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This is a non-regular series I dub as Fool's Errands. Why? Because it will chronicle, or at least, tell about an act or attempt I have or had taken, could be small or big, that was... well, presumably pointless, unnecessary, or even crazy to some. 😅
It would not always be the case, of course. Maybe it was merely a mundane thing I just never really got around to doing before. My goal is to learn something from it. Whether I intend to continue doing it or not is up for grabs. But, hey, maybe such an action will lead to a fun discovery... 😉
*****
On the heels of my backup phone no longer able to play Pokémon GO (thanks to the fresh update post-9th Anniversary week), with the likelihood that my primary phone might follow suit soon enough, I've cemented my decision to publish this post. Truly, I wasn't sure if this experiment would be necessary. But considering Pokémon Café ReMix may now be the more accessible mobile game from the franchise for those without the most up-to-date smartphone? I figured I'd just go with it anyway. 😅
Pokémon Café ReMix has just celebrated its 5th Anniversary last month, on June 24 to be precise. Yet, somehow, it feels like it has yet to gain the level of popularity in English-speaking countries. I mean, pretty much every (bizarre, fanfic-leaning) "leak" and/or "rumor" surrounding the Pokémon franchise keeps claiming or saying something along the lines of "Pokémon Café ReMix will end service this year, yada yada yada." Statements like "Nobody plays this game"–yes, in English–are a common theme on various social media. It's as if there's no faith for this game on that side of the world. Well, you get the point. 😑🤦🏻♂️
The irony is that the game has an avid, active player base in Japan and, seemingly, South America. So, NO, or at least I doubt, this game will be delivered to the mobile app graveyard any time soon. 😌🙆🏻♂️
Of course, the goal of Fool's Errands is to dish out my impression of something, including what I like and what annoys me about the subject and experience in general. That means, please don't expect any waxing of sweet glaze or sugarcoating with simple syrups as well. For all of Cafe ReMix's tasty offerings, I won't ignore its sour servings either. Will this quasi or maybe pseudo, albeit unnecessary, review end with a bitter aftertaste? Let's chomp right into it. 😛
An Appetizing Menu
Before I jump to the meat of the experiment, there is one glaring question to address first. What IS Pokémon Café ReMix?! 🤨
That's indeed the bitter irony. In line with what I noted above, many people, even Pokémon fans, aren't as familiar with the mobile/handheld game. Maybe they do know the title, as it's always a part of Pokémon Presents. Even so, knowing and actually playing it are two different things. 😐
It's not as surprising, though. Pokémon Café ReMix is a small, harmless spin-off title. Basically, it's the Sugar Rush-style touch-based puzzle game (although I kind of doubt that category is accurate) that features Pokémon as café staff. That's about it. 🤦🏻♂️
Developed by Genius Sonority Inc., the first version, called Pokémon Café Mix, became accessible on June 24, 2020 (that's June 23 in the North and South American countries, naturally).
Wait! Wasn't that the early onset of the global COVID-19 Pandemic? That's unfortunately the case. Personally, I think that timing became both a blessing and a curse for this game. 😶
Nowadays, you may often stumble into comments stating, "I played this a lot during COVID." That's not an exaggeration but an actual fact. As countries began to implement stay-at-home regulations, more and more people had no choice but to adjust to a less hectic daily routine. That, no doubt, posed as a challenge to many. Hence, those stuck-at-home folks looked for ways to keep themselves busy and kill time. 😤
Was that the blessing part? Ironically, yes, I think so. I mean, due to its early gameplay (which I'll explain below), the developer had to churn out updates at a somewhat rapid pace. The list of puzzles was expanded every week or two. I can't remember the precise schedule since there were a lot! It took me only around several days to clear a new batch, though. 😅
Still, that gave the impression that the game was alive and well. At least until its Chinese competitive MOBA cousin joined the chat room. Like all things in life, players began moving to the next best thing. By moving, that might include uninstalling a previous game to clear the space.
