Abnormal Mapping

Latest Episodes:

Abnormal Mapping 140: Resident Evil Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

We’re joined by Dia Lacina to talk about foundational survival horror classic Resident Evil, and mostly talk about genre and the strange legacy of having a remake that’s more popular than the original. It was nice to be able to dig into a classic like this and find plenty to talk about both as a game and as a cultural object.

Thank you so much as always for listening, please rate and review the podcast, and tell all your friends on whatever social media you call home that they should check us out. See you next month!

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

This Month's Game Club: Resident Evil (PSX and REmake)

Next Month's Game Club: Mutazione

Things Discussed: future plans and Jackson's injury, Phantasy Star episode coming soon, check out the Forspoken VoIP Life for the Forspoken story discussion, Granblue Fantasy, Destiny 2, Ys 2 and Ys 3: Wanderers of Ys, Fire Emblem Gaiden, Resident Evil, Resident Evil Remake, Resident Evil 2 and 0 and 4, adventure games vs action games, horror games big and small, what is a survival horror, demakes, CRT filters, remasters and aspect ratios

Music This Episode
Be Careful by Mieko Ishikawa
First Floor Mansion by Makoto Tomozawa, Koichi Hiroki, Masami Ueda
Save Room by Makoto Tomozawa, Koichi Hiroki, Masami Ueda
Still Dawn by Makoto Tomozawa, Koichi Hiroki, Masami Ueda

Abnormal Mapping 139: Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

We’re joined by Ember to talk about a game at the intersection of those two most contentious genres: soulslikes and Metroidvanias. This intersection itself is now a vibrant sub-genre, and in talking about this entry we talk about the ways these games tell stories, the platformer vs combat tension inherent in them, and why good art can often set up frustrated expectations. Really happy with this cast, I hope people enjoy!

Thank you so much as always for listening, please rate and review the podcast, and tell all your friends on whatever social media you call home that they should check us out. See you next month!

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

This Month's Game Club: Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

Next Month's Game Club: Resident Evil (PSX mainly, but also REmake)

Things Discussed: Fire Emblem, Final Fantasy 2, Final Fantasy 3, Final Fantasy 4, Space Quest continues with Em and Dia, A Little to the Left, Forspoken, Ender Lilies, Metroidvanias as a term, Metroidvanias as an idea, Metroid, Hollow Knight, Soulslike as an idea, Soulslikes in reality, which RE2 to play, gifting games, Indie Game the Movie 2, navel gazing about genre

Music This Episode
Blown Away by Kevin MacLeod
Harmonius by Yamato Kasai; Cassie Wei
Compounding by Yamato Kasai; Cassie Wei
The Sun - Outro by Yamato Kasai; Cassie Wei

Abnormal Mapping 138: Spark the Electric Jester 3 (and friends!) Dec 29, 2022

Show notes

We end out the year by going hard on going fast through 3D spaces as we talk more about where 3D Sonic is at, and also about the array of interesting 3D time attack platformers coming out inspired by Sonic’s spotty but beloved reputation in the third dimension. This is a meaty episode covering a lot of cool indie games, hopefully people check them out, most of them can be found very cheaply on various digital stores!

Thank you so much as always for listening, please rate and review the podcast, and tell all your friends on whatever social media you call home that they should check us out. See you next month!

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

This Month's Game Club: Spark the Electric Jester 2 and 3, Lunistice, Toree 3D and 2

Next Month's Game Club: Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights

Things Discussed: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Crisis Core, Plague Tale: Innocence, Sonic Frontiers, Mega Man X4, Karate Champ, Final Fantasy III, Spark the Electric Jester 2, Spark the Electric Jester 3, Lunistice, Toree 3D, Toree 2, Super Kiwi 64, guns and games, air dashes, the tastes of the times

Music This Episode
Historia Hysteria by Tudd
Forest (Melancholy) by Knasibas
Backstory Cutscene by R3
Linework Fight by Paul Berthers

Abnormal Mapping 137: Snatcher Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

It's nearly Christmas time and thus we settle in for that most famous of Christmas games, Hideo Kojima's sci-fi detective classic SNATCHER! No, really, this is a Christmas ass Christmas game in the same way Die Hard is so I'm claiming it. We finally did a timely Christmas game.

