We dig into Square’s attempt at survival horror as they hand Parasite Eve over to one of the creators of Resident Evil who proceeds to make a police procedural about being the bioweapon cops out on the streets. It’s very funny, but mostly pretty good? Glad we got around to this one.

New podcast art is by boo! Go hire her to make you stuff!

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 [email protected]!

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

Next Month’s Game Club: Children of the Sun

Music this Episode
Forbidden Power by Naoshi Mizuta
The First Encouonter by Naoshi Mizuta
M.I.S.T. by Naoshi Mizuta
Ghost Town by Naoshi Mizuta

We play a small detective game and come away with a nice appreciation of adapting the mystery story into mechanics, a discussion about light investment gaming, and our appreciation for genre work that thrives in their own little gaming ecosystems.

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: density gaming, Unnamed Space Idle, RPG gaming, Lovely Lady RPG, Journal Updated's latest episode you should definitely listen to, investigation games, Her Story

Next Month’s Game Club: Parasite Eve 2

Music this Episode
Blown Away by Kevin MacLeod
Skim the Surface of the Sea by Yoshitatsu Sakai
Left Lane Right Brain by Kud-Lida
Atsui Kodou by Isao Bito

We’re joined this month by Nora Blake of Export Audio to talk about her and Em’s favorite dead Konami franchise: Castlevania! We’re playing the first PS2 game, a certified mid classic, a game that asks can you really get ten hours out of five rooms? The answer is: kinda?????

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Red Dead Redemption, Girls' Frontline, Persona 5 Royal, Pinfeather, Contra, Vampire Survivors Castlevania DLC, tons of Castlevania from all over the franchise

Next Month’s Game Club: No Case Should Remain Unsolved

Music this Episode
Lament of Innocence (Leon's Theme) by Michiru Yamane
House of Sacred Remains by Michiru Yamane
Melancholy Joachim by Michiru Yamane
Statue Enchanted by the Darkness by Michiru Yamane

We played an old SNES game today and talk about the elemental qualities of RPGs and action games. Also, Jackson keeps gaming, and Em makes ambitious plans to tackle a too-big game.

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Metaphor Refantazio, Captain Commando, Warriors of Fate, Batman Returns, The Punisher, Denjin Makai, Armored Warriors, Guardians, Guardian Heroes, Die Hard Arcade, Battle Circuit, Dynamite Cop, Sengoku 3, Spike Out, Fighting Force, Gekido, Onimusha Warlords, Zone of the Enders 1, Castle Crashers, Scott Pilgrim vs The World, Double Dragon Neon, Ninja Gaiden Black, Devil May Cry 3, Towerborne, Monster Hunter

Next Month’s Game Club: Castlevania: Lament of Innocence

Music this Episode
Into the Dream by Yukihide Takekawa
World of Evil by Yukihide Takekawa
Basement of Dr Leo by Yukihide Takekawa
Koibito no Inaiyoru by Yukihide Takekawa

We’re playing two not very classics of their respective genres today as we go back to the back half of the 90s to play an early action game and a relatively early 3D platformer. We’re kind of split on which game we prefer along lines I expect you’d predict, but we both had a pretty good time with both games anyway! Also, before that, Jackson gives the MOTHER of all segment 1 updates.

At 16:15 or so until 1:15:30 Jackson's Audacity file broke and we had to use the backup. Em's a little quiet during this section but it's mostly okay. I did my best with the edit. Sorry about that!

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Devil May Cry 1, The Bouncer, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, TMNT 89 Arcade, Oni, Maken Shao: Demon Sword, Final Fight, Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Double Dragon 2: The Revenge, Downtown Nekketsu Story, Shinobi, Black Belt, Rolling Thunder, Altered Beast, Aliens, Ninja Gaiden (NES), Contra, Super Contra, Double Dragon (NES), Shadow Dancer, Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone, Mega Man 2, Galaxian, Defender, Scramble, Tempest, Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos, Space Harrier, Shadow of the Ninja, Xevious, Devil Blade Reboot, Batsugun, Varyznex, The Hurricane of the Varstray: Collateral Hazard, Alien vs Predator, Shoot 1Up DX, Exed Exes, Gradius, Terra Cresta, Twinbee, Slap Fight, Ninja Gaiden 3: The Ancient Ship of Doom, Streets of Rage 2, Bare Knuckle 3, TMNT 4: Turtles in Time, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, Final Fight 2, Final Fight 3, Knights of the Round, Jackson's shmup diaries on their youtube, Touhou 1 and Touhou 2, Rising Zan: The Samurai Gunman, Devil May Cry, Godhand, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, Froggun, Lode Runner, Tomb Raider

Next Month’s Game Club: Soul Blazer

Music this Episode
Johnny No More byDavid Nowlin and Greg Weber
Rising Zan Them by Hironobu Kageyama, Atsunori Namba, Yoshichika Shimamura
Volcano Island 4 by Justin Scharvona, Karin Griffin and Martin Gwynn Jones
Bonus Theme 1 by Justin Scharvona, Karin Griffin and Martin Gwynn Jones
Snow Island 4 by Justin Scharvona, Karin Griffin and Martin Gwynn Jones

We tackle a newer game this month as we talk about the critically acclaimed adventure game 1000xRESIST. We found plenty to love and plenty to pick at during our time with this one, but it’s exactly the kind of messy game we tend to like around here, so we’re glad we played it and I hope you enjoy listening to us talk through it!