But really, vaccine development eventually found success, and countries began reopening. Once that happened, did players still have the leeway in their daily schedule to play Pokémon Café Mix for hours on end? Sad to say, the answer was most likely NO. And again, that vibe was felt within the game itself. The quick, periodic updates slowly slowed down. I'm not going to lie: the game just seemed underwhelming. What drove players into the game had become its curse. 😢
Then the surprise came out. Pokémon Café Mix was officially dead, not long after its first anniversary!!! In August 2021's Pokémon Presents, The Pokémon Company announced a revamp of the core concept of the game, rebranding the title to the version we know today. The change came into effect on October 28, 2021.
Fascinatingly enough, the Japanese title is no longer following the English version. If you ask me, despite being oddly too long, ようこそ！ポケモンカフェ ～まぜまぜパズル～ (Welcome! Pokémon Café ~Mixing Puzzles~) IS a catchier, or at least more expressive name. Maybe that's why Pokémaze (ポケまぜ), for short, remains strong until now? 😳
The revamp brought changes. It began introducing new features and mechanics to expand the unique gameplay. Rapid pace updates returned in the form of Events. There was a Gacha-like element to better spend Golden Acorns, the in-game currency. For better or worse, naturally. 🙄
Utilizing the same action of swirling, linking the same Staff Pokémon icons, the game now alternates between one format of gameplay to the next. I just realized the game has become more elaborate to describe than before. So, I'll try my best to sum them all up, without making you fall asleep with long exposition. 😪
Old School Main Courses
But before I head there, let's go down memory lane to how the game began. To start, I have to focus on the most crucial aspect: the Pokémon! Hahaha. 😁
In this game, players don't catch Pokémon or battle them in a turn-based setting. Here, players RECRUIT the adorably designed mons, as they pretty much do all the work. Seriously, they are the chefs/cooks, waiters, and customers altogether! Leah, the face of human character of two (the second is the player as the owner), is more or less in a managerial capacity. 🙋🏼
Each Staff Pokémon has a specialization, select Special Gimmick (as in, which type of obstacle their icons can clear), and a unique Skill. For example, the player's first partner, Eevee, is a Drinks specialist who can clear the Sugar Cubes gimmick, among others. ☕️
So, if the customer orders an Eevee Latte? It requires Eevee or a fellow Drinks Staff member to handle it. Clearing that order gives Golden Acorns, XP, and Pokémon/Milestone Cookies that are necessary to increase Eevee's friendship/staff level. Leveling up (to a maximum of 25 now) will unlock more Special Gimmicks that, eventually, help clear menus faster. The Training feature may speed up the process. 🙃
***Tips Time***
A quick intermezzo before I forget.
Leveling up your Staff will help greatly throughout Events. Try to at least train them, via the Training feature or another way I will share below, up to Level 15. That's when the three core Special Gimmicks of the Staff Pokémon will be unlocked.
During Events, the game usually suggests the best Staff to handle an order/stage. If all the core Gimmicks are unlocked, that suggestion will come in handy, even if you can still choose a different Staff that produces higher points.
And don't hesitate to use Puzzle Power items. The Events will drop plenty of them.
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A Skill can wipe an area of icons through individual patterns. Many of these look super cute, if not cool. Greninja performs swift fruit art with Water Shuriken. Dragonite obliterates a horizontal line using Hyper Beam, and twice in a row if players combine two Skill icons! The double Skill effect of the Mythical Mew–who new players WILL eventually recruit for FREE, after some grinding–remains my personal favorite. Mew can magically wipe EVERY icon on the stage, usually resulting in a clean slate. I said "usually" because some gimmicks like Pop Corn Kernels only clear out after repeated hits. But yeah, chef's kiss! 😘
Clearing Orders unlocks a new Gimmick item, and attracts more Pokémon customers–starting with Rowlet and the first Sweets specialist Piplup. Once players recruit them as Staff, and they reach specific levels, they band together to trigger Menu Development. Doing this unlocks new Menus, which also lure more unique Pokémon, further diversifying the customer and Staff roster. That's why it's super necessary to recruit them all. It can provide flexibility to handle later Orders as they add new combinations of Special Gimmicks that greatly ease the process. 👌🏻
Aaah, yes. I keep mentioning "Order" but haven't described it. 😲
Main/Regular Order was the vanilla gameplay, the one that started it all. Each Regular Order is a unique puzzle of icon composition with several requirements to fulfil. During the Café Mix era, this was the part that needed continuous updates by Genius Sonority.
