Surprise! One final Abnormal Mapping before the end of the year. Jackson is joined today by Erin to get thoughts down about the most baffling Game of the Year in recent history, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It is a game that has kicked off a ton of discourse most of which talks around the actual game itself, which is what this podcast is about. I could not care less about France vs Japan I want to talk about this game’s weird fucking ending.

Erin can be found on bsky here, go give them a follow!!

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: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Final Fantasy, Myst, Diablo

Next Month’s Game Club: Simogo Legacy Collection

Music this Episode
Until You’re Gone by Lorien Testard
Gestral Market by Lorien Testard

This one was in the can way before the new Mega Man was announced, but I’m glad they finally listened to us and made another one of these. But we went back to the first evolution of classic Mega Man with two of the less respected but surprisingly disparate entries in the Mega Man series. Hope you 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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Xbox is still dead, Silksong, Violent Storm, Q-Up, Dynasty Warriors 4, Myst IV: Revelation

Next Month’s Game Club: Simogo Legacy Collection

Music this Episode
Electrical Communication by GANASIA
Astro Man by Shusaku Uchiyama
Clown Man by Shusaku Uchiyama
Brandnew Way by GANASIA

This Abnormal Mapping needed an extra week to cook, but it’s finally here for you to enjoy! We talk about a bunch of arcade games, Capcom’s inability to tell a good story (charm point), and Jackson is the one who brings up gacha this time??? Please enjoy the 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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Xbox is dead, Mega Man, Violent Storm, Duet Night Abyss, Ball X Pit, Inazuma Eleven, Silksong, Mushihimesama, Batsugun, Castlevania the Arcade, Major Havok, Skins Game, Onimusha, Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, Resident Evil

Next Month’s Game Club: Mega Man 7/8 at the end of the month!

Music this Episode
Rising Sun - 1st Movement by Takashi Niigaki
Onimusha (Demon Warrior) by Takashi Niigaki
Ai by Takashi Niigaki
a secret blast from the past song

After months of chipping away at it Em finally completed Persona 5 Royal, which means she invited two of her most Shin Megami Tensei-brained friends to come on and talk about the game. And oh boy, did they ever talk about the game. Over two nights! This is a big one.

Niamh podcasts on Export Audio with Ghost Divers and Ornate Stairwells in addition to Around the Long Fire on our network. Fae posts on bluesky at foxmomnia.exportaud.io and on twitter @foxmomnia

Ina doesn’t have a regular podcast but sometimes remembers to watch 2WBY and show up on the podcast! You can find her on bsky and read her fanfic on AO3.

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: Armored Core, Long Live the Queen, Umamusume,

Next Month’s Game Club: Onimusha: Warlords and then Mega Man 7/8

Music this Episode
Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There by Shoji Meguro
No More What Ifs by Shoji Meguro
Beneath the Mask by Shoji Meguro
Rivers in the Desert by Shoji Meguro

Some games are just very okay to the point where you don’t have too much to say about them, but thankfully we have some other gaming to keep us going as we poked through some photos and perspective puzzles this month.

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: gaming news, Persona 5 Royal,  Dragon Warrior III, Silksong, Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight, Colin McRay Rally 2.0, Marvel Infinity War, Charlie Murder, Zombie Vikings, Alltynex, Raiden Fighters, Strider (2014), Mega Man X 2-5, Viewfinder

Next Month’s Game Club: Onimusha: Warlords (and Bonus Persona 5 Royal podcast!)

Music this Episode
Wake Up Your Hero by Masanori Akita
Boss Area (Aces Version) by Yasuhiro Hashimoto
X vs Zero by Naoto Tanaka, Naoya Kamisaka, and Takuya Miyawaki
Yume Wo Kakeru by Kenta Higashiohji

We played a classic of the greatest console ever made, the Nintendo 64, this month! How did Em find returning to a game she 100%ed long ago? How did Ace Combat superfan Jackson find Nintendo’s take on the genre? All this and more in this 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 [email protected]!

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

Things Discussed: Switch 2, PS5 price hikes, San Francisco Rush, Hydro Thunder, Wave Race 64, Extreme G, F Zero X, Mario Kart 64, Star Wars Episode 1 Racer, Ridge Racer Type 4, Gran Turismo, Sega Rally 2, Persona 5, Star Fox 64

Next Month’s Game Club: Viewfinder

Music this Episode
Opening by Koji Kondo
Area 6 by Koji Kondo
Aquas by Koji Kondo
Star Wolf Theme by Koji Kondo

A small and fascinating puzzle game gets us through a rough month this week as we talk about score chasing, the tone of indie games in aesthetics vs mechanics vs story, our feelings about short games, and more. This was a pretty solid little 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: Switch 2, Persona 4 and 5 (Freckled1der's daily Persona 4 LP ), NBA 2k12, NFL Blitz, Super Tennis, Sports games at large, Juufuutei Raden's Guide for Pixel Museum, play Gary's game Bite the Hand, Touhou 3

Next Month’s Game Club: Star Fox 64

Music this Episode
Virtua Tennis introduction
Cult Jam, Pts 1-2 by Aidan Baker
FIFA Anthem by Franz Lambert, Rob May, Simon Hill
Marisa Kirisame’s Theme ~ Dimensional Dream by ZUN

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