Tales from the Backlog

By Dave JacksonLeisure Video Games Games

Tales from the Backlog episodes

December 03, 2025194: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (with Michael Berger - Bits of Time)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
What could Nintendo possibly do to follow up the game that "saved gaming" for me? Well, they simply iterated on and evolved everything about Breath of the Wild to make one of the most creativity and freedom-focused games ever. It's simple, really- why don't more people think of this? Sarcasm aside, Tears of the Kingdom is an absolute wonder, and we're lucky to have it. Hope you enjoy the discussion!
Guest info: Michael Berger (he/him)
Check out Bits of Time on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@bitsoftimemedia
Check out the Bits of Time podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bits-of-time/id1616941089
Check out everything else Michael is doing https://campsite.bio/matterofmichael
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:21 Introductions
5:35 Our Histories with Zelda and Tears of the Kingdom
8:49 Opening Thoughts About Tears of the Kingdom
16:39 Story Setup
20:26 Storytelling and Nonlinear Design
25:34 Emergent Story and the Adventure
29:52 Link's New Toys
48:58 Emergent Gameplay and the Magic of Scrounging
57:18 Dungeons and Boss Fights
1:03:15 Enemy and Boss Variety
1:08:07 The Depths and Exploration
1:16:33 Art Design and Music
1:23:20 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
1:31:31 Bits of Time
1:36:11 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:38:25 Spoiler Section- Favorite Temples and Backstory
2:03:11 Final Boss and Ending
Music used in the episode is credited to Hajime Wakai, Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi and Tsukasa Usui. Tracks used: Title, Hyrule Castle - Upheaval, Shrine Battle, Seized Construct Battle, Skydive, Lookout Landing, Ganondorf's Theme, Final Dive
Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/
Check out Dave on Pixels & Polygons https://rss.com/podcasts/pixelspolygons/
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 29 min
November 26, 2025193: Asura's Wrath (with Nick & Will - Friday Night Gamecast)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
Some games just stand out from the pack, and with its episodic anime structure, QTE-heavy cutscenes and South Asian religious inspirations, there is nothing quite like Asura's Wrath (CyberConnect2, Capcom, 2012). A quintessential flawed game that everyone should try, Asura's Wrath overcomes its bad combat and dated approach to player engagement by just simply being cooler and more hype than basically every other game. Listen in to find out more!
Guest info: Nick (he/him) and Will (he/him) of Friday Night Gamecast
Check out Friday Night Gamecast https://fridaynightgamecast.buzzsprout.com/
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/fngcpod.bsky.social
Follow on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/fridaynightgamecast/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:27 Introductions
5:17 Our Histories with Asura's Wrath
11:16 Top-Level Thoughts
19:44 Story Setup and Worldbuilding
28:47 Episodic Anime Structure
37:03 Presentation and Spectacle
43:48 More QTEs Than You Can Shake a Stick At
51:33 Action Gameplay
1:14:00 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:17:26 Friday Night Gamecast
1:20:28 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:22:32 Spoiler Section- Hype Moments, The Gohma and the Demigods
1:46:55 Spoiler Section- Asura's Revenge & Epilogue
Music used in the episode is credited to Chikayo Fukuda. Tracks used: Main Theme, Furious, Orphan Wolf Legend - Fang, One Who Spins Ideas, Option, Asura's Wrath, In Your Belief, Trembling Belief
Catch Dave on Geeks & Grounds all of November and December for a deep dive into Final Fantasy X: https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 14 min
November 19, 2025192: Heaven's Vault (with Rebekah Valentine)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
Ever have one of those games that sits in your library, untouched for years, until something finally gives you the push to play it...and you end up kicking yourself for waiting so long? That's Heaven's Vault, and without our community Backlog Resolutions challenge, I would have missed out on one of the coolest games I think I've ever played. Listen in to find out why!
Guest info: Rebekah Valentine (she/her)
Read Reb's work on IGN https://www.ign.com/person/duckvalentine
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/duckvalentine.bsky.social
Check out Nintendo Voice Chat https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nintendo-voice-chat/id276268457
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:22 Intros
5:05 Our Histories with Heaven's Vault and Language Learning
9:43 Opening Thoughts
14:30 Story Setup and Reactive Storytelling
29:37 Aliyah and Six
35:52 Language Learning
50:22 Visuals and Music
55:40 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
58:13 Reb's Work at IGN
1:01:34 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:03:35 Spoiler Section- What Happened in Our Playthroughs?
1:35:53 Spoiler Section- Language Discoveries
1:44:40 Spoiler Section- The Wildest Turn of Events
2:03:54 Spoiler Section- Ending Discussion
Music used in the episode is credited to Laurence Chapman. Tracks used: An Ancient Language, The Desperate Ways, Before the Fall, The Nebula, Fantasia on One Good Moon, Heaven's Vault, An Ancient Language (Cello & Piano)
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 36 min
November 12, 2025191: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (with Kate & Emily - No Small Games)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
Modern Pokémon games are divisive, but rarely due to technical performance. Pokémon Scarlet and Violet (Game Freak, 2022) released in an embarrassing state, and are hoping for a comeback with their recent Switch 2 editions. So now that the bugs are squashed and the framerate is stable, what kind of game was lurking under all of those issues? Listen in to find out.