As players move their way through the sequence of orders, the challenge typically increases through the debut of more complicated Gimmicks. Caramel or Condensed Milk multiplies and floods the area in every turn. Chewy Gummy or a Can of Tea can only be cleared using Megaphones–general items that help wipe icons horizontally or vertically, Puzzle Powers, or Pokémon Skills. You know the drill. 🤷🏻♂️
Finishing an order rewards Golden Acorns. These Acorns will be used to level up Staff, purchase in-game helpful items (like the Megaphones), double-serve the same customer (to recruit them faster), and more. Players can also use the Acorns to extend their play counts if they somehow run out without achieving a 3-Star result. 😅
During gaps between the updates, players who had cleared all available Regular Orders would switch into the Master Café Mode. In this mode, players revisit Past Orders but with different requirements. The mode rewards points that can be used to obtain classy costumes, such as Super Chef Lucario.
Logically, Master Café Mode is still available for those who have cleared all Main Regular Orders, which clocks at 2400. Otherwise, how would they obtain Cookies to level up the new mons introduced via new Menu Development? 🤔
To be honest, though, I can't confirm this myself due to a simple reason: both my main and new accounts have yet to reach order 2400. What's holding me from doing that? Well, because of the changes dropped with the Café ReMix upgrade–an upgrade that is, subjectively speaking, ruined the game. 😔
A Fastfood Treatment?
The revamping of Pokémon Café Mix to Café ReMix introduced several new modes/features that you would either like or, dare I say, de-taste. February 2022 saw the, ugh, cha-ching, cha-ching, arrival of Pelipper's Delivery feature. Later, in April of the same year, the One-Minute Cooking Mode joined the display case. October 2023 brought the Slow Cooking Mode. June 2024 introduced the Cooking Festival, along with new antagonistic characters. Last but not least, precisely a month ago, the 5th Anniversary introduced Café Customization.
Honestly, I feel the vibe generated since the ReMix revamp has been all about "playing more and faster" instead of enjoying it "slowly but surely at our own pace" as it was before. Much like other mobile Pokémon apps, that tendency is glaringly apparent through Events that run at least every ten days. Each Event adds at least a new Costume, if not a completely new Staff Pokémon.
As such, it's provocative in a way, considering there's a chance players may only obtain these exclusive Costumes/Staff for FREE in this event. I'm not gonna lie, this feels exhausting to keep up. So, I sometimes just ignore the Costume ones or stop playing once I obtain the new Staff and its Cookies. Otherwise, having to keep grinding daily for hours would only overwhelm my sanity. 😵
One-Minute Cooking Mode, which players can experience daily through Daily Training, is a quick, energetic rush–or HECTIC, in my vocabulary–gameplay. The goal is to rake up Scores as high as possible. It involves using four different Staff to clear as many cycles of the puzzle in sixty seconds. Not counting the repeated pauses between cycles and when the staff leader uses Skill, that is.
