Tales from the Backlog

By Dave JacksonLeisure Video Games Games

Tales from the Backlog episodes

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
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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
September 02229: The Beginner's Guide (with Matt aka Stormageddon - "Fun" and Games, Reignite)
Update 10/1/2026 Several references were made in this podcast to YouTuber and critic Jacob Geller and his work. This podcast was released before his sexual assualt on another person was brought to light. Matt and I condemn these actions, and our hearts go out to the victim and everybody else who had traumatic memories brought up to the surface by the news. -Dave
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
After the breakout success of The Stanley Parable, Davey Wreden's next game is a bit darker and a lot more personal. The Beginner's Guide (Everything Unlimited Ltd, 2015) examines a lot of things, but at the forefront is the relationships we have with others and some complex and slippery situations that can arise. To say more would be to start spoiling things, but luckily we have a discussion longer than the game itself. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Matt aka Stormageddon (they/them)
Listen to "Fun" and Games https://funandgamespod.com/
Listen to Reignite https://reignitepod.libsyn.com/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/djstormageddon.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:16 Introductions
4:38 Our Histories with Davey Wreden's Games
9:49 Top-Level Thoughts
13:38 Story and Game Setup
19:53 Narration and Thematic Overview
24:42 Who Should Play?
31:53 "Fun" and Games and Reignite
37:36 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
39:51 Spoilers- Davey & Coda
58:53 Spoilers- Thematic Exploration
1:31:24 Spoilers- More Thematic Exploration
1:52:51 Spoilers- Ending
Music used in the episode is credited to Ryan Roth. Tracks used: Vertibrae, The Whisper Machine, Stars, D.S. Al Coda, Escape from This Place
Check out Dave on Super Pod Saga talking about some great games you can get for under $5 full price- https://superpodsaga.com/episodes/5-buck-bangers-downwell
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 32 min
August 26228: Golden Sun (with Rebekah Valentine)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
It's not every day you revisit a favorite game from your teenage years, but today is that day as special guest Rebekah Valentine (Kotaku) joins me to discuss Golden Sun, one of the most beloved Game Boy Advance games. Camelot and Nintendo ended up splitting the game into two, and in this episode we focus on the first game, though we do discuss The Lost Age quite a bit as well. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Rebekah Valentine (she/her)
Check out her work at Kotaku https://kotaku.com/author/rvalentine
Check out Reb's look back at Golden Sun https://kotaku.com/25-years-ago-golden-sun-video-game-adventure-2000721340
Check out Reb writing as if it were 2002 again https://kotaku.com/golden-sun-the-lost-age-sequel-warp-week-2000723015
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/duckvalentine.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:18 Introductions
5:30 Our Histories with Golden Sun
12:47 Top Level Thoughts
17:42 Acknowledging The Lost Age
25:31 Story Setup
33:50 Golden Sins and Silent Protagonists
44:29 Story Thoughts
52:25 Combat and Djinn System
1:09:18 Equipment, Resource Conservation, Puzzles
1:28:25 Soundtrack
1:38:22 Wrap-Up Thoughts and Who Should Play?
1:45:15 Reb's Work at Kotaku
1:50:06 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:52:27 Spoilers- Golden Sun's Story and The Lost Age Setup
2:12:42 Spoilers- Dave Might Play The Lost Age?
Music used in the episode is credited to Motoi Sakuraba. Tracks used: Main Theme, World Map, Enemy Battle, Lighthouse Theme, Sol Sanctum, Main Menu, Battle With Saturos, Vale and Vault
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 33 min
August 19227: Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (with Gen Moonen - "Fun" and Games)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Join Dave and special guest Gen Moonen ("Fun" and Games) as they discuss Konami's 2006 entry in the Castlevania franchise, Portrait of Ruin. By this point, the series had largely moved past dual-screen and touchscreen gimmicks, settling on putting the menus and map on the bottom screen with the action on top. Add in a dual-protagonist setup and you've got a recipe for a good metroidvania experience. It's not reinventing the wheel, but it's likely got what you're looking for, and there's value in that. Check out the discussion for more, and as always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Gen Moonen (they/she)
Check out "Fun" and Games https://funandgamespod.com/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/gnoisegenerator.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:22 Introductions
6:56 Our Histories with Castlevania
12:40 Top-Level Thoughts
19:51 Story Setup and Dual Protagonists
24:52 Castlevania Stories and Humor
31:19 Character Swapping Gameplay
44:52 Metroid vs Vania
50:13 Boss Fights, Painted Worlds and The Castle
1:03:52 Metroidvania Upgrades
1:08:41 Visual Design
1:16:40 Who Should Play?
1:25:50 "Fun" and Games Podcast
1:30:31 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:32:44 Spoilers- Painted Worlds and The Vampire Killer
1:53:38 Spoilers- More Story & Boss Fights
Music used in the episode is credited to Michiru Yamane unless otherwise noted. Tracks used: Gallery of Labyrinth, Invitation of a Crazed Moon (Yuzo Koshiro), Chaotic Playground, Victorian Fear, Name Entry, Crucifix Held Close, The Night Flows
Check out Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum talking about Final Fantasy X: https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 24 min
August 12226: Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age (with Andre - Fine Time)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
Join Dave and special guest Andre (Fine Time, Neo Geo Go!, The Silent Discographer) as they discuss Square Enix's latest entry in the main Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. For a certain style of RPG (that Dragon Quest arguably pioneered), it doesn't get better than this. Dragon Quest XI doesn't reinvent any part of its genre, but executes at top level throughout, though we still have some questions about directions that the story goes. This is a masterpiece, and we hope you enjoy the conversation. As always, no spoilers for a while- enjoy!
Guest info: Andre (he/him)
Check out Fine Time https://fineti.me/
Check out Neo Geo Go! https://neogeogo.show/
Check out The Silent Discographer https://the-silent-discographer.simplecast.com/
Follow on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/pizzadinosaur.fineti.me
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:31 Introductions
6:06 Our Histories with Dragon Quest
10:19 Top-Level Thoughts
18:16 Story Setup and Thoughts
32:59 Feels Like Coming Home- Art & Music
51:03 Tickington
54:46 Combat and The Fun-Sized Forge
1:10:14 Thoughts on the Silent Protagonist
1:18:36 Lightning Round Thoughts
1:23:32 Who Should Play?
1:28:35 Andre's Podcasts
1:34:12 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:37:07 Spoilers- Some Early-Ish Story Talk
1:50:18 Spoilers- Act 2 Story
2:00:33 Spoilers- Act 3 Story
Music used in the episode is credited to Koichi Sugiyama. Tracks used: Overture, The Hero Goes Forth with Determination, Olé! Sylvando!, Unflinchable Courage, Bustling Town, Rab the Wizard, Light Though the Leaves of Love, Echoes of an Elusive Age
Check out Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum talking about our favorite video game soundtracks: https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/
Check out Dave on The Rookie Run talking about Ocarina of Time https://www.youtube.com/@TheRookieRunVideoGamePodcast
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 33 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…