The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast

Two Giant Men, 20 categories, dubious rules! Time for another draft episode, this time on the subject of video game soundtracks. Vote for the winner in the announcements channel of the Discord.Most of the music used in the episode is credited in real-time, but the track in the break is an orchestral Phoenix Wright arrangement by Noriyuki Iwadare.Here are the categories we select from:Album Categories1. RPG2. Indie game3. Shooter (FPS or otherwise)4. Platformer5. Game soundtrack where music plays a key role in the gameplay6. Fighting game7. Bleep bloop (retro game soundtrack - 16 bit or earlier)8. '90s as fuck9. Cult favourite10. Free pickTrack Categories1. Theme tune that rips2. Battle theme that rips3. Earworm of any description4. Features lyrics5. Ambient open world or world map music6. Rhythm action favourite7. The Yoko Shimomura category for a piano absolutely popping off8. Boss theme that rips9. Free pick10. The Game Over category (this must play at your funeral)

Here's what we've been playing lately: Stellar Blade, Animal Well, Octopath Traveler 2, Dark Forces Remaster and Pepper Grinder.

Matthew speaks to one of his favourite authors, Stuart Turton. Hear about his exhausting creative process (seriously, you won't believe it), and what it takes to write a novel – including his latest, The Last Murder at the End of the World. Then, in part two, hear more about Stu's love of video games, which runs incredibly deep.Samuel is away for this one. Matthew gets the name of the podcast slightly wrong at the start, but don't hold it against him.This week's music is from the Return of the Obra Dinn soundtrack by Lucas Pope.

This week's guest is IGN Managing Editor Rachel Weber, who probably has the most varied and fascinating career in games media of anyone who's appeared on the podcast so far. Hear about her transatlantic journey from OPM during the PS3 launch days to GamesIndustry.biz, Rolling Stone's Glixel channel and GamesRadar, before she landed at IGN.This week's music is from the Lost: Via Domus soundtrack by Michael Giacchino.

27 listeners' game purchases go on trial before the morally dubious Judge Castle. Can the defendants' even more compromised lawyer, Samuel Roberts, get them off (not in that way)? The worst format in British podcasting returns. This week's music is 'PIMP' by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, as well as the Games Court theme by listener Adam Saucier.

Two top 10 lists of the best games of 2003, and loads of bullshit about Matthew's mini-fridge and Samuel's week of work experience in the fire brigade. The games chat starts at 1 hour and 27 minutes if you'd just like the lists without the nonsense.This week's music is from The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker soundtrack by Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai, Toru Minegishi and Koji Kondo. 

What we've been playing lately, featuring Dragon's Dogma 2, Rise of the Ronin and Helldivers 2, as well as some old Command and Conquer nonsense and listener questions.

Former PC Gamer Senior Reporter Steven Messner is our guest this week! Hear about his epic reports of goings on in EVE Online and other MMOs – and that time the bastard Samuel Roberts betrayed him. This week's music is from the Harvest Moon 64 soundtrack by Tsuyoshi Tanaka.

We needed a sudden week off! Enjoy this 2022 episode on the best 7/10 games, the result of our amazing Patreon support.