Tales from the Backlog

• 158: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (with Geoff Moonen - "Fun" and Games)

  In my ongoing first-time playthrough of the Metal Gear Solid series, we've arrived at the canonical end of Solid Snake's story, while seeing series creator Hideo Kojima at his most self-indulgent (yet) and most creative. Metal Gear Solid is a series of multitudes, and 2008's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is no different. Listen in to find out what we thought! Guest info: Geoff Moonen * Check out "Fun" and Games podcast https://funandgames.libsyn.com/ * Follow Geoff on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/geoffmakesnoise.bsky.social * Need a voice actor? https://www.geoffmoonen.com/ TIMESTAMPS * 0:00 Title Card * 0:28 Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts * 18:42 Story Setup * 35:02 Story Themes/Presentation * 54:08 Gameplay * 1:18:28 Final Thoughts/Plugs * 1:30:24 SPOILER WALL * 1:32:18 Spoiler section Music in the episode is credited to Harry Gregson-Williams. Tracks used: * Old Snake * Metal Gear Saga * Midnight Shadow * Haven Troopers * Breakthrough * Drebin 893 * Guns of the Patriots * Father & Son * Everything Begins Check out Dave's guest appearance on Pixels and Polygons! https://open.spotify.com/show/1scBiQBcm6u03qSjFkDvzD?si=k1OReY87SRSamyl6bPgiCw Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) 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://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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• 157: Unpacking (with Kate Hunter - No Small Games)

  Ever since the podcast started in 2021, I always knew I'd do an episode about Unpacking (Witch Beam, 2021) someday. John Fogerty sang that someday never comes, but here we are, and Unpacking is on the show! Unpacking is a great example of using the interactivity of video games to tell a story in a unique, gameplay-forward way. Through the ONE SIMPLE TRICK of unpacking boxes and organizing your stuff when you move, a life story is told, and it's fantastic. Listen in for the deep-dive conversation! Guest Info: Kate Hunter aka Katerblossom * Listen to her podcast No Small Games https://nosmallgames.com/ * Follow her on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social * Check her streams out on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/katerblossom TIMESTAMPS * Title Card 0:00 * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:26 * Story Setup 11:47 * Gameplay/Music/Presentation 26:12 * Final Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping * Spoiler Wall/Patron Shoutouts 48:38 * Spoiler Section 50:34 Music used in the episode is credited to Jeff van Dyck. You can purchase the soundtrack on Bandcamp (https://jeffvandyck.bandcamp.com/album/unpacking-original-soundtrack). Tracks used: * Unpacking Theme * Child's Play * Own Two Feet * Friends for Life * Infatuation * Lost and Found * Home Sweet Home Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) 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://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures)

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• 156: Mouthwashing (with Ash Parrish)

  Mouthwashing (Wrong Organ, 2024) is a rare horror game that gets scarier after you finish the game. Its nonlinear structure, reality-blurring presentation and subtle (at times) storytelling leave you to put the pieces together yourself. Once you do that, you'll find a strikingly real story where the most unbelievable thing is the fact that it takes place in outer space. We had a great discussion on the show about what this game says about certain types of leaders, what "taking responsibility" means, analogues to the games industry and much more! Guest info: Ash Parrish, journalist and critic for The Verge. * Find her work here https://www.theverge.com/authors/ash-parrish * Follow her on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/adashtra.bsky.social * Check out the Insert Credit Show https://www.youtube.com/@insertcreditshow Content warnings for Mouthwashing: https://www.doesthedogdie.com/media/1312968 TIMESTAMPS * Title Card 0:00 * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:16 * Story Setup/Themes Overview/Presentation 9:30 * Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 30:54 * SPOILER WALL 37:50 Music used in the episode is credited to Martin Halldin. You can purchase the soundtrack on Steam (https://store.steampowered.com/app/3276830/Mouthwashing_Soundtrack/). Tracks used: * Main Theme * Medium Rare * The Windows are Plastic * Dragonbreath Theme * Heroes Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) 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://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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• 155: Shenmue (with Luis Aguasvivas)

  I remember reading about Shenmue (AM2 of CRI, Sega, 2000) in the magazines back in the day and really marveling at how cool it all sounded- a revenge/investigation story, a town with characters that live their own lives outside of interacting with you, life in small-town Japan...but I didn't have a Dreamcast, so I never got to play it and eventually forgot about it as everyone else seemed to move on too. But over the past 5 years, I've also become a huge fan of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, and I eventually decided it was finally time to play Shenmue. Listen in to the discussion to hear what we think! Guest info: Luis Aguasvivas. Find his writing and games criticism at https://aguaspoints.com/ and more at https://linktr.ee/laguav TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:22 * Story Setup/Setting 14:37 * Gameplay/Closing Thoughts 39:51 * SPOILER WALL/Thank Yous 1:16:24 Music used in the episode * Shenmue - Sedge Tree (Takenobu Mitsuyoshi) * Hip De Hop (Yuzo Koshiro) * Working Man (Osamu Murata) * Hazuki Residence (Takenobu Mitsuyoshi) * Tears of Separation (Ryuji Iuchi) Check out Dave's appearance on 1 Hour, 1 Decision talking about the first hour of Avowed! https://linktr.ee/tc1h1d Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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• 154: Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (with John Rogers - Gaming in the Wild)

  When Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (Jump over the Age / Gareth Damian Martin, 2025) was announced, it was a surprise, but it also jumped straight to the top of my most anticipated games list. And while it fulfills the promise of a sequel by doubling down on the strengths of the first game, it also introduces some harsh mechanics that took a lot of people by surprise. Join us as we dig into all aspects in this discussion. Guest info: John Rogers, host of Gaming in the Wild. Find him at https://gaminginthewild.carrd.co/ and https://www.youtube.com/gaminginthewild TIMESTAMPS * Intros/Personal Histories/Opening Thoughts 0:25 * Story Setup/Themes Overview 12:59 * Presentation/Music 40:29 * Gameplay 49:10 * Closing Thoughts/Recommendations/Housekeeping 1:18:02 * SPOILER WALL 1:26:48 Music used in the episode is credited to Amos Roddy: You can purchase the soundtrack at https://amosroddy.bandcamp.com/album/citizen-sleeper-2-starward-vector-original-soundtrack Tracks used: * Starward Vector * A Different Sun * Signalchaser * Hex * There Are Always Choices * Suncatchers * The Stray * The Belt Flows * Imagined Futures Support Tales from the Backlog on Patreon! (https://patreon.com/realdavejackson) or buy me a coffee on Ko-fi (https://ko-fi.com/realdavejackson)! Join the Tales from the Backlog Discord server! (https://discord.gg/V3ZHz3vYQR) Social Media: BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/tftblpod.bsky.social) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/talesfromthebacklog/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/tftblpod) Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromtheBacklog/) Cover art by Jack Allen- find him at https://www.instagram.com/jackallencaricatures/ and his other pages (https://linktr.ee/JackAllenCaricatures) Listen to A Top 3 Podcast on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-top-3-podcast/id1555269504), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2euGp3pWi7Hy1c6fmY526O?si=0ebcb770618c460c) and other podcast platforms (atop3podcast.fireside.fm)!

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