Abnormal Mapping is a monthly game club of Em and Jackson, talking primarily about old games with an eye to critiquing without nostalgia.
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Abnormal Mapping Podcasts
The Safe Room is a monthly survival horror game club podcast. Join hosts Grace (@grace_machine) and Ryan (@BluestRose430) as we delve into the history of the survival horror genre, from popular classics to obscure gems. We’re going in deep, so break out your dualshocks and load up your emulators. If you can brave haunted mansions and obtuse puzzles, we’ll see you in The Safe Room!
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A weekly quest by Niamh to guide Em and the listeners through the Icelandic sagas fae loves so much, as we all sit in the dark and feel mortal and small.
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Guns, Girls and Colonialism: that’s right, it’s a James Bond podcast! Jackson and Dia are going on a journey week by week through the movies of the UK’s most famous secret agent, starting with Dr. No and taking us all the way up through the release of Bond 25. We hope you can join us as we relive and reconsider the memories of our favourite imperial assassin across over a half-century of movies.
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The Great Gundam Project has been going for years now, but people still insist on starting Gundam in places other than 0079, so we decided to make the first season free in order to encourage people to watch the hottest show of 1979! Please start with episode zero, which provides some context for the GGP project and how these episodes are in the present day.
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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 friend…
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We finish the saga, reflect on some books, compare horses and mermaids, and much more on this action packed episode. Things Discussed: Nodame Cantabile, Umamusume, A Safe Girl to Love, Guinea Pig 4: Mermaid in a Manhole, Do You Know Who Jackie Is? Opening music for this book is Ferdia’s Song and Gae Bolga by Horslips See the show schedule here! Thi…
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Somehow our boy Cu has managed to turn a gay story even gayer this week, but we soldier on undeterred. We’re just cool and strong like that. Things Discussed: What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; Poker Face season 2; ripping CDs; Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist; music scenes; Vive …
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Rose and Grace enter the very heart of survival horror in Sweet Home. We talk over the genre's (now mostly-absent) RPG roots, the game's campy and self-aware charm, and its systemic adaptation of the source material.By The Safe Room
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A surprise week off due to medical stuff but we’re back with more murder, lots of books, horse girls, and vtubers! Things Discussed: Umamusume Pretty Derby: Road to the Top; Nodame Cantabile; Detransition, Baby; the ren faire; The Blue Fox, galloping ghost gaming, purses, card pack meta, Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood, Alien Autopsy, All F…
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A long episode mostly because Em has started watching movies again. But we have a good time chatting about all sorts of stuff, including the Táin! Things Discussed: FFX metaphysics, DAPs (that’s MP3 players for normal people), Yo Gabba Gabba show, KPop Demon Hunters, The Double Life of Veronique, Red Rooms, Guinea Pig: Devil’s Experiment, Cece and …
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Em survived surgery so she’s getting back in front of a microphone again and talking about anime, vtubers, and other such ALF staples. Please enjoy this short but good episode. We’ll return with sagas next week! Things Discussed: Em’s surgery update, the story of the get well present, hopes on the other side of all this, Niamh’s scheduling woes, Gi…
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We are joined by Dovewhether cohost AP to talk the sci-fi thriller Parasite Eve! We talk over the thrills and foibles of its retro vibes, how protagonist Arya Brea fits into 90s “strong female protagonists” and its weirdo action RPG combat. Listen to dovewhether: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dovewhether/id1716976125 Follow Dovewhether on b…
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The final episode before our little break, we talk about Cú Chulainn, some books, and the vtuber news of the week. Things Discussed: death and illness, Detransition, Baby, Tehanu, the Vshojo implosion, Nimi Nightmare is getting married!, Pootan 2 and 3 Opening music for this book is Ferdia’s Song and Gae Bolga by Horslips See the show schedule here…
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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 frien…
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Around the Long Fire 107: Táin Bó Cúailnge, Intro and part I
