Pokémon XP+ World Championship Animation Reveals and More.

Here we are- another August and another gathering of fans come and gone. With the next year’s gathering taking place next year in Singapore; I thought I would address a couple of reveals from this year’s Pokémon World Championships and Pokémon XP. Both are intriguing to me, and even as I am trying to get more done; my fandom makes me duty-bound to address them. Plus, I also have something else to share afterwards; so let’s begin.

Let’s start with the biggest surprise- after a hiatus of roughly six or seven years; a new Pokémon anime film is set to debut in 2027. Moreover, the rumors I heard circulating about being based on the bestselling trading card game were true: the project is called Pokémon Wildcard! 

Courtesy: The Pokémon Company/Cloverworks

Honestly a fitting title, and though I am unfamiliar with the output of Cloverworks, I have heard good things about their work and the crew assigned to the movie. While I do not know what to expect from the as of yet unnamed lead, I do like him having Mimikyu as a partner and the design of his sweater. Best of all, I am glad they’re clearly establishing this as a new branch in this fictional universe.

On that subject, we have updates on The Misadventures of Pichu and Sirfetch’d from Aardman Animation (Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Shaun the Sheep, et al). On top of the stop-motion being as expressive as ever (can totally see why Pichu and his teeth are getting memed); it has also been announced that alongside a host of legacy content that the show will air on both Disney XD and stream on Disney Plus when it debuts in 2027 (adding yet another one of my hyperfixations to the app).

Courtesy: The Pokémon Company/Aardman/Buena Vista

Now comes the part where I once again will be taking a small break in the beginning of September. As you may have guessed, that means I will not be able to make my planned goal for reviewing HZ arcs from Terastal Debut onwards. I will be instead finishing the review and putting it out at a later date that has yet to be determined. This also applies to everything else I’ve had in my backlog a while. That is all for now, take care.

PS: Go see Coyote VS Acme, it really is that good.

Pokémon Pokopia- Bubbly Basin (Switch 2) Thoughts

Hey everyone- now that it’s live and I’ve been playing it for the last few days; I give you my thoughts on the Bubbly Basin expansion for the highly-acclaimed Switch 2 bestseller Pokémon Pokopia.

Courtesy: The Pokémon Company/Koei Tecmo

In order to start this chapter, you will need to have progressed to the Bleak Beach area and learned how to Surf from Lapras. From there, you will learn how to use Dive after feeding Manaphy what they requested. After that, your underwater journey begins.

As someone who has logged well over 300 hours into the base game, this first chapter is a strong addition to the world of one of the franchise’s best titles and one of the games I’ve engaged with most on the Switch 2 (along with Z-A and Mario Kart World- also really enjoying Splatoon Raiders so far). A whole slew of new Pokémon and treasures are just waiting to be found. Moreover, with a wide range of cosmetics to unlock and underwater habitats to build, it’s something I can spend lots of time with in the days ahead.

Visually, this expansion is a lush aquatic paradise. The color scheme is pleasant without being overbearing; and I once again appreciate the simple graphical joy of seeing Totodile jump excitedly in an ever-increasing push towards realism. The music introduced in this chapter is another delight- I will have to see where I can find that arrangement of the Cerulean City music.

If you have played the base game as much as I have, this expansion is already paying for itself. I eagerly look forward to what the next two chapters contain (the second will be live later this year, the third will release in early 2027). With this, I will be visiting my father in California from August 14 to August 24; and I will be back with you all after that. Take care. 

PS- Go see Spider-Man: Brand New Day if you haven't already, it really is that good.

Star Wars Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi (2026) Thoughts

Have to say- I was expecting a third episode; but a whole spinoff about this story is even better. Now that all eight episodes are live on Disney Plus, I give you all my thoughts on Star Wars Visions Presents- The Ninth Jedi!

Courtesy: Lucasfilm Limited/Production IG

One of my favorite aspects of the saga has been its ability to re-imagine concepts across decades of fiction; and this is no exception. The journey that Kara takes to not only master the Force but also reconcile her own past does have echoes of what came before; yet still presented in unique and interesting ways. I especially enjoy the concept of the silver lightsaber blade color being the latest idea from the old “Legends” EU to be brought into the new canon (the setting being a millennium after the events of The Rise of Skywalker does allow for plenty of flexibility there). I won’t say how, but it does fit what I read about the meanings of different lightsaber blade colors.

The animation from Production IG is quite impressive. I can tell that the cast and crew that Kenji Kamiyama assembled have immense love for the material and are more than equipped to tell their own take on the story. I also enjoy how the show, much like other animated spinoffs before it still treats their audience with respect no matter their age. Think works such as the Avatar-verse or the ‘90s Batman animated series and you aren’t far off in terms of tone and presentation. Though it does have some convenient plot points early on, it really takes off in the second half; so stick with it.

As the saga is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year in 2027, I heartily recommend this anime to fans of all ages; and I look forward to what comes next from the Visions banner. That is all for now. May the Force be with you all.

Pokémon Horizons: Wonder Voyage (JP) First Impressions+ More

Hey everyone- I did say I would be back in early August; so here’s something to ease back into writing. It’s also one of a few things I’m prepping before I see my father later this month. So, now that I have seen the first eight episodes of this arc; here are my first impressions on Pokémon Horizons’ “Wonder Voyage.” I will also include a few tidbits of other future plans, so let’s begin.

Though my main concern was obviously trying to prolong this anime’s run another year to deal with Generation X releasing in 2027 (as it’s quite clear the finale to Rise Again played a lot like the intended ending of HZ), it’s actually a decent if unremarkable diversion in all fairness. Have heard a number of fans comparing it to Orange Islands and DA, though at least in those cases we had a clearer idea of how the show connected to the video games they helped promote.

