Tales from the Backlog

By Dave JacksonLeisure Video Games Games

Tales from the Backlog episodes

September 24, 2025184: Ultros (with John Rogers - Gaming in the Wild)
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Sometimes, all it takes to grab your attention is a single screenshot, and Ultros (Hadoque, Kepler Interactive, 2024) is definitely one of those games. Every screenshot drips with color and is so rich with detail, it beckons you to come see what's going on. And once you're in, a beautiful soundtrack, lush soundscape and layered story grabs hold, but that's not all that's waiting for you. Ultros is a singular type of game, the type of game that I'm always thrilled to discuss on the podcast.
Guest info: John Rogers (he/they)
Check out everything Gaming in the Wild https://gaminginthewild.carrd.co/
Check out Lost in Cult's Ultros: Design Works, written by John! https://www.lostincult.co.uk/ultros
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:34 Intros
6:05 Our Histories with Ultros & Metroidvanias
9:06 Opening Thoughts About Ultros
13:55 Story/Setting Setup
15:01 Art and Visual Design
26:02 Music and Sound Design
38:00 Emergent Story
46:51 Gameplay- Combat and Plant Care
1:03:55 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:06:51 Gaming in the Wild and Lost in Cult's Design Works- Ultros
1:13:49 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-You's
1:15:57 Spoiler Section- Business As Usual
1:32:11 Spoiler Section- A Change
1:45:13 Spoiler Section- A New Course of Action
Music used in the episode is credited to Ratvader. Tracks used: Ouji Saint, Dark Sleep, Gärdner’s Pilgrimage, Dream Lament, But This Time It's Something Different, Ultros Ahimsa
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 16 min
September 17, 2025183: Despelote (with Moises Taveras)
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
There are more than enough sports games to go around out there, but the culture of sports does not begin and end on the field of play. There is an entire culture surrounding sports, and I've never played a game that tackles that culture quite like Despelote (Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena, 2025) does. It also takes you back to a slice of childhood in a way that no other game can really claim- it's really something else. Tune in for the discussion!
Guest info: Moises Taveras (he/him)
Check out the Despelote review that Moises wrote https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/despelote-review-miraculous-slice-of-life-soccer-game-pulls-a-hat-trick/
Check out other writing by Moises on Endless Mode https://www.endlessmode.com/author/moises-taveras
Follow Moises on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/platanoranger.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:16 Intros
4:11 Personal Histories with Despelote and Sports
15:21 Opening Thoughts About Despelote
20:01 Story Setup and Community Around Sports
38:14 Childhood and Visual Presentation
46:52 Taking You to a Time and Place and Sound Design
53:26 Gameplay
1:07:11 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
1:12:32 Moises' Writing and Where You Can Find It
1:15:06 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
1:16:27 Spoiler Section
Music and game ambiance used in the episode is credited to Sebastián Valbuena
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
September 10, 2025182: Bionic Bay (with Harry Loizides - Six One Indie)
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 you'd never heard of will break out with a 90+ on the review aggregator websites and immediately turn heads, and that's exactly what happened to me with Bionic Bay (Mureena Oy, Psychoflow Studio, 2025). One screenshot was all it took to make me want to check it out, and then a patron vote sealed the deal. Bionic Bay- cool game!
