Tales from the Backlog

By Dave JacksonLeisure Video Games Games

Tales from the Backlog episodes

November 11237: Final Fantasy XIII (with Jenny Windom - Geeks & Grounds)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
What is Final Fantasy if not divisive? Arguably no game in the series is more divisive than Final Fantasy XIII (Square Enix, 2009). I didn't like it when I played it back then, but I've since spoken to a lot of people that really love it, which activated my "I need to see what they like about it" brain worm. So here we are! I'm also glad to have brought Jenny Windom back on board for the discussion. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Jenny Windom (she/her)
Check out Geeks and Grounds https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/
Check out Wholesome Games https://wholesomegames.com/
Listen to The Indie Council https://theindiecouncil.carrd.co/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/kimchica.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Podcast Start
0:15 Introductions
6:50 Our Histories with FF13 and the Series
12:46 Top-Level Thoughts
21:30 World and Story Setup
29:48 Characters, Pacing and Hallways
44:12 Paradigm System and Combat
53:13 Side Quests and Crystarium
1:05:35 Art and World Design
1:16:08 Music
1:26:43 Who Should Play FF13?
1:31:40 Geeks & Grounds and all of Jenny's Work
1:37:30 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:39:42 Spoilers- Fang, Vanille and Backstory
1:50:40 Spoilers- Vanille & Sazh, Anger, Hope & Snow
2:19:25 Spoilers- Lightning, Fate, Duty and Free Will
2:41:03 Spoilers- Ending and Backstory
Music used in the episode is credited to Masashi Hamauzu unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: The Promise, Defiers of Fate, Blinded By Light, The Archylte Steppe, Saber's Edge, The Sunleth Waterscape, Lightning's Theme, Desperate Struggle, Battle Results
Check out Dave on NOLANerdcast https://www.youtube.com/@NOLAnerdcast
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
3 hr 6 min
November 04Tales from the Backlog Fifth Birthday Mailbag! (with Matt aka Stormageddon)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Five whole years of Tales from the Backlog! Here's a mailbag episode to celebrate, and I really appreciate everyone who wrote in questions on Discord and Patreon!
Guest info: Matt aka Stormageddon (they/them)
Check out all of Matt's work https://djstormageddon.com/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/djstormageddon.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Podcast Start
0:21 Introductions
2:51 Recapping Five Years
9:53 Balancing Playing for "Work" vs "Fun"
13:17 Dropping Games I Don't Enjoy?
19:01 Organizing and Juggling Podcast Work
24:40 Working Through Self-Doubt
28:50 Has My Relationship With Gaming Changed?
31:48 Games I Want on the Show But "Can't"
34:00 Most Memorable Games on the Show
36:20 Episodes I'd Approach Differently
38:00 Pleasant or Unpleasant Surprises
40:58 How Do I Pick Guests?
43:42 I'm Not Sick of This or Burnt Out Yet?
46:20 Things I've Learned
49:16 Books that Influenced Our Approach
53:14 Keeping Track of Progress in Multiple Games
54:41 What Have I Learned from Guests?
56:50 Have I Gained an Appreciation for a Genre?
1:00:45 What Year Have I Covered Most?
1:02:46 Games I Love That Wouldn't Make Good Episodes?
1:05:29 Advice for Our Past Podcasting Selves
1:09:40 Patron Thank-You Break
1:11:31 Keaton's Alien Zoo Question
1:15:06 Reigniting Passion for Gaming
1:21:12 Easiest or Hardest Difficulty Curse
1:23:11 Backlog Games We'll Never Play
1:25:50 Non-Gaming Lightning Round
1:52:12 Matt's Work on "Fun" and Games & Reignite
Music used in the episode:
Dance Party! (Bayonetta 3 OST- Masahiro Aoki)
The Hideout (808 Mix) (Hi-Fi RUSH OST- Shuichi Kobori)
Goal (Astro Bot OST - Kenneth C. M. Young)
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
1 hr 59 min
October 28236: Alan Wake (with Nick Coffman)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
I somehow missed Alan Wake along the way. I remember playing the AWE DLC in Control, watching Alan's face superimposed on the screen, thinking "who the hell is this guyOHH Yeah okay they did those games too". I knew I'd need to play Alan Wake at some point, and here we are. This game is not good, but it's a hell of a lot of fun to talk about. Hope you enjoy the discussion! As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Nick Coffman (he/him)
Check out GG Tribune https://ggtribune.com/
Check out Hollywood Time$ https://www.hwoodtimes.com/
Listen to Stand N' Watch https://www.hwoodtimes.com/podcasts
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/nickcoffman.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Podcast Start
0:18 Introductions
4:30 Our Histories with Alan Wake and Remedy
7:58 Top-Level Thoughts About Alan Wake
12:57 Story Setup and Alan the Writer
21:01 Stephen King and Art Come to Life
29:24 Twin Peaks and Presentation
38:58 Gameplay and Combat
58:49 Metanarrative Fiction and the Creative Process
1:03:16 Sound and Music
1:08:28 Miscellaneous Thoughts
1:12:46 Who Should Play Alan Wake?
1:21:34 Nick's Writing and Podcasts
1:27:50 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:30:05 Spoilers- What Happens
1:43:46 Spoilers- Art, Artists and Creativity
2:01:17 Spoilers- The Signal & The Writer
2:09:51 Spoilers- More Noteworthy Stuff
Music used in the episode is credited to Petri Alanko unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Main Menu, Welcome to Bright Falls, Generic Battle 15, Children of the Elder Gods (Poets of the Fall), Manuscript, War (Poets of the Fall), Tom the Diver
Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds discussing Look Outside: https://geeksandgrounds.com
Check out Dave on Date With Us discussing Doki Doki Literature Club: https://datewith.us
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
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2 hr 23 min
October 21235: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (with Baron Jones - LV1 Gaming)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Longtime listeners of the show will agree with me here when I say- I never thought this day would come. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Capcom, 2017) always seemed like it would be too scary for me, and I would never play it as a result. But, I said the same thing about Resident Evil 4, so here we are. Not only did I play Resident Evil 7, I had my eyes open enough of the time to remember stuff and bring it to the podcast! I hope you enjoy the discussion I had with Baron Jones of LV1 Gaming. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Baron Jones (he/him)
Check out LV1 Gaming https://lv1gaming.com/
Check their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@LV1Gaming20
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/baronj67
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Episode Start
0:19 Intros
4:02 Our Histories with Resident Evil
9:52 Top-Level Thoughts
18:09 Story Setup and Meet the Bakers
31:56 Ethan, Disempowerment and Tension
43:06 First-Person Perspective and Presentation
50:20 A Stressful, Uneven Ride
58:27 Boss Fights and Flowers for Level Design
1:08:14 Who Should Play?
1:10:34 LV1 Gaming
1:17:16 Spoiler Walls and Patron Thank-Yous
1:19:03 Spoilers- Jack's Domain
1:35:54 Spoilers- Marguerite's Domain
1:44:35 Spoilers- Lucas' Domain
1:50:34 Spoilers- The Boat House, The Choice & The Story Shift
2:09:28 Spoilers- Ending Sequence
Music used in the episode is credited to Akiyuki Morimoto, Satoshi Hori, Miwako Chinone, Brian D'Olivera and Cris Velasco. Tracks used: Go Tell Aunt Rhody, A Loving Message, Welcome to the Family, Safe Room, Garage, The Choice- Love
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 23 min
October 14234: SKALD: Against the Black Priory (with Phil Morgan - Deleted Saves)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
For some, the halcyon days of PC gaming involved D&D-based RPGs with unwieldy UI and gauntlet-shaped mouse cursors, and that is precisely what SKALD: Against the Black Priory (High North Studios, Raw Fury, 2024) is calling back to with its mix of sword-and-sorcery fantasy and cosmic/Lovecraftian horror. It's well-worth your time if you're nostalgic or even curious about that era of RPGs, while not being nearly as obtuse or and without relying on advance knowledge of early D&D systems. This episode's guest, Phil Morgan, has an extensive history with that bygone era of CRPGs, even appearing on this podcast to discuss the original Baldur's Gate, so we had a great conversation here. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Phil Morgan (he/him)
Listen to Deleted Saves https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/deleted-saves/
Check out Phil's art: https://philmorganart.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Podcast Start
0:18 Introductions
6:02 Our Histories with SKALD and Its Inspirations
10:11 Top-Level Thoughts about SKALD
18:15 Story Setup
22:13 Pixel Art and Writing
30:43 Subverting D&D Tropes
37:29 Role-Playing
48:38 Combat
56:54 Controller vs Mouse/Keyboard
1:04:54 Music and Sound
1:09:35 Closing Thoughts and Who Should Play?