Sure, this mode offers a speedier game time than the regular orders. But while the idea, on paper, sounds inclusive–and, yes, activating a Frenzy may drive players into a frenzy, it personally overwhelms and annoys me, as if I'm on a manic drive to get each stage done. If you DO enjoy that adrenaline shove, then good for you. I'm just not fond of being rushed. And this mode ended up annoying me so much, I dropped the game for several months. More than half a year, I think? 🤔
On the opposite side of things is the Slow Cooking Mode, which usually plays out as a Garden Tea Party. My fondness for tea aside, this was thankfully an easy favorite; a welcome change that actually lured me back into daily playtime. In this mode, players must complete a set of three orders under a shared play count. Players must assign the best Staff to tackle one meal quickly, so that the play count will still be enough for the next two. There are four main customers to serve the meals, suited to the Event's theme. Generally, once players reach level four with those customers, the Event's Special Guest will appear and eventually can be recruited. For example, during Salamence's Joyful Nibble, the customers were all Dragon-type: Altaria, Dragonite, Garchomp, and Flygon. The titular Salamence served as the Special Guest. 🐉
It's really entertaining seeing the customers react with a rare "!" that doubles the Delicious Points accumulated. Based on my experience so far, recruiting the Special Guest in this Mode is pretty much guaranteed, without even trying too hard. The one possible drawback of this mode is that, true to its name, the gameplay is SLOW. Each run requires players to clear all meals or run out of play count. Often, by the time one run clears out, a new Stamina shard has been generated. 🐌🐌
Oh, yeah. That reminds me. Genius Sonority introduced the Stamina system. Previously, there was only a Heart system. Now, every action in the game, whether playing an Event or Training the Staff, consumes Stamina.
I vaguely recall the backlash when Stamina was first introduced. Understandably so, as before that, players could play nonstop for hours, which, as stated earlier, worked well during the pandemic-induced lockdown. The whole kerfuffle turned out to be nothing but a silly irony, though. 😅
"Silly" because if the goal was to limit game time, the frequent giveaways of Stamina proved otherwise. Not to mention, new players who pace through Regular Orders will obtain Stamina Crystal somewhat frequently. Stamina Crystal allows infinite Stamina for fifteen minutes, and players can use that convenient window for any feature. ⏳
Really, though, it only takes fifteen minutes to generate a free Stamina. Or even faster if players buy them with Golden Acorns. So, Stamina never becomes an issue. Furthermore, the Monthly Goals give thirty free Stamina just by playing. 😅
"What's a Monthly Goal?" you ask? Monthly Goal introduces two paths that players clear by playing and gathering points. There's a Free Course for all players, and then the Premium Course. Premium offers more rewards (60 Stamina! Thousands more of Golden Acorns!), including an exclusive featured Staff, such as Torchic this month, Ampharos in June, and so on. The Premium Course is available for those who purchase the Premium Pass. And that brings me to the next point... 👀
Are the Meals or Drinks on the House?
Yes, barring Premium Pass rewards, Pokémon Café ReMix is NOT a Pay-to-Play game. No, it's completely FREE to install and play as long as your smartphone can handle it (processor, storage). It's really not Pay-to-Win either, as there's zero competitive element that encourages players to, umm, WIN. 😅
Every other Event, a Cooking Festival does appear. It's a team battle against the new antagonist, Team Crunch, that consists of Amandine, Ignace, and Croagunk. More human? Yes, finally! Team Crunch mimics the iconic Team Rocket trio from the animated series. Still, I don't think Cooking Festival can count as anything remotely competitive. Players can ignore and fail in the "Duel," and nothing happens. They simply won't obtain the rewards, which are usually just Golden Acorns or tickets. 🤷🏻♂️
Perhaps the most suitable term to categorize this game would be Pay-for-Convenience. If that's even a thing. The Staff Pokémon you recruit through Premium Pass, as in by paying actual money, usually enables you to clear the stages easier and faster, consecutively boosting your overall points to complete the Events at a brisk pace. Less grinding! 😲
Throughout the five, or, rather, four plus (considering my absence) years of playing this game, I haven't spent a single cent. Excluding calories of energy and hours of spare time, of course. Maybe if I ever win a million-dollar lottery, I'll try getting a Premium Pass once. Otherwise, I doubt I will ever do it. Why? Almost every price in this game is ridiculously overpriced! You're probably a super fan of the featured Staff Pokémon if you're willing to dump that load of cash for it. And you can't even send it to HOME. The monetization in this game is unbelievable. ✋🏻😫
Likewise, its Delivery feature, which is basically its Gacha system, is probably the most hideous, if not awful, one among the Pokémon mobile games I've played so far. Well, among 5, I guess, assuming Pokémon GO's Eggs are like a random loot box (yes, the list excludes Pokémon TCG Pocket, which I sadly haven't tried until now). 😰
For casual players, Delivery offers a casual chance of getting a new Staff member. But the drop rate of the featured, Five-Star or Special Delivery Pokémon is just ridiculous. Somehow, they think jamming every Staff member into the pool is the right way to do it. And, naturally, they only appear for a limited time. 😑
Thank goodness the nonstop events always reward tickets for 1x or 11x Express Delivery, specifically for those Pokémon/Costumes. Even with those, players still only rely on sheer luck to obtain the golden goose. Poor luck means flushing out the tickets for nothing. But at least that's better than wasting the Golden Acorns they have worked hard to collect. 1x Delivery costs 3,000 Acorns, while 11x is 30,000. That's NOT an easy number to accumulate. 😌
I drained around 400,000 Golden Acorns just to obtain Quagsire via pity points (every 150 Deliveries). The blue salamander is one of my favorite Pokémon, though. And I missed the Water/Ground-type during its debut in November 2023. So, I don't mind. Who knows when it will return? 🤷🏻♂️
There's another aspect that annoys me about Delivery, but I'll explore that below.
On the bright side, there's one fact that may justify spending in this game. Yes, the game locks certain Staff behind a paywall. But as I mentioned already, getting them–especially for free, if players get lucky on the Delivery (looking at you, last-day-ticket Totodile!)–helps GREATLY for the ongoing event. 😮
The same also applies to Costumes, which are cute, often lavish, and gorgeously stylish. Unlike Pokémon UNITE's Holowears that are pure visual collectibles and cosmetics, many of these Costume variations come with a DIFFERENT set of Special Gimmicks from the original Staff's that, yes, follow and serve the paying purposes I described above. It makes the Event easier. That part actually makes them worth getting or collecting. 🤑
The Palatable Experience
Before presenting the final verdict, please allow me to ramble a bit and share my impressions throughout this Fool's Errand experiment. This narration was the first draft of this piece. And, it's pretty much the whole Fool's Errand goal. So, it feels wrong to let it go stale. Hahaha. 😜
Here goes:
Much like Pokémon GO, starting the game again from scratch has generated a surprising new experience. Sad to say, there is one difference. Unlike Pokémon GO's more helpful new additions/features, my Pokémon Café ReMix experience quickly became a blatant repeat of its current shell. And, yes, that means it's not a delightful one.
The opening movie, as I started a new game, was a joy to watch. It gave a cheerful, strangely hopeful vibe that I'd be having a good time. So, such a shame players can't watch it again once they're in the game. And, yes, the nostalgia hit me warmly. The early tutorial section played out like a return to form. "Just like the first time I played it back in 2020. Slowly and tenderly," I thought. The café layout was still simplistic, with no elaborate expansions. Clean slate FTW! ☺️
It didn't take long for the fast food effect to come into play, though. As I was cleared to prepare the Main Orders on my own, no handholding, the Delivery feature quickly stole the scene for better or worse. Come Order #4, the feature was unlocked. It looks like every player would get Yamper, a Gold-star Staff, through the premiere attempt. 🤔
But soon enough, I received the Strong Start Delivery ticket(s, yes, plural), headlined by the Paldean first partners, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly. The 11x Express Delivery gave me, as the name logically implied, 11 new Staff ALL AT ONCE, who could help me clear various orders! That's convenient, right? Not so fast. 😬
New players will repeatedly receive Delivery tickets that enable them to fast-recruit even rare Staff, assuming luck is in their favor. My issue is how that renders Main Orders less important. To that extent, Menu Development may also feel pointless. 😶
You see, I already got some rare Staff with only one pull. Back in 2020, these Staff would NOT be available until several Menu Developments. In my new run, I've only reached Order #162 for now. Yet I've already recruited Staff members I haven't even lured as Customers. 😐
Okay, moving on to the story for now. After flooding my Staff list in mere seconds, it started feeling like I'm doing a speed run. The progress milestones kept rewarding/activating Stamina Crystals, as if demanding me to race toward a specific point. So much for the slow and relaxed style! I ended up ignoring the game instead of continuing to play for yet another fifteen minutes after already playing for an hour (that's 4 Stamina Crystals in almost a row). 🕒
Once you reach Order #80, however? That's the specific point of the game that I just mentioned, where all the changes debuting through the Café ReMix update were activated all at once. YIKES! I was greeted by all Events active at the time, including access to Team Modes. 😐
***Tips Time***
Be careful choosing your team! Players will get a list of open Teams that accept new members who meet their minimum criteria. Sadly, not all teams are the same. I failed to recruit Espurr in the May Event, as only 4 players contributed to the team event, and I was the only one trying to continue while the others stopped after the first reward.
