Fool's Errands #006 — Re-Mixed, Re-United, and Re-Done with Yet Another Pass!

*****

This is a non-regular series I dub 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... 😉

*****

Whoa, it's April 1 already, eh? Oh, wait. That means it's April Fools' Day! 🤡

For that very reason, I said to myself (not out loud, of course 😅) how it would be such a missed opportunity to not post a Fool's Errands post. I already fumbled my window last year. So, it would be foolish of me to repeat the same foolish fumble. Hahaha. 😜

The problem with that inspired goal: What's to write about? I haven't conducted any new experiments since my last one. All I've done is go through the updates and changes in the Pokémon games I've already talked about in this series. 🤔

Hold on, but that's actually a good idea! I can share whether my sentiment towards the three games has changed (or not). So, without further ado, let's explore in reverse chronological order. ⏳📅

(Source: Pokémon UNITE Official on Facebook)

Pokémon UNITE: Bots be Burdensome!

On the eve of Pokémon Day 2026, I published my Fool's Errands about The Pokémon Company's proud, yet problematic MOBA. To refresh memory, I mentioned a newly added feature called Solo Mode. Besides the arrival of an event that granted players Zapdos for free, to be precise. Both brought me into the battlefield of Auroma Park, Shivre City, Theia Sky, and Mer Stadium once again. 🏃🏻🏇🏻

Did the new Solo Mode feature reignite my excitement or reunite my interest with the game in a whole new light? Honestly, yes. INITIALLY, at least. But before I explain that, what is Solo Mode? 😮

From the way I see it, Solo Mode is practically Solo Challenge 2.0. After all, players can no longer access the Solo Challenge battle directly. It has been included inside the Solo Mode map, which consists of 36 stages. Players will start from the intro stage and make their way toward the final checkpoint on the opposite side of the map. Simple as that! 🗾📈

Occasionally, players will encounter a crossroad where they can choose to ignore a path and go straight ahead. But there's a catch. If they really want to obtain the bonus reward, a free License (to choose one of fourteen offered Pokémon)? They must complete EVERY stage and EVERY task required in it. Each stage comes with three tasks/objectives, such as "Knock out 5 opponents" or "Eat 3 Sitrus Berries." When they are cleared, they are marked with a star. ⭐️✨

Solo Challenge isn't the only battle style in the map. Most of the regular and quick battles in different areas are also part of it. Only Auroma Park is confusingly excluded, which is a peculiar decision considering the unique tasks it can offer. Panic Parade is naturally excluded, since it has its own Aeos Shooter system. Meanwhile, the likes of Electrode Volleyball, Charjabug Scuffle, and the infamous Boss Rush made it into the pool. 👀

Infamous, how? Defeating the Bosses themselves is not that challenging. Clearing the three tasks, however? THAT will be a pain through pointless repeats. All over again, the Boss Rush mode—of which there are 3 in the Solo Mode map— will remind players about an ongoing issue of the game. It has annoyingly awful BOTS! 😩

The Boss Rush tasks are super simple, really: landing the last hit on all three bosses in a match. But what happens when the bots mindlessly steal that opportunity from the players? It becomes a nagging issue. Players need to clear all three tasks in consecutive order: Final hit to Boss 1, then Boss 2, and finally Boss 3. If they fail the task on Boss 1? They must start again, even if they clear the next tasks. The game somehow doesn't record each task separately, only when all three are cleared. So, imagine if the bots steal the finishing blow on the second, or worse, the third Boss? 🙄

NOTE: I've been hearing that the Boss Rush tasks have since been updated to no longer require delivering the final hits. I haven't checked it myself. But if this is true, then it's helpful, and you can ignore what I typed above. 😲👍🏻 

Disappointingly, that's not all. The whole ordeal with the bots continues throughout the map. Who else will fill the player's team in a Solo Mode besides bots, right? That's the reason players must spend Aeos Shooter Points to upgrade stats like Attack, Special Defense, and more. The same applies to Held Items. Each upgrade will strengthen the bots to survive the stage and grant an easier victory. 💪🦵

But I digress! Even if players upgrade the Aeos Shooter Points to reach the recommended Combat Points for a certain stage, it doesn't guarantee the bots will perform better and ensure a win. As personally experienced, the bots are still running around like sugar-rushed toddlers in a spacious playground. If players don't keep an eye on them, they will only doom themselves. After all, the opposing team, which also consists of bots, somehow plays like experienced players instead. Solo Mode truly upholds the mentality of "It's a one-man show" in that regard. 🤪🙇🏻😴

I almost forgot! After reaching stage 20, the recommended Combat Points increase significantly per stage. So, players have no choice but to replay previous stages to collect more Aeos Shooter Points. What started as an enjoyable mode suddenly becomes a grindy chore of gathering Aeos Shooter Points, to ensure the bots don't get KO-ed on the spot. Growing pains, eh? 🐌🐢

Credits where it's due, developer TiMi DOES fulfill their promise that there would be more ways to earn License Points besides Battle Passes. Each stage in Solo Mode rewards 100 License Points! Assuming players clear it with THREE STARS, that is. 🤦🏻‍♂️💫