Guest info: Harry Loizides (he/him)
Check out everything Six One Indie does https://www.sixoneindie.com/
Get ready for the upcoming Six One Indie Showcase https://www.sixoneindie.com/showcase
Check out Harry's writing for Geek Therapeutics https://geektherapeutics.com/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:32 Intros
4:36 Our Histories With Bionic Bay
7:33 Opening Thoughts About Bionic Bay
10:13 Story/Game Setup
15:57 Visual Presentation
22:20 Music
27:32 Platforming Abilities and Structure
40:33 Floaty Jumps, Ragdoll Physics and Comedy
49:17 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
53:45 Six One Indie and Geek Therapeutics
1:02:18 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
1:04:03 Spoiler Section- Favorite Levels, Gimmicks, and Theorycrafting
Music used in the episode is credited to Francisco Javier Pérez. Tracks used: Polarity, The Grand Egg, Swap, Polarity (Reprise), Bionic Bay
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 29 min
September 03, 2025181: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (with Ty Schalter)
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
Everybody has that game they played a hundred times as a kid and therefore can't be objective about anymore, and for us, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is NOT one of those! Both my guest Ty and I both tried the game at various points, but never quite got on with it. The podcast has now given us a chance to revisit Nintendo's landmark title and give it the deep dive treatment- so listen in to find out how we felt this time!
Guest info: Ty Schalter (he/him)
Check out FunFactor podcast http://www.funfactorpod.com!/
Follow Ty on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/tyschalter.com
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:15 Intros
6:03 Our Histories with Zelda and A Link to the Past
10:59 Opening Thoughts About A Link to the Past
18:11 Story Setup
27:58 Visuals
31:59 World/Map Design
35:44 Music
47:13 Combat
58:41 Difficulty Curve, Exploration and Secrets
1:10:00 "The Zelda Formula"
1:18:41 Dungeons
1:23:23 Closing Thoughts and Recommendations
1:38:37 FunFactor Podcast and Ty's Work Online
1:45:24 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-You's
1:47:49 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode: Title, File Select, Opening Demo, Hyrule Castle, Dark World, Kakariko Village, Ending
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 39 min
August 27, 2025180: Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (with Erik - Pages of Play)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server- https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi- https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden (Don't Nod, 2023) represents a different type of game that Don't Nod has been making alongside their popular choice-based narrative games like Life is Strange and Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. With 2018's Vampyr, Don't Nod took a swing a narrative, decisions-matter action RPG, and while I liked Vampyr a lot, the decisions-matter part of it left a lot to be desired. Five years later, they took another swing at that type of game with Banishers, and really righted that specific area. Decisions matter in Banishers in a way they don't matter in most games, and it led to one of the most effective stories I've played in a while.
Guest info: Erik (he/him)
Listen to Pages of Play podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pages-of-play/id1755937349
Check out Erik's written work on So Many Games https://somanygames.co.uk/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:32 Intros
5:03 Histories with Don't Nod and Banishers
8:29 Opening Thoughts
16:22 Story/World Setup and Characters
28:43 Inciting Plot Event and Choice/Morality System
37:51 Tough Choices
48:02 Presentation and Side Quest Writing
59:00 Combat
1:13:37 World Design and Vibes
1:22:50 Boss Fights
1:27:20 Recommendations
1:30:20 Pages of Play Podcast
1:36:38 SPOILER WALL and Patron Thank-Yous
1:38:06 Spoiler Section- Side Stories Tying Into the Main Story
2:17:10 Spoiler Section- The Nightmare
2:32:08 Spoiler Section- Endings
Music used in the episode is credited to Trevor Morris. Tracks used: Main Menu, The Harrows, Intimate Moment- Harmony
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 51 min
August 20, 2025179: Blue Prince (with Jenny Windom)
Support my work on Patreon- https://patreon.com/realdavejackson
Discord, Socials and more- https://linktr.ee/talesfromthebacklog
You know a game is good when it kicks off a new round of discourse about genre names, right? Regardless, Blue Prince (Dogubomb, 2025) is the latest hit in a type of knowledge-is-power game that is really appealing to certain types of gamers. The only difference is that we seem to fully know the full depths of previous games like Animal Well, Outer Wilds, Fez, Tunic, etc....but nobody knows how deep Blue Prince goes. It's also rich with interesting design choices and contradictions, more story than meets the eye, a lowkey amazingly good soundtrack and more. Tune in for the discussion!