My advice is to examine the Team Members first, instead of joining one abruptly. Look for a Japanese, yes, NOT local, or a South American Team that has at least several players who have cleared all 2400 Main Orders. They are usually very active and remain engaged in every event. Even if you can't play daily (though some Teams demand you do, so know your place!), you'll highly likely obtain the reward Staff anyway, thanks to them.
That's how I've been doing now since leaving my non-existent local team. Yes, don't hesitate to leave a Team if you don't think it's active and helpful! That said, you won't be able to join another Team for 24 hours. And if there's an ongoing Team event, any rewards you've obtained there will be canceled. There's that to consider.
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The access to these events caused an inevitable ripple effect. Due to the limited nature of ongoing Events, players' resources will undoubtedly be focused on completing the new Event, putting Regular Orders on the back kitchen. That happened to me, too. I've been too busy clearing the nonstop Events that I've pretty much neglected the Regular Orders by now. I mean, I don't even need to gather the Staff cookies, as I can level them up using the varieties of XP Tarts and Milestone Cookies obtained from Delivery! 😣
So, yeah, from that moment onward, the game "returned" to the repetitive, grindy version that made me rage-quit many months ago. To be fair, I no longer resent the new Modes as I initially did. So, despite being annoyed by them then, and it also took a while to get used to, I DO play and clear these events almost frequently now. That's really the only way to obtain Pokémon or Costumes without draining my bank account, honestly. 🤷🏻♂️
At the time of this writing, only TWO months and TWENTY days after I started my new run, I've collected 66 Staff, including 6 Legendaries/Mythicals that may serve as a Sidekick. Do take note that I play VERY casually, as in only using the max limit of 5 Stamina per day. Could you imagine if I played rigorously?
For comparison, the original account I've played since launch day in 2020 has 168 Staff, including Shiny variants and 17 Legendaries/Mythicals. I admit I'm glad I started the new account just before the 5th Anniversary. Who knows when or how I may obtain the likes of Ogerpon or Rayquaza after this? 😟
***Tips Time***
Prioritize events where you can recruit Legendary or Mythical for free. Many may serve as Sidekicks, with distinct abilities that help boost your final scores to help clear events faster.
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Served on Different Tables
Pokémon Café ReMix is available as a mobile app and on Nintendo Switch. For this experiment, I opted for the Switch version, as I only played the mobile version since launch.