1:13:48 Deleted Saves and Westland
1:18:37 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:23:08 Spoilers- Early Game Quests
1:38:27 Spoilers- Horryn
1:47:37 Spoilers- Firgol
1:57:06 Spoilers- The Story Expands
2:07:04 Spoilers- Ending Sequence and Thoughts
Music used in the episode is credited to Surt R. Tracks used: Against the Black Priory, The Curse of Knowledge, Sellsword's Honor, Horryn's Plight, Shores of Idra, Tomes Bound in Skin, Bane of the Starstrider
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 26 min
October 07233: The Walking Dead, Season One (with Aaron Angle - A Top 3 Podcast)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Everyone's got that game, book, movie, etc that a longtime friend has been recommending for years, decades or more and you just haven't quite gotten around to it. One of those for me and one of my oldest friends was Telltale's series of games based on The Walking Dead. For many reasons, despite believing that the games would be good, I just waited a wild amount of time to finally give them a shot, and hey- we did it! And I brought that friend back onto the podcast to give season one the deep dive treatment. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Aaron Angle (he/him)
Check out A Top 3 Podcast https://atop3podcast.fireside.fm/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:35 Introductions
5:19 Our Histories with The Walking Dead
9:21 Top-Level Thoughts about The Walking Dead
13:57 Story Setup, Characters, Tone
27:21 Choices and Consequences
46:19 Puzzles and QTEs
51:18 Art, Music and Sound
1:01:46 Who Should Play?
1:04:14 A Top 3 Podcast
1:07:23 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:09:06 Spoilers- Episode 1
1:25:35 Spoilers- Episode 2
1:40:23 Spoilers- Episode 3
1:56:01 Spoilers- Episode 4
2:11:09 Spoilers- Episode 5
Music used in the episode: Clementine, Twist of Fate, Terror Mysterious, Folk Loop, Mother and Son, The Guantlet, Jewelry Store
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 45 min
September 30232: Panzer Dragoon Saga (with Chris Coplien - Retro Hangover)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Games gather reputations for a variety of reasons, but one of the most unique among those are the games that are so hard to purchase that above all, they have a reputation for being expensive. Panzer Dragoon Saga (Team Andromeda, Sega, 1998) is one of the top examples of that phenomenon nowadays, after only tens of thousands of English-language copies were pressed, Team Andromeda was shuttered quickly after the game's release and Sega now claims to have lost the source code. All of this may leave you wondering...what is Panzer Dragoon Saga like as a game? I was certainly left wondering that, and Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover was up for the task of discussing the game behind the massive price tag. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Chris Coplien (he/him)
Check out Retro Hangover https://linktr.ee/retrohangover
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/retrohangover.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Start
0:24 Introductions
5:13 Our Histories with Panzer Dragoon Saga
13:16 Top-Level Thoughts
20:41 Story Setup and Worldbuilding
28:16 Pacing and Storytelling
33:41 Visual Presentation
39:04 Music
43:05 Combat
1:07:41 Exploration and Side Quests
1:16:37 Who Should Play?
