The Backlog Odyssey

Sometimes being fickle can work in your favor, because you end up playing The Messenger!! Featured music in this episode (in order of appearance): Vambrace: Cold Soul - Grr-Chuggah-GrrVambrace: Cold Soul - The Lost LadyVambrace: Cold Soul - Cold SoulThe Messenger - Harness the WindsThe Messenger - Bamboo BoogalooThe Messenger - The Frozen Light

It's time to get the 'vanias out of my system by cracking my whip in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night! Game: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night Developer: ArtPlay Publisher: 505 Games Release Year: 2019 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Sometimes being fickle can work in your favor, because you end up playing The Messenger!! Featured music in this episode (in order of appearance): Vambrace: Cold Soul - Grr-Chuggah-GrrVambrace: Cold Soul - The Lost LadyVambrace: Cold Soul - Cold SoulThe Messenger - Harness the WindsThe Messenger - Bamboo BoogalooThe Messenger - The Frozen Light

Have you ever tried to march to the beat of your own drum, only to be faced with sideways glances and the cold shoulder? Not everyone understands your musical joviality, you get that. What if I told you there’s a world where it’s denizens speak only in song? A world that’s so cute and fuzzy that the phrase “cold shoulder” couldn’t possibly exist, because they have soft down covered wings, not shoulders.  Well my dear backloggers, I think you’ll fit right in, because this time around on The Backlog Odyssey, I’m taking a look at the game that’s so cute you'll need those catchy beats to jumpstart your love stricken heart, Songbird Symphony! So, calibrate your metronome and totes your adorbs, because it’s time for another Backlog Review!! Game: Songbird SymphonyDeveloper: JoySteak StudiosPublisher: PQubeRelease Year: 2019Platform: Nintendo Switch

Game: West of LoathingDeveloper: Asymmetric PublicationsPublisher: Asymmetric PublicationsRelease Year: 2017Platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch Find the written version here: https://www.backlogodyssey.com/west-of-loathing/

Game: Claire: Extended CutDeveloper: Hailstorm GamesPublisher: Hailstorm GamesRelease Year: 2016Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam Find the written version here: https://www.backlogodyssey.com/claire-extended-cut/

Growing up can be hard, especially during those dog days of High School. There’s tests to take, pencils to sharpen and praying to the homework gods above that your dog didn’t eat that assignment you just worked hard on at the last possible moment! But what if you got more than a slap on the wrist for falling asleep in class? What if, instead you woke up in a dark and twisted otherworld filled with tentacles and dead things? A place where your deranged teacher wants nothing more than to store her tetanus riddled fire axe in your chest cavity as her head gradually turns into an octopus? Well my dear backloggers, this time on the Backlog Odyssey I’ll be taking a look at the game that puts the f@#k this s$&t in your home work and shrieking killer faculty in your classroom, The Coma: Recut. So stick around, find your cubby and try not to be tardy because it’s time for another Backlog Review!! Enjoyed this review?? You can find more just like it by visiting my blog! The Backlog Odyssey | www.backlogodyssey.com You can also find a video version of this review on YouTube!! The Coma: Recut | https://youtu.be/AxklH54LPOs And follow me on Twitter for more backlogging shenanigans!! @BacklogOdyssey | https://twitter.com/BacklogOdyssey

It's time for another Game Bites Review and I take a look at the wonderfully challenging and excellently crafted 2D platformer, Celeste by Matt Makes Games! Dashing to the Top Have you ever wanted to climb a mountain only to fall to your death approximately 4329 times? How about eating a handful of strawberries in a haunted hotel, run by an overbearing and slightly obsessive ghost? Or better yet, running into your dark doppelganger over and over again as they try to sabotage you as you work your way to the top. Well my dear backloggers, this time around on The Backlog Odyssey, I’ll be taking a look at the game that gives us all of that, a few hand cramps and so much more, Celeste. So, tighten your climbing boots and don’t forget your protein packed bag of trail mix because it’s time for another Game Bites review! PICO-Great! Celeste is a platforming puzzler developed by Matt Makes Games of Towerfall fame and was originally released in 2018. Though, before it’s recent release, Celeste had much humbler beginnings! Shortly after the release of TowerFall Dark World, the final expansion for Matt Makes Games’ critically acclaimed TowerFall Ascension, Matt Thornson and Noel Berry set out to create a game jam style game, that is, a game that’s designed and developed within a short period of time, for the wonderfully charming PICO-8 Fantasy console. A cool little virtual console developed by Lexaloffle. And four days later an equally charming and hard as nails platformer was born! Now known as Celeste Classic. Which, if you know where to look, can be found and played in the version we’re talking about today!! After receiving critical acclaim and of course being inspired by the little gem that they created, Matt and Noel gathered a team and set out to expand upon Celeste. Increasing the number of levels, improving upon the graphics, adding more challenges and writing a story to tie it all together. And after 3 years of hard work Celeste was released upon the world in January of 2018. Overcoming All Obstacles In Celeste, you play as the persistent and vigilant Madeline who set it upon herself to face the challenges of climbing the infamous Celeste Mountain. A treacherous place that seems to lure wandering souls who have lost their way. But the perilous cliffs and dangerous pitfalls aren’t the only thing Madeline has to worry about, because the mountain has its own ways of bringing out your inner strife (literally) and force you to overcome the turmoils that are holding you back. It’s almost like climbing the mountain is a metaphor for something… And along the way Madaline will encounter a cast of interesting, silly and sometimes scary characters that will help and occasionally hinder her on her journey. The Peak of Perfection! Honestly, if you’re in the mood for a fantastically designed 2D platformer, you won’t have to look much further than Celeste. The team over at Matt Makes Games has created a top notch experience with beautifully crafted pixel art, colorful and varied environments and level design that’ll make you bite your bottom lip in pure gaming ecstasy... or in some cases, fury! Even if by the end of it you’ll be pulling your hair out trying to make that insanely complicated jump. I think it’s impossible not to have fun! But you’ll especially be trying to pull your hair out if you try and tackle the B-Side and C-Side versions of each stage. One thing I won’t hesitate to say, is that even though Celeste can be challenging, it never becomes frustrating. Nor do you ever feel like you can’t succeed. I can vouch for that too, I mean, if I’m still thinking about it after 4000+ deaths, that’s saying something! And as long as you’re steadfast and willing to take the time to learn it’s mechanics you’ll eventually succeed and taste the sweet and tangy flavor of success!! But I’ll attribute its ability to make me want to try it over and over again to Celeste's excellent and tight ...

