Tag: pokemon

Bottom to Top: A Switch’s Pokemon Journey

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Pokemon is a series close to my heart. From my first playthrough of Pokemon Blue on my Gameboy Color back in the late 90s to the present day. While many fans have diversified their interest inot other fields (apparently robbing stores for trading cards is now the norm?), I have steadfastly kept my interest for the series focused only on video game releases. And while the Switch 2 had not truly piqued for interest (because, let’s be honest, only Donkey Kong Bonanza felt like amust-play title at time of release. Here’s hoping the new Fire Emblem will be the next big draw to upgrading), I was terrified Pokemon Legends: Z-A might suffer many of the performance issues that had plagued Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet. In my mind, an upgraded console was jsut the ticket.

So, it was in mid-October when I picked up my pre-ordered bundle at the local EB Games store. But while having a new console in hand did excite me, I still had many titles I needed to finish on the original Switch. It did not help that I had also recently purchased Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. But, despite all the barriers, I had to still set up my new Switch 2. Once that was done, I, of course, had to install the game as well. It was, after all, on a download code, and I could not risk it expiring.

But even though I was ready to play Pokemon Legends: Z-A from the start of its release, I only ever picked it up on-and-off during Christmas and the first month of th year as I was preoccupied with getting other titles out of my backlog to clear some space for new games in 2026. That said, I did peck at it – getting through the early missions with as much gusto as any bright-eyed tourist who gets wrangled into becoming a Pokemon trainer and forced to join the Z-A Royale. During the quiet moments between other games, I tried to catch as many unique Pokemon as I could in the Wild Zones while ensuring my team was sufficiently overlevelled to tackle any problem the game might throw my way.

It was not until my trip to Tasmania that I decided to give Pokemon Legends: Z-A my full attention. Even if it included committing to terrible French accents in the room I shared with my grandma.

Thankfully, I had the foresight not to voice ALL characters with a French accent. In fact, most either had my default Australian accent or a posh Received Pronunciation. Occasionally, I’d throw in my interpretation of a generic American accent.

From a narrative standpoint, Pokemon Legends: Z-A does not truly pick up until Main Mission 9 where you, as the player character, encounter your first Rogue Mega Evolved Pokemon on the streets of Lumoise. It is here that you become an invaluable member of Team MZ as you balance rising up the ranks of the Z-A Royale and calming the poor Pokemon affected by Rogue Mega Evolution (always three). Unfortunately, the formula becomes quite rote as you embroil yourself with the various factors calling Lumiose home (Rust Syndicate, Society of Battle Connoisseurs, Canatics and the Justice League), attend strategy meetings once Vinnie from Quasartico calls with a list of Pokemon at risk of undergoing Rogue Mega Evolution, and going out to stave off any possible danger to the citizens of the city. Along the way, there are a number of side missions to also distract and lend itself to the lore of Pokemon.

While the main story does tackle darker themes of legacy and how the sins of the past can lead to repercussions in the present, most of these are glossed over by the player character’s happy-go-lucky attitude. Even when we confront members of Team Flare Nouveau, they soon join our side after unsuccessfully trying to convince us AZ is a terrible villain. That said, I’m surprised we never got the option to refute the ‘evidence’ they presented. After all, none of it could be proven and there was only one supposed source of information. How do I, as the player character, verify their claims? For all I know they could have RotomGPT their supposed findings on the Ultimate Weapon and Ange.

Still, if there was one thing I enjoyed about the story, it was how everyone came together to try and make Lumiose a better place. Even with the threat of Prism Tower going berserk and wreaking havoc near the end (along with the epic team-up with metamorphing Zygarde).

But playing a Pokemon game has never really been about the story. It’s about enjoying oneself in a make-believe world with a range of kooky characters and battling our hearts out.

In this, Pokemon Legends: Z-A did not disappoint. I enjoyed participating in Jacinthe’s tournament (and how she managed to infiltrate Team MZ’s strategy meetings through hologram. Then there was her own peronalised Jacinthe Zone. Alors, she should have been the ghost type trainer instead of fairy), Corbeau actually being a great big softie even as he ran a yakuza-lite organisation of do-gooders, and the revelation that it is Canari’s grandfather who actually has control of the holo live version of the gaming streamer.

There were even a number of Side Missions I enjoyed, including one about a missing child and her Litwick. Nintendo, being as family friendly as they are, surprised me with the jump scares. Then, of course, there was the Side Mission with the workaholic police officer and Shuppet, the empath and her Sylveon…and the movie director who wanted to shoot documentaries about terrifying Pokemon only to find they were actually sweet and adorable instead.

Gameplay-wise, Pokemon Legends: Z-A changes up the usual tried and true formula. While there had been hints of it in earlier titles like Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Pokemon Legends: Z-A is the first time where battles are in real time. What this means is that both you, the player, and Pokemon can move around during the battle and reposition as needed. Theoretically, this allows your Pokemon partners to dodge attacks but I found it was much easier to take a hit or two as I launched a supereffective attack. Given the limitation area for battles and how more often than not your Pokemon partner merely lags behind you as you dash around, means getting out of the hit boxes for certain moves just isn’t feasible. Especially when you only start running when they’re winding up.

