Pokémon Legends Arceus Six Months Later- How to Reinvent a $100 Billion Franchise

"Why did I move here? I guess it was the weather, or I don't know; that thing, that magic. You know how it is."

Hello everyone- now that six months have passed since its initial release; welcome to my full review of Pokémon Legends Arceus! This game has easily been my favorite title of 2022, so let’s open it up! There will be spoilers for the story: consider that your one warning, so let’s get started.

Courtesy: Nintendo/Game Freak/The Pokémon Company

As has been known since the game was revealed in February 2021, the story takes place 600 years in the past of Sinnoh; then called the Hisui region. What we didn’t know is the true nature of the protagonist, who is pulled through space and time into this area. No matter which one you choose to play as, it’s never outright stated whether or not the avatar you pick is an ancestor or someone from today getting pulled into Hisui. 

I went with the male avatar, naming him Hiroshi. Waking up on Prelude Beach, you’re greeted by Professor Laventon. Your first assignment before you make your way off the beach is to gather the three Pokémon he’s after nearby: Rowlet, Cyndaquil and Oshawott. This also provides an intro to the redesigned capture mechanics- though it takes a moment to grasp; it’s honestly some of the best time I’ve spent with the series to date.

Heading to Jubilife Village, this will be the main hub for our game; and under the guidance of Laventon, Captain Cyllene and Commander Kamado, we will be part of the Survey Corps in Hisui; helping complete the very first Pokédex and forging the bonds between humans and Pokémon. However, one can’t very well explore this region in a t-shirt, board shorts and flip-flops, so we’re given the uniform of the corps. 

After that, I choose my partner in this task; going with Oshawott. I will tell you more about how this impacted my journey over the course of this review. Another objective is to earn the trust of those in the village. This includes everyone from a local chef named Beni (whose specialty is potato mochi), to a fellow member of the Survey Corps embodied by the other avatar. Her name in my case is Akari.

The following details will consist of the main story, postgame and assorted side quests in as close to chronological order as I can describe. Some experiences may be different depending on how you play the game.

Another key element is the Arc Phone; which is what your mobile transforms into upon your arrival in Hisui. It contains mission details, maps of each area and can allow you to set additional waypoints for each objective (that last one has proven especially useful for me). I will also address this more in the gameplay section; but I really enjoy the approach to exploration this game takes. The world designs borrow clearly (yet precisely) from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Rockstar’s open-world titles.

As for any comparisons to Monster Hunter- I can officially refute those as someone who spent many hours in this game for this review. In fact, speaking as someone who’s not a huge Monster Hunter fan (only really played and enjoyed World and Rise); this game is arguably the antithesis of Monster Hunter, which I shall cover more later.

Now, onto the first story mission. After arriving in an unfamiliar land (the game’s words, not mine); Cyllene dispatches us to the Obsidian Fieldlands to enter the Survey Corps of the Galaxy Team. Both the story and gameplay sections will address this further; but the mission structure is surprisingly engaging and addictive. The research tasks are like a more complex version of the ones in Pokémon Go. As someone who’s always found the professors to be their favorite characters, I hope this feature is retained in Scarlet and Violet and other future titles for the Pokédex.

I would also like to take the opportunity to address the graphics before I go too much further- the complaints about them never made much sense to me; especially in terms of environments. I know it’s common to accentuate the negative in online video game discourse; but I like the style of this game’s visuals. Invoking the style of vintage Japanese paintings fits the setting; and there’s actually a lot of neat touches. Dynamic weather patterns, outfits collecting snowfall and moisture from rain, steam coming off waterfalls: the graphics have come a long way since the installments on Game Boy. I reaffirm that I have no issue with stylized visuals; and once again cite how Minecraft is the bestselling current single game across all platforms and has deliberately cartoonish graphics. While some people might have an issue with the visuals, clearly Game Freak and The Pokémon Company have no issue with this graphic design.

Anyway, the Lord of the Obsidian Fieldlands is Kleavor, an Alpha Pokémon who’s a branch evolution for Scyther. In order to face this Lord, several other tasks must be completed. One must also learn the crafting system, which comes in handy (especially before you can expand your storage space). There’s also befriending Mai of the Diamond Clan (an ancestor of Marley), and Commander Kamado (an ancestor of Professor Rowan).

