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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Join the Back Page Discord for exclusive lore drops like this:

The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

You'll never see us do this. Maybe it scores you some algorithm wins or other bullshit, but everyone knows what two giant white blokes wearing headphones looks like.

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

A listener suggested we rename our top Patreon option 'the Salmon tier'. Don't say we never listen:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Here's a still from the comically poor taste Psylocke scene in X-Men Apocalypse that Matthew is referencing:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Coming tomorrow on Patreon! A pretty comprehensive episode about the X-Men, including our top 5 movies and comic book runs. Here's a preview, where Matthew is forced to name the X-women he fancies:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Coming tomorrow! What we've been playing, featuring The Blood of Dawnwalker, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, VHOLUME and...a bit of Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel. Here's Matthew going off about the Dawnwalker mod that spoils the game:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

September 2026 podcast schedule! Read more about these and other future episodes in our free Patreon newsletter right here: www.patreon.com/backpagepod/...

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Coming tomorrow, just in time for Bank Holiday Monday! Our quarterly Patreon-exclusive James Bond series begins, starting with Dr. No. In each episode, you can look forward to the following preposterous 007 awards and categories:

The Doctor Woak (as in 'Doak') award for 'you couldn't get away with that these days!'
The Slappers Only award for scene or location most suited to a GoldenEye level - single player, multiplayer and cheat you unlock
Most iconic use of a Bond staple
Conduct M and Q workplace appraisals based on their work in this film
The Cubby Broccoli award for location chosen because the producers fancied a holiday
The "They’ll print anything these days" award for best one liner
The Roger Moore award for worst one liner
Would another Bond actor make this film better?
Matthew and Samuel would be cast as *these* characters in a remake
The 'Twins, Basil!' award for moment eventually parodied by Austin Powers
Is the theme song For Your Ears Only or should they Try Another Day?

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Anyway the Discorders got hold of this immediately.

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Coming tomorrow! The return of Game Design Crimes with expert guest @smithstock.bsky.social. Here's a preview where Matthew litigates simple hint systems:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Here's who picked what in our Nintendo DS + 3DS Mega Draft. Cheers to Alex in the Discord for assembling this!

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Coming tomorrow! The Nintendo DS + 3DS Mega Draft with @gamesblackhole.bsky.social and @scarbs.bsky.social. 40 picks. Each list needs 5 DS games, and 5 3DS games. Here's a preview of us bickering about the results of the last draft:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Coming Friday! The Nintendo DS and 3DS Mega Draft. It's three hours long, as is tradition. These are the categories:

Game featuring Mario
Game featuring Link
90+ on Metacritic
Game with novel touchscreen controls
Game made in Japan
Game made outside Japan
Port or re-release
Wild card (has to be below 80 on Metacritic)
Free pick
Was advertised on the telly by a celebrity

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Who's that writing in to Gamesmaster back in the day about the joy of a good video game manual? It's only Matthew 'Judge' Castle (via COYG):

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Coming tomorrow! What we've been playing, featuring these games: - Splatoon Raiders - Denshattack! - Big Walk - The Incident at Galley House - Onimusha 2 (!) - The Message from Deep Space Here's a preview about that last game, which has lots of maths and that Matthew is playing at work:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Tomorrow, for Patreon subscribers! Two Giant Men Play Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. 2+ hours of deep discussion as we prepare for the return of MGS4. We answer important questions like, "which living US president would be the scariest version of Solidus Snake?" Here's a preview:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Out now! Two Giant Men play Halo: Campaign Evolved. Then, Samuel spends almost an hour pitching his cursed idea for a Halo campaign to Matthew. Here's a preview:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

August podcast schedule! Read more about it in our free Patreon newsletter: www.patreon.com/backpagepod/...

Two Giant Men Play Halo: Campaign Evolved + Backseat Design the Next Halo Game – August 7th
XL Episode: Two Giant Men Play Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty – August 10th
What We've Been Playing (Splatoon Raiders, Denshattack!, The Incident at Galley House, The Mermaid Mask) – August 14th
The Nintendo DS and 3DS Mega Draft (with Ashley Day and Dave Scarborough) – August 21st
XXL Episode: Two Giant Men Watch Dr. No – August 24th
A Few Game Design Crimes More (with Jamie Smith) – August 28th

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Get ready for a wild ride on next week's Halo episode...

Here comes my rancid pitch for the next mainline Halo game…
These are the principles I work towards for my Halo project: gameplay first, story second.
Despite Halo: Infinite's flaws, it had the right principles on enemy types - play with what's in the sandbox from the Bungie Halos. No Prometheans. The Brutes are fine.
Open levels, but not an open world game. Wide linear.
No 343 Studios story bullshit. No cross-media nonsense. This has to be a knockout campaign and 5 people give a shit about Halo lore. The Halo TV show was cancelled. It's Joever. Let's make a good game.
It's 10 hours long but designed to be highly repeatable.
We will go hog wild with physics.
Not every level needs a vehicle section, but the player should never feel like the game is stingy on vehicle set pieces.
Now the rest of it…

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Coming tomorrow! How's 2 hours 45 minutes on the best games of 1997? Here's a preview from our discussion about whether Tamagotchis were a precursor to Animal Crossing (perhaps not was the verdict):

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

One-star movie (and accompanying 2 hour 10 minute pod) incoming 👀

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

*vague Bond trumpets* Next month on Patreon, it begins!

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Coming tomorrow! A mailbag episode. We were asked by a listener to come up with an Austin Powers game in the vein of 007 First Light. So we spent about 10 minutes discussing Austin Powers: First Shag. Here's a preview:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

What if we did Desert Island Discs, but took video game music tracks? That's the premise of tomorrow's Patreon-exclusive episode. Here's a preview from our discussion about which luxury item we'd take (Samuel picked a brick of cocaine):

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Inspired by our latest Patreon episode (via Alex in the Discord)...

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

We did it – 1,000 paying subscribers on Patreon. Seemed unimaginable to us 6 years ago. Thank you for your loyalty and not being bored of us yet!

1464 total members
1000 paid members
£3.5k per month

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Coming tomorrow! The first-person draft, with Jeremy Peel. Here's a preview where we discuss Westwood killer Command & Conquer: Renegade, Jeremy's first ever FPS:

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The Back Page: A Video Games Podcast @backpagepod.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Join our Discord for bewildering Back Page deep cuts like this (via @naes.bsky.social).

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