We leap back in time to the Mega Drive to talk about two action classics back when action games meant jumping and avoiding and not perfect parries. Not exactly divisive that we enjoy these types of games, but the generational split is very real as we talk about these two classics of game. Join us, for a walk down memory lane (Sega edition).

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: Roboquest, NiER: Reincarnation, Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide, Needy Streamer Overload, Blazing Lazers, Felvidek, Binding of Isaac, Dynamite Headdy, Ristar, Gunstar Heroes, Beyond Oasis, Zelda, Angry Video Game Nerd

Next Month’s Game Club: Myst III: Exile

Music this Episode
Opening Theme by Katsuhiko Suzuki, Yasuko, et al
You're Izayoi by Katsuhiko Suzuki, Yasuko, et al
Indication by Yuzo Koshiro
Ending by Yuzo Koshiro

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:33:30) - Segment 2: Dynamite Headdy and Beyond Oasis
(01:32:10) - Segment 3: Questions

We finish our long Final Fantasy adventure by playing Square’s largest single player Final Fantasy yet. But does size equal quality? Does it equal ambition? We have many thoughts about this and about where the entire Final Fantasy VII Remake Project has gone and is heading in this enormous podcast about an equally enormous game. After dozens of hours, we are left with one simple question: why do we do this to ourselves?

1. Because we were ready to game
2. Because we were sure of quality
3. Because we were clueless

Trick question. The correct answer was: because it’s our job.

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, Cosmo Cheats at Poker, Rise of the Ronin, Jackson's piece on the ending of FF7 Rebirth, Jackson's Rise of the Ronin review, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, every other Final Fantasy on earth but ones with specific spoilers include: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Intergrade, and Crisis Core, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy XVI

Next Month’s Game Club: Beyond Oasis and Dynamite Headdy

Music this Episode
The Fight for Naming Rights by Mitsuto Suzuki, Masashi Hamauzu, and others
Let's Go, Mt. Corel! by Mitsuto Suzuki, Masashi Hamauzu, and others
Queen's Blood by Mitsuto Suzuki, Masashi Hamauzu, and others
Crazy Chocobo by Mitsuto Suzuki, Masashi Hamauzu, and others

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:30:00) - Segment 2: Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
(01:57:34) - Segment 3: Questions

We’re joined by Molly for the return of one of the classics, a guy who just needs to jump over every spike in all the world, conveniently located in a beautiful palace. That’s right, we’re here to talk about the return of Prince of Persia, and the surprising ways Ubisoft have melded the last ten years of exceptional platforming games into something with its own identity.

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: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Granblue Fantasy: Relink and Granblue Fantasy, Pseudoregalia, Iconoclasts, Monster World IV, Prince of Persia, Immortality, Another Code: Recollection, Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a bunch of Metroidvania stuff broadly

Next Month’s Game Club: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Music this Episode
Managarmr, Sequestrian Primal by Tsutomu Narita
Hanging Gardens of Mont Qaf by Mentrix
Frozen as it Falls by Mentrix
End Credits by Mentrix

Timestamps
(00:03:30) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:37:10) - Segment 2: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
(01:33:15) - Segment 3: Questions

We interrupt your regularly scheduled coverage with a special announcement: Jackson has played the Final Fantasy XIII games, at last. Despite the frankly illegal amount of Final Fantasy content lately they were not going to let that go to waste. They are joined by Erin (@Woodabris, Woodaba on Youtube) to discuss the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, with a little Type 0 in there. It’s time to get remember: Fabula Nova Crystallis.

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: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Final Fantasy Type-0, Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XVI, Final Fantasy XII, Mass Effect (lol).

Next Month’s Game Club: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Music this Episode
The Promise by Masashi Hamauzu
Caius’ Theme by Naoshi Mizuta
Zero by Bump of Chicken

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:10:30) - Final Fantasy XIII
(00:51:00) - Final Fantasy XIII-2
(01:30:00) - Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII
(02:27:10) - Questions

We’re going back to the heady days of licensed multi-platform games in the early 00s this month as we play 007: Everything or Nothing and talk about the era of arcane save processes, weird genre mashups, awful final missions, and the ways in which the whole medium could turn on a relatively short dime to become something new. Was this game an unheralded prelude to the next-gen era? Maybe! We talk about 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: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Final Fantasy Type-0, Final Fantasy XIV, GoldenEye, The Binding of Isaac, Star Ocean The Second Story R, Octopath Traveler II, 007: Everything or Nothing, 007: NightFire

Next Month’s Game Club: Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Music this Episode
Gun Barrel by Sean Callery and Jeff Tymoschuk
Everything or Nothing by Mya
Theme of RENA by Motoi Sakuraba
The Leaflands (Day) by Yasunori Nishiki
Nearly Civilized by Esthero

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:32:00) - Segment 2: 007: Everything or Nothing
(01:58:10) - Segment 3: Questions

We close out the year with a podcast years in the making, as Molly joins us and we take a road trip with the king to be and his homies and play the much maligned but beloved by us Final Fantasy XV! This podcast will cover the main game and the first three episode DLCs (Gladio, Prompto, Ignis), and there’ll be a follow up podcast on the patreon (free for everyone) in about a week covering the movie, the anime, Episode Ardyn, and the Awful Book. Please look forward to 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: Coral Island, Granblue Fantasy Versus, The 3rd Birthday, Oboeshoesgames video on The 3rd Birthday, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, Air Combat, The Binding of Isaac, Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy broadly

Next Month’s Game Club: James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing

Music this Episode
APOCALYPSIS NOCTIS by Yoko Shimomura
Valse di Fantastica by Yoko Shimomura
Somnus by Yoko Shimomura
Main Theme from FINAL FANTASY by Yoko Shimomura

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:29:10) - Segment 2: Final Fantasy XV
(01:58:10) - Segment 3: Questions

We keep gaming as we tackle a bunch of small games in a classic grab bag and talk through a whole mess of games that are interesting and worthwhile but often have one or two extremely obvious parts that hold it back. Some of them are reasonable critiques, some of them are just the unfortunate realities of game production, some are just The Times. I think the array of responses and games really makes for a solid episode however, and I hope you’ll agree!

