160 episodes
Tales from the Backlog David Jackson
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- Leisure
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5.0 • 36 Ratings
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A video games podcast where Dave Jackson and guests break down and discuss the games they play. Each episode looks at one game in depth, focusing on mechanics, story, music and other aspects, with no spoilers until a clearly marked spoiler wall in the middle.
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126: Cocoon (with Brenden Groom - Pass the Controller)
Every now and then, I want to take a break from story-focused games and just play a puzzle-ass puzzle game. Geometric Interactive's Cocoon was just what the doctor ordered, from that perspective. But Cocoon's world hinted at a deeper story, one that seems inaccessible yet present, and that left me with a feeling of want, despite how great the puzzle experience was. Listen to the episode for more! And also a big shoutout to patron Matt aka Stormageddon for submitting this game into the poll it ended up winning! Thanks Matt!
Joining me for the discussion about Cocoon is Brenden Groom from Pass the Controller. Pass the Controller is a great spot for chat about what's going on in the world of video games and other nerd culture, as well as interesting cocktail mixes to pair with your favorite games. You can check them out at their website!
TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:53
Story Setup/Puzzle Gameplay 11:16
Visuals/Music 37:14
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 48:14
SPOILER WALL 58:42
Music used in the episode is credited to Jakob Schmid. You can purchase the soundtrack on Steam to support the artist! Tracks used in the episode: Signal, Cosmic Mystery, A Dance in Phases, Leviathan, Journey II, Spheres
Check out friend of the show Flora Merigold's written review of Cocoon on Epilogue Gaming!
Listen to Dave's appearance on Retro Hangover's [King of Games 1996](linktr.ee/retrohangover)!
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)! -
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (Preview) (with Charlie Young)
In this bonus episode, I'm joined by returning guest Charlie Young to discuss FromSoftware's Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. The public feed includes roughly the first half of the episode, and all paid members at [patreon.com/realdavejackson](patreon.com/realdavejackson) will get the entire discussion.
This is a full spoiler discussion, though the spoilers really start flying at about the 22:00 mark.
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)! -
125: Gris (with Eric Gess - The Unlockables)
I was convinced to try out Gris after seeing a single screenshot, but in true gamer fashion, I bought it a few years before finally playing it. It took the backlog resolutions challenge in our Discord server to finally get me to play it, and unsurprisingly, I was hooked by what Nomada Studio had created immediately. The marriage of art, music, gameplay and color take you on a journey through the main character's struggle in a way that only a video game can do.
Joining me for the discussion about Gris is Eric Gess, host of The Unlockables, which he bills as "The story of video games, the people who play them, and the memories we make along the way". You can check out his podcast and YouTube channel for interviews with creators, monologues about the industry, a long-running story breakdown of the Kingdom Hearts series, and much more.
TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 2:09
Story Setup/Gameplay 13:20
Visuals/Music 29:31
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 38:31
SPOILER WALL 48:31
Music used in the podcast is credited to Berlinist. You can support them by purchasing the album on Bandcamp! Tracks used: Gris, pt. 1, Debris, Perseverance, Komorebi, Chiasm, Opaque, Karasu, Gris, pt. 2, In Your Hands
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)! -
124: Lisa: The Painful (with Rick Firestone - Pixel Project Radio)
For any lover of RPGs, and especially "weird RPGs", as former guest on the show Rebekah Valentine termed them, Lisa: The Painful, by Dingaling Productions, will probably jump out at you. From its art style, non-pretty boy protagonist to its serious themes and punishing gameplay, this is not a game for the faint of heart. However, if you are willing to engage with the game and its premise on its terms, what you'll find is a thoughtful tale of hero syndrome, toxic masculinity and free will...AND legitimately one of the funniest games I've ever played.
Joining me for this discussion is Rick Firestone, host of Pixel Project Radio. Rick is one of the most frequent guests on Tales from the Backlog, for good reason. He always brings a thoughtful perspective to the show, and you'll find more of that on Pixel Project Radio, which you can find on your favorite podcast app or by following this link!
TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:58
Story Setup 13:46
Presentation 30:38
Work Harder/Music 37:03
Gameplay 43:42
Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:07:46
SPOILER WALL 1:15:28
Music used in the episode is credited to Widdly 2 Diddly. You can support the artist by purchasing the album on Bandcamp. Tracks used: Praise Wally, Summer Love, God's Call, Men's Hair Club, Work Harder, The Highway King, Go Home Johnny, Big Boy's Call, I Am Satan, Salvation!, Devil's Bath Boys, Summer Love
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)! -
123: 1000xRESIST (with Michael Higham)
Sunset Visitor's 1000xRESIST came out of nowhere for me. Releasing on May 9th, 2024 meant it faced stiff indie competition on its day of release, and it wasn't until others were shouting from the rooftops that I found myself drawn to try it out (and a big thank you to Sunset Visitor and Fellow Traveler for the review code!). What I found was a story that had all the hallmarks of the best sci-fi: a high concept with cool sci-fi ideas that was firmly rooted in the real world and real, modern day experiences. I was absolutely blown away by its narrative and themes, so I needed to include it on the podcast.
Joining me for the discussion about 1000xRESIST is Michael Higham from IGN. Michael wrote IGN's review for this game, which you can read HERE, and his insights were invaluable to the discussion. You can follow him on Twitter and check out more of his work!
TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 1:27
Story Setup/Themes/Gameplay 18:00
Presentation 40:08
Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 53:25
SPOILER WALL 1:00:04
Music used in the episode is credited to Line Katcho, Drew Redman, Alex Mah and Sunset Visitor. You can support the artists by purchasing the OST on Bandcamp.
Tracks used: Year Unknown, Watcher, The Orchard -At Peace-, Day of the Dance, Urgency, I Killed Her, The Youngest Looks, A Future Worthwhile
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)! -
122: Mother 3 (with Rebekah Valentine)
Famously never localized for an English-speaking audience, HAL Laboratory and Brownie Brown's Mother 3 has almost become a meme at this point. So much so that I wondered if it could live up the inflated expectations that I unwittingly put on games that are unavailable or difficult to find, a kind of forbidden fruit syndrome. So I made sure to put Mother 3 on my Backlog Resolutions list for 2024 and hey! It's pretty good! It's a lot like Earthbound in good and bad ways, and I like the story of Mother 3 for different reasons than I liked Earthbound's story. Looks like I'm gonna need an all-star guest to dig into this one...
Joining me for the discussion about Mother 3 is Rebekah Valentine! Reb is an award winning investigative reporter for IGN, reporting on the inner workings of the industry, how the games we love get made, and giving a voice to workers who are laid off or otherwise mistreated. You can find her work by following this link!
TIMESTAMPS
Intros/Personal Histories with Mother 3/Opening Thoughts 2:03
Story Setup 14:58
Questionable/Offensive Content 32:32
Visuals/Music 42:00
Gameplay/Combat 53:14
Combat, continued 1:03:14
Closing Thoughts/Plugs/Housekeeping 1:11:01
SPOILER WALL 1:19:06
Music used in the episode is credited to Shogo Sakai. Tracks used: Fun Naming, Welcome!, Alec's Log House, Mag**** Party, Homely Yado Inn, Mr. Batty Twist, Fate, Mr. Saturn Theme Z, Mom's Hometown, Happy Town, Sorrowful Tazmily, Mother 3 Love Theme (Arr.), Mother 3 Love Theme, You Won!
Find Dave's TWO guest appearances on the Retro Hangover podcast on your favorite podcast app or by clicking here!
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)!
Customer Reviews
Tales from a Podcast you need to listen to!
This show is a very entertaining listen. Dave and his guests always come to the table with good discussions on video games that are fun to listen to, informative and sometimes they make me chuckle! Audio quality is excellent, too. Do yourself a favor and check this one out.
Best in-depth discussion about your favorite game
Dave and his guests do an amazing job talking about the games you played or might have played. Def makes me want to revisit some of the games that are discussed!
One of the best
Dave Jackson and his many excellent guests are a joy to listen to. For me, this is the right level of detail to talk about games at. He’s covered tons of games, both big and small, and I’m a big fan of some of the more obscure titles.