On that subject, while I do like the idea of a 1-hour Pokopia special (Have logged over 300 hours into the game and opted into the expansion- tell you more about it after Bubbly Basin is live); the inclusion of aspects from other spinoffs has been a mixed bag personally. Same with the main games- Honestly would have preferred giving Z-A and UNITE their own OVA events as opposed to sticking them into HZ. The animation is fine for the most part, but there were moments where I think there were fewer slideshows in the Indigo Plateau.

With that in mind, as the Indigo League is debuting on Disney Plus and returning to Disney XD this week; debate continues about what will be done for the inevitable anime based on Winds and Waves. Out of the recurring proposals (return of legacy characters, more straightforward storytelling, an outright hard reboot), the idea of the HZ cast returning is less likely with each passing day. Especially in regards to Navi- Hot take, but I actually don’t think she’ll be back for Generation X. The character and her VA seem nice enough, but she’s also in high demand for both voiceovers and her singing career. That, and there’s been a few gaps in episode scheduling (why I finally decided to start this arc and address it now).

As for myself- I remain interested in continuing to write; even though I concede I will likely be taking another shift in direction come September. Remnants of what came before shall remain (as they often do), but I will try to shake things up the best I can even as my main hyper fixations haven’t changed too much over time. That will be all for now, and I will see you all again soon. Take care.

Hiatus Announcement 7/26/26.

As of this posting, I am putting my blog on a brief hiatus-  I will resume posting in early August. Anyone who needs me until then, my PSN is SteveBandicot92 and my Switch 2 FC is  SW-0778-0744-8100. That will be all for now.

Check-in + Update 7-19-26.

Hey everyone- been busy with life and recovery from being sick late last month; not to mention the heatwave and Pokopia. Rest assured, I am still working on a few projects I've been meaning to for a while- just need a bit longer to finish them.

I did finally finish season 2 of Dan Da Dan, and I will do a write-up on that as it gets closer to Halloween. Season 3 coming next year also will give me time to reread the manga (looking forward to seeing Okarun's "World Cup Game Ball" animated especially). Finally starting Whole Cake Island in One Piece. Also looking forward to more Sakamoto Days and Cyberpunk Edgerunners (on my second 2077 playthrough on the "corpo" lifepath with the free PS5 upgrade- and thank CDPR for being pro-physical).

Regarding my full review of the next arc of Horizons,  the outline for the "Terastal Debut" is complete. I will do my best to get that out before long, as I will need to resume watching the EN dub for "Rayquaza Rising" onwards. I also will not be accepting spoilers for the ongoing "Wonder Voyage" arc for the foreseeable future. I will consider doing a retro review on Fire Red and Leaf Green in the near future; and there have been cryptic hints about the fan favorite Pokémon Colosseum coming to Gamecube Classics on Switch 2 soon as well.

I will keep you informed of anything else as I can. I hope you all have been keeping hydrated, and I will see you all again soon- take care.

PS: Go see The Odyssey, it really is that good.

To Namco Bandai- Please Delay Digimon Story: Time Stranger for Switch Family

As if I didn't have enough to deal with already- we are just under a month away from the release of Digimon Story: Time Stranger on Switch family. With the demo marking the first time I've engaged with the game since its first launch, I have to be honest: it's not a bad game, but I don't put it on the same pedestal as others. With that in mind, here is a modest request and plea to the game's publisher Namco Bandai; detailing why I think they should delay Digimon Story: Time Stranger for Switch family.

Courtesy: Namco Bandai

First, there's the issue of optimization. Even as the demo covers just under the first hour of the game (so, barely scratching the surface); it needs a lot of work. For all the praise I've heard, I had way muddier visuals and frame rate hitches than I hoped. Not even the Switch 2 port was able to maintain a consistent frame rate. It feels a bit like this port is a rushed job, one that makes me glad that other publishers delayed their ports to deliver the experience their fans would want. 

This makes a good time to bring up my second point- the wide variety of games available across the Switch family. More than ever, a wide range of games across all ages and skill levels is available; with titles that would have been niche in years' past now selling gangbusters. The flip side to the coin is that whether they intend to or not; all releases on the calendar are in competition rather than just the same genre or age demographic (why I consider some titles being bumped to 2027 a blessing in disguise, and not just because of GTAVI). If I had to say right now, I would wait for a sale as opposed to picking it up at list price. That brings me to my next point.

The third factor is arguably the most tangible- competition. Contrary to popular belief, I don't disdain the idea of other monster tamers. Quite the opposite- I welcome other titles in the space if they can do something with the concept. At the same time, it used to be you'd only be competing in the same genre and demographic. Now, every game is in competition with one another, especially in a given release window. In particular, this game is releasing before the highly-anticipated Splatoon Raiders; the first single-player spinoff of the franchise. Again, if I had to say right now, I would pick up that game instead.

However, there is a greater risk beyond all this. The monster tamer RPG subgenre paradoxically has more titles than ever before, but people who are asking for alternatives aren't biting. Sales of 1M across PC, Playstation and Xbox formats is impressive on the surface, but not as much as 12M in Nintendo's ecosystem alone. The Switch family is going to be the real litmus test for Time Stranger; to see whether or not the appetite for alternative monster tamers is actually there or if it will merely add another notch in a belt covered in Ultra Balls.

The "too long, didn't read" of my proposal is simple- to Namco Bandai, please delay Digimon Story: Time Stranger for Switch family. That is all for now, take care.

PS: Go see Toy Story 5, it really is that good.