The only times I found it truly useful was for Future Sight, Substitute, Rock Tomb and when other trainers might try to lay a trap (for example, Stealth Rock or Toxic Spikes). Otherwise, in Rogue Mega Evolution battles, it was easier to return my Pokemon to its Pokeball as I tried to evade special moves taking up a majority of the battlefield.

That said, I’ll never get tired of being able to peg Pokeballs at unsuspecting Pokeball from the tall grass and watch as they get added to my box.

One of the key changes implemented by Pokemon Legends: Z-A is the removal of PP (Power Points). And this, perhaps, is the strongest argument for the shift to real-time battles. Replaced with cooldowns, you, as the Trainer, are no longer limited to only being able to fire off five Fire Blasts before having to use a restorative item to renew the number of uses. Instead, you can readily have your Pokemon use the same overpowered move again and again without worrying about wasting it.

Pokemon Legends: Z-A also kept a number of key quality-of-life improvements, including accessing boxes from the menu. It also introduced a number of its own, including the ability to freely change moves around when not in battle. This freed me up to experiment with a number of moves. And, given how the Z-A Royale has a number of Bonus Card objectives that limit you to particular status conditions or move types, being able to change my Pokemon’s moves allows me to quite easily complete these to earn additional coin and points.

Of course, like every Pokemon game, though, the repetitive gameplay loop did become a little stale by the end. Of note were Mable’s Research Tasks to unlock the Shiny Charm, the Side Missions requiring you to use a particular Pokemon (especially as these were only unlocked late to end-game), and the Infinite Z-A Royale (where you had to go through 15 challenges just to wrap up Taunie/ Urbain’s story arc and be given the chance to actually catch Zygarde).

While I would have liked to dismiss these as minor quibbles, Pokemon Legends: Z-A doesn’t do much to change up the Pokemon formula. Given how rote everything plays out, not to mention the limited nature of Lumiose City, Pokemon Legends: Z-A doesn’t quite reach the heights that the best Pokemon games have. In fact, there were many parts that dragged or felt like a chore as I played through, and I would have much preferred if I wasn’t forced into running around on minor fetch quests just to progress.

But hey, at least I got to look fabulous while doing so!

On a side note, PLEASE INCLUDE VOICE ACTING FOR POKEMON WIND AND WAVES, GAMEFREAK! Why have cinematic cutscenes that fail to land because you forgot to hire VOICE ACTORS?

Also, if Beast of Reincarnation releases with VOICES ACTING, that’s ALL the MORE reason why you need to include it in your POKEMON games.

False Alarm

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Since the return of PAXAus following the disruptive events of the pandemic, I’ve been three times. Yet despite my initial excitement of attending (I mean, it’s PAX! Supposedly the slickest thing for all would-be gamers to attend), it seems fitting my lack of enthusiasm was encapsulated by an evacuation on Day 2. Orderly, though it was, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Especially since my annual pilgrimage down to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in October would come to a halt, not with a bang, but with a whimper. And one outside of my control.

The day started off similarly to PAXAus Day 1. Bleachpanda and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the hotel before heading down Spencer Street. Along the way, we joined fellow pilgrims heading down to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Many were in cosplay while others sported iconic PAX merchandise.

Given we’d did a lot of shopping the day before (or, in this instance, I did), the two of us decided it was better to look around what indie games were on display and try our hand on a few (if we were so inclined).

But, if I’m being honest? There weren’t a lot of games that caught my eye.

Many on display had chosen to go down a roguelike route while others preferred using deck-based combat. Admittedly, there is nothing wrong with developers choosing to go down this route. It’s just that it didn’t much appeal to my sensibilities.

Take Zodiac Mountain, for example. While the premise of a panda wishing to unseat the twelve other zodiac animals in East Asian mythology was interesting, the gameplay mechanics left much to be desired. Coupled with the fact it wasn’t exactly the most polished game, I quickly lost interest.

The same went for Sinthetic. In fact, I’d even played the demo last year at PAXAUs 2024. But while the flat models for cutscenes had been refined and its cyberpunk influenced world contained a lot of promise, the gameplay simply wasn’t at a level that sold me this was a ‘must-play’ title. That’s not even mentioning the flat textures in so many parts of the world.

Still, there were several games that did catch my eye but didn’t quite sit within my wheelhouse of games I’d play. These, of course, were the multiplayer and party games. The ones you’d break out when guests are over.

As for the ones that I might add to my Steam wishlist? Gateworlds seemed charming enough even if I wasn’t sold on the graphics. There was also another game, The Hell: City Builder of the Dead (thank you Google), that had you building up numerous Cities of the Dead for various cultures (even if there was a typo in their trailer on the exhibition floor). Dikottir would later inform me he, too, liked the feel of the game. The only problem? How tone deaf it was to have victims of natural disasters consigned to the ninth circle of Hell, their souls used as resources to build up my very own Hell city.