Guest info: Kate Hunter (she/any) and Emily Merritt (she/her)
Check out the No Small Games podcast and website https://nosmallgames.com/
Follow Kate on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social
Follow Emily on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:16 Intros
5:53 Our Personal Histories with Pokémon
12:52 Opening Thoughts About Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
21:44 World and Story Setup
36:07 Nonlinear Design
42:50 Is the Story Actually Good, or Are We Grading On a Curve?
54:25 Visuals/Presentation
1:01:37 Open World Design
1:17:28 New Quick Battle System
1:22:28 Combat, Team Building and Challenge?
1:41:08 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:47:16 No Small Games
1:54:07 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-Yous
1:56:55 Spoiler Section- Our Teams, Area Zero, Ending
2:28:06 Spoiler Section- DLCs
Music used in the episode:
Title Screen (Junichi Masuda, Go Ichinose)
Home (Junichi Masuda)
Poco Path (Junichi Masuda)
Battle! (Trainer Battle) (Junichi Masuda)
Area Zero (GAME FREAK)
Pokémon Center (Junichi Masuda)
Welcome to the Paldea Region! (Minako Adachi, Toby Fox)
Check out Dave on Geeks & Grounds in November and December- https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/
Check out Dave on the Character Issues podcast- https://www.buzzsprout.com/1306474
Check out Dave on Nostalgium Arcanum- https://nostalgiumarcanum.fireside.fm/
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 45 min
November 05, 2025190: Pseudoregalia (with Bo__Po - Underplayed)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
Pseudoregalia (Rittzler, 2023) represents a few things that are either making a resurgence or breaking out within indie games lately- retro PS1/N64 style graphics, megastructures, and 3D platformers. Combining incredibly tight and expressive platforming with nonlinear Metroidvania design and a vibey soundtrack, Pseudoregalia is a very good snack of a game, though not without some critical discussion points.
Guest info: Beau aka Bo__Po (he/him)
Check out Underplayed podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/3qRQdjTtDRE1GZbFHhSYgu
Follow Beau on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/bo__po
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/bo-po.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:14 Introductions
5:02 Personal Histories with Pseudoregalia
11:21 Opening Thoughts
18:52 Story Setup
24:42 Movement and Creativity
38:10 Open-Ended Design
47:50 The Map and Getting Lost
58:01 Combat
1:04:41 Visual Aesthetic and Music
1:12:57 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:20:00 UnderPlayed podcast and Beau on Twitch
1:26:11 Spoiler Wall & Patron Thank-Yous
1:27:51 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode:
Remnants of the Dream (potatoTeto)
Revival (potatoTeto)
Their Subdued History (potatoTeto)
Outside the Castle Walls (potatoTeto)
Delirious Acting (potatoTeto)
Paramnesiac (still crisp)
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
1 hr 53 min
October 29, 2025189: Lies of P (with Rob & Kelvin - The Gaming Duo)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
Nobody is more skeptical of a new Soulslike on the block than me. Too often, Soulslikes build around the superficial qualities of FromSoftware's hits and neglect the secret sauce (or miss it entirely). Luckily for me and those who feel the same way, Round8 Studio and Neowiz knocked it out of the park with their Pinocchio-inspired Soulslike, Lies of P. I felt right at home playing through this, and it turned into a really fun conversation.
Guest info: Rob Garcia (he/him) and Kelvin Rolon (he/him)
Check out The Gaming Duo https://www.gamingduopod.com/
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/thegamingduo.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:28 Intros
5:40 Personal Histories with Soulsborne and Lies of P
11:50 Personal Histories with Pinocchio
15:40 Opening Thoughts About Lies of P
19:20 Story Setup and Adapting Pinocchio
34:33 Visual Design
41:14 Music
49:09 Difficulty and How to Succeed
58:56 Weapons and Tools
1:18:17 Level Design and Exploration
1:28:21 Boss Fights
1:33:45 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:38:14 The Gaming Duo Podcast
1:41:38 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
1:43:38 Spoiler Section- Top 3 Boss Fights
2:05:26 Story Discussion
2:19:47 Backstory, Comparisons to the Book and Post-Credits Scene
Music used in the episode is from the Lies of P OST. Tracks used:
Main Menu (Round8 Studio Sound Team, YK Music)
Divine Service (Electronic Boutique)
Feel (DJ Mocha, Seo Ja Young)
Dreadful March (Studio LAY-BACK)
Judgement of Mourning (Studio LAY-BACK)
Hotel Krat (Studio LAY-BACK)
Quixotic (bermei.inazawa, foolen)
Eventide Hotel (Silun Lee)
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 48 min
October 22, 2025188: Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye (with Rick Firestone)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
As I said way back in The Outer Wilds episode, I respect the hell out of that game and think it's a miracle, but I didn't love it as much as others, and I kind of wish I could Eternal Sunshine that game out of my mind and try again. But as it turns out, the Echoes of the Eye expansion gave me just that chance. Did lightning strike twice? Did the game that "you can only truly play once" work again? Listen in and find out.