Another character we cross paths with is Arezu (who appears to be an ancestor of Mars); who has become very popular in the fandom. After helping her with an ankle injury; she becomes the resident hairdresser of Jubilife Village. 

In order to face off against Kleavor and the other Noble Pokémon, we must not only battle them with our own monsters; but with projectiles known as “balms” crafted by each Noble’s warden. The first one is named Lian, who is an ancestor of Clay (insert “Unova confirmed” joke here). Each Noble has a specific attack pattern to figure out. One piece of advice I can give is to master the dodge roll, which you will need to use early and often.

After facing the first Noble, your next story missions take place mainly in the next area; known as the Crimson Mirelands. This area contains a wide array of rivers and marshes, and after surveying the area; we must build up our rank before the battle with the second Noble.

Other characters we cross paths with is the Miss Fortune trio; a group of recurring thieves that you fight in the game. Their names are Charm, Clover (who appears to be an ancestor of Candice), and Coin (who appears to be an ancestor of Saturn). Once our rank is high enough, we face off against the next Noble, a Hisuian Lilligant! I will talk more about these variants as this review continues; but for now; this was another engaging battle.

After our mission in the Crimson Mirelands is complete; our next assignment is in the Cobalt Coastlands. On top of researching the Pokémon in this area, we must also face the Lord of Firespit Island, a Hisuian Arcanine! Additionally, the warden, Palina must come to terms with the previous Lord dying; which leads into the new Lord being the one we face in battle. This is where both the story and gameplay start to hit harder in more ways than one; as it’s among the toughest battles in the game and works to showcase how much darker the tone is. I really like how the game directly works both monsters and their partners dying into the story and its stakes.

Palina is officially the new warden; and our next assignment is in the Coronet Highlands. The Lord of this area is the Hisuian Electrode. I will talk more about the regional variants in the gameplay section; but I do like how it and the pre-evolved Hisuian Voltorb resemble the natural apricorns to contrast the man-made look of the ones we all know. I will say that since this variant is part-grass type; the Alpha Infernape and shiny Rapidash I caught were very useful in terms of countermeasures. Less helpful is Melli, who despite his condescending demeanor; I never pass up a chance to show up.

The final area for missions is the Alabaster Icelands, a snowy mountain range where several key characters enter the story. Gaeric (an ancestor of Wulfric) is the warden on top of the peak, and a young woman named Sabi (an ancestor of Cheryl); who is a clairvoyant. The noble is Hisuian Avalugg, and let me tell you- a sizable chunk of my first play through was facing off against this last noble. It’s an alternating mix of three attacks; then a combination of all three to finish the fight. I know the last noble wouldn’t be easy, but I actually had more trouble with this than the last mission of the main story.

Speaking of which, after quelling the five rampaging Nobles; the sky turns a deep red hue. Though Captain Cyllene thinks there’s something more (accurately), Commander Kamado exiles the player from Jubilife Village. However, that doesn’t stop others from helping find the truth about what’s happening; especially an ally known as Cogita (an ancestor of Cynthia). In this last stretch of the main story, you need to get to the bottom of this with your choice of Adaman of the Diamond Clan or Irida of the Pearl Clan. Insert “Side with Nohr, Defend Hoshido or refuse to choose a side” joke here.

That said, whoever’s clan you partner with is the box legendary you end up catching; and the other you end up fighting. My first encounter was with Dialga; and before I face Palkia, I must earn back the trust of Kamado by facing him in battle. 

I win against Kamado, and now, I must face Palkia! I have been holding off addressing this; but I rather like the design of their Origin forms. After much effort, I end up winning and capturing Palkia. With the sky clear again, Kamado welcomes the player back into the village; and there is much celebration as the credits roll. 

Now that I’ve covered the story, let’s move onto the gameplay. To lead off this section, I reaffirm that I don’t have an issue with the XP Share being baked into the progression; much as I didn’t with other recent entries. On that subject, I really enjoy the new Strong Style and Agile Style moves in how they add a new layer of strategy to battles. I think it’s a nice balance between turn-based combat and real-time combat. The crafting is also something I really enjoy, as it helps build a stockpile of items and medicine for the quest. 

