Tales from the Backlog

Lost Odyssey, by Mistwalker and feelplus, is almost legendary at this point. A darker, sadder RPG by Final Fantasy series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, with a moody yet eclectic soundtrack by Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu and short stories interspersed throughout by famed Japanese author Kiyoshi Shigematsu, there is pedigree and talent behind the game, and perhaps most crucially- you probably can't buy it, unless you own an Xbox console. Situations like this tend to lead to inflation of a game's merits, not to mention all of the "this is the real Final Fantasy 13" memes out there. So does Lost Odyssey live up to its mythical reputation? Tune in to find out!

Guest Info: Ryan Batie (they/them) of Lightning Strikes Thrice, a JRPG play along podcast. Check them out at their website or on your favorite podcast app, and support them via Patreon for bonus shows including Icons & Eikons, a Final Fantasy XIV play along podcast.

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Music used in the episode is credited to Nobuo Uematsu. Tracks used: Prologue, Battlefield, Neverending Journey, A Formidable Enemy Appears!, The Gun Barrel Battle, Main Theme, Howl of the Departed, An Immortal Life

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

Friends of the show probably know that I love games (especially indie games) set in "uncommon" real world settings- those outside of the US, Japan and Western Europe. Mojiken Studio's 2023 title A Space for the Unbound is one of those, set in Indonesia. That was the draw for me- an emotional story set in a place that I've been in real life. I didn't quite know what kind of emotional story lay in wait for me though, and despite a bumpy road, the way this story pays off and executes on its promise was truly remarkable. In the podcast we discuss the highs and lows, how gameplay affects the pacing, and much more!

Guest info: CGDannyB (he/him)- streamer on Twitch, YouTube creator and host of Playlog Podcast!

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Music used in the episode is credited to Masdito "Ittou" Bachtiar, Christabel Annora and Bambang Iswanto. You can support them by purchasing the OST on Steam. Tracks used: A Tales from Far Away, School Life, Inner World, Don't Have Much Choice, Tip of the Knife, The Girl on the Bridge, An Ode to Life

Check out Dave's guest appearance on the King of Games 1996 semifinal match between Super Mario 64 and Quake!

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

Final Fantasy is one of the most well-represented series on this podcast, and its anthology structure means you can pick and choose which games you want to play without fear of playing out of order. So this year, I wanted to make sure I played a foundational one- Final Fantasy IV. I expected this to be the turning point where Square and the Final Fantasy team started to prioritize story and characters, and you can really see their attempts here, including some cool marriages of gameplay and narrative that later games no longer do. I really enjoyed my time with this one and was happy to bring together an all-star group of guests to chat about it!

Joining me for the discussion are Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover podcast, which you should [check out](linktr.ee/retrohangover) for retro gaming podcasts as well as the yearly King of Games tournament, and Jenny E., who is a writer and podcaster. You can find her Final Fantasy IV fan fiction and other writing HERE, and check out her Wordlessly podcast as well!

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Music used in the episode is credited to Nobuo Uematsu and Square. Tracks used: The Prelude, Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV, Red Wings, Theme of Love, Mystic Mysidia, Fight 1, Chocobo-Chocobo, Prologue, Mt. Ordeals, The Final Battle, Fanfare

Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixel Project Radio's series about 1000xRESIST!

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

Do you ever feel like you missed the boat on a game? Maybe it was really influential and subsequent games used its "trick"? Maybe you wonder if that OG still has the juice even though you couldn't possibly go into the game completely blind? These were the thoughts running through my mind as I booted up Pony Island by Daniel Mullins Games for the first time in 2024. I'm happy to say that despite I'll never get the "true" experience, Pony Island has a lot more going for it than mere gimmicks. This is a game that actually has something to say, and I'm glad that I played it.

Joining me for the discussion about Pony Island is Chris, one half of the 1 Hour, 1 Decision (1H1D) podcast. Along with his co-host Tom, Chris picks a random game on Xbox Game Pass, plays for an hour, and does a podcast about that experience and whether they want to keep playing. It's a good show, and you can find it on your favorite podcast app or HERE!

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Music used in the episode is credited to Jonah Senzel. You can support them by purchasing the album on Bandcamp. Tracks used: Louey's Playhouse, Pony Island, Enter Pony, The Machine, Adventure Awry, The Island, Escape, Hop, Skip and a Neigh

Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixel Project Radio about 1000xRESIST!

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

Animal Well, by Billy Basso/Shared Memory came out of nowhere. For me, and I think a lot of others, the initial announcement was more of a shock that videogamedunkey had started the BigMode publishing company than excitement about the game being published. Once people got their hands on Animal Well, however, all skepticism or publicity about dunkey publishing games went out the window- Animal Well is an absolute treat and captivated so many of us in the weeks following its launch. It's the kind of game that begs people to get together and share what they discovered, and luckily for me, I have a podcast where I can do just that!

Joining me for the discussion is Jenny Windom, host of Geeks & Grounds podcast, organizer and host of Wholesome Games and much more around the industry. Geeks & Grounds is a games club podcast that is fun and insightful to play along with, which you should check out at their website, and keep up with Wholesome games by going to their website!