Guest info: Jenny Windom
Check out the Geeks & Grounds game club podcast https://www.geeksandgrounds.com/
Check out Wholesome Games https://wholesomegames.com/
Check out Wanderstop https://store.steampowered.com/app/1299460/Wanderstop/
Check out Jenny on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/kimchica
Check out Jenny on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/kimchica
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:28 Intros
5:23 Personal Histories with Blue Prince
8:50 Opening Thoughts About Blue Prince
15:40 Story Setup and Top Level Thoughts
17:59 Note-taking and Organization
25:44 Drafting Mechanic, Goal Setting and Randomness
42:55 Getting Better at Blue Prince
47:52 "This Game Doesn't Respect My Time"
53:28 You Said This Was a Puzzle Game
1:03:59 Art and Music
1:15:04 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations
1:18:49 Geeks & Grounds, Wholesome Games
1:25:50 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's
1:28:00 Spoiler Section- Discoveries and the Quest for Room 46!
2:16:00 Spoiler Section- How Deep Does This Go? and The Story, As We Know It
Music used in the episode is credited to Trigg & Gusset Tracks used: Stories of All Manor, Vanitas, Bequest, Westwardly Winds, Visions of Emerald, Departure, The Baron of Mount Holly. Purchase the soundtrack here: https://triggandgusset.bandcamp.com/album/blue-prince-the-original-soundtrack
Check out Dave's guest appearance on Flashback 64: https://flashback64.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 42 min
August 13, 2025178: Psychonauts (with Try - My Life in Gaming)
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
A good friend of mine likes to say "every game is somebody's favorite game", but I'm always intrigued when some oddball picks enter those conversations, and DoubleFine's Psychonauts is mentioned often enough that I felt like I had to play it someday. And my show patrons (thank you!) made it a point to vote it onto the show, so away we go for a discussion about a fascinating game!
Guest info: Marc aka Try of My Life in Gaming
Check out My Life in Gaming on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@mylifeingaming
Check out The Backloggery https://backloggery.com/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:18 Intros
4:46 Personal Histories with Psychonauts
10:34 Opening Thoughts
16:20 Story Setup, Comedic Tone
23:48 Visual Aesthetic
32:25 Music
35:37 Voice Acting
40:49 A Fun Story with Odd Pacing
55:43 Platforming and Combat
1:13:15 Cool But Unintuitive
1:27:11 Wrap-Up Thoughts/Recommendations
1:33:57 My Life In Gaming/The Backloggery/King of Games
1:42:32 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:44:33 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode is credited to Peter McConnell. Tracks used: Title and Credits Montage, Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp, The Meat Circus, Fighting for the Cause in Lungfishopolis, Agent Cruller's Sacred Hall, The Milkman Conspiracy
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 41 min
August 06, 2025177: Split Fiction (with Aaron Angle)
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
Hazelight Studios were already on the map before their Game of the Year winner It Takes Two, but that game was so much fun that everyone, including me, was waiting to see what their next offering would be like. And it turns out, 2025's Split Fiction is very similar- a ton of fun to play, gorgeous graphics, bad story, and great gaming memories made with a friend. Tune in to find out more.
Guest info: Aaron Angle
Check out A Top 3 Podcast https://atop3podcast.fireside.fm/
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:32 Intros
4:49 Our Histories with Hazelight and Split Fiction
6:46 Opening Thoughts About Split Fiction
11:30 Story Setup
26:55 Loudly Bad vs Quietly Bad
34:10 Gameplay and Difficulty
40:17 Changing Up Gameplay
47:57 Visuals/Music
58:41 Truly a Cooperative Game
1:03:46 Recommendations/Closing Thoughts
1:10:12 A Top 3 Podcast
1:12:51 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-Yous
1:14:47 Spoiler Section
Music used in the episode is credited to Gustaf Grefberg and Jonatan Järpehag. Tracks used:
Gravity Bike (Gustaf Grefberg)
Split Fiction Main Theme (Jonatan Järpehag)
The Legend of the Sandfish (Gustaf Grefberg)
The Monkey King (Jonatan Järpehag)
In Memory of Blake Hudson (Jonatan Järpehag)
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Support Tales from the Backlog
1 hr 57 min
July 30, 2025176: Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (with Chris Coplien - Retro Hangover)
Support my work on Patreon
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi
I didn't hear about Dragon Quest for a very long time, probably an embarrassingly long time, and once I played one, I didn't....get it. It all seemed too plain, too simple, too lacking in complexity, and while a part of me was relieved to suddenly have less "homework" to do as I'm forever catching up on RPGs that I missed, part of me felt an ever-present need to "get it". Yada yada yada, I finally had another reason to try Dragon Quest, starting with Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride on DS, and folks....I get it now. Tune in to find out how I got there.
Guest info: Chris Coplien of Retro Hangover
Listen to Retro Hangover https://linktr.ee/retrohangover
Check out the first of Dragon Quest V's episodes in the King of Games 1992 tournament https://retrohangover.captivate.fm/episode/king-of-games-92-round-1-match-4-sonic-the-hedgehog-2-vs-dragon-quest-v
Follow on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/retrohangover.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:42 Intros
6:10 Personal Histories with Dragon Quest V
12:15 Opening Thoughts
14:54 Story Setup/Generational Structure
26:19 Overcoming Constraints/Presentation
34:26 Story Themes/Cozy Charm
45:16 Soundtrack/Influence
56:10 Gameplay- Combat/Monster Collecting
1:12:05 Final Thoughts/Recommendations
1:14:45 Retro Hangover Podcast
1:19:23 SPOILER WALL/Patron Thank-You's
1:21:15 Spoiler Section- Act 1 and 2
2:06:04 Spoiler Section- Act 3 and Closing Thoughts
Music used in the episode is credited to Koichi Sugiyama. Tracks used: Overture, Overworld, Town, Battle, Melody in an Ancient Town, The Ocean, Zenithia, Saint
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 42 min
July 23, 2025175: Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (with Brian Edwards)
Support my work on Patreon
Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server!
Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has risen to the gaming mainstream with its beloved Like a Dragon series, and when a hot streak occurs, a heat check often follows, and there is no bigger heat check than a game where you play through a Hawaiian pirate adventure starring the series' lovable maniac, Goro Majima. So why has Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii fallen out of the conversation, even among series diehards? Did the heat check connect, or is it the beginning of a downturn? All that and more in this great conversation.
Guest info: Brian Edwards
Listen to the Cane and Rinse podcast https://caneandrinse.com/
Listen to the Character Issues podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-character-issues-podcast/id1530881747
Follow Brian on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/characterissues.bsky.social
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Title Card
0:20 Intros
5:45 Personal Histories With Yakuza Series
9:53 The Yakuza Secret Sauce
14:12 Opening Thoughts about Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
20:34 Like a Dragon Series Fatigue?
35:15 Story Setup, Majima the Leading Man
45:40 Framing Device, Substories, Goofs
1:11:18 Pirate Gameplay, Ship Combat
1:33:51 Action Combat
1:44:59 Mini-Games and Side Activities
1:52:36 Closing Thoughts/Recommendations
1:57:57 Character Issues, Cane and Rinse
2:02:33 Spoiler Wall/Patron Thank-Yous
2:04:37 Spoiler Section- Substories
2:18:42 Spoiler Section- Main Story and Ending
Music used in the episode:
Anchors Aweigh (Saori Yoshida)
Nameless Traveler (Saori Yoshida)
Palekanian Dance (Yuri Fukuda)
Mad Dog (Keitarou Hanada)
Echoes of Hope (Kazuki Takagi)
Masaru's Love Journey (Mitsuhara Fukuyama)
Check out the King of Games 1999 tournament on Retro Hangover! https://linktr.ee/retrohangover
Social Media:
BlueSky
Instagram
Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures
Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and [other podcast platforms](atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!
Support Tales from the Backlog
2 hr 38 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…