Initially, my friend boldly claimed, "Solo Mode is showering us with License Points." Such a positive sentiment quickly plummeted once the first Boss Rush stage appeared. Even a menial task like "Blocking a goal" can feel impossible to pull off. Moreover, each stage in Hard Mode, which demands an even higher number of Combat Points, only rewards 50 License Points. Shouldn't that be the other way around, by offering a better reward? What's the point of doing them? 😑🤷🏻‍♂️

Oh, and no, replaying the stages does NOT give more License Points. It's a one-and-done deal if players already achieve three stars. On the bright side, the numbering of the stage (1-1 to 1-36) seems to imply the map is not a one-and-done. Maybe there will be an expansion or a new 2nd map in the future? Let's cautiously wait and see. 🤷🏻‍♂️

When this post goes up, it'll be 6 days since I last played UNITE. I've gone into another hiatus after acquiring the free License for Moltres from its limited event on March 26. Luckily, Articuno's event will not debut until April 10. That means I can stay away from the grind for a bit longer. 🥱⛔️

Deep in my heart, I'm also silently hoping the announced Johto starters will NOT be getting free limited events. Because frankly, I'm enjoying my downtime more than the thought of being reunited with the game. Patience is, as always, a virtue in this game. But I think mine got knocked off by a bot, somewhere. 😒🚯 

Pokémon Café ReMix: Time-out to Teatime... 

In the previous Fool's Errands post, I mentioned how Café ReMix "has transformed so much that around half of what I described there has already felt 'outdated.'" To clarify on that statement, the more I thought about it, the game system has remained pretty much the same. The jargon, elements, and even the basics of the Modes/Features I wrote last July still apply. So, while the packaging for the Modes has changed, it doesn't really alter the grindy gameplay. 🤔

This one truly surprised me, by the way. And I'm just going to say it now: it's the least unpleasant update of the three titles I'm writing about here. Maybe not "the best," but it definitely doesn't bother me much. Even when the casual mobile game has disappointed me in one specific way! 👋🏻😥

Last year, I mentioned the Outdoor/Garden Tea Party mode was a personal favorite. It felt slow but entertaining, and somehow engaging to experience. Sadly, as you can deduce from the heading above, the Tea Party is no more. 🙅🏻‍♂️☕️

At first, I assumed Genius Sorority only added the new mode, Café Pop-Up, to diversify the Modes. It turned out that Café Pop-Up has officially replaced the Garden Tea Party, starting September 21, 2025. They devised an in-game excuse that the Café has acquired a Food Truck. So, the players, being the chef, along with Leah, the manager, and the Staff Pokémon, are now taking the vehicle to travel to faraway places and serve new Pokémon there. 🍛🍹

It's an okay twist, but also bizarre and, well, money-oriented. Bizarre because the game just expanded the areas of the Café, only to spend less time in it. Hahaha. With the same excuse, Leah constantly reminds players that, because they cannot bring every ingredient, the Food Truck can only prepare 5 packages of meals per day. It comes in the form of these limited Food Storages, an item that's given for free each time the game undergoes a daily reset. 🥡🍱

Where's the monetizing of that? The limited Food Storage means players can only serve 5 times to the customer each day. That will not reward enough Delicious Level to unlock, more so to recruit the featured Pokémon right away. If players are very eager to do so on the first day, there's a solution: by BUYING AN EXTRA FOOD STORAGE using Golden Acorns. Each one costs 1,000 Acorns. There's also the Mighty Menu option, purchasable with real bucks, that will boost the final score even more. See? Money comes into play. Wohooo! 🤑💸

Silly premise aside, the Food Truck mode initially made it harder to score enough points to recruit the featured Pokémon. Yellow Flower Flabébé, for example. I couldn't recruit her in my new account because I forgot to play for one or two days. 🥺🌼

Fortunately, the developer, much like Pokémon Masters EX's DeNA, monitors feedback. I can't say for sure. But based on the developer message posted with the next update? That drastic change most likely backfired on them. Perhaps it caused the game to lose players? Seriously, even I almost called it quits at the time. 🤦🏻‍♂️🙅🏻‍♂️

That's not the case anymore. The update lowered the required points. And just like that, the game became casually playable again. No more risk of missing out on a featured Pokémon. By logging in daily, players can stack the Food Storages, as they don't expire if not used. With enough patience, players can eventually gather more than enough to recruit the featured Pokémon. 😌🙏🏻

How about Delivery and Decoration? The Delivery system is still a broken Gacha model. Even so, besides sporting a new look, the points now accumulate through every Delivery, making it arguably easier to obtain the featured Pokémon. Decorations are also VERY easy to obtain. I was worried the game might monetize this feature. However, apart from some unnecessary sales that would entice hardcore fans, the decorations are easily obtained through the events. 😁🎏