And my final real-time strategy game that I might entertain the idea of picking up and playing? Grove Keeper. There was just something about building up a grove instead of cutting down trees for lumber that intrigued me.

Other games that intrigued me included Schrodinger’s Cat Burglar, Enfant and Bones: Wandering Soul. These games all had a distinct style to them that made them stand out from the crowd of other titles on display. Whether or not I’ll follow them until release is still up in the air.

Once we’d had a look at all the upcoming titles expected to hit Steam’s shelves, bleachpanda and I had a gander at the ‘This is an Xbox’ exhibit. Unlike Nintendo, Xbox did not have sectioned areas to play any particular exclusive. Rather, they showcased a trailer for upcoming games coming to Microsoft’s console while also showcasing the various platforms one could play games on including laptops, handhelds and normal PCs. The singular standout moment of the whole affair? Getting a Ninja Gaiden 4 fan.

Stubbornness then had me stake out the line for Pokemon Legends: Z-A. While I’d already pre-ordered the game (as part of a bundle with a new Switch 2), I also wanted to try the demo on display. Bleachpanda, though familiar with the franchise, had not played a new Pokemon game since the Gameboy Advance era. Instead of also partaking of the demo, she stood to the side to watch me figure out the controls and run around Lumiose City to the best of my ability.

It should be noted Nintendo had also brought several other games. These included, but weren’t limited to: Kirby Air Riders, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Mario Kart World.

Once I’d satisfied my need for try out an actual triple-A title being showcased at PAX, the two of us hurried to the panel for the Indie Symphony that had been held in Melbourne. Though the talk was informative, I found it a little too self-congratulatory. Even as it focused on the connections fostered by those already in the industry.

Still, at least we got to hear a few renditions of my favourite tunes played by orchestra. But a Distant Worlds concert it was not.

And why were these limited to Melbourne only? I would have loved for an Indie Symphony to make its way up to Sydney!

As the day was coming to a close (and a little hungry since bleachpanda and I hadn’t stopped to consider lunch), we wandered back over to the tabletop section of the exhibition hall. While there, I was tempted to pick up more Disney Lorcana cards but, through sheer will power, managed to refrain. Instead, we made our way to a stall selling dice. However, before I could decide on a set I liked, the fire alarm went off.

Initially, none moved. The alarm went on for several minutes in the background. It was only later when a staff member told us the evacuation was real and not a drill that bleachpanda and I made our way to the doors and petered out into the grass surrounding the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Unsure when we would be allowed back in and already disliking how packed it was within the immediate vicinity, we decided to head elsewhere for a snack. Since I wasn’t able to have eggettes (also known as egg waffles) while in Hong Kong, I was adamant to try some while in Melbourne.

While we munched on our eggettes, we soon learned the centre had been cleared. It had been determined that the evacuation had been caused by someone pulling the fire alarm though there had been no risk or threat to the attendees. In other words: a false alarm.

Knowing that by the time we returned to PAX, the exhibition hall would close, bleachpanda and I then decided to have an early dinner at Katsuhon.

So ended PAXAus 2025 Day 2.

And though I’d attended a third day the year before, I felt two was more than enough for my trip with bleachpanda. For, on Sunday, we’d indulge one of my other loves.

Trains.

Romantic Flight

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Weddings. There’s always something special about them. Be it the corny vows or the speeches written mostly to detail embarrassing anecdotes of someone’s life. Being a veteran of quite a few (where my many friends find happiness with their special someone), I can say with confidence that they are days of joy and celebration where two halves of a whole are brought together and officially joined in matrimony. There is laughter; there are tears. But what matters most is the connection between like-minded souls.

Shelldrake’s union with her longtime beau: Carrick Snipes (don’t worry, these are all pseudonyms they use online. And no. They aren’t furries. At least, I don’t think they are) was held on a warm Sunday in the middle of winter (remember, dear reader, I live in the southern hemisphere. This means the wedding was held in July). The ceremony was scheduled to start at 2:30 PM. And while the groom fretted, the minutes slowly slipped away. It was only until 2:50 PM that the celebrant brought our attention back to the front with a declaration the event was underway.

Cue the entrance of the flower girl, our longtime friend from high school, Shien Akari (also not their real name), slaying in a dress and heels (and for those who don’t know, which is probably a vast number of readers who don’t actually know me personally, Shien is a cisgender man). Once he stood to the side, the bridesmaids waltzed down the aisle in style before taking their places.

Then, it was time for the bride. Shelldrake, escorted by her father, slowly made her way down – stopping briefly when the train of her veil caught on something near the entrance – before making her way down to stand before her husband to be.

Since neither of the two were religious (or were agnostic), there was little in pomp and ceremony. Shelldrake and Snipes exchanged their vows, with a few little asides to all those in attendance and quite a few happy joyous waterworks, before being announced as husband and wife.

