Welcome to the first Punished Podcast of the new year! The Backlog crew is back and better than ever, and we’re excited to show you what we’ve been cooking up.
The Punished Podcast Episode 5
For episode 5 of The Punished Podcast, we’re taking a look ahead at 2024 in gaming—and running it back with our annual Fantasy Gaming draft.
Will Sam go back-to-back this year? What’s up with Hollow Knight: Silksong, and will Amanda strike out on it, yet again? Will David finally draft a decent team?
Take a listen and gauge for yourself.
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(Note: We recorded this podcast on January 6, 2024, before the releases of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Tekken 8, and Persona 3 Reload. This podcast also predates Microsoft’s “Direct”-like showcase, which saw Hellblade II, Avowed, and MachineGames’ Indiana Jones and the Great Circle all get 2024 release windows.
You’re hearing our thoughts and analysis before ANY of the above occurred—so keep that in mind while listening!)
Timestamps
- 0:00 – Intro
- 3:15 – Thoughts on 2024?
- 7:53 – Unannounced or Speculated Games You’re Anticipating?
- 13:27 – Sam Rants About George R.R. Martin
- 18:28 – 2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft: The Rules
- 22:38 – 2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft: The Draft
- 57:01 – 2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft: Vibe Check
- 59:44 – Sam’s Hall of Fame Nominee
- 1:17:15 – What Are You Currently Playing?
- 1:20:28 – Outro
2024 Fantasy Gaming Draft – The Recap
Want the Sparknotes version of our Fantasy Gaming draft? Here’s a quick play-by-play:
- David — Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
- Amanda — Hades II
- Sam — Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
- Sam — Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Amanda — Persona 3 Reload
- David — Dragon’s Dogma 2
- David — Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
- Amanda — Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- Sam — Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
- Sam — Princess Peach Showtime
- Amanda — Hollow Knight: Silksong
- David — Rise of the Rōnin
- David — Avowed
- Amanda — Star Wars Outlaws
- Sam — The Plucky Squire
- Sam — Metroid Prime 4
- Amanda — Frostpunk 2
- David — Black Myth: Wukong
The Final Teams, Post-Draft
Take a gander at our three contenders, now that the dust has settled. As a reminder, we’ll likely revisit these teams midway through the year in the form of a “waiver wire pick-up” draft.
We got silly with the team names this year. Hopefully, they give you a chuckle!
Post-January Fantasy Standings
As mentioned before, we recorded this podcast before a bunch of January games hit storefronts. Here’s the current leaderboard, taking into account those releases (expect more commentary in a future article):
Why the Legend of Zelda Franchise Is Our Newest HOF Inductee
Last on the podcast, but certainly not least, was our Punished Hall of Fame segment. This episode, Sam Martinelli nominated The Legend of Zelda—the entire franchise.
Do we need to argue for its inclusion? If ever there was a series that merits the highest honor we can provide, it’s this one. Zelda defined most of our childhoods, and its sheer variety—from time-traveling escapades in Majora’s Mask to cel-shaded seafaring in The Wind Waker—never seems to taper.
Yes, the franchise has the occasional dud (I’m looking at you, Spirit Tracks). But the bad pales in comparison to the good—and even then, the bad here is arguably better than most franchises in their prime.
Here’s to you, Zelda. It’s been nearly 40 years since you graced our Nintendo consoles, and we’re looking forward to another 40 more.
Song Credits
- “Rogueport” (Yuka Tsujiyoko, Yoshito Sekigawa) from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
- “Victory Fanfare” (Nobuo Uematsu, Naoyuki Honzawa) from Final Fantasy VII Remake
- “Changing Seasons” (Atsushi Kitajoh, Shoji Meguro) from Persona 3 Reload
- “Wii Menu Theme” (Kenji Yamamoto, Minako Hamano, Masaru Tajima) from Metroid Prime 3
- “Title Theme” (Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi, Kenta Nagata, Hajime Wakai) from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
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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.
