Happy July, folks! As the summer blazes on, what better way to avoid the heat than by cranking the A/C, kicking your feet up, and listening to some Weekend at Dave’s?
We’ve got a stellar episode prepared for you. Following our 2023 Gaming Preview episode, our editorial team here at The Punished Backlog is back with a mid-year check-in. What games have we enjoyed? What are our thoughts on 2023 thus far?
Perhaps most importantly, we’ll be recapping our Fantasy Gaming results up till now—and making some “waiver wire” selections based on the next six months. Just like the weather outside, our competition is heating up!
Catch the full episode here:
MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
Note: This episode was recorded on 6/26/23, before the releases of Oxenfree II: Lost Signals and Exoprimal.
Another note: Despite his comments to the contrary at 51:45, Sam too saw a score increase post-waiver wire (by dropping Fire Emblem: Engage). He and Amanda share the number-one Fantasy spot with 92.5 apiece. Exciting!
Show Notes
(0:00) — Intro
(2:14) — 2023 Mid-Year Check-In
(16:41) — Reflecting on Our Fantasy Teams So Far
(28:26) — Explaining the Fantasy Waiver Wire
(31:50) — Time for Waivers!
(53:31) — Getting Sidetracked and Talking About Movies
(55:57) — Outro
Song Credit:
Intro: “Let’s Do The Fooka-Fooka!” from Super Mario RPG (2023) (Yoko Shimomura)
Outro: “[Sector 4] – Ravaged Rustworks” from Hey! Pikmin (Masato Kouda, Kento Hasegawa)
Episode Guide
Looking for some helpful visuals as you listen to the podcast? Check out our episode guide below:
The 2023 Waiver Wire! (Potential Picks-Ups)
- Oxenfree II: Lost Signals - July 12
- Exoprimal - July 14
- Pikmin 4 – July 21
- Remnant II – July 25
- Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon – August 25
- Sea of Stars – August 29
- Lies of P – September 19
- Mortal Kombat 1 – September 19
- Detective Pikachu Returns – October 6
- Alan Wake 2 – October 17
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder – October 20
- Star Ocean: The Second Story R – November 2
- WarioWare: Move It! – November 3
- Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name – November 9
- Persona 5 Tactica – November 17
- Super Mario RPG – November 17
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – December 7
The 2023 Waiver Wire! (Our Actual Picks)
- Amanda - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Sam - Starfield
- David - Final Fantasy XVI
- David - Diablo IV
- Sam - Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Amanda - Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Amanda - Dead Space Remake
- Sam - Forza Motorsport
- David - Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
- David - Marvel's Spider-Man 2
- Sam - Street Fighter VI
- Amanda - Baldur’s Gate 3
- Amanda - Redfall
- Sam - Fire Emblem Engage
- David - Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
- David - The Last of Us Factions
- Sam - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Amanda - Assassin's Creed Mirage
- Amanda - Drops Redfall, picks up Super Mario RPG remake
- Sam - Drops Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, picks up Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- David - Drops Suicide Squad, picks up Mortal Kombat 1
- David - Drops TLOU Factions, picks up Pikmin 4
- Sam - Drops FE Engage, picks up Alan Wake 2
- Amanda - Drops... nothing! (She holds!)
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Sam has been playing video games since his earliest years and has been writing about them since 2016. He’s a big fan of Nintendo games and complaining about The Last of Us Part II. You either agree wholeheartedly with his opinions or despise them. There is no in between. A lifelong New Yorker, Sam views gaming as far more than a silly little pastime, and hopes though critical analysis and in-depth reviews to better understand the medium's artistic merit. Twitter: @sam_martinelli.
David is the founder of The Punished Backlog. He has a problem finishing games he starts. Just beat: Nine Sols, UFO 50. Working on: Metaphor: ReFantazio. Can't wait for: Hollow Knight: Silksong. Follow David on Twitter at @David_Silbert to keep up to date with all things The Punished Backlog.
Amanda Tien (she/her or they) loves video games where she can pet dogs, punch bad guys, make friends, and have a good cry. She started writing for the site in 2020, and became an editor in 2022. She enjoys writing about mystery games, indies, and strong femme protagonists. Her work has also been published in Unwinnable Monthly (click here to read her cover feature on Nancy Drew games), Salt Hill Journal, Poets.org, Litro Magazine, Public Books, and more. She was the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Columbia University's Culinarian Magazine, and served for two years as the Managing Editor of Aster(ix) Literary Journal. She recently graduated with a MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. Her writing, art, graphic design, and marketing work can be viewed at www.amandatien.com. She does not post a lot on social, but you can find her on X and on Instagram.