I recall some chatter and complaints arose regarding how the Switch could only use a touchscreen to play in handheld mode. That's a rather confusing noise. I mean, even in the mobile version, nobody could use an external controller. Why should the Switch version be any different? This is a type of game that NEEDS the human touch, for crying out loud! Hahaha. 🤣👆🏻
Nevertheless, Nintendo Switch 2 is available on the market now. Maybe Genius Sonority can or should release a version that utilizes the Joy-Con 2's mouse mode in docked mode? Then again, I'm still not convinced players can handle the One-Minute Cooking Mode that way. No, I'm already shuddering at the possible risk of wrist injuries. That annoying mode is already rushed enough in phone or handheld mode. Ouch! 😨
For many aspects of life, people argue that size doesn't matter. Bigger doesn't always mean better. But in the case of this game, I beg to differ. Bigger, as in larger screen size (also RAM), will provide a better experience. At least that's how it's played out for me. 🤭
Those with a bigger stature–hence, bigger hands–will likely agree to this. Pokémon Café ReMix plays entirely using our fingers. I often found myself touching the wrong icons on my regular-sized phone's version compared to the larger-sized Switch's screen. I imagined the precision would increase further if we played it on Switch OLED, Switch 2, or even wider-screened tablets. And most definitely, that ended up being the case. I borrowed my brother's tablet to test it out. The visuals looked more vibrant, and linking the icons felt more comfortable. 🤩
Somehow, the Switch version ran smoother during gameplay. Maybe because the console is designed only as a gaming hub. Unless we go to the extreme and delete any other apps on our phone, turning it into a gaming phone only, perhaps? 😅
That aside, the mobile version does have its convenient upside, at least in my case. Each Event offers a one-time Skip button that resets daily. Since my region doesn't have a dedicated Nintendo eShop, that handy feature could NEVER work on my Switch. It's disappointing, for sure, because the feature helps a lot in the more grindy events. It allows players to claim a free reward/progress based on their highest score so far. 🙆🏻♂️
That is particularly efficient for the Cook and Collect mini-game, which activates around 3 days before an event ends. In this mode, players get the chance to recruit Gholdengo in the long run. True to its title, the main event stages will now include Gimmighoul Coins to collect. Using the one-time Skip button speeds up the coin-gathering process. With one touch, you'll get around 15-20 Coins (of the 50 daily limit) in mere seconds. And considering one stage often only drops 1-5 Coins lately, you can imagine how annoyingly repetitive this has been on my Switch run. 😣
On the mobile phone, although the game often refuses to connect to Google Play (Android version for me), it will eventually do so. So, the one time Skip helps save time and reduces the grind. With that reasoning, playing on a tablet might be the most convenient way to have this benefit, with the comfort of a wider screen. The best of both worlds? ✌🏻😀
Speaking of both, however, I've reached the most glaring issue regarding versions. The inability to maintain progress between versions! 😤
It's a baffling decision that continues to irk me to this day, five years and one month after launch. Why can't I transfer my progress in the Android version to Switch and vice versa? I even have to create a new account just to try the Switch version, and later, another one, for the tablet one. To pour more salt into the porridge, the game requires an internet connection after becoming Café ReMix! Yet, no one in Genius Sonority has figured out how to sync progress across platforms. My goodness... 🤦🏻♂️😑
***Tips Time***
Cook to Collect mode is only available for three days before one Event ends. Beyond that, the app will state it's "outside the collection period". So, if you have limited time, I suggest focusing on your play whenever this mini-game is available.
Much like in Pokémon Scarlet/Violet or Pokémon GO, getting a Gholdengo requires A LOT of Coins. The limited duration of this mode in Pokémon Café ReMix makes it even more ridiculous, considering you'll only get a maximum of 150 or 200 per Event. I forgot how many months it took me to recruit the golden ghost!
For that reason, allow me to brag a bit. I'm just TWO Events away from fully completing the 4,995 Coins required to clear Collect with Gholdengo. That means around late August, right? I simply CANNOT WAIT to get this over with and complete the golden quest once and for all.