Once the official side of things was over, group photos were taken and we were given some free time to while away before the official start of the reception. Not willing to sit around for nigh on two hours, me and a few of the other guests traipsed to the local shopping centre. Though I had intended to buy new shoes, I didn’t want to lose the group and so accompanied them down to the food court.

It wasn’t long before we had to return to the venue. That said, I did manage to buy myself a few booster packs for Disney Lorcana (like the collectible card crack whore I am).

By then, there was still approximately half an hour to the reception. So, of course, being a friend of the bride, I found her ensconced in the room the hotel had provided where she could rest and fix her makeup. We chatted for a few minutes. She told me the other bridesmaids were practicing for something during the reception. Then gestured to the two Pikachus sitting on the window sill along with two controllers. I showed off my cards and then tried to give her my hong bao (as is tradition) before being told they had a wishing well (which I later inserted the hong bao though I did forget to put my name on it).

With fifteen minutes to go, I headed back out and chatted with a few of the other guests (friends of Shelldrake and Snipes I’d met before and often played board games with).

It wasn’t long before we were allowed inside and offered a slew of canapes. Just before 7 PM, we were seated inside the Estate Room where the reception began. Entrees, mains and dessert were offered. Between it speeches were given, games were played (I did very poorly during the trivia) and people filled out the guest book.

And though I tried to catch both the Pusheen (thrown by the bride in lieu of her bouquet) and the D20 (thrown by the groom), I was unable to catch either. A disappointing state of affairs though not as bad as Snipes’s attempt to start a Pathfinder campaign. One where all the players have already created their characters and just need to arrange a date and time to commence.

The first dance was at 10 PM. To my surprise, Shelldrake and Snipes danced to Celestial by Ed Sheeran. Though, truth be told, perhaps I should not have been. Shelldrake has always liked her Pokemon. Rather, I’d thought they’d dance to something from How to Train Your Dragon. Still, at least we did get to hear strains of it as a piano arrangement when we were waiting for the ceremony to begin.

But while I’ll admit previous weddings had me feeling a tad bit morose and lonely, after my dating adventurers during the last two years I didn’t feel all that terrible I’m single. Would it be nice to have a life companion? Why, yes. I think I would.

Yet, if I were to get married?

A frightening prospect because I don’t know who I’d have to serve as my own bridesmaids. Bleachpanda might make a good candidate but I feel like she might refuse. Mostly because I don’t think she’d want to make any speeches. So, perhaps a friend from work? Or maybe I’d trot out Rinbeti and Shelldrake once again (though they’ve been bridesmaids to many a wedding).

Though, if I’m being honest, I feel like I’m more inclined to just elope.

Would make things simpler and easier without all the grandiose postering. That said, the soundtrack to my wedding would probably be filled with original soundtracks from video games and movies. And I would REALLY like to dance to Valse di Fantastica. But given the popularity of Kpop Demon Hunters, it may just be: This is what it sounds like. Or Golden.

Food for thought.

But first, I’d need to find someone who would actually look at me twice. Then maybe a third or fourth time.

For now, I’ll simply enjoy my life as it comes.

And that’s all I can really do. No point in rushing into a grand commitment I’m probably not ready for at this stage.

Unless, I suppose it’s Caitlyn and Vi. Or, I dunno, Garrus. He is one sexy turian.

Sorry. What were we talking about again?

Vivid Osaka

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

From our swanky rooms at the Hilton Hiroshima, bleachpanda and I found ourselves in smaller and more cramp conditions at The Flag in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. No longer were we the highrollers of yesteryear enjoying the fruits of our labours. In the big city, we had turned into frugal peasants. Or, at the very least, that was how it felt. In actual fact, our room at The Flag was decently sized and we were able to still keep our suitcases safely stowed at the hotel. But, of course, after enjoying such an expansive room at the Hilton, the size difference came as a bit of a shock.

Still, say what you will of the room, Shinsaibashi was a very busy and bustling area to stay in with countless stores from high-end retailers to other major department stores.

Although we arrived before our designated check-in time, our rooms were ready for us to head upstairs and rest our weary souls. We had, after all, booked tickets to check out TeamLab Botanical Garden right near Nagai Station.

But first, I had determined we needed another suitcase to offset some of the things we had purchased during our time abroad and which did not fit comfortably, or at all, in our oversized luggages. These included a number of snacks and a fair few plushies. Plus, since we were nearing the end of our trip, having hit Osaka, there would be plenty of shopping ahead of us and I didn’t want to limit what we could and couldn’t buy.

So, off we trotted to the local Don Quijote in Dotonbori – a mere eight minute walk from where we were staying. There, I purchased a Travelist suitcase and took it back with me to the hotel. Unfortunately, as we opened it up, I discovered it had no key to its lock! And, in my haste, I hadn’t realised it didn’t have a number lock either!