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We pivot to Irish myth and legend this week as our hosts really struggle with exhaustion and life, but there’s st8ill plenty to talk about. Things Discussed: health and reasons for exhaustion (the FMLA paperwork did get done!), the reading of this book aloud, Tehanu, Nodame Cantabile, Niamh plays a new video game, Persona 4 and 5, Freckled1der's Pe…
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We finish off La Vita Nuova, and have a general chat mostly about what we’ve been reading. Please enjoy! Things Discussed: the weather, Seattle part 1, Niamh's got a throat thing, upcoming time off, what to do between Seattle parts, Seattle part 2, crab boils and Reubens, Dune Messiah, Gender Outlaw, Nodame Cantabile, The Sluts, Question Bucket x2,…
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We break format and put the Pootans in various places around the episode. You know, figured we’d get a little meta with it. Dante has a bad dream, but it’s fine. :) Things Discussed: Blue Prince, Pokémon Sleep, Hokuto and Kamiyama's Pondering Pootan, Vinyl, Researching Purchases, The Lathe of Heaven, Nodame Cantabile, Clothing Disaster, Eureka Seve…
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cw: suicide, self-harm, drug use Rose and Grace are joined by Cameron Kunzelman of Ranged Touch to talk over the Sega Saturn game D and its Dreamcast pseudo-sequel D2. We discuss how D2 at once presages the modern "cinematic" game and is something totally different, its wide swings at serious profundity, and how damn long everything takes in both o…
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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 yo…
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We begin season five of Around the Long Fire by going back to the classics that forged Em into the weirdo she is today, as we crack open Dante and talk about pining and eating hearts, among other things. Usual ALF fun follows, in classic fashion. Things Discussed: Dante studies, Wotakoi, Nodame Cantabile, Hey Kids Watch This, The Beginning of the S…
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The mighty question bucket arrives and we manage to get through about 30% of the questions we got. We’ll hold onto these and chip away at them in the future, thank you to everyone who wrote in and also thank you to Autumn for showing up this season! NOTE: Autumn’s audio is a little weird, hopefully they aren’t too quiet I did my best to adjust them…
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We watch a modern adaptation of BA reframing it as a story of the now. How does it do? Wellllllll, not great, turns out. Things Discussed: scams, King of Fighters characters and other fighting games, Wotakoi, Autumn not finishing manga, Dune Non-Autumn Zone: Faggots, armpits, haircuts, recording podcasts while sick, Switch 2, Hokuto and Kamiyama’s …
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Sorry, We're Closed is a lush and vivid look at relationships, love, and break-ups with shades of Buffy, Silent Hill 3, and Killer 7. Grace and Rose discuss its eroticism, grounded writing, and combat contrivances.By The Safe Room
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Around the Long Fire 101: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 14 "My Dream of the Dream of Franz Biberkopf by Alfred Döblin, an Epilogue"
A century of excellence comes to a close and we reach the end of the tale of Franz Biberkopf for the second time, but certainly not the last. We get reflective about our time adjacent to or within games culture on this episode, and then rotate some stupid Star Trek stuff for a bit. Things Discussed: Animal Crossing, star ratings, Nerissa musical, G…
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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 frien…
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Around the Long Fire 100: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 13 "The Outside and the Inside and the Secret of Fear of the Secret"
A century of excellence comes to a close and we reach the end of the tale of Franz Biberkopf for the second time, but certainly not the last. We get reflective about our time adjacent to or within games culture on this episode, and then rotate some stupid Star Trek stuff for a bit. Things Discussed: Idle Thumbs, Giant Bomb, Star Gladiator, Rival Sc…
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Around the Long Fire 99: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 12 "The Serpent in the Soul of the Serpent"
It feels in many ways like the entire season was building to this episode, though I’m sure we’ll feel the same way in two weeks. A harrowing show today, and then we enjoy talking about some manga and some books, before Em gets heated about Online and we reflect on the Autumn months (months with Autumn as co-host, not the months of fall). Things Dis…
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Things go bad on this episode of Berlin Alexanderplatz and they probably won’t go right again until we’re done, so please hang on for the next few weeks. We still have a good episode, even if the mood on the saga is melancholy. Things Discussed: fursonas, Abnormal Mapping, Pondering Pootan, Honey and Clover, misremembering the plot of Forrest Gump,…