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A Sweet and Salty Result
As the concluding part, I naturally need to weigh the good and the bad and offer my final verdict. You know, like that judging time in the Master Chef series. Hahaha. 😋
For starters, I have to commend Genius Sonority for adding a "sense" of replayability to a game with such a simplistic construct. It DOES keep the game alive, annoying every competitive player during Pokémon Presents. I mean, again, this game has always been rooted to shut down. So, the fact that it's still moving like a steady choo-choo train is truly something. Bravo! 😌👍🏻
Nevertheless, it's sad to admit that effort doesn't always or even necessarily translate into engaging gameplay. The game sacrificed its laid-back, "casual for all" nature to include time-gated missions/events, all the while pushing hard on the broken Gacha format. As mentioned earlier, it churns out one Event after another without giving a proper break. Because of this, it sometimes feels like being trapped in a marathon race that doesn't seem to end, especially for those with the FOMO mentality. A loop of grind may be a fitting way to describe it. 😵
The newly introduced Café Customization seems sweet. But even this may become a double-edged sword as well. On the one hand, I like how it allows players to personalize their café layout by mixing and matching elements. Moreover, it gives purpose to play the game, as the decorations can be unlocked through playing the Events. But on the other hand, I'm cautiously worried the developer will eventually monetize this. 😟
For now, all of the new decorations can be obtained without much grinding. Who knows what will happen now that the 5th Anniversary is out of the picture? I mean, lo and behold, the Summer event has already started yesterday! Besides adding a new free Costume for Jigglypuff and introducing Sea Captain Lapras as a Special Delivery, there will be new decorations, too! 🤯
So, "Should I play this game?" 😲
The answer, as always, depends on your preference. How about giving it a try to see if the flavor fits your palate first? Still, here are some final notes from my standpoint. 📝👇🏻
Pokémon Café ReMix works best for those who like or are a fan the franchise, but maybe aren't dedicated enough to walk the extra mile (Pokémon GO), invest on characters (Pokémon Masters EXE), outrageously competitive (Pokémon UNITE and soon, Pokémon Champions), or spend 999+ hours hunting Shiny mons (Pokémon Violet. Please don't judge me on that. I'm close to completion on Pokémon HOME! 😅). It's a very casual game that is, well, just CASUAL. That's the charm, but also the problem. The game's not deep. It's just GRINDY. 🙄
Of course, that just means the handle is in your hands. Yes, there is a risk you MIGHT miss out on an exclusive recruit or Costume if you don't play diligently (not just daily logins, like I do with Pokémon Masters or Pokémon GO now). However, whether you wish to take a break or not, that's still YOUR CALL. After all, you're supposed to be the MASTER and OWNER of this café, not the other way around. Nobody will judge you if you step out a bit to cleanse your palate. At least I won't, knowing that even a small serving of this game can be a mouthful. 😩
While there are goals you can pursue to motivate you to keep playing, you can really pick it up and leave it any time you wish. And despite the portions of complaints I've filed above (Yo, manager! You're ignoring a customer here!), in the end, they may not even matter to you. The game probably won't ever annoy you as much as it did to me, a self-proclaimed natural critic. It's all about managing expectations, self-restraint, and cravings, I suppose? 😉
If you don't mind the repetitive nature of doing the same stage over and over again (even when the experience in each one will be distinct)? Then you may enjoy all those grinding for points/items to recruit new Staff Pokémon, Costumes, and café decorations. However, if you're looking for nuanced gameplay, with well-written storytelling and the depth of exploration that unlocks a variety of exciting areas? It would be wise to steer away from this game. You won't find those here! 🙅🏻♂️
Art-wise, some Pokémon make a great fit for this game's aesthetics. I was never fond of Cresselia, but her design in Pokémon Café ReMix is simply pretty and adorable. I'm crossing my fingers that her shadowy counterpart, Darkrai, will make its way to the café, too. I'll at least keep playing until that day, who knows when, arrives. What can I say? I'm a semi-art guy who likes pretty–albeit petty–things. 😅
For what it's worth, there's indeed sweetness to Pokémon Café ReMix to balance out the bitter brews. At the very least, it hasn't given me any sour aftertaste. Just... salty, sometimes. Hahaha. 😝
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