TIMESTAMPS

Music used in the episode is credited to Shared Memory. Tracks used: Dawn Chorus, Animal Well, Flames, Burrows, Manticore, Rabbit Hole, Time Capsule

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

Dave the Diver, despite clearly having a great character name, is not my kind of game. Mintrocket's dive-collect-sell-upgrade-dive loop is one that I'm not very motivated by, but Dave the Diver got such unanimous acclaim that I had to take note. And apparently the patrons of the show wanted me to play it as well, because it won one of the montly polls. And this was an interesting episode to make, because I absolutely despise this game. Part of a critic's challenge is articulating why something hits or misses, and usually I'm on the other side of that challenge. Today is a different story. Listen in and find out why!

Joining me for the discussion about Dave the Diver is Dave Cox of Monster Dear Monster podcast. Monster Dear Monster is a monster- and horror-focused podcast covering all types of media and the monsters, history and folklore within. It's a great show, and you should check it out by finding it on your favorite podcast app or on their show website!

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Music used in the episode is credited to Jukio Kallio and D'Anthoni Wooten. You can purchase the album as DLC on Steam. Tracks used: Deep, Ocean Peace, Diver, Serve Sushi Serve!, Darker Trenches, Restaurant Prep, Welcome to My Bistro

Check out Dave's appearance on the Final Fantasy Fantasy Draft over on Still Loading podcast!

Check out Dave's appearance on Jala-chan's Place, discussing weight and body image!

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

Since Nintendo has apparently decided that Wario Land is a series not worth pursuing, we find ourselves telling that familiar story where an indie developer says "ok, they're not making the game I want to play any more....guess it's up to me!". Enter developer Tour De Pizza and their love letter to Wario Land, Sonic the Hedgehog and all manner of 1990s cartoons, Pizza Tower. That set of inspirations creates a high bar to reach, but Pizza Tower clears that bar by several pepperoni lengths. It's fast, it's fluid, it allows you to create your own level of challenge, the animation captures that older cartoon style, and the music is incredible. Pizza Tower was a treat to play.

Joining me to discuss Pizza Tower is returning guest Aaron Klaassen of Super Pod Saga. Super Pod Saga is a topic-based gaming podcast, with lots of fun guests going through topics like favorite metroidvanias, console retrospectives, and much more. You can find all of the Super Pod Network's podcasts and writing on the network website!

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Music used in the episode is credited to Post Elvis, Ronan "Mr. Sauceman" de Castel and ClascyJitto. You can support the artists by purchasing the album on Bandcamp! Tracks used: Pizza Deluxe, Time for a Smackdown, Dungeon Freakshow, It's Pizza Time!, Oregano Mirage, Hot Spaghetti, Mondays

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

I am FINALLY caught up with Ryu Ga Gotoku and Sega's Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, and let me tell you, it feels great to play the games as they release now. This time, in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Ichiban, Kiryu and friends take on the streets of Honolulu. This episode talks about the new story, the unique logistical challenge that the non-Japanese setting presented, giant sharks, baby fetish men making snow, and much more.

Joining me for the discussion is DeadbeatPunk, the nicest man on the internet and host of WTFDYW?! podcast. Each episode of WTFDYW?! is a half hour topic discussion about something in particular that the guest wants, whether it be talking about a particular game or type of game, a TV show or a band. It's always a fun listen and it respects your time, and you can find it by going to this website.

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Music featured in the episode is credited to Chihiro Aoki, Keitaro Hanada, Hyd Lunch, Hidenori Shoji, Yuri Fukuda, Saori Yoshida, 83key, and Rintaro Soma. Tracks used: Hawaiian Sunshine, Yokohama Sunset, Crashing Waves, Judgement -Shinpan- Hero Spec Edition, The Oncoming Storm, Dondoko Island, Apathy 2, Eternal Warrior, The Endless World, The Epic Remains, Vacation Ends

Check out Dave's guest appearance on the Boss Rush Podcast!

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

Continuing along my journey of playing Konami and Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear Solid series, next up is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. This is the one that is most often held up as the greatest in the series, and I can absolutely see why. It's not without flaws- it's still clunky to play and continues the trend of no Metal Gear Solid game having normal pacing, but I greatly enjoyed my experience with it. We also discussed some things we would like to see in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta remake.

Joining me for this discussion is Katie Lesperance of Left Behind Game Club and Cutscenes: A Video Game Movie & TV Podcast. Both of those shows are worth your time if you like the pitch, and you can find them both on your favorite podcast app or by following these links: Left Behind Game Club Cutscenes

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Music used in the episode is credited to Harry Gregson-Williams and Norihiko Hibino. Tracks used: Battle in the Jungle, Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid Main Theme, Virtuous Mission, Battle in the Jungle, Salty Catfish, The Boss "Snake Eater", Debriefing, Metal Gear Solid Main Theme "Reprise"

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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

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!

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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!

Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi!

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