Nostalgia is a force that drives many of us as gamers. We think fondly back on games from our childhood or even from just a few years ago and the great memories we had playing them. But what if you could not only replay the games you loved but also experience them for the first time again? That’s what many developers out there are trying to achieve by not just “remastering” those games but rebuilding them from the ground up. So you still get those warm and fuzzies with an added twist. On this episode, I take it one step further and try to come up with 10 whole games I’d love to see remade! It was no simple task but dang it, we’re going to do this! So strap in and hold on tight because it’s time for Episode 4 of The Backlog Odyssey! Intro theme by Zack Dipersio (https://www.instagram.com/ozackoattacko/) Ending theme “The Wind That Shook The Earth” from the Alundra OST. Additional sound effect from ZapSplat (https://www.zapsplat.com/) == Want to contribute to the website or the podcast? You can send your written or audio submissions to the below emails! Written: blog@backlogodyssey.com Audio: podcast@backlogodyssey.com Want to know what other shenanigans I’ve been up to? Then follow me on Twitter (twitter.com/BacklogOdyssey) And you can keep tabs on my backlog by checking out the Backlog Odyssey Backloggery (backloggery.com/BacklogOdyssey) game list!

We all know that the best part of video games is playing them. And the best way to do that is to use the controllers that are included in the box. But some companies out there don’t think that’s good enough. Some of them want to give you a more immersive experience, or a unique way to control the games we all love to play. Or maybe they just want you to be able to experience the games you’ve love in the past. And there’s no better way to do that than to accessorize. This month I talk about some of my favorite accessories of consoles past and present and why I loved them. So sit back, relax and join me on Episode 3 of the Backlog Odyssey podcast! ==== Review Times ==== Iconoclasts (8:19) Monster Hunter: World (21:52) Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force (35:41) ==== Other Topic Times ==== Top 10 Gaming Accessories (51:07) Community Submission (1:13:51) ======================= Want to contribute to the website or the podcast? You can send your written or audio submissions to the below emails! Written: blog@backlogodyssey.com Audio: podcast@backlogodyssey.com Want to know what other shenanigans I’ve been up to? Then follow me on Twitter! https://twitter.com/BacklogOdyssey And don’t forget to subscribe to The Backlog Odyssey Podcast!! https://www.backlogodyssey.com/subscribe-to-podcast/ ======================= Intro theme “The Backlog Odyssey” and ending theme “Acapella Felyne Cookout” by Zack DiPersio Follow him on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/ozackoattacko/ Additional sound effect from https://www.zapsplat.com

On this month's episode I relive my fantasies as the Blue Bomber and a Super Saiyan, travel to hell and back as the Doomslayer and try my hardest to remain mediocre with all this twin stick shooting. If that isn't enough for ya, I offer up my top 10 games to play during the holiday season!! Reviews: Mega Man 11 (3:10)Dragon Ball FighterZ (17:14)DOOM (26:32)Blue Rider (38:54) Other Shenanigans: Top 10 Holiday Games (49:59)Community QA (1:09:42) Check out more game impressions by heading over to The Backlog Odyssey’s YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqdqwUzEmChBQIYkFe6s5aA You can also find me on: Twitter: http://twitter.com/backlogodysseyInstagram: http://instagram.com/thebacklogodysseySteemit: https://steemit.com/@pixelbites Your support is always greatly appreciated!! Ending theme “[Mega Man 11] (8-bit Style) Fuse Man’s Stage Theme” by MarkTherence / CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Video: https://youtu.be/ggj-WdeCFpYChannel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-z74TX8Y-UTU3Rb_z71riQLicense: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode Additional sound effects from https://www.zapsplat.com

This month on the Backlog Odyssey Podcast I talk about tackling introducing my son to new games, revisiting favorites, reminiscing on the Dreamcast and finally playing The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. And just for all of you backloggers out there a special recipe for Backlog Bisque. Just in time for Thanksgiving! Hope you enjoy!! Intro and outro music by Zack DiPersio Website: www.backlogodyssey.com Twitter: @BacklogOdyssey Email: podcast@backlogodyssey.com

On the first ever episode of The Backlog Odyssey Podcast I introduce myself, delve into my gaming history and give a breakdown of what this podcast will be all about. Hopefully you enjoy and keep an eye out for Episode 1 where we'll really get into the meat of the potatoes!!