One of my favorite aspects is accessing monsters for traversal and discovering other parts of the map. From zipping through the fields on a Wyrdeer to hang-gliding across the skies on a Hisuian Braviary- it’s definitely an enjoyable addition that builds on the ride Pokémon from Generation VII. My favorite would probably be Basculegion, where you can basically go whitewater rafting in the rivers and lakes after unlocking that. Admittedly, I do also enjoy finding treasures with Ursaluna and scaling mountains with Sneasler.

Having played this game for well over 100 hours to write this, I can now officially say this game is the polar opposite of Monster Hunter in its approach to both world building, gameplay and how it approaches the monsters themselves. I saw more similarities to Breath of the Wild (this is one of the games I’d recommend while waiting for the sequel) and Rockstar’s open-world titles (looking forward to seeing Generation IX expand on that concept); with some elements of Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath as well (easily my favorite Oddworld game). It definitely brings to mind how the early titles on Game Boy built on design concepts straight out of Shin Megami Tensei and Dragon Quest; albeit streamlined and made easier to understand. So, I think this would be a good note to wrap up on.

This game is easily my favorite Switch title of the year; and my favorite game of 2022 overall so far. Though it remains to be seen what direction the series will take in Generation IX; it’s clear this game has already left its mark on the franchise and its audience. I can already tell that Scarlet and Violet have considerable overlap with this game (as they likely began development around the same time); and the game has successfully managed to reinvent a $100 billion franchise in the process. As of this writing, the game has sold over 12 million copies worldwide in its first three months alone. It has also garnered considerable acclaim, with many claiming it among the best games in the series to date. I definitely share this sentiment, as there is much to enjoy here. 

I am seriously considering doing a follow-up on the Daybreak expansion; which I am also impressed with. Thank you for letting me share this with you all. That will be all for now. Seek out all Pokémon.

Honest Thoughts- Tekken Bloodline as a lifelong fan.

Hey everyone. As a fan of the Tekken games for years, I ask this question: why is it so hard to get a decent adaptation of the series in other mediums? A previous anime adaptation known as Tekken: The Motion Picture was mediocre at best; which I might look into reviewing in full. There was also the live-action film simply called Tekken; which cost a reported $35 million (cut from initial estimates of $50 million) to make and grossed back just under $1 million worldwide; not even getting a theatrical release in the US and only going straight to DVD.

Now, in the age of the surprise critical and box office success of Detective Pikachu and the Sonic movies (not to mention efforts such as Free Guy, arguably the best unofficial GTA Online movie one could hope for); a new anime adaptation is coming to Netflix this August, known as Tekken Bloodline.

The anime follows Jin Kazama (my favorite character incidentally enough) as he seeks to master his skills as a martial artist; harnessing the power of the Devil Gene to face off against Ogre and take part in the King of Iron Fist Tournament (the name Tekken literally translates to Iron Fist).

On paper, the concept doesn't seem like the worst: on a purely basic level, it's a martial arts tournament story with fantasy elements and a dash of revenge thriller for good measure. However, it's the execution I have concerns about.

I'm not saying that Netflix is incapable of making and/or distributing good video game adaptations. It's just that what I've seen so far from the promotion of Bloodline is a bit of a mixed bag. 

Regarding said adaptations, I have been satisfied with their handling of Pokémon so far as the most recent English platform for the anime. Sonic Prime looks to be a fun entry to Sonic's numerous animated adaptations. Their Castlevania adaptation was a triumph, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming spinoff with Richter Belmont (big fan of the character and Dracula X: Rondo of Blood especially). Even the upcoming Cyberpunk Edgerunners anime looks promising as someone who likes the game, buggy launch be damned. 

That said, their recent Resident Evil series has been lambasted as a biohazard (the showrunner wants to expand the material more in future seasons; but given the reception,  I have my doubts about that happening). They bought the rights to the oft-delayed live-action Mega Man movie; so we'll have to see how that goes (as that's another IP that's had a film in development hell almost as long as the source material has existed). There was even talk of turning the much-loved Fantastic Mr. Star Fox sketch into a full series; but for whatever reason, the talks fell through.

With all this in mind, I honestly don't know what to expect; but I'm deliberately keeping my expectations low. The way they're handling the story and characters uses elements of the previous adaptations and the numerous video games; which creates an interesting approach to the tone. Given how this is the same series where one character ending features Jin taking over the Mishima Zaibatsu and another has Lee hiring Heihachi as his manservant under the threat of being blown up with an exploding bowtie; that's saying something. Of course, it's another CG anime; which, despite having some 2D moments, looks somehow less energetic than the video games. So, whatever happens; I don't plan on addressing this further until it streams this August at the earliest. On that note, I have my full review of Pokémon Legends Arceus ready to go, you will see it on the 28th. That's all for now.