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!

Here’s Where To Get All Four Games This Month:
BETON BRUTAL
The Red Lantern
Inertial Drift (+ DLC)
Silent Bomber

Things Discussed: Signalis, Heretic, Jusant, Valis III, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Bros Wonder, The Red Lantern, Firewatch, Beton Brutal, Getting Over It, Inertial Drift, production values in video games, Silent Bomber, the PSX aesthetic, Sean Seanson's video on Silent Bomber, TheGamingBritShow's video on Silent Bomber, petting the dog, Oboe Shoes Games a guy we like a lot, watch Em and Dia play The Dagger of Amon Ra

Next Month’s Game Club: Final Fantasy XV and the four Episode DLCs

Music this Episode
Practice by Micfrog
Mission 03 by Chikayo Fukuda
Coming Home by Hrishikesh Hirway
Shooting Star Overdrive by Turbo

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:32:00) - Segment 2: Grab Bag 2023
(01:48:59) - Segment 3: Questions

It’s Jackson here with a surprise episode of Abnormal Mapping! This was meant to be a bonus anniversary surprise but scheduling woes got it pushed back a week, but that’s not important: I finally played Majora’s Mask. And I’m joined by my good friend Crystal to talk about it.

Things Discussed: Majora’s Mask, most Zeldas, some Resident Evil.

Next Month’s Game Club: Grab Bag! 2023
BETON BRUTAL
The Red Lantern
Inertial Drift (+ DLC)
Silent Bomber

Music this Episode
Opening by Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi
End Credits by Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi

We’ve been doing this for ten years! Damn, that’s a long time to be doing a monthly game club. But we’ll keep trucking into our second decade as we start a series that neither of us have played before. We’re joined by a guest, Shenmue superfan Dia Lacina, to talk about Ryo and his ridiculous quest for vengeance. Please enjoy this supersized episode, and thank you for however long you’ve been listening!

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: a decade of excellence!, Retro Mystery Club Vol 1: The Ise-Shima Case, Shadow the Hedgehog: Reloaded, Half-Life, Journal Updated's episode on Half-Life, Digital Eclipse's new Wizardry remaster, The Lamplighters League, The Secret History of Mac Gaming book, Letterforms & Illusions, Drakmyth Castle, Forza Motorsport (2023), Game Tengoku CruisinMix Special, Jet Set Radio Future, Ys VIII, Shenmue, arcade games vs computer games, a history of being too online in games

Next Month’s Game Club: Grab Bag! 2023
BETON BRUTAL
The Red Lantern
Inertial Drift (+ DLC)
Silent Bomber

Music this Episode
Shenmue by Ryuji Iuchi
Working Man by Ryuji Iuchi
Nightfall by Ryuji Iuchi
Wish... (Vocal Version) by Yumiko Yamamoto

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:47:45) - Segment 2: Shenmue
(01:40:50) - Segment 3: Questions

We celebrate a century and a half of excellence this month as we talk about 3D platforming as we take a thorough look at Demon Turf and talk about platforming for sickos, designing games around the expectations of Nintendo Polish, and what that means in terms of expectations and the war within ourselves to appraise a thing.

Demon Turf is really good, if you like 3D platformers, absolutely check it out, it’s something really special! Ambitious in a way few other games in this space are.

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: Paradise Killer, Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, El Viento, Top Gear 2, Donkey Kong 94, getting into the weeds about Donkey Kong, Demon Turf, 3D Mario games, Spark 3, 3D Sonic games, Lunistice

Next Month’s Game Club: Shenmue

Music this Episode
Blown Away by Kevin MacLeod
Lets Get Porked Up by Fat Bard
Hot N Cold Beats by Fat Bard
Damps Sea Dog Shanty by Fat Bard

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:33:30) - Segment 2: Demon Turf
(01:24:45) - Segment 3: Questions

We’re back with one of the obvious classics of all time, a game neither of us had played before this month but came like a lighting strike into our lives with its charm and brevity and interesting vision of early 3D RPG design. That’s right, it’s time to servbot up some exploration, with a dash of adventure, you dig? Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Please 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: Deathsmiles, Prehistoric Isle II, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Thronefall, Bowser's Fury, Duke Nukem 3D, Holocure, Venba, En Garde!, go check out Em and Dia playing Gabriel Knight 2 and Flower Sun and Rain!, Mega Man Legends, Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid, Tomb Raider, Metroid Prime, the Mega Man franchise at large, making 3D games from 2D franchises, the reviews of yesteryear

Next Month’s Game Club: Demon Turf

Music this Episode
Another Sun by Makoto Tomozawa
The Main Gate by Makoto Tomozawa
The Apple Market by Makoto Tomozawa
Anata no Kaze ga Fuku Kara by Morishita Reika

Timestamps
(00:00:00) - Segment 1: Games Played
(00:38:39) - Segment 2: Mega Man Legends
(01:16:16) - Segment 3: Questions