1:20:12 Retro Hangover Podcast
1:24:40 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:26:37 Spoilers- Setting the Stage
1:42:26 Spoilers- Some Big Themes
1:51:53 Spoilers- A Philosophical Dilemma
1:59:16 Spoilers- Uncovering a Very Familiar Trope
2:17:28 Spoilers- Revisiting the Dilemma and Ending
Music used in the episode is credited to Saori Kobayashi and Mariko Nanba. Tracks used: Behold the Precious Wings, A Premonition of War, Metamorphosis 1, Atolm Dragon, Rest, Area 3 Background, Wandering, Breath of Life
Panzer Dragoon Story and Lore Walkthrough https://youtu.be/BVc7QxiAO1k
Max Derrat's Development History Video: https://youtu.be/sIqM80qEY8s
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 33 min
September 23231: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (with Gooey & McKenna - Flashback 64)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
One of these days it was bound to happen, the remake announcement solidified it- it's time to give The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Nintendo, 1998) the Tales from the Backlog treatment. This was Dave's favorite game for decades and is still by far one of the most influential games in his life, but this was the first time in a while that he had played all the way through it. Join Dave and special guests Gooey and McKenna of Flashback 64 for the deep dive. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Gooey (they/he) and McKenna (she/her)
Check out Flashback 64 https://flashback64.com/
Follow on Bluesky http://bsky.app/profile/flashback64.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Podcast Start
0:16 Introductions
7:48 Our Histories with Ocarina of Time
12:10 Top-Level Thoughts
18:50 Story Setup, Storytelling and Cinematography
31:57 Navi and Handholding
36:26 Combat
42:16 The N64 Controller
46:41 "The Zelda Formula" and Exploration
57:50 Dungeons and Complexity
1:12:56 Visual Flourishes and Art Design
1:25:41 Our Hopes for the Remake
1:35:33 Soundtrack
1:45:50 Re-Evaluating Childhood Favorites and Who Should Play?
1:57:48 Flashback 64
2:05:29 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
2:07:06 Spoilers- The Water Temple Is Good
2:30:08 Spoilers- Favorite Temples and Ganon's Castle
2:35:12 Spoilers- Sheik and More Temple Talk
2:47:48 Spoilers- A Theory for the Remake
Music used in the episode is credited to Koji Kondo. Tracks used: Title Theme, Kokiri Forest, Saria's Song, Forest Temple, Kakariko Village, Hyrule Field, Gerudo Valley, Zora's Domain, Zelda's Theme
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
3 hr
September 16Do Video Games "Hold Up"? (with Retro Spectives)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
When we talk about older games, we often use phrases like "this holds up!" or "this hasn't aged well!", but what do we mean when we say stuff like that? What do they hold up against? What aspects age well or poorly? Are there better ways to convey our thoughts? To help me dig into this, I've brought Patrick and James from the Retro Spectives Podcast back to the show. Hope you enjoy the discussion!
Guest info: Patrick Arthur (he/him) and James Tuerlings (he/him)
Check out Retro Spectives podcast https://rspodcast.net
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Episode Start
0:22 Introductions
2:50 Topic Introduction
10:00 Why Do We Say Things Have Aged Poorly?
54:36 Patron Thank-Yous
56:29 Does This Hold Up?
1:39:07 Conclusions and Wrap-Up
1:57:59 Retro Spectives Podcast
Music used in the episode:
Bloody Tears (Castlevania II: Simon's Quest)- Kenichi Matsubara, Satoe Terashima
Save Theme (Resident Evil (2002))- Shisaku Uchiyama, Makoto Tomozawa, Misao Senbogi
Ending Theme (Dragon Warrior)- Koichi Sugiyama
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 4 min
September 09230: Quest 64 (with Mike aka Quest64Official)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
What's the worst game you've ever played? That's the question of the day, and a fairly common answer to that question for a long time has been Quest 64 (Imagineer, 1998). But does Quest deserve to be in that conversation? What is it actually like as a game, outside of the memes and reputation? That's what we're exploring in this episode, and to do so, I brought on the man doing his part to heal the conversation around Quest, "bad" games, and the Nintendo 64 in general, Mike aka Quest64Official. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Mike aka Quest64Official
Follow Mike on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/quest64official.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Beginning
0:16 Introductions
4:50 Our Histories with Quest 64
14:44 Top-Level Thoughts
22:35 Story Setup and the Adventure as Story
28:32 The Solo RPG Experience
40:24 Big Dungeons
44:39 Character Building
49:19 Combat
1:06:25 Visuals and Music
1:15:59 Who Should Play Quest 64?
1:24:34 Quest64Official and the Power of Memes
1:32:50 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:34:34 Spoilers- Favorite Sections and Story
1:50:20 Spoilers- Challenge Runs and Different Play Styles
Music used in the episode is credited to Masamichi Amano. Tracks used: Holy Magic Century, Holy Plains, Highlands, Battle, Dondoran, Final Battle, Staff Roll
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 2 min

About Tales from the Backlog

From the publisher's feed

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…