Honest Thoughts- Mega Man Star Force is Not How You Remember

"Fully Charged with better structure?" I don't know about that: to me, it feels like a Kamen Rider series with worse structure. Also, I don't consider emulation "riding the high seas:" in these games' case, be more like Jungle Cruise at Disney Parks.

As you can tell by that opening, going to be one of those times. About a decade ago, I began looking at Mega Man NT Warrior, a loose adaptation of the Battle Network video games. Though not a fan of those games, the anime was a whole other ballpark of crazy.

This brings us to today's subject- Mega Man Star Force. I am not a fan of those games either (I would willingly trade every single Star Force game ever made if it meant getting Legends 3); but this anime has a litany of issues of its own to address.

A word of caution before I get into more detail- some subject matter is not for the faint-hearted; and there will also be spoilers for not only this work; but for the following titles- Mother 3, Persona 5 and Omori. So, let's get to it.

Set in the distant future of the 26th century, the series depicts a world where electromagnetic waves can do almost anything. As enemies from across this plane enter the world; a young man named Geo Stelar forms a reluctant alliance with a being known as "Omega-Sys" to form a new hero to combat these elements under the name Mega Man.

Let's address Geo right away- some people have cited his character as one of the elements that stood out to them; which is a mindset I cannot say I share. This is where the Mother 3 comparison comes in- my guess is they were trying to do something similar to Lucas in that game. However, while Lucas felt genuinely believable in the course of the story as everything crumbled around him; Geo feels incredibly distant and difficult for me to get invested in. He's no Shinji Ikari, or even Simon Giha as characters of his disposition go. In fact, there was so much wangst to him (especially in the early stages of the story) that I kept hoping for someone like Kamina to clock him. I know he lost his father; but apart from that; he's living in in a setting that's one part Jetsons, two parts Cloud City and a dash of Elon Musk (minus the self-aggrandizement and spats over a merger with Twitter). His classmates, mother and father's former co-workers try to cast him as distant for merely wanting to learn online as opposed to a classroom; but writing this during a BA.5 spike; I'd honestly prefer remote learning too. So, you can't exactly cast him as being in the wrong for this when he's making more logical sense.

This brings me to the next issue I have- the tone. I do not consider this to be the Mega Man X of its series; I don't even consider it to be its Misadventures of Tron Bonne. Interestingly, in my research, I found the director of the latter was also involved with the Star Force games. That being the case, someone needs revive Legends 3 with him at the helm. 

Honestly, the attempts to make this a more serious story are largely undercut by how there's still more goofiness; even somehow more than NT Warrior in many respects. I also find it odd that people were into this because of how it approaches EM waves; because the way the series approaches them is utterly absurd. People being into this while studying EM waves to me is akin to a medical student playing Surgeon Simulator or a law student playing Ace Attorney. Even factoring in the 26th century setting, EM waves are not the same as particles; and it would take massive amounts of power to even attempt what the series is portraying.

Scientific inaccuracies aside (seriously, FM waves can't possess people), the depiction of how it relates to the world itself is simply straining to suspension of disbelief. This is where the Persona 5 comparisons come in; and I will be addressing the base game; the Royal and Strikers to illustrate this. Even though there are enchanted demons and phantom thieves in Persona 5; the scenarios dealt with are ones that could conceivably happen. Abusive teachers, corruption at nearly every level of infrastructure; and even toxic workplaces. Another reason that is specific to this verse relates to Goro Akechi; hence the spoiler warning. His story arc is the reason why I was unimpressed with Geo's character- losing one parent in a freak accident is one thing; but it's another when both parents are dead, and Akechi himself doesn't survive the events of the main game. He's even offered a chance to make it out alive in the Royal; but he declines, realizing there's no going back after what he's done. His backstory did genuinely feel tragic and his arc is one of the best parts of the game. I'm not saying Star Force had to go that far, but I am stating that a more cohesive attempt at world-building and a clearer arc for Geo would have been better. His progression didn't feel earned to me, it felt forced.