Guest info: Rick Firestone (he/him)
Check out Pixel Project Radio https://linktr.ee/pixelprojectradio
Follow Rick on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/pixelprojectradio.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:23 Introductions
6:08 Thoughts About Outer Wilds
9:11 Thoughts About Echoes of the Eye
24:14 Pixel Project Radio Podcast
26:42 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
28:40 Spoiler Section- Initial Discoveries
48:05 Spoiler Section- A New World to Explore
1:24:00 Spoiler Section- Story Analysis and Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Andrew Prahlow. Tracks used: The River, River's End, Elegy for the Rings, Echoes of the Eye, Departure
Check out Dave on Retro Hangover's King of Games '99 series: https://linktr.ee/retrohangover
Check out Dave on The Tiny Game Chronicles: https://tinyurl.com/m5jhfat9
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 11 min
October 15, 2025187: Fear & Hunger (with Adam Bucceri)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
Sometimes a game's reputation precedes it in a way that makes you question whether you want to play it at all, and Fear & Hunger (Miro Haverinen, 2018) certainly fits that bill. Punishing difficulty, harsh teaching, extreme content warnings and more put me off from playing the game for a while, but I'm glad to have played it now, and all of that made for a great conversation.
Content warnings for Fear & Hunger: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/17804
Guest info: Adam Bucceri (he/him)
Check out Adam's games https://boocherry.itch.io/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:15 Intros
6:03 Our Histories with Fear & Hunger
9:55 Should We Play Fear & Hunger 1 or 2?
11:27 Opening Thoughts About Fear & Hunger
17:24 Content Warnings
26:15 Game Setup and Character Selection
31:15 Difficulty and Learning How to Play
44:55 Player-Hostile Design and Pressures
58:34 Immersive Sim Elements, Experimentation and Emergent Narrative
1:07:47 Combat
1:21:36 Visuals and Sound Design
1:27:20 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:34:20 Adam's Games and Creative Works
1:37:18 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
1:39:18 Spoiler Section- The Girl, Le'garde and Fun Discoveries
2:26:35 Spoiler Section- Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Miro Haverinen. Tracks used: Fear & Hunger, The Four Apostles, Pulse & Anxiety, Ancient City, Tomb of the Gods, Everyday Schoolday
Check out Dave's guest appearance on The Pre-Order Bonus about Rain World- https://www.patreon.com/c/preordercast
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 54 min
October 08, 2025186: Silent Hill 3 (with Kaye Ross)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
It's been a real joy working my way through the Silent Hill series alongside doing this show, starting all the way back in episode 10(!) with Silent Hill 2. Today, I'm playing the sequel to Silent Hill 1, which is NOT Silent Hill 2...it's Silent Hill 3, and I've brought on the perfect guest to discuss what many fans to agree to be the last truly good Silent Hill game for many years.
Guest info: Kaye Ross (she/her)
Check out all of the wonderful Duckfeed podcasts https://duckfeed.tv/
Check out Kaye's horror game streams https://www.twitch.tv/duckfeedtv
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:28 Intros
4:56 Our Histories with Silent Hill 3
10:35 Opening Thoughts About Silent Hill 3
14:51 Story Setup
21:53 Aesthetics and Horror
30:25 Sound Design and Music
37:14 Heather As a Protagonist
43:37 Puzzles and Riddles
50:32 Tank Controls and Combat
1:03:49 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
1:06:36 The Many Podcasts at Duckfeed.tv
1:11:09 Spoiler Wall and Patron Thank-You's
1:13:11 Spoiler Section- Heather & The Cult
1:36:39 Spoiler Section- Heather & Harry
Music used in the episode is credited to Akira Yamaoka. Tracks used: You're Not Here, End of Small Sanctuary, Breeze- In Monochrome Night, Something Long Forgotten, Sickness Unto Foolish Death, Hometown
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 7 min
October 01, 2025185: Slay the Princess (with Matt aka Stormageddon)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/kAqSBb6jH2
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
This year, we're kicking off horror month with a first- a visual novel! It's the first one I've covered on the show, though I enjoy them from time to time, and Slay the Princess (Black Tabby Games, 2023) is certainly an interesting one. It's a choose your adventure visual novel with memorable visuals and a very interesting opening choice- you were sent here to slay the princess, so...do you? Listen in to find out how we felt about it!
Guest info: Matt aka Stormageddon (they/them)
Check out "Fun" and Games and Reignite podcasts https://linktr.ee/dj_stormagedddon
Follow Matt on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/djstormageddon.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:22 Intros
4:33 Personal Histories with Slay the Princess and Visual Novels
8:21 Opening Thoughts About Slay the Princess
12:56 Story Setup and Choose Your Adventure Structure
27:53 Presentation
37:07 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
41:40 "Fun" and Games, Reignite Podcasts
46:59 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
48:39 Spoiler Section- Our Many Diverse Playthroughs
1:18:45 Spoiler Section- The Shifting Mound and Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Brandon Boone. Tracks used: The Princess, The World-Ender, Fragmentation, Reality Unwound, The Shifting Mound
Social Media:
BlueSky- https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 3 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…