On top of that, we have a huge amount of games to talk about, a lot of rambling about various gaming-related things, Em revealing an embarrassing amount about their buying habits for the past ten years they thought about cutting from this show and didn't, and more. Also, we ask YOU to help us fill in any potential gaps for our next episode.

Thank you so much as always for listening, please rate and review the podcast, and tell all your friends on whatever social media you call home that they should check us out. See you next month!

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

This Month's Game Club: Snatcher

Next Month's Game Club: Spark the Electric Jester 3, Toree 3D and Toree 2, Lunistice, and who knows what else????

Things Discussed: Sonic Frontiers, Sonic Adventure, Valkyria Chronicles, Butterfly Soup 2, Scorn, Grace's piece on Scorn, Halo 5: Guardians, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, Em doing capsule reviews on Cohost now, Mega Man's Game Boy quintet, Mega Man The Power Battles & The Power Fighters, Mega Man Battle and Chase, Castlevania Legend, Sonic Heroes, Flywrench, Gridrunner Revolution, Atari 50, Jeff Gerstmann playing Atari 50 if you want to see some of it, Snatcher, Portopia Serial Murder Case, Metal Gear (all of it), J.B. Harold Murder Club, Death Stranding, celebrity video game show hosts, many questions about Kojima and potential projects, funny games, note-taking for podcasts, video game merch, favorite swords

Music This Episode
Sega CD Model 2 BIOS by David Javelosa
Signature by Konami Kukeiha Club
Bio Hazard by Konami Kukeiha Club
Pleasure of Tension by Konami Kukeiha Club
Innocent Girl by Konami Kukeiha Club
Theme of Ending by Konami Kukeiha Club

Abnormal Mapping 136: Norco Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

We ring in our ninth anniversary with a new-ish game, the dystopian magical realism adventure game Norco! There’s plenty of navel gazing about life, podcasts, gaming, and capitalism to be had, that heady Abnormal Mapping special brew, as we bring you this super-sized episode. Honestly, there isn’t much to say, this game just rips and people should play it. Here’s to many more years of podcasts!

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

Things Discussed: it's our ninth anniversary!, reflections on the time and Em's birthday wish that you rate and review us on your podcast app (not a bit, please do this!), Final Fantasy XVI, Parasite Eve, Steam Deck time, Castlevania Bloodlines, Blaster Master Zero 2, Mega Man X3, 1942, 1941: Counter Attack, Littlewood, Norco, Disco Elysium, Kentucky Route 0, Phantasy Star 3 talk, the worst XBLA games we've ever bought, adventure games and visual novels as forms, 7 Tips for Surviving Dead Rising, celebrity RPG Maker games, video game pets, a visit from the game genie, rogue-like checkin, what to do when people tell you not to look up a thing you're about to play/watch/read

This Month's Game Club:
Norco

Next Month's Game Club:
Snatcher (Sega CD)

Music This Episode
Blown Away by Kevin MacLeod
Delirious Eyes by Gewgawly I
One Night in New Orleans by Gewgawly I
Homunculus by Thou

Abnormal Mapping 135: Yume Nikki and Ib Sep 28, 2022

Show notes

We have another huge haul of games as we talk about seemingly everything under the sun but also two games for the lengthening nights as we do a sort of horror month talking about two moody classics of the RPG Maker indie games scene: Yume Nikki and Ib! It was great to be able to talk about such a fun genre, get out of our comfort zones a bit, and explore some real gaming history.

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

Things Discussed: Novel Not New has moved to Scanline Media!, please check that out and also listen to Journal Updated and The Safe Room, Em got a MiSTer, for $1 you can get a special VoIP Life where we rated the aesthetics of consoles, Pac-Man, Altered Beast, Mega Man X2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, Omori, Mother 3, Deltarune, Phantasy Star III, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, R-Type, Pokemon Sun & Moon, Yume Nikki (longplay we recommend here), Moon, Ib (let's play of Ib we recommend here), adventure game design, horror games and horror memes, the best introduction to Kojima, best world building, the act of waiting in stealth games, RPG Maker odds and ends

This Month's Game Club:
Yume Nikki and Ib

Next Month's Game Club:
Norco

Music This Episode
Dining Room by YASUpochi
Abandoned Desert Town by KIKIYAMA
Corelli La Folia by YASUpochi
Rooftop Rhythm by KIKIYAMA
The Littel Doll's Dream by YASUpochi

Abnormal Mapping 134: Riven: The Sequel to Myst Aug 28, 2022

Show notes

It’s gaming season as we dip into a sequel to one of the most classic games of the 90s and find that maybe lighting truly does strike twice. On top of that, a dozen other games played between us, and a bunch of other fun besides including which PlayStation is canonically the Best Looking. The answer will not surprise you in the slightest.