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Around the Long Fire 97: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 10 "Loneliness Tears Cracks of Madness Even in Walls"
We get to one of our favorite sections of the book we’d been eagerly seeing adapted, and then have Vtuber talk so long that it ends up taking up two whole segments. Also Em and Autumn get on a goddamn tear about the internet and how people spend their attention. It’s a bit of a gripe session, but hopefully people enjoy it. Things Discussed: Vtubers…
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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 podc…
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Alisa is both thematically light and aesthetically ornate, a loving, smart throwback that is super annoying. In this episode, Grace and Rose work through how exactly it curates such a clockwork feast and how it manages to grate and delight in equal measure. Next time: Sorry, We’re ClosedBy The Safe Room
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Around the Long Fire 96: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 9 "About the Eternities Between the Many and the Few"
Berlin Alexanderplatz discovered a whole new gear of simmering homosexuality so we’re having a good time even before Franz decided to berate some anarchists and we hoot and holler about politics in this rowdy episode. Then the rest happens, as usual. It’s a great time. As usual. Things Discussed: Gamer Supps (we know about the gamer supps thing but…
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Around the Long Fire 95: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 8 "The Sun Warms the Skin, but Burns It Sometimes Too"
We have more announcements as the next season is finally revealed! It’s … very ambitious. Also, Autumn finished Persona 4, we talk about the silent protagonist, Niamh gets a very cool tattoo, and Em talks about some of the weirdness around meeting new people online. Question Bucket, Season 5 Revealed!, Persona 4, Silent Protagonists, Persona 5, She…
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Around the Long Fire 94: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 7 "Remember — An Oath Can Be Amputated"
We’re worn out and trying to get the podcast in under two and a half hours from start to finish. We manage it, but barely! We yap a lot about vtubers, Atlus games, and of course good ol’ Franz Biberkopf. Also, we announce an upcoming special episode at the beginning! The main thing is the Metaphor game club comes to a close we both finished the gam…
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Kind of split on this episode of Berlin Alexanderplatz, but we manage to have a good time anyway as Autumn and Niamh watch one of Em’s favorite movies and we have a big long chat about Agnes Varda! Also, Autumn is playing Persona 4 now, so we’re talking about the investigation team and how we approach RPGs. Things Discussed: Passenger (yahoo anime …
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We return to the Fatal Frame franchise with its Nintendo debut, this time with a new co-developer Grasshopper Manufacture. Join us as we discuss the game’s various Wii-era “innovations,” the many facets of its bloated story, and whether this moonlit adventure shines as bright as previous entries in the series.…
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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…
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Around the Long Fire 92: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) Part 5 "A Reaper with the Power of Our Lord"
We meet Reinhold and the homosexual quotient goes off the charts. For Berlin Alexanderplatz. Long Fire remains about as gay as usual (read: very). A great time with a fantastic episode this week. Things Discussed: NANA, vtuber corner including shipping thoughts, therapy talk, The Farthest Shore with broader Earthsea talk, Dune, Studio Ghibli, Catho…
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Around the Long Fire 91: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 4 "A Reaper with the Power of Our Lord"
Slaughterhouse! We have a great time talking about Franz’ terrible time, and talk about a bunch else besides. Em undergoes SMT madness. Things Discussed: Good news to open the show, listen to And Then An Aeroplane, vtuber corner, Hotaru and Kamiyama's Pondering Pootan, GGP talk including Gundam the Origin Spoilers, Niamh does tai chi, getting mad a…
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Around the Long Fire 90: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) part 3, "A Hammer Blow to the Head Can Injure the Soul"
Berlin Alexanderplatz gets sad, Franz shops for flowers, Niamh and Em attack Autumn for bad game takes, and we all talk some gender. Also, more Metaphor and the end of How Do We Relationship! ALSO NOTE: Autumn’s audio is just going to have radiator hiss until winter breaks. It’s fine. Happy birthday Niamh and Em, Export Audio returns, grilling Autu…
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Around the Long Fire 89: Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980), part 2, "How Is One to Live if One Doesn’t Want to Die?"