Without a key, I couldn’t reliably lock the suitcase and it was with a heavy heart that bleachpanda and I returned to Don Quijote to see if a replacement could be found, or if a key to the suitcase could be produced. Alas, it was not to be.

Still, the staff at Don Quijote were sympathetic to my plight and so they refunded my purchase so I could buy another suitcase at the store. This time, I picked out an American Tourister and made sure it had a number lock, which I could set.

Yes, it might have been a boring grey but at the very least it could help store the overflow of items bleachpanda and I would be purchasing on this leg of of this trip.

Luggage in hand, we returned to our hotel before heading out again. As we meandered down through the streets of Shinsaibashi, towards Namba Station, we tried out the nearby Tako Tako King for some quintessential Osaka takoyaki before I gently guided bleachpanda to the Pokemon cafe located in the Daimaru department store. To my surprise, there was even a Jump! store (dedicated to all things from Shonen Jump). Like the weeb bleachpanda is, she bought several stickers (as did I) of some of our favourite characters, and which we could decorate our suitcases (or future suitcase as bleachpanda would buy a baby blue one in Tokyo).

Running late for our entry into TeamLab’s Botanical Garden, we hoofed it to Nagai Station to see the pretty lights that were set up at the local garden. The pictures are below:

Despite the vividness of the displays, I couldn’t help but feel it was a poor man’s version of Sydney’s own light how in late May. Granted, it was a limited display but I’d expected something more impressive. Especially based on the pictures used to advertise the event on Klook and Google. Still, it was worth the price of entry bleachpanda paid for the two of us.

Plus, it allowed us to get in some decent steps in on what would have been a day where we might not have walked much at all (as we would have been transiting between cities).

Once we had seen all there was to see, we returned to Dotonburi to grab some dinner and also see the sights of this bustling tourist destination. There, we enjoyed some high quality Kobe beef for a very steep price not too far from the Shinsaibashi arcade (and were given a fridge magnet to commemorate the event by the staff). Still, my poor wallet took a significant hit but I thought it worthwhile to treat bleachpanda and myself to something we might never see, or in this case taste, in the near future.

After our delicious meal of Kobe beef, we strolled down through Dotonbori where my impeccable sense of direction steered us back to our hotel: The Flag.

On a side note, when first visited Osaka in 2016 with family, we also visited Dotonbori. At the time, though, I hadn’t yet played the Yakuza/ Like a Dragon series. But after running such a successful cabaret club in the fictional depiction of Dotonbori – Sotenbori, a part of me was hoping I’d spot it while bleachpanda and I wandered the streets. Unfortunately, with the heavy numbers of tourists, trying to find a one-eyed man with a signature snakeskin and black leather outfit was far too difficult for me.

Pokemon Beta: The Real Treasures were all the Friends we Made Along the Way

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

Following on from what felt like such a huge leap forward in terms of what Pokemon could be, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet felt like taking two steps back. This was especially true when it came to gameplay, performance and quality of options. And while the story provided players with an illusion of choice, it was clear form the start that they would all converge to a central point and thus remain a very much guided experience with a singular ending despite its protests of openness. 

Worse, one could not rush to the very end with a paltry team of Level 5 Pokemon and hope to take on the big bad right from the very start. Breath of the Wild, this was not. And therein lay Scarlet and Violet’s greatest strength as well as its greatest weakness when it came to linear storytelling.

It should be known that I usually play the first game in every new release. That means, Red, Gold (although in terms of the Johto, I was more enthralled of Lugia, so Silver it was for me), Ruby, X, Sun and Sword. However, this time round, I played Violet instead as the concept of fighting future Pokemon just seemed much more enticing.

The game started out as most Pokemon games do with the protagonist starting off in their small humble town that doesn’t even sport a Pokemon Centre. In Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, the conceit is that it’s your first day of school after moving to Paldea. As you come down the stairs, having dressed in your version specific uniform, there is a knock at the door. Director Clavell serves somewhat in the role of the professors of old, introducing the player characters to the world of Pokemon and even giving players the option to choose one of the three starters to begin their journey in earnest: Sprigatitto, Fuecoco and Quaxly.

Suffice it to say, I picked the fire crocodile.

And as I stepped out of my casita (with its Encanto vibes), I was sent straight into a battle with new rival: Nemona (who lived down the street in a palatial mansion and several wait staff to attend to her every need). Nemona was a a rival that I very much liked. She was a breath of fresh air from the excitable Hau and the almost forgettable Hop. Fearless and always eager for a battle, she was also used sparingly through the game. So, even as I was going from gym to gym, gathering badges, Nemona wasn’t entirely forced down my throat. Yes, there were a few battles here and there but it wasn’t constant. AND she was pretty helpful in those first few hours – teaching players how to catch Pokemon before leading us to the Academy at Mesagoza. Although she was of little aid when my character fell down a cliff and found the mythical Miraidon.