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

Things Discussed: the PS5 price hike, upcoming game clubs, go listen to Novel Not New on Scanline Media, go listen to the upcoming Journal Updated on Hypnospace Outlaw, Fate Extra, Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation: Code Fairy, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Resident Evil 6, Ghostrunner, Guilty Gear Strive, Phantasy Star II (spoilers start at 29:45 and run to 35:15), The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence, Tsukihime, Phantasy Star II, Pokemon Black, Pokemon Black 2, The Looker, Pokemon Y, Riven, the Riven retrospective we reference this episode, CD Rom games, the ranking of Playstations

This Month's Game Club:
Riven: The Sequel to Myst

Next Month's Game Club:
Ib (we’re playing the remake, but the original should be fine)

Music This Episode
Moiety Theme by Robyn Miller
Village Entrance Theme by Robyn Miller
Accumula Town by Shota Kageyama
Rise and Fall by Tokuhiko Uwabo

Abnormal Mapping 133: Survival Kids Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

We try to beat the heat by playing a game about the sweltering jungle and the fight for survival, but y’know … it’s cute! Also, we declare an early end to our Year of Handhelds because of a Gaming Injury, but we’ll still be delivering banger episodes every month as always.

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

Things Discussed: Pokemon popularity, gaming injuries and a change of plans, Pokemon Platinum, Elden Ring, The House in Fata Morgana, Paradise Killer, The Pedestrian, Stray, Gato Roboto, Uncharted 4, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Survival Kids, Zelda, Mother, podcast navel gazing, early gaming memories, Minesweeper, games we wish we had time for

This Month's Game Club:
Survival Kids

Next Month's Game Club:
Riven

Music This Episode
Breeze With U by Barry Topping
Jungle by Atsushi Fujio & Yasuhiro Ichihashi
Choose A Character by Atsushi Fujio & Yasuhiro Ichihashi
This is My Time by Lecrae

Abnormal Mapping 132: Fate/hollow ataraxia Jul 03, 2022

Show notes

I’m joined once again by my friend and fate-bestower Kim as we cover the only sequel to Fate/stay night, Hollow Ataraxia! We talk about where my fate-pilling is at, the power of stories that aren’t about anything, the evolution of guys, and the general experience playing the miracle game. Truly one of my new favorites.

Spoilers of course for FSN, Fate Zero, and Hollow Ataraxia within!

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

Things Discussed: Monster Hunter Rise, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA Initiative, Flowers -Le volume sur printemps-, House of Fata Morgana, Fate Extra, Fate Hollow Ataraxia

This Month's Game Club:
Fate/hollow ataraxia

Next Month's Game Club:
Survival Kids

Music This Episode
hollow by NUMBER201 feat.rhu
Light Step by James Harris
holLow wORlD by Aimer

Abnormal Mapping 131: Mother 3 Jun 26, 2022

Show notes

One of the most infamous Japan-only RPGs finally gets its turn as Abnormal Mapping heads back to a simpler time of GBAs, Nintendo being good, and a little boy with magical PSI powers as we finally get to the game we’ve been putting off for nearly eight years: Mother 3! We must be so exhausted.

Send us questions about our game clubs, other games, or gaming in general to abnormalmappingpodcast@gmail.com!

If you would like to support us please visit patreon.com/abnormalmapping for exclusive podcasts!

Things Discussed: Deltarune, Dicey Dungeons (still not on iOS btw), Slay the Spire, Star Wars the Force Unleashed, Pokemon, Marble it up!, Clustertruck, Mother 3, Earthbound, Moon, Live a Live, FFX stuff (spoilers for X and X-2 from 1:12:50-1:17:00), Brave Fencer Musashi, Final Fantasy VIII, The Frog for Whom the Bell Tolls, Ace Combat, Rogue Squadron

This Month's Game Club:
Mother 3

Next Month's Game Club:
Survival Kids

Music This Episode
Mom's Hometown by Shogo Sakai
As you Wish by Shogo Sakai
Dangerous Guys by Shogo Sakai
His Highness' Theme by Shogo Sakai
It's Over by Shogo Sakai

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected