Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024) Review

Welcome to my review of Sonic The Hedgehog 3! This latest installment of the trilogy is easily its best, so let’s open it up and find out why.

We open on Prison Island, which is in Tokyo Bay in the live-action timeline. As two of a contingent of GUN mercenaries keep watch, we get the first of many parts of Shadow looking back at his time with Maria set to “Live and Learn.” We’ll come back to this song later, and this movie made good use of it even with the legal issues. Much of the cast reprises their roles, with much to discuss in new and familiar people.

The security mainframe is hacked as Shadow awakens, shattering the stasis tube! Though they never outright name his “Chaos Control” in the movie, certainly not a stretch as he’s voiced by someone who was Neo. He fights his way out of the compound, speed skating into the city and our title card!

"Are you sure this line is clean?"

Back in Green Hills, Sonic is on a camping trip with his companions. There’s even a fun friendly race at the campsite, set to Goldfinger’s cover “99 Red Balloons.” I prefer the original German version by Nena, but it’s a nice touch that sets up Tails’ holograms. There’s even the stage clear music from the games; as the trip is to celebrate his arrival on earth! Yet, not even that is respite from a global cataclysmic event. 

It is a nice moment, especially as Tom and Sonic talk in his old knothole. There’s a lot to touch on in this movie; but it definitely takes the best elements from the games and the other adaptations. In many respects, Tom is something of an adult take on Chris from Sonic X; albeit without the more divisive qualities of that character. These movies work quite well for an unofficial live-action adaptation of that anime.

Back in Tokyo, Shadow discovers he’s been in stasis for 50 years; as GUN summons “Team Sonic” to help contain Shadow. The scene of them diving into the city and into battle is quite effective. The subsequent battle on the streets is great; and the following motorcycle chase is full of visual Easter eggs from in and out of the franchise. As Sonic gives chase, Shadow uses a GUN sidearm when it’s clear he won’t let him go easy.

The chase goes up and above the Tokyo Tower skyline, complete with an Akira slide up the tower. Got to give it to DP Brandon Trost and editor Al Levine- their work here is great. Though Shadow escapes, the three regroup to determine their next move.

The Chao Garden cafe is a signature scene; and seeing all the details from the cakes to the Chao in Space poster in the background is a delight. Also like the joke of a Japanese girl mistaking Tails for Detective Pikachu (nice nod to another successful video game turned successful live-action film).

As Commander Walters meets with Team Sonic, he explains to them about Shadow. His story started like Sonic’s; but while Sonic found family and friends, Shadow found pain and loss. I especially like how the next action scene is set up- the lights go down, then back up to a J-pop cover of “I Want You Back,” lulling the audience into a false sense of security before the cafe is attacked for real. Though it’s not clear what really happens to Walters; this ends up remixing the GUN storyline from the games in a way that makes sense. He does give Sonic one of the two keys to the Eclipse Cannon, which will be important later.

Stone breaks up the attack, and in order to find Shadow; the heroes must form a reluctant alliance with an old enemy- Dr. ivo “Robotnik” Eggman, played again by Jim Carrey. Well, this is consistent with what he said after the last movie. Knuckles remarks “this is sad, even for you.”

He finally got his wish for his game character’s body type, thanks to a mixture of Olive Garden (among other caloric takeout) and campy telenovelas. He grudgingly forms an enemy mine with our heroes, and even has a new, game-accurate suit. Also, yes, he really did get his haircut during this part. Eggman tracks the drones back to their point of origin, in exchange for one of Sonic’s quills.

We flashback to 1974, where Shadow’s backstory takes place with Maria, played by Alyla Browne. Though she lacks her game counterpart’s terminal illness, there are constants between her role in Shadow’s story. I especially like the donut angels and Easter egg of the Bio-Lizard in an old kaiju movie they watch.

Everyone starts exploring the old GUN base, and I really enjoy the way the characters play off each other; especially Tails and Stone. Stone is also something of a remix of Snively of the Archie comics and SatAM- though in Stone’s case, he remains friendly and loyal to Robotnik to the end. From making his coffee to building his various machines, he’s willing to do anything for him. 

Riddle me this, Batman- what’s better than one Jim Carrey Robotnik? How about two- Jim also plays Gerald Robotnik. It’s a comedic goldmine; and it’s also done with a more advanced version of the tech in the Eddie Murphy Nutty Professor films. As they bond and make up for lost time (nice Eggman Land Easter egg in VR); Stone later tries to warn Ivo about his grandfather’s ulterior motives, but Ivo fires him in response.

Chaining Team Sonic to an old defense silo, Shadow takes their key to the Eclipse Cannon and activates a miniature black hole device! In the nick of time, they’re able to use a ring to go back to Green Hills before the base is enveloped!

The other key to the Cannon is in London, and this whole sequence in act 2 is setup like a heist film; and even with Maddie and Tom taking up baking and puppetry respectively; they’re happy to help. Also kind of neat how puppets were used to place the characters for the VFX team.

The key is protected by three trap countermeasures- a shield and laser grid are two; both of which could end Sonic in a way that actually wouldn’t be out of place in the games. Why, may you ask; can’t he just use a ring? That requires an idea of where you’re coming out, and the third countermeasure and trap is off the books. As for his request for Tom Cruise- I think he was shooting a movie in the Baltics.

Tom and Maddie slip in disguised as Randall and Rachel; planting a “crash drive” in the compound’s servers. I like the little bit of Tom blowing the dust out of the contact points- I am old enough to remember doing that to my Sega games.

As Shadow waits for Sonic to make his move, he ends up getting invested in Eggman’s telenovelas; which is a deep-cut in-joke I rather enjoy. On the other side of the coin, the film does not hold back in depicting Maria’s tragic fate- though not exactly the same as the games; the one constant is this- Maria was the only one who showed him kindness, and her death made Shadow who he is.

Though this is the darkest film in the trilogy by far, the humor is still in abundance. The scene where Ivo and Gerald dance through the laser grid to the Chemical Brothers’ “Galvanize” is a riot and predictably went viral online.

The hidden third trap is a floor with artificial gravity controls; which can decrease or increase at the touch of a button. Knuckles gets called in; but accidentally breaks the control panel, and even starts a collapse of the concrete roof! Sonic is able to spin dash just in time to stop Tom and Maddie from being struck by falling rebar! 

After that close call, it’s a similar bait and switch from the Chao Garden scene- Tom secures the key while disguised as Walters; but Shadow takes it and gravely injures him in the process, benching him for about half the movie. 

With few options left, Sonic demands to know where the Master Emerald is. Knuckles remains hesitant, as they decided after the last movie it’s too much power to wield lightly (again, like Sega’s own Infinity Gauntlet). He does grudgingly agree to tell him where the gem is- in the care of Wade; showing that the Knuckles event is still canon. Also, Sonic gets it from him practicing hockey on the roof- well, somebody saw Clerks.

Taking the Emerald, Sonic, having learned the sickening truth, decides to confront Shadow and the two Eggmen. When Ivo tries to dissuade Gerald from global destruction and to mutual conquest; Gerald coldly dismisses the idea with just three words- “You’re no Maria.”

Both Eggmen and hedgehogs come to blows, with the sequence being a major highlight. Shadow even removes his inhibitor rings after crashing into a crater, always a sign he means business. 

Though Iizuka denies the connection, if Sonic is like our Goku, then Shadow is something of our Vegeta; an antagonist who comes around to the light; as the fight reminds him of what Maria meant to him. 

Cue “Live and Learn,” and as Sonic and Shadow become allies for the assault on the Cannon to both the song from Crush 40 and a full orchestra arrangement. Seriously- Chaos Spears, game-accurate robot soldiers; cutting the moon in half- they do it all. Even with the behind the scenes drama with the band, it’s still a great song. As for how the non-human characters can breathe in space- well, it is in keeping with the games; and they are functionally aliens in this continuity, something Sonic lampshaded near the beginning.

Ivo zaps Gerald into the cannon’s energy field, and as he stays behind to stop the cannon; he sends a last goodbye message to Stone. As for what comes next, Jim has said “anything is possible.”  Holding him to those words.

We close on the camping trip from before, Tom getting out of the hospital (guess NHS fixed him up) and finally finishing the race we started with. The credits roll to “Run It” by Jelly Roll. On top of it being a good song (single has been in heavy rotation even as someone who’s otherwise unfamiliar with the singer); I once again like the visuals recalling the low-polygon graphics of the Saturn (very underrated console, most people I knew had/liked the N64 or original Playstation).

The first stinger sees Sonic winning the race; but also going all the way to New York in the process. He’s attacked by a wave of Metal Sonic drones; but they are in turn smashed by a familiar pink hedgehog’s hammer! Her hood comes down, revealing her as Amy Rose! So, I would presume they’re going to be adapting Sonic CD next (my favorite game on Sega CD in fact). Also, my shortlist of celebrity voices for her is still the same: Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Emma Stone and Zendaya.

The second stinger has Shadow picking up his inhibitor rings from the crater he landed in. We’ll see where his storyline goes next; since this movie ended up omitting the amnesiac aspects of the character. A TV spinoff about him is in early development for Paramount Plus, which I am open to as someone who enjoyed the Knuckles event.

This is one of the rare examples of a film franchise getting better with each passing installment (only others I can think of are the Wolverine trilogy and the Mission Impossible franchise). Though I do not know if the upcoming fourth film in 2027 will be a total conclusion; I do know I enjoy this film heartily on its own and as adaptation of the games. I’m not the only one either- its blend of offbeat humor, video game and anime-infused action and surprisingly engaging characterization make it easily my favorite entry so far.

Naturally, the movie also became the biggest hit of the trilogy; taking in more than $236 million in the US and over $491 million worldwide. I can also now officially say that the Sonic films are better film adaptations of The Flash than the actual one. I am eagerly awaiting what’s next, and I will see you again soon. Take care.

Luca and Turning Red- Pixar's Western Anime Films

Hey everyone- with Pixar's Elio releasing this summer solstice weekend; I thought I would take the opportunity to say: and now for something completely different. Let's take a look back at two of my favorite films from the past few years and how they've been accepted among people of my persuasion with great enthusiasm. Here's a quick look at Luca and Turning Red, especially how Pixar made them something of Western anime films.

Let's start with the former- Luca, directed by Enrico Casarosa in his feature debut (looking forward to his follow-up, "Gatto"), the story follows the titular humanoid sea creature Luca (voice of Jacob Tremblay) as he tries to navigate the surface world of a small town known as Portorosso, Italy in the year 1955. In this, he forms a friendship with fellow humanoid sea creature Alberto (voice of Jack Dylan Grazer) and a young woman named Giulia (voice of Emma Berman) to discover more about himself and grow as a person of both land and water.

Courtesy: Buena Vista Entertainment/Pixar Animation Studios

Since its debut on June 18, 2021; I have seen the film numerous times. I have particularly gotten into a habit of watching it near the start of summer each year; and it does a great job of capturing that feeling of discovery and wonder the season invites. The film does bear a few similarities to The Little Mermaid (both the book and the classic 1989 film); I would argue at has more in common with my favorite version of that story- the Studio Ghibli anime film Ponyo. The conflicts are less rooted in cataclysmic sea monsters and more in the ebbs and flows of summer days as they often are. Alberto's boisterous persona comes from being estranged from his father. Even the closest thing the film has to a villain, Ercole (voice of Saverio Raimondo) is portrayed as more of an arrogant pain in the tailfin than an actual threat (with Yosemite Sam and Pepe Le Pew being used as reference points). I especially like how both a traffic cop and the town cardinal respond to his introduction with a reaction to the effect of "Dear Neptune, not this guy again." Another underlying theme in this movie I like that's still resonant now is this- discovery and perseverance in the face of outside challenges are rewarded and bigotry and callousness don't pay in the long run. Even the ending is a bittersweet, but ultimately hopeful one to show how the leads will keep learning even after the credits roll.

The following year saw a film that ended up sharing even more of its storytelling and artistic DNA with anime- Turning Red.

Courtesy- Buena Vista Entertainment/Pixar Animation Studios

Though it would have been cool to see theatrically (saw trailers and posters like the one here when I went to see Matt Reeves' The Batman), I was among the many online who dove right in when it went live on March 11, 2022. Marking the feature directorial debut of Domee Shi (who is also one of the co-directors of Elio); the story follows 13-year-old Meilin Lee (voice of Rosalie Chiang). As she tries to navigate the challenges of coming of age while honoring her family's bloodline, she must also deal with turning into a massive red panda when she experiences strong emotional states- something that happens fairly frequently at that age. 

I have also seen this film numerous times since its debut, and have spoken quite highly of its mix of humor and earnestness in depicting coming of age. Each viewing brings new layers to appreciate, and it's a story that I can very well see becoming a future classic.

Of course, the animation is certainly one of the biggest talking points. As I have stated before elsewhere- I like it. On top of the angles, lighting and color palettes showing an increasing willingness to integrate elements from 2D animation (thank the acclaim and success of Spider-Verse biting the rest of the business); I especially like how the art direction as well as the story take cues from works I've enjoyed. Key ones include Fruits Basket, Sailor Moon and especially One Piece. Come on- you think a man who stays up till 2AM watching that last one has an issue with the art direction?

As for a (now-retracted) question from another creator about why they weren't talking about the war at the time; my first response was this: do the words "Remember Me" mean anything to you? (Disclaimer: I said in years past I supported Pattinson's willingness to experiment as a performer- I never said each experiment was a success.)

One last note- it's another film where the growth has connections. The thrill of a kaiju fight/Dynamax Battle in the Toronto Sky Dome to Mei-Mei's favorite band is an energetic rush, but the ensuing heart-to-heart that follows with the essence of her mother (voice of Sandra Oh) as a teenager in the bamboo forest is what cemented my appreciation for it.

Bottom line- as a longtime fan of both anime and Pixar films; I never pass up a chance to share my enthusiasm for both. Hope we can all have a great summer, and I will see you all again soon. One last thing- go see Elio, it really is that good. Take care.

Pokémon Legends Z-A Countdown- 120 Days Remaining

Hey everyone- with the launch window now in sight; I thought I would formally begin the countdown. With 120 days remaining till launch on the Switch family, here's an update regarding Pokémon Legends Z-A!

Though I can’t claim to speak for anyone else, I think the Lumiose City map should be more than enough for the game's setting given how important it was in X and Y. On top of the "wild zones" and "battle zones," I am eager to see how much I can explore with the parkour-inspired traversal.

As talk persists of new ones, I am glad all the previous Mega Evolutions will be returning to the game; what I have seen so far looks great.

While the Switch 2 port will have the expected boosts in frame rate and resolution, I honestly think the game will be a fantastic showcase across the Switch family as a way to send off this era of the main series. Even at this stage and details being kept close to the chest; it remains among my most anticipated games of the year.

With a new Pokémon Presents debuting next month, there is sure to be more revealed; and I will bring more details as I get them. That is all for now, and I will see you all again soon. Seek out all Pokémon.

Pokémon Horizons- Mega Voltage (JP) First Impressions: Horizons 02

Now that I have seen all the episodes I currently have access to, I present my first impressions on Pokémon Horizons' Mega Voltage. 

Even with the much-ballyhooed time skip, I'm not particularly impressed by it. Before I explain why, getting into my issues with this arc so far (especially with how I don't think the time jump has been that well-implemented); I will address the positives as usual. The animation is once again very good, especially in terms of battles. This is especially true when they're seen through to the end, something HZ has been oddly hesitant to do. Also, when they actually do adapt elements from the games instead of just hinting at them. I still maintain that HZ would have been way better if they had just directly adapted the video games. Scarlet and Violet would have been perfect for the character-driven story they're aiming for.

Now, onto the issues I have with it; which also tie into the ones I have the end of Rayquaza Rising. One constant I have with others is that when there's an issue with Horizons is not the ideas themselves; but their implementation. That's what tends to break willing suspension of disbelief, with one of Tinkatuff's hammers. On a basic level, the characters trying to clear their names and taking the fight to the enemy is not bad. It's everything else that's the issue- you're telling me all this happened in the span of a year? Get out of here. Personally, I don't think that's a substantial enough amount of time for things to have changed. 

It's especially not good when 5/6 of the Legendary Heroes fall into a crevasse, only for the preview to show the bad guy has them. Honestly, I'm starting to get bored with Spinel and the Explorers as villains- I personally found the AI variants of Sada and Turo; as well as the smaller-scale antagonism of Team Star and the rivals more interesting.

Inconsistencies aside (2/3 of the mains not having stage 2 starters and an offhand mention of Blueberry Academy without actually showing it), part of the supposed appeal of a time skip is to show a new perspective. I've never believed it was a solution in and of itself to anything in a story. It's just a storytelling tool to be used well or used badly, just like anything else.

It's a difficult thing to get right and an easy one to mess up, and it's very much a mixed bag. Some character behaviors have thankfully been dropped, but I honestly don't see that much different. The biggest difference I notice with these characters is they started dressing differently. As someone who took years to warm up to the costuming in the Advanced Generation; a new set of cosmetics isn't enough for me. 

Instead of clarifying what continuity this anime takes place in, things have been made even less clear with the presence of one new character. As you can imagine, I do not like Ult as a character personally. It is fine helped save Liko and Roy from Exceed, but apart from that, I find him obnoxious at best and a danger to himself and others at worst. I know it's wishful thinking to see "you-know-who" crossover with this cast, but Ult to me displays the worst qualities of Yamcha without any of the redeeming aspects. They especially crank the distrust of female characters up to 11- I've seen "shyness" and this isn't it. This is much worse- I also don't enjoy how he's functionally taking the place of Dot as tritagonist for most of what I've watched of this arc; especially as she was most actively trying to improve herself and has changed the most out of the main cast. I can't say I was impressed with the episode addressing "nuisance streamer" culture- personally think the 2018 version of GeGeGe no Kitaro did it better in its first episode. I would not have invited the prankster with the Stunfisk on my stream- I would have him turned into a tree. I really have a hard time buying even in this day and age that nearly everyone took Exceed's account at face value when I see mistakes about the Switch 2 and the new Superman addressed and corrected in real time.

You only get one chance at a first impression, and in my eyes at least; Mega Voltage and Ult in particular wasted theirs. I'm willing to entertain some details had to be changed because of the Tera Leak, it's just not a direction I personally would have taken. Honestly getting harder and harder for me to buy this was all planned out when the actual result suggests the opposite. I will have more to say when I review each arc (after the EN dub is out), but it will not surprise me at all if what I hear about Generation X going back to basics is true.

Despite everything, what Pokémon Horizons' Mega Voltage arc reminds me most of is Digimon Adventure 02- lots of interesting ideas; but they don't really come together as a unified whole. Honestly hope the plan for the Generation X anime is much simpler, I also won't be surprised if it's a hard reboot. Thankfully, I will have much more pleasant matters to talk about soon. That will be all for now, take care.

Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War (EN) First Impressions

Hey everyone- now that I've see the first four episodes; I thought I would go into detail more about this anime as I deal with the summer heat coming early. So, here are my first impressions on Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War.

Having read the whole of the manga, the anime does a good job of translating this arc from page to screen even with how much the market has changed in the time the franchise has been absent from the public eye. In many ways, the cancelation of the initial run now comes off like a prolonged hiatus.

Likewise, the anime also wastes no time in establishing what's at stake in the conflict. Much like its precursor YuYu Hakusho and more recent phenomena such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (lowkey excited for the Infinity Castle movie); the plot armor is functionally off- anyone can die, or at least; they won't make it through entirely unscathed. The animation is also vastly improved from when the anime left our screens in the previous decade, and Kubo's penchant for memorable character design remains on trend. Admittedly, the idea of an enemy who wants to remove an entire bloodline they deem inferior from the gene pool isn't exactly a stretch these days... make your own assumptions.

Glad I have this out, and it won't be the only anime time jump I'm covering either. Just want you to know that I'm not just drinking Baja Blast and playing Capcom Fighting Collection 2 this weekend, though that's also true. That's all for now, take care.

Dragon Ball Daima Coming To Toonami This Weekend.

Once again, I apologize for not being able to get out as much as I wanted to- mixture of heat wave and getting stuff ready for when I have my molars out. Regardless, I have a pleasant announcement to share with you all.

The English dub of Dragon Ball Daima, the final Dragon Ball project Akira Toriyama had direct involvement in before his passing last year at age 68; will debut on Toonami this weekend after Lazarus at 12:30. As the franchise has been a cornerstone of the block since its origins in the 1990s and early 2000s; this was a natural move. Plus, I am very glad that Stephanie Nadolny is back as the voice of young Goku.

I will bring you more stuff as it's ready, and I will see you all again soon. Take care everyone.

Pokémon Legends Z-A Coming October 16 and More.

Hey everyone- with one week to the release of the Switch 2 and a whole slew of games launching alongside it; I thought I would give some updates to one in particular I've been looking forward to as well as its banner franchise. Yes folks, much as I guessed; Pokémon Legends Z-A will see release around the world on the Switch family this fall on October 16!

Courtesy: Nintendo/Game Freak/The Pokémon Company

This also coincides with a litany of details, with more to come at a new Pokémon Presents in summer. For now, we have received more and more details on the gameplay and presentation. The traversal bearing similarities to parkour still intrigues me immensely. I am also eager to experience the new active combat mechanics. I don't know about Xenoblade parallels as someone who is not a fan of that franchise; but I can identify parallels to Shin Megami Tensei and Persona in terms of gameplay.

While the Switch 2 version will of course get a higher graphical resolution and framerate; it honestly looks great to me no matter where I try it first. I am also confident the music will be fantastic, especially as Kalos had some of my favorite songs in the franchise upon its debut.

Finally, because it just amuses me so much, the now-iconic EN logo went through many revisions before its designer Chris Maple gave us the one we all know and love. That is just a testament to how the creative process can take interesting twists and turns sometimes. That is all for now, and I will see you all again soon. Seek out all Pokémon.

The Curiously Pleasant Case of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time (and its success).

So, MI8 was pretty sweet- a more than worthy finale to the cliffhanger from the previous installment and nearly 30 years of storytelling. I also enjoyed the Outlaw festival last night- stumbling back to my ride afterwards; less so.

With that, it's time for another checkin with our old pals at Level-5; with one of their oft-delayed games coming out and actually turning out to be a pleasant surprise. So, let's dig into the curiously pleasant case of Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time.

Coming about a decade after the previous main title; there's been lots of competitors to fill the vacuum in terms of games that combine RPG mechanics with life simulators. Even with the tumult facing Level-5, (especially in having the physical release of the game canceled at the last moment); the game has actually proven to be a pleasant surprise. Early press is also uniformly positive, and it's among the bestsellers on the eShop charts alongside stalwarts such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Minecraft.

I am of a belief there's room for multiple games in a genre, and even with more competition for life simulators than when the first game released; it's certainly proved to be fairly solid even with a development cycle rivaling Duke Nukem Forever and Beyond Good and Evil 2 in terms of delays. In fact, a free update is currently being sent out for players as you see this. I know I'm among many concerned for the future of the company; but I'm not so numb I'm incapable of mentioning when the company does something good.

Though it remains to be seen how the new Inazuma Eleven will do given a crowded launch month this August (including MGS: Snake Eater Delta, Gears of War Reloaded, Mafia The Old Country, Kirby and the Forgotten Land on Switch 2 among many others), it's nice to share something positive in between rounds of Power Stone via Capcom Fighting Collection 2. That's all for now, take care.

Honest Thoughts- Hino's Take on AI at Level-5 is Disappointing and Disillusioning.

(Sighs) Just when I think I've seen and heard it all; I find something that shows me otherwise and compels me to write about it. In a recent interview with Famitsu, Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino shared thoughts on the use of AI tools in his company's games. It is because of this stance (which has not sat well with the company's fans) that I am writing this piece instead of having this conversation over his social feeds. Here are my honest thoughts on why Hino's take on AI at Level-5 is disappointing and disillusioning.

Image from Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.

Before I get into the actual words he said, I thought it would be good to establish my point of view on the matter- though there may be a day when AI is not only ubiquitous but indeed capable of the lofty claims of its backers; it still needs a lot of work to get farther than a novelty for me (like those clips of DBZ by Balenciega). At this stage, there's too many ethical landmines for me to engage with it actively. 

However, that line of thinking and nuance is often lost on the executive class; and Hino is no exception despite claims otherwise. Now, let's share his quote from the Famitsu interview.

“Through this program, I hope many of you will get to soar to the global stage as game developers. While I am also actively working as a developer, I’ve recently found myself thinking that AI technology is encroaching upon the creative world. Currently, around 80~90% of codes are written by AI and then fixed up and finalized by human programmers. In other words, it means that right now, around 80~90% of games are made by AI. And it does not just stop at programming – AI technology is encroaching on art, music and even game design on a large scale. Not to mention that it’s already becoming common sense in the creative world to rely on the power of AI to boost work efficiency. That is why I believe that “aesthetic sense” is a necessary skill for game developers.”

There's a lot to unravel here, but apart from a few defenders; the overall response from longtime fans has not been good. Though he and Level-5 were once seen as the creative antidote to the likes of EA, Ubisoft and Activision; it's become increasingly clear Hino has become the very thing he swore to destroy, to paraphrase Obi-Wan.

First and foremost, the "80-90%" figure has been refuted by a number of developers. In particular, one anonymous developer (who I shall call Billy Cranston for the sake of argument) responded by saying that the claim is "completely untrue, bordering on libelous." As I stated above, the current builds work fine as an assist; but Billy soundly points out that they "are not yet anywhere near capable of producing usable code for games, despite what media hype might have you thinking."

As for how that figure applies to the games themselves; that's another story. We do live in an age where games get accused of/caught using generative AI elements with alarming frequency; but I do have a pretty solid eye for picking out the obvious dregs while looking for deals on PSN and eShop. I don't anticipate we'll be at the "push a button and make it happen" stage for a while; let alone have it produce decent results.

Next, let's break down Hino's comments on AI use in art, music and game design. As previously stated; while it may be funny to have SpongeBob or Hank Hill cover a pop song, using these models on a broader scale also opens it up to a broader level of scrutiny as well. However, Hino's blithe attitudes on the tech did not endear him to longtime fans of the developer's games; many of whom responded by vowing to never buy or play anything from Level-5 again. It also comes at a time where other games are coming under fire for plagiarism (with Bungie's Marathon especially facing backlash for such), so it's not the best idea to come out in favor of tech that relies heavily on data scraped from other sources.

I have never really bought into the "common sense" argument (especially since it's becoming rarer than the Dial of Archimedes), and the efficiency argument has been routinely disproven as people everywhere from Comcast to McDonald's have had to fix problems specifically caused by AI breaking things; let alone missing details humans would not. 

In all seriousness, the claim of "aesthetic skill" in the context of AI to me is analogous to pitching Arby's to a gathering of vegans- you're courting a group of people you're never going to reach. 

With that, I maintain that Hino's take on AI at Level-5 is disappointing and disillusioning. I was hoping that the negative response the fanbase had could at least give him pause to reconsider going all-in on the tech. Sadly, not only has that not happened, the developer has doubled down right as the latest Fantasy Life has debuted to a somewhat muted response. It's not that review codes were withheld, they just plumb are slow at sending them out. I will do my best to keep an open mind about what comes next from the developer; but I'm deliberately keeping expectations low to be safe. That's all for now, my copy of Capcom Fighting Collection 2 is finally coming soon and I got tickets to MI8. Take care.

Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War Coming to Toonami this weekend.

So, Oahu was enjoyable as I thought it would be; and my flight back went fine. The ride back from PDX and subsequent cough I got; much less so. As I continue tending to projects I've had going a while, I thought I would share this.

It seems the long-awaited anime adaption of Bleach: The Thousand-Year Blood War (which was the chronological finale to the manga) will bring its English dub to Toonami starting this weekend- Saturday, May 17 at 12:30AM.

Though I openly admit I'm a more casual fan of this and Naruto among this iteration of the Shonen Jump "big 3," I will have no problem adding this to my weekend viewings of One Piece (which remains my favorite of the trio to this day) and Lazarus. 

Seeing as this is functionally the Endgame of the franchise, I am open to talking about this anime more in the near future; and I will bring you more information on this and other topics as it becomes available. Later.

P.S.: Go see Thunderbolts*, it really is that good.

Lazarus (2025) First Impressions.

Well, this is interesting- I did my best to not prematurely judge this anime before it debuted; and it's been a pleasant surprise so far. So, let's talk about the latest from Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Space Dandy); Lazarus.

Courtesy: Adult Swim

In the not too distant future of 2055, a miracle cure known as Hapna becomes a lethal drug that will wipe out all of humanity within 30 days time. With few options available, a group with the codename Lazarus is assembled to find Hapna's elusive creator; Skinner before it's too late.

I actually did something a bit different with this anime- even with the pedigree of its creative talent; I chose to not actively take in much prerelease material before it debuted earlier this month. With that in mind, the crew also contains the likes of Daiki Watanabe (no relation, but an accomplished figure in his own right) and Chad Stahleski of John Wick fame. So, as you can imagine; it's got style and showmanship aplenty.

Though Watanabe has a signature style to be sure, it's always interesting to see how it applies to different time periods and their respective methods of storytelling. This is no exception, especially as it applies to the music. Bebop had a mixture of classic rock and freeform jazz. Champloo infused hip-hop and rap music into a 17th century Japanese period setting. Space Dandy had island music and '50s rockabilly tunes to match a Dandy who was very much like an anime Zapp Branigan. Naturally, as this anime is a vision of the future we're potentially headed towards based on where we are now; so it's very much a cyberpunk new 2050s- less roaring 20s big bands and more EDM (and not just with this week's episode).

On top of the incredibly slick animation and distinct character types (I especially like Axel's backstory as a chronic prison breaker); I'm also glad that the pattern of naming each episode for a piece of music or other pop culture is intact. For instance, the episode cued up for next week is entitled "Pretty Vacant," and the one after that is called "Heaven is a Place on Earth."

It is a great example of not just the creators' talents; but also how you can make an animated series "adult" without exclusively relying on gratuitous violence and sex or whatever that terrible animated Good Times was doing last year.

Overall- while it remains to be seen if this will have the same impact as Watanabe's other works; Lazarus has more than enough to offer to recommend it. That's all for now, and I will see you all again soon (going to Oahu and Thunderbolts* next week). Take care, everyone.

Pokémon Legends Z-A Updates, Gamecube Classics on Switch 2+ More

Hey everyone- now that the dust has settled from the Switch 2 deep dive; I can say I am excited for the console. As the debate over everything from hardware niceties to how international trade could impact the rollout is ongoing; I have a clear through line I can address with confidence- the games. I intend to upgrade to the new system in 2026 at the earliest; since I'm waiting for a release date on Pokémon Generation X. So, I thought I would share some updates with the franchise that I've been meaning to.

Let's start with the newest title- this year's Pokémon Legends Z-A. Though there is still no concrete release date as of this writing (maintain that late 2025 suggests sometime in Q4 2025, so October is my earliest educated guess); the game had a host of new information revealed. It will also be among the titles that will get an upgrade on the Switch 2; with both higher resolution and frame rate confirmed. Even on my existing system, I am liking what the game is doing with Lumiose City; and I've never had as much issue with graphics as others. I can certainly appreciate visual flair whenever it's presented to me; but I still play and enjoy titles that released years if not decades ago.

On that subject, the worst-kept secret about the next legacy console to join the library of classic games has been confirmed to join the new one on launch day this June- the Gamecube. Among the titles that will be introduced in future waves; two in particular are of great interest to myself and others: Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD Gale of Darkness.

Both games (despite being considered apocryphal by the current stewards of the franchise) have had considerable influence on future titles and the fandom as a whole. Speaking personally, they were the first major example of how a role-playing game with console-level processing could work for the franchise; and certainly far from the last. I especially like what the games did with the gameplay mechanics and world building. I notice a lot of similarities to the Dune cycle and the Mad Max films- in the latter case; it's not hard to see the colosseums as thunderdomes or the oases of Orre as the Green Place.

Lastly, even as yet more uncertainty faces WB Discovery; they have reaffirmed commitment to a number of IP under their roof. Specifically, not only is The Great Detective Pikachu still in active development; it is now going to be the first of a planned trilogy of live-action Pokémon adaptations. Can't say this is a complete surprise; given the surprise hit of Minecraft, divisive reception and rowdy guest behavior aside (I can wait till it comes to streaming for bad movie night). 

I will continue to bring you any information on the new console and games as it becomes available. No matter where I am; I intend to preorder Legends Z-A once I have a firm release date for it. That is all for now, take care.

10 Valid Critiques of Pokémon Horizons From Longtime Fans.

Hey everyone- given all the noise around Mega Voltage and the anime as a whole; I thought I would do something I've been contemplating a while. Despite what some have claimed otherwise, I have maintained the main deterrents to Pokémon Horizons were never the different "anchor" characters or new storylines in and of themselves. I have maintained that telling me you don't like HZ is not a controversial viewpoint and shouldn’t be treated like one. I in turn, have only seen HZ as just okay (something to leave on in the background while I'm doing anything from writing to playing my Switch); but I have no need to go after the show's supporters. With all of this in mind, there are valid points being raised by longtime fans about HZ (especially as the 30th anniversary and Generation X draw ever closer; with a new anime in the works). So, I thought I would go over the most common ones as firmly but fairly as I can. Here are 10 valid critiques longtime fans have with Pokémon Horizons.

First, I will establish that you obviously won't be seeing the obvious hot takes that have been repeated so often they've lost all meaning. Second, this isn't a formal "top 10" list, just ten critiques that have merit among all the fluff. Lastly, I thought I would lead with the honorable mentions; so I can establish what you can expect. Usually, I do that near the end; but in this case, I'll make an exception.

Honorable Mention- Furthering the "problem" it was intended to solve 

One common argument in favor of HZ is that it struck a balance between kids today and the older fanbase who were kids of yesteryear. While not untrue on a surface level, I'd submit that only really works if you look at it from a very specific angle. From another, this anime to other parts of the audience is a solution in search of a problem. I've argued this before, but audience clarity is key. Your average kid won't be interested in corporate smear campaigns, and your typical person my age won't be terribly invested in some internet celebrity's fans. 

Honorable Mention- Higher standards and more variety in family entertainment 

This point will be expanded on in the main list, but it's still worth mentioning here- Pokémon isn't built the same way as other shows of its ilk. It showed up exactly where it needed to be to succeed in pop culture and built its brand carefully over the years that followed. I'm of a mindset that HZ might have worked fine in the 2000s as a spinoff; but pitching it as the mainline option in a far more competitive landscape was always going to be tough. On top of how close it was to the end of the previous anime, simply having a different story structure and anchor character was only going to keep hold of the audience and critics for so long. With more and more offerings for families and demands for better options all the time, merely being "different" isn’t enough anymore. Not when everything from Adventure Time to Craig of the Creek to the Avatar-verse to Gravity Falls; The Owl House and Amphibia (along with numerous others) have been able to give so much depth to the same demographic HZ is targeting.

1. Inconsistent handling of the source material

One thing I have learned over the years in and out of this fandom is there are creative liberties that one will accept and others one will not. I would argue one not need capture the letter of the original work; capturing its spirit is even more important. Though my feelings on HZ remain complicated (why my reviews will be arc by arc instead of individual episodes); I maintain it works a lot better when it actually adapts the games instead of going off on its own. It's why Terastal Debut is probably the best of the arcs I've seen; though even that isn't without its caveats. I still believe changing Grusha as a character wasn't necessary as the other Paldea gym leaders didn't get that treatment. Likewise, if they wanted a character-focused story; the Generation IX games would have been the ideal template to follow. I understand earlier seasons embellishing details; but there's been an increasing willingness to accept the source material in another medium. We'll touch on this again later in this list; but the approach to adaptation feels like an overcorrection to a large portion of the audience.

2. Unclear placement in franchise canon

Far from the new anchor characters, a far greater deterrent myself and others faced with HZ is the lack of clarity in just where it fits in the near 30-year history of the franchise. I was among those hoping that the new direction would mean greater clarity of just how the anime functions in relation to its predecessors. Regrettably, that ended up not being the case. In fact, outside the Tera leak; there has been no clear official statement about just where the show is in relation to the previous anime or games. That isn't a problem other franchises have; and it would be appreciated if we all knew for sure whether or not it's an alternate universe.

3. Slower pacing

This is one of the more understandable criticisms of this anime, and one I've heard fewer people try to justify. When used correctly, a slow-burn pace can work wonders for a story; but when it makes the experience harder to invest in, it's a surefire way to have your audience take their business elsewhere. This ties directly into my next point; and these two are among the most common counterarguments towards reasons people have praised HZ. I know previous seasons weren't always the best about this either, but things were at least happening in episodes that weren't key to the plot. Here, every episode is plot-relevant and makes the experience as much of a stagger as Wo-Chien (using a turtle-based Pokémon or Regigigas' "Slow Start" would have been too obvious). It is possible to write a serialized story where it doesn't feel like it takes an entire arc to do one story event where other shows can have multiple; friendly reminder.

4. Mystery box storytelling not being for everyone

While the "mystery box" story device can and has been used to tell decent stories; I've never been a huge fan of the device being used in and of itself for a story. For a sizable portion of the audience, that was a bigger deterrent than the new leads and still is. At best, it's like the GS Ball 2.0. At worst, it's withholding basic story and character details for no reason. It's also among the plot devices that's trickiest to get right and easiest to screw up. I didn't drop the show outright over it; but I am among those who deliberately chose to wait for whole storylines to make it online. I'd personally find it easier to buy some of the payoffs if they didn't invoke the "somehow, Palpatine returned" meme on me. Won't be the only analogy I make here from JJ either.

5. Other options in the franchise doing more with less

To me and others, merely having a different lead and story structure isn't enough of a reason to check something out and never was to me. It's how those elements are used; and I found other areas of the franchise far more interesting in telling different stories in the same fictional universe. As pictured in this section, Pokémon Concierge presented a better understanding of the material and what I want out of it from an adult perspective than HZ did in a fraction of the time (I am looking forward to the next season soon). You'd be harder-pressed to find anyone who loved the neo-noir of the live-action Detective Pikachu more than I do; and that story did a better job to me of presenting the Pokémon world through an adult lens while also being fun for today's kids. Multiple web OVAs canon to the games are online with more to come. While this will continue in the second half, I will say this- you don't always need two years and over 100 episodes to tell your story. Sometimes, by doing less; you end up with a story that does more.

6. Heavy alterations to the world-building

On paper, adding an airship and a more consistent adult presence to the show is a way to help set it apart from its predecessors. However, the flip side to that coin is that it inadvertently made the world they were traveling seem a lot smaller. In all honesty, I am actually among those who were glad that Terastal Debut had the older characters as mentors and the children traveling Paldea at ground level; as the independent study program of the "Great Paldea Treasure Hunt" was one of my favorite aspects of the games. Even areas that would lend themselves naturally to the kind of storytelling HZ is aiming for aren't fully-utilized (Area Zero had less screen time than the anime-original Rakua) or outright omitted (Blueberry Academy has yet to make an appearance- not against it; but also not holding my breath for it). Overall, the world-building in HZ isn't the worst ever; but it lacks the same magic as its predecessors even when pulling from the same source material.

7. The utilization of the new elements

This applies to both the anime itself and its video game source material- I'm a person that argues and has argued that it's not just adding new elements to a work that is key; it's how those elements are utilized. In order to dispel the belief that it's nostalgic fans who disliked the idea of retiring the previous lead, I will mention my favorite seasons are from Sun and Moon and Journeys- the sagas that ended that 25+ year run. Both the former's slice-of-life elements and the latter's "anything goes" approach incorporating material from the whole show up to that point helped recreate the feelings I got spending afternoons and weekends watching the original series in days' past. I even appreciated implementing ideas from the games (both console and mobile) in unique ways and coming up with new stories out of whole cloth. In the case of HZ, I'm not among those that thought they went too far in shaking up the status quo. Given how the games have had more willingness to break from conventions, I'm among those that thinks it didn't go far enough. I'm not saying HZ would have had to have the leads collecting all the stakes to fight the Titanic Monarchs; but it would have been nice to see how the characters responded to the box legendaries or Ogerpon instead of putting everything on Terapagos. I'm also dismayed Arven wasn't given any lines, since Nemona and Penny were well-represented in the anime. Though others I've spoken with remain adamant that the HZ cast will remain as long as their seniors; I'm among those who will not be surprised if that ends up not being the case.

8. Downplaying the importance of battles

This has remained one of the more common critiques of HZ- though the battles that it does have are certainly standouts; this element seems to be significantly downplayed this time around. Whether it's fighting an enemy faction; rising through the ranks in the league or an Eastern-infused take on over-the-top Looney Tunes cartoon violence, it's a foundational element of the franchise. Yet, the way HZ has handled them has been a point of contention among the fanbase. Not only are they far less common than they once were; they don't necessarily hold the same impact in the overall story. Part of this can be attributed to the changes in character and story; but I would have preferred connecting personal growth to growth of skill rather than compartmentalizing it. 

9. The weight of comparison

This has been one of the juiciest nuggets to address; especially as someone who's gone out of their way to not compare HZ to the previous anime unless absolutely necessary. Yet, one of the major arguments in HZ's favor I'm glad is being disputed is its comparisons in other areas of the franchise. I've mentioned it before, I will mention it again- merely having a different character and story setup isn't a free pass for me to like something. It's doing something with those characters and setup that is the key. I will specifically state that I do not agree with the comparisons to the manga, with Adventures/Special in particular. Though I may not agree with every change made there either (changing some of the player characters' personalities, making Surge and Sabrina antagonists among numerous others); I can at least understand why they were made. I just find it strange how even after the games have proven that you can tell a story with the franchise beyond "there is opponent, fight on, now go and rest our heroes;" the main anime still remains hesitant to fully embrace that. The storylines in Scarlet and Violet and its expansions would have been perfect to adapt for Horizons, and the fact so little has is honestly a bigger disappointment than the change in lead cast. These alone are textbook examples of how the weight of comparison can crush a work before you even press play. If you were to ask me about why I prefer 2019's Detective Pikachu and the stop-motion Pokémon Concierge over Horizons; it's simple- they didn't sell themselves as a bold new take on the franchise, they sold themselves as stories with unique visuals and intriguing ways of implementing different genres into the Pokémon world... which just happened to turn out as bold new takes on the franchise. With both being followed up on in the near future, I honestly feel more confident in those than I do about HZ lasting till Generation X.

I also do not agree with the comparisons to the Avatar-verse or One Piece. In the case of the original ATLA, Mike; Bryan and everyone working with them knew what they wanted to do and then set about doing it over its three-season run. Even given the discourse over The Legend of Korra; I have argued it works in a different way, and I'm lowkey excited for what's next. Oda is also far better at planning to me than anyone working on HZ, even when not working with mains. Having recently rewatched it, the reason why Señor Pink dresses like an overgrown infant; complete with a bonnet and pacifier? Long story, but the short version is still heavy- He lost his wife and child.

10. An overall less memorable/enjoyable experience 

Regardless of what happens, it's clear that HZ has much to accomplish in order stick in the public consciousness to the same way its predecessors did. Though a core audience loves the new direction; it certainly is never good when my research process discovers that viewing figures stopped being reported sometime around Terastal Debut. Streaming numbers are also regularly outside the top 10, so what ends up happening for the 30th anniversary will be dependent on how Mega Voltage lands at the end. I'm hoping for it to stick the landing; but I won't be surprised if it ends up like the finale for "Lost" and the discourse around it (I'm among those who latched onto the "purgatory all along" theory, which is one of the most commonly accepted ones).

All the same, there's a reason why for every fan who has latched onto HZ; there's others that just moved on after JN (and by proxy; the last quarter-century of anime). In my and many others' case, it was simply the way To Be a Master and Distant Blue Sky said; "thank you for sharing this story with us- now go find a new one to enjoy!" With that being the case, there's also the sentiment that in its changes to the story and characterization; it made the anime less enjoyable compared to its seniors. I do not hate or even dislike Horizons, but it's less memorable to me and others; to the point where it's yet to rise beyond a "second screen" when I'm writing, editing or playing my Switch. It's fine, but it's not actively raising the cool factor or fun factor the way what came before has. I would more readily show my nephew the Indigo League or Journeys than Horizons any day; and I would do the same for myself.

Though the future of the anime after this remains uncertain (opinion remains divided whether or not this cast will be kept long-term or Generation X will have someone else); it is clear that Pokémon Horizons is not without valid critiques from longtime fans. I certainly will not be against bringing back past characters or using ones from the games; but I guess I will know more after I finish Rayquaza Rising and start Mega Voltage. All the same, I’ve never considered disliking HZ a controversial opinion and I would appreciate if it weren’t seen that way. I still think it’s all right, but I’ve never understood the more effusive praise others have given it. That will be all for now, and I will see you all again soon; take care.

Holy Horror Mansion- The Case For and Against It as a "New Concept" for Yokai Watch.

Hard to believe it's been 10 years since I first talked about this, yet; here we are. As development continues on this and other Level-5 properties (even as some of them are reaching Duke Nukem Forever/Beyond Good and Evil 2 levels of development Hell), I thought I might do my full thoughts in my own way. Here is a presumptive look at Holy Horror Mansion; presenting the case for and against it as a "new concept" for Yokai Watch.

Let's start with the case for the game. Though I will touch on my concerns of their "biggest IP ever" ambitions in a bit, I'm going to do my best to be as fair as I can. The premise bears some similarity to Yokai Watch; there are factors that do have potential. As a longtime advocate of user generated content, the "Ghost Craft" mechanic intrigues me the most.

On a wider level, the concept of exploring haunted locales is a sound one. From Luigi's Mansion to Resident Evil to even Fatal Frame; the means for doing so in games is endless. The idea that even a lavish high rise can be a vessel for horror is sound. If they pull this off, I think the game could succeed.

Of course, there are admittedly far more factors working against the game. Though there is an obvious flaw that has been addressed before and we shall touch on again in a moment; I thought I would address other major factors working against the game first.

So, here's the issue that's become an increasing problem over the past decade: Level-5 having numerous failed attempts to appeal to audiences in the West. Though it certainly isn't impossible for a developer to grow its audience over time (with both Atlus and RGG Studio having great success this way), Level-5 has continually tried to bypass this step and jump right to the instant success part. 

However, Level-5 has continually misunderstood the market they're aiming at. Personally, trying to homogenize the Japanese elements into something more broad was a major issue I took with the EN localization of Yo-Kai Watch; and attempting to double down on that broad "creepy and kooky" design is my main concern. To me, the Level-5 titles that appealed most to me as a Westerner were the ones that just made an interesting game and went from there. My personal favorites, the Ni No Kuni games; are functionally playable Studio Ghibli films (they were even directly involved with the first game and heavily influenced the second). The Professor Layton franchise (which itself is finally getting a new game) combined mystery adventuring with unique puzzles to great effect. I've also heard good things about Rogue Galaxy and the Dark Cloud games, might check those out on my PS Plus sometime.

On the other side of the coin, their obsession with trying to make all their games part of some transmedia franchise has honestly done more harm than good to their brand than anything. Inazuma Eleven is in a "make or break" moment with their newest main game. Maybe DECA Police will work, maybe it won't (have a liking for detective games and stories lately). Dragon Quest was never fully theirs in the first place. Megaton Musashi is still around for now, but who knows how long that will last. The Snack World tried to cash in on the success of Adventure Time; but apart from competition and the pandemic, it largely failed because Adventure Time itself had long since evolved past focusing on wacky catchphrases and shenanigans. Honestly hope Ushiro can work since it's being revived.

Yet, even with the developer rarely achieving more than cult status; they remain persistent in trying to give the West the "next big thing." Still, the game itself has hurdles to clear outside corporate drama. As has been mentioned before, the usage of AI art assets didn't sit well with their existing fanbase or detractors of these apps. I still maintain that if I am to pick up the game, these assets need to be gone.

Outside that blotch on the record (one of several that have tarnished Level-5's once-sterling reputation), there's also significant challenges for the game itself to succeed. Each passing year, it gets tougher to break through in an increasingly competitive market. Even with others trying to spin the game's concept as "managed risk," I would like to point out that aspect of the company has had a less-than-stellar track record in that area. To be more brutally honest, Level-5 hasn't been right about how to appeal to Westerners in the last 10 years. As previously mentioned, the fatal flaw has been trying to brute force their way in rather than building a relationship with their potential audience. Though early releases from Yakuza and Shin Megami Tensei as well as their respective spinoff titles didn't do gangbusters; they had enough of a cult following overseas and at home to grow more popular. This, combined with uniformly positive critical reception helped both RGG and Atlus grow both franchises over time. It's their obsession with multimedia franchises over the last decade or so that's been a problem, which should make a decent transition to my next point.

Talking about this company for a full decade as of this writing, it isn't just Yo-Kai Watch that Holy Horror Mansion has to prove itself for as a "new concept." In their increasing obsession with franchising their games, they've alienated a sizable chunk of their core audience and embraced a whole Jeopardy category's worth of industry pitfalls they once stayed out of. Aside from the AI art assets, there's been cryptocurrency-laden mobile spinoffs; loot box gacha mechanics and multiple (imitates Jimquisition) "live services" out the backdoor. That last one has been in rather critical condition lately. So, there's an uphill battle on this front especially.

Courtesy: Level-5

With all that in mind, it still remains to be seen how Holy Horror Mansion will fare as a "new concept" for Yokai Watch. Looking back a full decade, it's honestly staggering how it's gone from being a phenomenon to a footnote in pop culture history. Though I would not have said all the things I did if I had known what would transpire since then, I still am not a huge fan of the anime and have no need to address any of the subsequent adaptations. Nor do I need to address nameless parties who only see that and Attack on Titan as the only two series worth mentioning even as the latter is more or less over.

I can only imagine their reaction of the two crossing over in the PuniPuni puzzle mobile game spinoff.

That aside, it's inherently clear that there is lots of pressure for this to work; let alone succeed. Level-5 has also had issues with their other titles, with Keiji Inafune having quit the company in midst of the new Fantasy Life experiencing issues. He was brought on after the company bought out Comcept, but I have to wonder if their business practices spread to Level-5. 

All the same, I do not think that this plan to make this their biggest ever is a good idea. Trying to sell the predecessor as the next big thing didn't work out. Trying to sell this as the biggest ever before it even ships will make anything less a disappointment. I know people in this business aren't known for having realistic expectations (especially nowadays); but that doesn't sound like a good idea. Level-5 has also had a major problem getting things released in recent years; which suggests there are problems with scope, staffing and resource management.

Given how volatile the market has been in recent years (to say nothing of outside factors); I am seriously concerned for the company's future. Every scenario from being bought out by someone else to financial ruin is now on the table. I know the former scenario would potentially mean ceding creative control to someone else; but that would be minuscule compared to the loss of the studio itself.

I may have argued in years' past that Yokai Watch was beyond saving; but I don't think Level-5 as a whole is. In the off chance someone from the company sees this, I believe they should not try to shotgun Holy Horror Mansion into the next big thing. Just release it "when it's done," and let people make their own judgment. Also, get rid of the AI assets in the final game- obvious ethical landmines aside; results of integrating the generative tech into games have been decidedly mixed. Every potential decent use has been outnumbered by people treating glorified open beta tests as official launches, like that time they tried to charge $700 for a juicer.

Here is the overall bottom line- while I am not against the idea of Holy Horror Mansion as a "new concept" for Yokai Watch; I am concerned about how the game is being framed and what impact the game will have on Level-5 as a company, generative AI elements notwithstanding. Depending on what developments come next, I will likely address the game further as more details are revealed. As for the rest of Level-5, they've let slip there might be more delays. I do kind of understand making PS4 SKUs for their games as the console has been quite resilient nearly five years after the PS5 launched, but it's getting stuff out at all that's a concern I and others have at this stage. That will be all for now, and I will see you in April- take care.