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Balatro, Sonic Colors, Crash Bandicoot, Dynasty Warriors 9 and 3, Saga 1, 1080XRESIST, science fiction metaphors, queer reads, trauma and parents and children, a little bit about China and Hong Kong (but less than you'd think)

Next Month’s Game Club: Rising Zan: Samurai Gunman and Croc: Legend of the Gobbos

Music this Episode
Watcher Haunted by Drew Redman
The Orchard - In Motion by Drew Redman
Inside Sunrise by Drew Redman
Fixer's Song -Extended- by Drew Redman

We close out the year by playing one of the most infamous games we’ve ever covered, a game that has been a running joke and shorthand for bad game for nearly twenty years. And yet, do we find the judgment of history fair? Do we believe in redemption for a certain blue hedgehog and the anime princess who loves him? We’re going to try our best, as we finally play Sonic 06 (with as much help as modding can give us)!

To install Legacy of Solaris for yourself, please watch this video!

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Stellar Blade, Infinity Nikki, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty, Jumping Flash 1 & 2, Sonic Advance 2, Sonic Heroes, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Black Knight, Sonic 06, Sonic at large, the video Jackson referenced Em had no idea about, game projects, controller preferences, dreaming up better worlds for video games

Next Month’s Game Club: 1000xRESIST

Music this Episode
Boss Solaris Phase 2 by Hideaki Kobayashi, Tomoya Ohtani, et al.
Wave Ocean ~ The Inlet ~ by Hideaki Kobayashi, Tomoya Ohtani, et al.
Town Mission 3 by Hideaki Kobayashi, Tomoya Ohtani, et al.
My Destiny (Theme of Elise) by Hideaki Kobayashi, Tomoya Ohtani, et al.

We’re joined by Dia Lacina once again as Ryo continues the next leg of his quest to track down Lan Di, his father’s killer. What strange challenges will he find in China? How does Yu Suzuki follow up one of the most ambitious, incredible games of all time? We find ourselves surprised at almost every turn as Shenmue II goes big and goes small and goes adventuring!

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Stalker 2, watch Dia and Em play Gabriel Knight 3 on Dia's YouTube channel, Vanishing Point, NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup, Super Mega Baseball 4, Streets of Rage, Some Sonic Games, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Mother, Ninja Baseball Bat Man, Arctic Eggs, Shenmue, Shenmue II, Shenmue 3 predictions, the most a game has ever made us laugh

Next Month’s Game Club: Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), the Legacy of Solaris mod (install tutorial video)

Music this Episode
Joy by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Yuzo Koshiro, Ryuji Iuchi, et al.
Queen’s Street by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Yuzo Koshiro, Ryuji Iuchi, et al.
Campfire Discussion by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Yuzo Koshiro, Ryuji Iuchi, et al.
The Path to Destiny by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Yuzo Koshiro, Ryuji Iuchi, et al.

One of the hot new releases of … wait, 1999? That can’t be right. Oh, it’s a fan translation. One of the hot new fan translations hitting the inter-oh I’m being informed the fan translation is from three years ago! How embarrassing. Well, we’ve been meaning to play this one for a hot minute, and when Em finally tried it they were so instantly in love with it they insisted we cover it for the podcast. So we did! Turns out, we had a great time! Please join us as we try to discover what is beyond speed!

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Lollipop Chainsaw, Akiba's Trip, Oneechanbara,Oneechanbara 2, Ys IX Monstrum Nox, Etrian Odyssey, Ratchet and Clank 4 and 5 PS2, Air Comabat, Ace Combat 2, Ace Combat 3, Ace Combat 4, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Racing Lagoon, Racing Lagoon plot summary from Dungeon Chill, Ashita no Joe, Final Fantasy, Initial D, the lost generation and the bubble economy, fan translations, gallery of all the loading screens in Racing Lagoon

Next Month’s Game Club: Shenmue II

Music this Episode
Loop Demo by Takahito Eguchi & Noriko Matsueda
Taiman Battle by Takahito Eguchi & Noriko Matsueda
Yuka Suzuki by Takahito Eguchi & Noriko Matsueda
Forgethill by Takahito Eguchi & Noriko Matsueda

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: We’re Gaming!
(00:54:20) - Segment 2: Racing Lagoon
(02:00:45) - Segment 3: Questions

Sometimes you decide to finally pick up one of those games you’ve always heard of but never got around to, the curiosities that you are pretty sure aren’t must plays, but stick in your brain anyway. Some might argue this has been the history of Abnormal Mapping at large! But this month we do one of the epitomes of this style of game as Em chose one of the big PS2 curiosities from the era of “I can’t believe they localized that!”

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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: PlayStation 5 Pro, Ratchet & Clank PS2 trilogy, Harmful Park, Ranger X, Haunted Castle Revisited, Castlevania Judgment, CybeRRRevolution, Phantasy Star Online, Astro Bot, Mister Mosquito, quirky games

Next Month’s Game Club: Racing Lagoon

Music this Episode
Pit of Peril by Kenneth C M Young
Bossa 1 by Akihito Okawa and Houzou Okazaki
Jazz 1 by Akihito Okawa and Houzou Okazaki
Funk 1 by Akihito Okawa and Houzou Okazaki

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Gaming Catchup
(01:03:00) - Segment 2: Cassette Beasts
(01:43:20) - Segment 3: Questions