Still, the fact that I now had a legendary HM slave in my arsenal was nothing to sniff up. I even cleaned up all the different Pokemon that were immediately available in and around Los Platos and whatever else that could be found in the area.

By the time I finally made it to Uva Academy to begin my education, even my Fuecoco had evolved into a Crocalor.

At the Academy, I was then introduced to a plethora of new characters, each unique in their own way. From Team Star and Penny to the teachers. One of my favourite teachers was Ms Tyme and her very first trick-question that wasn’t entirely based on maths but on actual game mechanics. I also loved Salvatore and Saguaro. As for Professor Hassel, there was something about his design that reminded me either of a Pokemon or a character of another game. Initially, I thought his design was similar to Isabelle from Animal Crossing but the more I looked at the two of them, the similarities began to fade away.

Someone, anyone, help me identify who this dragon-user Elite Four Professor looks like!

Once I was introduced properly to the school, and after maybe a week or two of in-game time had passed in quick succession as part of the story, Director Clavell announced what we had all been waiting for: the Treasure Hunt. And suddenly Paldea opened itself up for proper exploration with its ‘three storylines.’ Which, as I’ve stated above does get funnelled into one story where the player characters along with the allies they made throughout each storyline work together to save the world in a fairly cliche Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) story.

Still, I really liked getting to understand the motivation and backstory behind Team Star. In fact, it was probably my favourite ‘storyline’ that got explored. As for the gym badges and the hunt for the Herba Mystica – they very much leaned into traditional Pokemon tropes that only lent a little to the characterisation of Nemona and Arven and were just gimmicky ways to improve Miraidon or proceed down the tried and true path of becoming a Pokemon Master.

The only downside to the whole game was the fact that GameFreak, once again, refused to implement any form of ACTUAL voice acting. Unfortunately for me, whilst I wouldn’t have minded voicing all the characters like I did with The Great Ace Attorney, I caught a cold/ flu/ possibly COVID at the start of the new year. Which left me with a horrid cough that threatened to take away my voice on multiple occasions and refused to go away. Nevertheless, it could not stop me from giving Nemona a very questionable Spanish accent and voicing a few of the cinematic cutscenes.

WHY ARE THERE CINEMATIC CUTSCENES WHEN YOU DON’T INCORPORATE ANY VOICE ACTING?

Honestly, it boggles my mind to know that GameFreak has moved to 3D sprites with MOVING mouth flaps and they still don’t feel the urge to add voices to pivotal scenes.

But maybe that was beyond the skills of the developers? After all, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet had many things wrong with it when it to performance. In fact, it’s the Cooperajah in the room. Because even though I started my Pokemon journey almost two months after the most ardent fans, I still found myself struggling with dips in frame rate and the long load times when it came to Pokemon boxes. Then, of course, there was the strange motion of non-playable characters (NPCs) that were no further than ten metres away. 

Some have pointed to the hardware of the Switch for the poor performance of the game. Which I honestly do not believe to be true. Why? Well, even though the Switch is pretty old, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, which I played in mid-2022, also sported a huge world to explore with an enviable draw distance and I didn’t encounter as many issues as I did in Pokemon Violet.

The lack of optimisation and performance issues for Pokemon Violet was enough to be grating. And yet I pushed on. For, despite the fact that the game crashed on me three to four times during the entire duration of my playthrough, I was still able to to find a semblance of  fun and joy in the game.

And complete my Pokedex with the help of a few friends.

Admittedly, the lack of quality of life options in the game was also a letdown. Especially when it came to its ‘Let’s Go’ mode. While some of the mechanics were explained in the lessons at the Academy, these were usually after the third badge. Which meant that a player could have conceivably grinded a Pokemon to their evolution level via the R or ZR button but not have it evolve. 

While moves could be ‘remembered’ on the fly, there was no option to simply allow a Pokemon to evolve once it reached the conditions needed. An oversight in my opinion when it came to the ‘Let’s Go’ feature of the game.

Even fast travel was poorly explained with the Flying Cabs. And the fact that you could lock the map by pressing down on the right analog stick. Which could have all been done through a few additional tutorial boxes.

Now to the Pokemon in question. A lot of the new additions felt quite gimmicky in terms of gameplay. That isn’t to say that they were bad but none of them truly stood out except the Tinkatink evolution line. Smoliv was cute, true, but Arboliva wasn’t as majestic as I could have hoped. 

Although, I’m sure professional Pokemon battlers will find use for them regardless. For me, though, I ended up keeping the composition of my previous Pokemon teams with the only addition being the starter I had chosen: Skeledirge, Gyarados, Lucario, Garchomp, Luxray and Grimmsnarl. I like my heavy hitters! There’s nothing wrong with that!

Overall, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet are a bit of a mess. And not in the good way. Did I still manage to enjoy myself? Yes. But it was at the expense of Pokemon’s good name and reputation. Although, from what I’ve heard, it’s been an issue for quite a while now. 

Will it mean that the next game will be a slower purchase? Possibly.