Berlin Alexanderplatz keeps cooking, we chat about a bunch of this and that as this episode it’s quite as full of Things We Finished as last week, and we get back to Metaphor: ReFantazio with a huge update as the plot really begins to pick up and Niamh makes a bunch of predictions that all instantly come true. We’ll talk about it next week. ALSO NO…
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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 …
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We begin the enormous Fassbinder television miniseries adaptation of Berlin Alexanderplatz and immediately find it much more representative of our feelings about the book and its structures. Also, Fassbinder is just incredibly good at shooting some handsome if unpleasant television. Biberkopf might be suffering, but we are not. ALSO NOTE: Autumn’s …
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The Safe Room takes a detour into the surreal and absurd with 2024’s Indika. We discuss the game’s commentary on religion, the unique and entertaining formal choices the game makes, and the second hand pain of playing a video game that features a bunch of straight people. Also, this was nominated for The Game Award’s Games for Change?…
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We begin season 4 with a third host joining for the next few months and some surprising new announcements as we begin to cover the adaptations of classic novel Berlin Alexanderplatz, starting with a movie made only two years after the book was released. After that we get into our usuals, including tons of manga talk this episode! Please enjoy! Thin…
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Egil’s Saga ends quiet and melancholy as we wrap up our season with a shorter episode due to illness. We did rank all the sagas, however, and talk about that, and also there’s a short manga segment to round things out. Sorry for the short one, hopefully things will be back at full energy next week! Things discussed: the ranking of sagas, Magic Knig…
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We continue to enjoy Egil’s Saga even though he does the grossest possible thing this week. Then, we have a big chat about rereading Paradise Kiss (we’re only through chapter 14 or so), a little talk about the state of the world, and then the Metaphor game club returns as we both tackle an enormous new dungeon! Things discussed: The Pondering Poota…
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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 a…
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A shorter saga paradoxically means a longer saga chat as we cut our reading and increase our happiness. We spend the middle portion of this podcast mostly talking about each other’s podcasts, in the most self-indulgent fashion, but the last third of the podcast covers Em finishing the Evangelion manga and they had a lot of thoughts about it, their …
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Em’s back from vacation, but we’re both too tired for sagas this week so instead we mostly talk about some movies we watched. The main event, of course, is Adolescence of Utena, but on either side of that is a lot of other fun stuff I hope people enjoy! Things discussed: FWMC new outfits, Em in Chicago!, Bluebeard's Castle, Evangelion manga, Ponder…
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We’re tired and busy so this one is not us at our best and brightest, but we try to have a good pod anyway. Next week we’re actually taking off reading the saga, ignore what we say in this episode, we’ll mostly just talk about some movies we watched probably. Things discussed: legal name changes, How Do We Relationship (through to chapter 127), sch…
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We start our final saga of the season and whew it’s a long one! Egil doesn’t even show up in this reading! But we cover all the goings on leading up to his birth, the fickleness of kings, and then spend our time catching up on what we did over the holidays. Things discussed: holidays, what we've been up to, Tokyo Godfathers, Revolutionary Girl Uten…
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cw: suicide, death, the plague Grace and Rose enter the plagued town and explore its thematic shades of death and life, roles and personhood, ease and difficulty that permiate its walls and earth. Find some bread and meat and sit down with us!By The Safe Room
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I wanted to get a Handheld Talk episode out for the holiday but unfortunately, due to my own carelessness, my files for that have been lost. Instead, enjoy this little playlist I threw together featuring songs from games we played this year. Hope you enjoy! See you soon for our Pathologic 2 episode. —Rose Playlist: "Two of Everything" by Tori Beaum…
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