaping the type of music we like. That's what this discussion episode is all about!


My guests for this episode were Ryan Juengling from List Off!, where you can get measured and informed takes on the latest gaming news, and Jon Haig, formerly of Video Game Lounge podcast. You can find List Off! and Video Game Lounge by searching on your favorite podcast apps or by following those links.


TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Guitar Hero/Rock Band 1:26
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater/Sports Games 25:56
Chiptunes/Orchestrated Music/Others 54:23


Music used in this episode:
-Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Main Menu (Brian Bight)
-"Hey You" (The Exies cover - performed by WaveGroup Sound)
-Gamebreaker 1 from NBA Street Vol 2 (Jeff Mair)
-Metal Man from Mega Man 2 (Takashi Tateishi)
-WVBA Champion from Punch-Out!! (Koji Kondo)


Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Social Media:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages


Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!