The Backlog Files

Microsoft just cut thousands from its gaming division and pushed out four studios, and Adam argues it's the first crack warning of a coming collapse, like Bear Stearns to the industry's coming housing crisis. Why the "billion monthly players" mandate is structurally impossible and what it really signals, why games can't chase trends the way movies can, why a decade of failed...

Another week, another new release, and this one's a pleasant surprise. Adam digs into Rhythm Heaven Groove , the first new entry in the series in over a decade, and finds a WarioWare -style collection of musical minigames that nails the feel even when the hardware fights it. Why the catchy, pick-up-and-play design is exactly the itch it sets out to scratch, the audio-latency quirk that makes y...

Sony has announced it will end physical disc production for all new PlayStation games starting January 2028, and Adam has feelings. An extra episode on the slow death of ownership, why a license you can lose isn't the same as a disc that works for fifty years, and how Sony managed to argue against its own decision by delisting purchased movies the same week. Along the way: the delisting incent...

Nintendo has opened a console generation on an Ocarina of Time and a Star Fox 64 remake for the second time, and Adam dug into the new Star Fox on Switch 2 as a series newcomer. Why the remake's tutorials, voice acting, and cinematic story fill the gap left by the death of the instruction manual, how Falco, Slippy, and Fox finally feel like characters, why the tank level is still the tank leve...

GTA 6 finally has a price: $80 standard, $100 Ultimate, and a "physical" edition that's just a download code in a box. Adam unpacks why the number matters less than what it signals, why GTA's discount-driven history makes an $80 launch a tougher sell than it is for Nintendo, why the AAA industry might be too big to succeed, and why even a record-shattering launch could still set...

Adam reports live from Pier 57 at the Tribeca Festival, fresh off hands-on time with seven of this year's indie game selections. A modern 3D Zelda in Demi and the Fractured Dream , a gorgeous paper-airplane journey in DRIFTED , a speedrunner's dream in Rebounder , Devolver's sledgehammer-swinging Virtue and a Sledgehammer , and two out-of-nowhere standouts in Kidbash: Super Legend and...

A Nintendo Direct finally arrived, so join Adam as he breaks down what it actually means. The Ocarina of Time remake is real but shown without a frame of gameplay, Kingdom Hearts IV lands on Switch 2 at launch, and Square Enix turns up in force. So why does a stacked lineup feel so empty if you don't already own the console? Join in for a conversation about ports versus system-sellers, the con...

We covered the console version on the channel, so this week on The Backlog Files I'm taking the Game Boy Advance port of Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure out of the backlog. It's Tony Hawk in a Disney coat of paint, squeezed onto handheld hardware that doesn't want to cooperate, and it gets me thinking about something bigger: the slow disappearance of the on-ramp game, the accessib...

Fifteen years after it launched alongside the Nintendo 3DS, does Pilotwings Resort still hold up? Adam revisits the dormant flight series Nintendo resurrected as a glasses-free-3D showcase, and digs into a launch window built almost entirely on tech demos and ports. The controls are still great, the game around them is still thin, and somehow they made Free Flight grindy. A look at what Pilotwings...

Good-Feel knows how to make a Yoshi game look and feel inviting, but the question has always been whether there's enough underneath. On today's Backlog Files, Adam reviews  Yoshi and the Mysterious Book ; the Switch 2 exclusive that has charm to spare and a genuinely clever premise, but leaves you wondering if Yoshi deserves more of a challenge than this. Is delightful enough?

Adam discusses the new indie Paper Mario-like: Escape From Ever After.

Pokemon Champions is finally here and Adam discusses the borderline disastrous launch.

Adam discusses probably the worst game that's been discussed on this show, Neopets: Mega Mini Game Collection.

With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie releasing this week, Adam looks back at the Wii game Super Mario Galaxy.

Let's look back at 2002 and Nintendo's kind of risky experimental title Super Mario Sunshine!

Adam discusses what is probably the 30th anniversary Pokemon title - Pokemon: Pokopia!

Well, they're definitely ports of FireRed and LeafGreen.

So Pokemon Wind and Waves will not be arriving in 2026, despite the leaks indicating otherwise. What does this mean for the 30th anniversary of the franchise and a mostly vacant year for releases?

Adam discusses the latest Sonic the Hedgehog game, Sonic X Shadow Generations.

Adam finally plays Mario Kart World! Join in as he discusses how this changes the franchise going forward.

Adam continues his quest for a fun hockey game to play on PC and also discusses the ad for Pokemon that aired during the Super Bowl.

Adam discusses GameStop's obvious death rattle as it circles the drain.

With the first and only DLC pack for Pokemon Legends: Z-A out, Adam gives his thoughts on The Mega Dimension.

Adam discusses the new cozy survival crafting game Winter Burrow.

Adam discusses the new metroidvania Gigasword from Akupara Games. A copy of the game was provided by Akupara Games for review purposes at no cost.