This brings us to the last aspect- how the series handles loss and its impact on a person's well-being. Some have said that the characters in this anime, and Geo in particular are solid representations of individuals with mental illnesses. However, I am not going to say that. In fact, I have a counterargument using Omori as a basis. This game not only features status ailments based on real-world conditions; it goes far deeper than most others do in terms of representation (I only fairly recently realized the title itself is derived from the term "Hikikomori," meaning acute social withdrawal). The player character even takes their own life in the bad ending of the game. Sadly, I found the handling of mental illness even more superficial than its handling of EM waves.

Interestingly, if you were to ask me what I would do differently; my solution to this anime would be the opposite of what I would do for NT Warrior. Whereas I believe that anime would be better as a more grounded and realistic approach to computer programs causing havoc in the world; this one would actually fare better in embracing the insanity of its premise. I'm not saying it would have to be as mad as Bobobo-Bobobobo (an anime that came out around the same time I actually like), but maybe it would be better served if the story and action were fueled by tongue-in-cheek playfulness instead of technobabble and pop psychology you'd find from some influencer on Instagram. 

Overall, Star Force is not only indicative of the identity crisis the Mega Man franchise was in at the time of its debut; it's an ideal representation of it. Even if I were to remove its problematic handling of tough subjects from the equation; it's very uneven. In some ways, it's better than NT Warrior; but in many other aspects it stumbles critically. It's a take on the franchise that's simultaneously too self-serious to be fun and too goofy to take seriously. 

If you want a version of this premise that strikes a better tonal balance; I'd recommend watching Kamen Rider Ex-Aid instead. Agito and Kuuga are also riders that do a better job at what Star Force attempted. For the aspect of Geo's condition, I especially recommend watching Welcome to the NHK instead of this anime. I will not be formally reviewing this anime; as this method seemed more suitable. That's all for now, take care.

Review- "A Date with Delcatty" (Pokémon Chronicles)

We're at the halfway point of Pokémon Chronicles, doing great with my takedown so far. Break time is over, so let's open up "A Date with Delcatty." Here we go!

Yes folks- after an initial decent, if flawed showcase around Misty and a much weaker one; we're "treated" now to a romance that's so degrading it makes Gigli look like The Notebook. As Misty is feeding Pokémon at the gym (briefly saving Psyduck from choking a couple times), Daisy is back from her vacation, while Violet and Lily are still out, dancing and exercising, respectively.

Elsewhere, fresh off their failed abduction of Professor Oak; Butch and Cassidy are picking up lunch at a local burger stand. 

"I'll have two #9s, #9 large, #6 with extra dip, two #45s, one with cheese and a large soda!"

All joking aside, they get their next assignment via a comm device hidden in the large fries. Look, I know meeting in a public place would raise less suspicion; but that storage method could have gotten that fried too. Why not hide it in the promotional premiums instead?

Anyway, Dr. Namba tasks them with stealing Delcatty; with the not at all conspicuous black trenchcoats and sunglasses making them look like the most enthusiastic Matrix cosplayers ever.

Of course, the message self-destructs a la Mission Impossible; though part of me wishes it would set off the fire safety system like in The Incredibles. We then get the arrival of Casey, who has come to Cerulean City to see the Electabuzz take on the Starmie baseball teams. Yet, somehow; her inclusion isn't the weakest part of the episode. That is yet to come.

She heads to Cerulean Gym, right behind Tracey; who has come with gifts for Starmie and Horsea. Inside the gym, Misty is given a letter via Pelipper. The letter asks her to come to the lighthouse by 2:00. Sadly, there's no Willem Dafoe or Robert Pattinson there; just the one who sent the letter- Giorgio. (Sighs)

Regardless of who you choose to ship Misty with (or just don't care for it at all); I think we can agree that Giorgio just adds little more than a hate sink- someone whose only purpose is to give the audience someone to root against. Basically, if you sent him packing in the games; Misty wouldn't even bother getting hotheaded after spooking her date.

Unfortunately, that doesn't happen here. Instead, Tracey helps clean the pool while Casey and Daisy accompany Misty to the lighthouse. Butch and Cassidy are also at the docks; hoping to abscond with Delcatty. I just came off reviewing a Chronicles episode that felt like two different stories had a head-on collision; so this happening again really doesn't work in favor of the whole "alternative to main series" selling point.

Anyway, Giorgio has tickets to the ballgame that Casey wants, conveniently; and let me just say that while I mean Ted Lewis no disrespect as an actor, he just uses his Tracey voice for Giorgio. He cannot pull off a role that requires him to sound romantic. It would be like if Titanic starred Jason Statham.

He happens to own the Delcatty that Butch and Cassidy are after; but that's another issue entirely. The main issue is that Giorgio wants to date Misty, even though she clearly isn't interested. I reiterate, whoever you pair Misty with or just don't care; Giorgio doesn't make for an engaging character at all. I've legit seen characters of the day I found more entertaining and memorable than him.

What's worse, Misty flat-out rejects him; but Giorgio won't take "no" for an answer. Undeterred, he challenges her to a battle with Casey acting as referee. Misty sends out Corsola; and Giorgio sends out Delcatty.

However, Butch and Cassidy take Delcatty and escape on hang gliders; but Giorgio sends out his Pelipper to give chase! The two crash on a nearby beach; and a multi battle ensues. Corsola and Meganium come out against Sableye and Mightyena; and while the animation is marginally better than the last episode I reviewed; there's still loads of still shots and impact frames. Like clockwork, Butch and Cassidy are sent blasting off empty-handed.

After that business is over, the battle by the lighthouse continues. It's amazing how quickly these showcases declined in quality. This may not be as bad as the previous one I reviewed; but it's also about as entertaining as watching dandelions grow. One of my favorite gym leaders deserves better; and I have seen much better.

I also don't know why Casey is fangirling over Delcatty either. Thought she preferred yellow striped ones, but I honestly don't understand. Corsola recovers from Delcatty's Ice Beam, and counters with a spam of Spike Cannon attacks!

Misty wins the battle, and Casey decides to use the moment to slide into Giorgio's DMs. I normally wouldn't say this, but; Casey: you can do better.

Casey sends out Elekid to take on Giorgio herself; and this episode has become another hot mess. 

"Here comes a new challenger!"

Misty tags in as ref, and even though she expresses concern for Delcatty's HP; Giorgio dismisses the concerns. What could possibly go wrong?

He actually beats Elekid despite the damage Delcatty took? Well, that's a new spin on that running gag. Giorgio even makes good on his promise to take Casey to the ballgame. How about that- for once Casey didn't totally strike out!

We close on Misty returning to the gym; just as Tracey and Daisy are finished for the day, reflecting on their experiences. That would have been way more interesting than the shenanigans I just detailed; but least I'm finally done with the first half of this spinoff. I will do the second half after my full review of Legends Arceus.

"A Date with Delcatty" wouldn't even make for a good online dating profile. Even by the standards of the many campy romantic comedies of the last few decades; this episode is pretty mediocre. If you want a better episode with this concept, go watch the Orange Islands episode "Misty Meets Her Match," and read the Electric Tale of Pikachu chapter "You Bet Your Wife" (which is part of the fourth and final volume, "Surf's Up Pikachu."). It's marginally better than "The Blue Badge of Courage," but it's also not very good either.

Post-review follow-up: most annoying character of the episode goes to Giorgio, for being little more than a hate sink for shippers who prefer Misty with other partners. Dishonorable mention goes to Casey; who is normally a passable character, but like many others; this spinoff utterly mishandles her.

Next Chronicles review will be on "Celebi and Joy," an episode which should make a solid counter to all those who had beef with the time travel in the Endgame. Take care.

Review- "Oaknapped" (Pokémon Chronicles)

Well folks, guess it's as good a time as any to pick this up again. With the recent cameos from Ritchie and the leads of the infamous Legend of Thunder in Pokémon Journeys (which, despite dividing some fans; is everything this spinoff should have been); it's time to continue my look at Pokémon Chronicles. No joke- outside the Christmas specials; this is the moment where I gave up on the spinoff being good and decided to experiment with other anime. Let's open up "Oaknapped" and talk about why.

The episode actually doesn’t open on the worst note, with Ritchie coming to visit Oak Labs while Tracey greets him. Still, we get signs of trouble when Ritchie wants to get advice on evolving his Eevee. Spoilers: he doesn't actually have one, which is akin to someone buying a game for a console they don't own. There's also a mistake referring to the plural Seafoam Islands as the singular Seafoam Island. As I have previously stated, there's no point in making a spinoff for fans if you're going to get so many details wrong like this.

Case in point- when Tracey tries to claim Ritchie is Oak's nephew (a bluff that was also in the JP version) to the TV station. I don't care if it's just a cover to get past security; that's a nonsensical plan. Why not just say he works at the lab as an intern?

Anyway, speaking with DJ Mary; they realize that Oak was kidnapped from the studio and smuggled out in a Nidoqueen costume; then in a Pidgeot truck. Officer Jenny, under Ritchie's suggestions, raises all the drawbridges on the island leading to Fuschia City. You know, they could try to smuggle the professor off the island on a ferry, might want to close the docks too.

Instead, we get a flashback to when Dr. Namba gave Butch and Cassidy their assignment- to kidnap Professor Oak for what he might know about Pokérus, a virus that can cause Pokémon to grow at an exceptional rate. This is actually an interesting idea, one that wouldn't even have to be relegated to just a spinoff; but this episode doesn't really do much with it at all. Namba himself also just comes off like a discount version of Wesker, minus the charisma.

Ritchie sends out his Taillow, who is named Rose to search from the sky as a sentry; and I also think it might be better if; once again, the "kidnapped Professor" story was separate from the one about Pokérus. After Tracey makes a drawing of Pidgeot, Rose is off.

Rose tracks the truck to a warehouse, where Butch and Cassidy torture Oak for information by scratching a nail on glass. On top of a chalkboard being more traditional; this tactic is repeated in the dub multiple times and I will spare you. Just know that had me scrambling for the mute button every time.

Moreover, the Pokérus should have been the main focus of the plot; but it's not till the last 8 minutes it makes its way in. It also just glosses over how lots of Namba's previous test subjects didn't survive; which would have been a way more interesting story than the one this episode is telling.

Thankfully, Rose breaks the pane of glass and steals the nail they were using as the warehouse is raided. After Ritchie misnames Butch as "Botch," a battle ensues. Though Sableye and Mightyena put up a good fight, they're ultimately overpowered by both Tracey's Scyther, Rose, Sparky (Ritchie's Pikachu) and Zippo (Ritchie's Charmeleon). Regrettably, the battle itself is full of still frames and impact cuts. 

Long story short- Oak is freed, Butch and Cassidy are sent blasting off; and Ritchie and Tracey are guests on the show. Also, Ritchie again claims he needs help for an Eevee he doesn't own. I guess he just buys the Digimon Vital Bracelet for fun too.

While "Oaknapped" may not be the worst episode of Chronicles I've covered (that dubious honor still goes to "Training Daze"), it's on the list.  Not counting the Christmas specials; this was the moment for me where Chronicles wrecked for good and never recovered. I want to keep this clear, that telling a story outside the main anime shouldn't mean leaving narrative cohesion behind with the usual cast. In my case, I wouldn't have used Pokérus in this fashion; I would have included it in the main story instead. The only silver lining to this dark storm cloud of an episode is that I've nearly reached the halfway point of this spinoff. The next review will come before long.

Post-Review Follow-up: Most annoying characters of the episode once again go to Butch and Cassidy for their plan, which is a twelve-car pileup of shenanigans unfit for a typical Scooby-Doo clone. Dishonorable mention goes to Dr. Namba for how he mishandles the element of Pokérus.

Next Chronicles review will be on "A Date with Delcatty," in which Misty gets wrapped up in a "romance" with so little chemistry not even Walter White could make it work. That will be all for now. Sweet mother of Arceus, I need a rest and a long session with my Switch.

Yo-Kai Watch 4 and Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher- A Tale of Two Localizations

This was not the plan I initially considered for this post; but then again, not a lot has been lately. I was initially planning on doing a post commemorating three years since the announcement of Yo-Kai Watch 4 being localized; and little to show for it since then. By contrast, another game that unites two distinct cult classic Japanese IPs was not only announced for this year in Japan; but a worldwide localization upon its release this year. So, I will rework it into a different post. Here is Yo-Kai Watch 4 and Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher- a tale of two localizations.

As I have documented on this blog before, Yo-Kai Watch 4 was announced at Anime Expo in July 2019; which was definitely the plan before everything changed. Given the near radio silence on the matter since then and the closure of Level-5 Abby in the year 2020, it's honestly not looking good. There's talk of localizing the Jam Project spinoff under the name "Y School Heroes" (which seems to be corroborated by the title showing up in the new PS Plus backend); but not much else has been said about that either. For an aside, the much-hyped Megaton Musashi has gone free-to-play; a move that has been met with mixed reception. Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds was a promising spinoff to the console installments that lost my interest and others once blockchain elements were added to the game. Unless Level-5 sells the international rights to another publisher, I don't see it still happening (especially given that email inquiry).

By contrast, Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher had its localization announced for this year of our Almighty Sinnoh, 2022. This would suggest that the English version of Monster Rancher 1 and 2 DX did well enough for it to happen: not BDSP or Legends Arceus numbers; but enough to suggest there's still an audience for Monster Rancher in the US. As for Ultraman- while it's never been a critical darling; it still has a following in Japan and a cult following in the US that could make the case for the game doing modestly well here. They're even retaining the searchable database of CDs to make up for the lack of a disc drive on Switch. As someone who bought the remasters day one, I can verify how extensive the amount of albums one can summon monsters from is. It's been an interesting year for game reveals so far, and I will keep an eye on this one.

Bottom line- while an English localization of Yo-Kai Watch 4 remains elusive after three years; Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher wasted no time in announcing localization plans. That's all for now, and I will see you all again soon.

Honest Thoughts on Trigun Stampede (2023).

It's that time again- I'm not one to decry every single reboot as automatically doomed to fail; but I am well aware that it's difficult to get right and very easy to screw up. Case in point- while rumors were swirling of a reboot of the beloved anime classic "Trigun" for ages, I was never among those who thought it was necessary. Yet, lo and behold, at this year's Anime Expo (the first held since the last two shows were cancelled amid COVID-19 concerns), it was officially revealed for next year: a CGI reboot known as "Trigun Stampede." Here are my honest thoughts on the matter.

Courtesy: Crunchyroll Collection YouTube Channel

Let's address the elephant in the room right away: the CGI. I've mentioned before that it's often a crapshoot whenever a previously-2D anime is given a CG reversion, but that especially becomes a problem when the source material is so distinctive that people have certain expectations in mind. For every Lupin III The First that nails the transition, we've had scores of adaptations like the 2016 Berserk. Even though the CG studio previously worked on both Land of the Lustrous and BEASTARS (both anime I enjoyed), I have very conflicted feelings about this approach. So, as you can imagine from the screenshot I just took; the reactions have been decidedly mixed so far. I won't be going into every tweet I've seen with tagged with this series; but a small sample of reactions compared Vash's new design to a "zoomer," Machine Gun Kelly; and in my case, a Fortnite avatar. It doesn't really help that the framerate looks choppier than the PS1 games I just got with my new PS Plus upgrade either.

I can't say at this stage how this version will approach the characters; but the changes in story already seem quite significant. Apart from some of the weapons, bandits and Vash's prosthetic arm, the original anime and manga (along with the 2010 Badlands Rumble movie) were a fairly grounded "new old west" tale with a flavor of desert punk fiction. So, seeing the first shots of this teaser have a space colony orphanage and sandworms stolen from the set of Dune already has me concerned. Some have theorized this might be a prequel, but that actually raises more questions than it answers. If that ends up being the case (I am not currently at liberty to confirm or deny anything about that), then it looks like it will take a very different direction; one I'm not certain about being successful.

Lastly, there's the point I made above about the reboot as a proposition itself. I didn't really have any need or desire for a reboot of Trigun; as much like Cowboy Bebop, it told a self-contained story across all its episodes and the movie. Even as someone who didn't hate the live-action version of that; I also wasn't surprised when Netflix canned it either (that alone concerns me about their Gundam adaptation, though). Taking creative license also isn't a bad thing in itself- for every adaptation like the 2017 Ghost in the Shell; there's ones like Devilman Crybaby. It's just that in this specific case, my skepticism about a reboot at this stage seems somewhat justified. 

I don't plan on passing final judgment on the anime until it actually releases next year, especially as the current entertainment landscape can often make a "sure thing" anything but. However, given the legacy of Trigun as a whole (I'm among those that considers it a companion piece to Cowboy Bebop); this version has an uphill battle on its hands. I am considering reviewing more of the original in the near future.

Bottom line- given how this reveal has already proven divisive in many respects; I will not be addressing Trigun Stampede in further detail until it officially releases next year. That will be all for now, take care.