I’m not going to pay top dollar for a broken and unfinished game. It might be endearing the first time but it should not be acceptable. Especially when even the patches purported to fix it don’t seem to do much at all.

And so, it feels like a beta that is trying to dominate and be an alpha. But failing hard at it. Just stick to your own beta! No omega is going to ever want to be with you! 

Pokemon Legends: Enter the Omegaverse!

On By kyndarisLeave a comment

The latest Pokemon game by developer GameFreak is a re-imagining of the franchise that defined several key moments of my childhood. Gone are the days of walking around in circles, hoping to enter a random battle with an elusive creature that has a 0.2% of appearing. There are no bicycles to be had. Nor are there any big towns or cities with gyms that are awaiting to be challenged. With Pokemon Legends: Arceus, many of the old formulas are thrown out the window – and the game is better for it. If I had to go back to how Pokemon used to be played, I’d almost definitely find the process exceedingly tiresome and grindy. 

Arceus begins with the player character being zapped from their home, given the outfit I was wearing, it felt a bit like Alola, and travelling through a space-time rift into the past. Before I knew it, the God of the Pokemon world had vanished my phone and I was left on a beach without any idea of where I was or when I was. Until a Professor Laventon, dressed in 19th century attire, bumped into me and vouched for my good character into becoming part of Jubilife Village.

Many people have described the aesthetic of Arceus as Feudal Japan. But after spending time in the game world, and taking in the actual technology on display, it felt more like the closing years of the Edo period and perhaps the start of the Meiji. Of course, I’m no actual student of Japanese history and my knowledge is limited to the anime shows I’ve watched.

That aside, I was keen to change out of my t-shirt, shorts and horrendous sandals (I may not have a feet fetish like Quentin Tarantino but my goodness, have you seen the feet of my player character? It’s terrifying!) and into something more appropriate for a grand adventure in the Hisui wilderness.

And what a breath of fresh air was the gameplay! The fact that experience points could be gained just from lobbing a Pokeball and catching these wonderful creatures at full health! The stalking around in tall grass or distracting them with berries or flavoured cakes!

Yes, Pokemon battles still existed but I wasn’t stopped every few metres by some youngster or bug catcher after accidentally making eye contact with them. 

For the first time, playing a Pokemon game evoked the feeling of actually living in a world with these creatures and trying to understand how they all fit into the ecosystem. For too long, the games were only satisfied with providing creepy Pokedex entries but limited the way the players could see how these monsters interacted with the environment. And getting to see their individual personalities was also interesting. Not all Pokemon are docile. And just like the inspirations that they derive from, some are aggressive while others scarper at the first sign of trouble. 

Night and day also had different Pokemon roaming the wilderness. And, as before, zubats and drifloon proved to be the most irritating to encounter.

From a narrative standpoint, Arceus falters. There’s a basic plotline of the main character helping out the Galaxy team as they explore a new region and helping the clans that already call it home by quelling their frenzied noble Pokemon. Yes, there’s a whole grand reveal of Volo being some sort of cultist of one that is devoted to remaking the whole world in his image by capturing Arceus (which is only revealed in the end-game), but for most of the plot, it was an excuse to bind together the different locations together in order to continue the addictive gameplay loops with a variety of different Pokemon types.

I must say, though, that water types lurking out in the water are the HARDEST to capture. Some of the flying ones are as well, but their pre-evolution forms populate the rest of the world and oft times, it was just a simple affair of levelling them up to evolve.

As for graphic fidelity…while the game is a vast improvement from the models used in previous entries, when compared to the state of video games on other platforms, such as PlayStation and Xbox, it is clear that Pokemon lags behind. The fact that the franchise is about twenty-five years old and STILL doesn’t have voice acting for cutscenes is also a shame. Although, as with my playthrough of the Great Ace Attorney, I also supplied a few of the voices of the characters for my own amusement. That Commander Kamado slipped into some weird interpretation of Scottish when he was angry was just a highlight to voice in the silence of my own gaming area.

Honestly, at this point, my mother probably thinks I’m crazy. But hey, if a game doesn’t have voice acting, I need to supply my own.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus is a great step forward for the franchise that has felt like it’s been stagnating for several years. As a player, I’m keen to see how GameFreak might implement the lessons they’ve learned in the development of his game to the mainline games. A modern setting can still work and there’s certainly still a form of wondrous magic that comes with throwing a Pokeball at something and watching it snap and pop with a successful catch. 

But on a real note, the introduction of frenzied Pokemon and Alpha Pokemon being much more aggressive does make me wonder about something. As someone that is not unfamiliar with the fanfiction world, it definitely seems like there’s something lurking in the distance. The random lightning wasn’t just imbuing the Noble Pokemon with more power. It was basically putting them into their first heat. All these aggressive stand-offs? They’re all in need of a good ru-

Hey! Why are you dragging me away? This is what the internet is all about! How can you say that there aren’t pheromones in play? 

I won’t be silenced! You won’t hear the last from me!

THE OMEGAVERSE IS REAL! AND IT’S HERE!

Expulsion, definitely worse than death.

Pokemon In the United Kingdom

On By kyndarisLeave a comment
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One of my first memories related to gaming began with a series about catching monsters and watching the associated anime on the television (unfortunately dubbed). Pokemon took my imagination by storm in those early days with its simple mechanics and addictive gameplay. And on my Gameboy Colour, I explored the entirety of the Kanto region with my trusty Squirtle at my side as I tried to “catch ‘em all.” Fast forward twenty or so years, and I had purchased Pokemon Sword and was waiting to play it on my Nintendo Switch. While I did skip Black and White, and struggled to finish a few others, this was the first time a mainline Pokemon would grace our television screens. Bursting with excitement, I settled down to explore the Galar region for a good long while.

Unlike previous entries, this time I chose the Grass starter. Though Sobble stole my heart and Scorbunny seemed like an excellent addition to the team, there was something about the monkey that drew me to it. But I was so torn between which one to choose that it was not until I had to choose that I settled on Grookey. In fact, I had already chosen names for each starter. If I had picked Sobble and it had turned out to be male, I would have named it Fleming. Female: Vesper. A male Scorbunny would have been Beckham. Whereas a female Scorbunny would have received the name of a female footballer.

As for Grookey, though, I was a little stumped. If it had been male, I would have called it Silverback. Why? Because Rillaboom was a drum-beating gorilla. Yes, Donkey was an option, but I thought I would take the more sophisticated route. Instead, though, I was saddled with a female Grookey. Scrambling, I simply chose Weaver – after Sigourney Weaver for her excellent portrayal in the film Gorillas in the Mist. 

Names aside, the first few hours of Pokemon Sword provided enough breadcrumbs to whet my appetite for more. What were these mysterious creatures in the Slumbering Weald? Who would serve as the primary antagonist? Would Hop please calm down? How did these Wild Areas work and why couldn’t I catch that level 26 Onix right from the start? Nor did it seem right that my playable character was only ten years old. They had to be at least in their teens, right? If they were ten, how did any of these parents allow their children to go out into the wider world? 

Yet, as the game continued, much of the story developments were simply swept aside with comments like: let the adults deal with this even as we provided insights into the legend of Galar that Sonia, the granddaughter of Professor Magnolia, was tasked with uncovering. How anyone never connected the dots before remains a mystery, but please don’t be so condescending as to tell me to just focus on the Gym Challenge. This was made all the worse with the lack of voice acting. After so many years, it would have made sense for the human characters to have voices. Instead, I supplied terrible accents for the first hour or so before I grew bored. 

Still, Pokemon has never been about deep story lines. Nor should one question why a ten year old was the one that had caught the cause of the Darkest Day and could very easily destroy the world if they so chose.

As for the gameplay, not much has changed. While they introduced Dynamax-ing, much like Z-moves and Mega-evolutions from the past, it felt very much of a gimmick to differentiate the current generation of Pokemon with the handheld titles. Pokemon Sword also had several quality of life changes. From the very start, all Pokemon in your party were able to receive experience points. In addition, experience points were also bequeathed to your Pokemon when they were caught. Consequently, it made it much easier for me to level up all the Pokemon I wanted to experiment with in a more timely manner. Gone were the days of grinding each and every Pokemon to ensure that they all evolved. This was further aided by the Dynamax raids and the exp candy that could be acquired. 

While I managed to catch a hefty amount of Pokemon, I was able to also watch all of them evolve from the very beginning. The abundance of stones also made it easier to obtain a Ninetales, Heliolisk and Froslass in short order. Other Pokemon proved much more difficult to evolve and it took a while for me to obtain Sir Fetch’d, the Galar region exclusive evolution to one of our favourite ducks with a leek: Farfetch’d. 

The music in Pokemon Sword was also a delight. Though I didn’t like the spectator sport that were the gym battles, the cheering in the background still had my heart pumping as I utterly destroyed my opponents by being clever with my type choices. The remixes of several iconic themes as well as the introduction of new themes made it a joy to listen to as I hunted for all the 1% possible Pokemon along the 10 major routes of the Galar region (as well as the Wild Area).

Pokemon Sword and Shield does not change much of what a veteran player of the franchise would be familiar with. There are a few additional gimmicks that serve as worthwhile distractions, but overall, the experience stuck true to the formula many people knew. The story, as well, as a little underwhelming and Chairman Rose’s motivations felt a little muddled in the grand scheme of things. Why was he so insistent that there be a perpetual source of energy right now when they did not need to worry about the supply and demand of keeping Galar alive for basically another millennium? Surely, people could find an alternative source in those years. It seemed a little heavy handed in creating unnecessary conflict.

And, if there was one other plus to playing through Pokemon Sword, it was that the lack of voice acting made it incredibly easy for me to catch up on quite a few Critical Role episodes, along with UnDeadwood.