Of course, the most delightful update is Café ReMix's ongoing franchise 30th Anniversary event. As seen above, the welcome screen featured Eevee, Pikachu, and EVERY starter Pokémon from Gen 1 (Kanto) to 9 (Paldea). That's not a random festive face-value frills! Since Pokémon Day, the game has had log-in bonus (or 30 Year Celebration Stamps) events and Mission Bingos that reward the Starter Pokémon wearing a Commemorative Brooch. Before this, some of them, such as Torchic and Popplio, were only obtainable from Premium Pass! 😱💵

Today, alongside the debut of Meowstic (yes, they've continued adding new species), the game will kick off the 4th log-in event that features the Gen 6 (Kalos) and 7 (Alola) starters. It's certainly a rewarding gift for long-time and new players. Yes, the Mission Bingo ones still require players to grind in the events a bit. Around 15 to 20 rounds per Mission, to be specific. Nevertheless, just by logging in, they could already recruit some rare Pokémon. It doesn't need to be a continuous streak either, as long as the event is active, they're still obtainable. Fun freebies for fans! 🤩😝

I will certainly miss my dose of Garden Tea Party. But at least, the rewards are making up for it. Best of all, I haven't felt "forced" to play this game for more than a few minutes a day. 😅

(Source: Pokémon Go)

Pokémon GO: Passing Pointless Passes?   

For the third and final game, let's revisit the title that started the Fool's Errands series. The three-parter-plus that went up a year and eleven days ago. 📅

But before I jumped into the beefy section, I must start with a confession. As noted in that premier post, I've been playing GO since launch. I also mentioned how and why I had developed a growing irritability to it. Well, last week, on March 23, something inside me just snapped. After claiming the reward for the recent GO Pass: Bug Out, I held the app icon a little longer, and when the pop-up appeared, I tapped UNINSTALL. 📲🔨

It's back on my phone now. And later today, I might log in again, maybe after this post goes up. After all, I still haven't claimed the rewards for GO Pass March despite clearing it almost on the same day as Bug Out's. There's a new event that, surprisingly, debuts Mimikyu in the game, too! Following years of Halloween demands from players, the Ghost/Fairy Pikachu-wannabe has been assigned as the April Fools' cover model. Hmmmm. FINALLY! 👻🧚🏻‍♂️

Mimikyu will also be the reward for a new GO Pas—ugghhh, here we go again! Just thinking about that almost made me hit Uninstall again. Have you noticed how many times I've typed the word Pass already? That, my kind and cunning readers, is one of the reasons why I suddenly couldn't care less about playing the game last week. Nowadays, there seems to be yet another GO Pass, free for all, with extra rewards for Premium one, in almost every event. Outside of the monthly one! 😣🤮

In the conclusion section of my piece about GO, I mused about one concern. The community claimed that Scopely, the company running GO (although Niantic's name is still on the app), has a history of toxic or aggressive monetization methods. I guess that point's proven, eh? Still, in the spirit of fairness, it wouldn't feel right if I didn't address some of the other notable additions in the game. 🤷🏻‍♂️

First and foremost, GO rehauled the leveling system for all players on October 15, 2025. The previous maximum level cap was 50, and now, it's 80. Luckily, the new rule changes the required XP needed for each level. That means most players automatically received a higher level. My main account went from level 46 to 70 when the update went live. The second account I used for this experiment now sits at a comfortable level 50, thanks to that. ⚖️📈

Secondly, starting this month, evolved Pokémon that appear in the overworld can be Shiny. Before, only its first form could be Shiny. Now, the chance of seeing a sparkling Charizard or Blissey is no longer a Zorua illusion. Players, VERY LUCKY ones, that is, won't need to evolve their Shinies and keep a living shiny dex. 🌝🌚✨

Third, a feature that has been in demand for years is now possible: Remote Trading. Or, at least, technically, possible, for players who haven't unfriended their remote friends upon reaching a Best Friend status. It requires a new level of friendship called Forever Friends to achieve that. And that warrants 90 more friendship points, as in 90 days of "playing together" (or opening Gifts, for those who cannot form a Party in close proximity). 👦🏻👩🏼‍🦰

Thankfully, despite debuting with a bug, the Weekly Challenge has been active since December 2, 2025! Players can team up with up to three other friends (or random players through matchmaking), regardless of location, and clear a shared task together. It can be as easy as "Spin 150 PokéStops" or as exhausting as "Catch 500 Pokémon." Completing a Weekly Challenge will reward an extra 7 Friendship Points. That will cut the Forever Friendship requirement to around half. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧🤔

Regrettably, I have yet to reach any, and probably won't anytime soon. So, I cannot share precisely how the Remote Trading works. Back to GO Pass, then! 😅

Players climb the ranks in GO Pass by doing Daily Tasks and Weekly Tasks (this one's different than Weekly Challenge). The Daily Task is simple: "Catching 15 Pokémon." It rewards 200 points, which boosts the rank to 2 spots. Weekly Tasks are more elaborate, including "Hatch 3 Eggs" and "Win a Raid" among others. 📅👀

Does that sound exciting to you? Good to hear! For me, the reality speaks differently. Having done that over and over again for months clearly took a toll on my nerves. It feels like being stuck in a loop. I'm fortunate to live next to several PokéStops and a Gym, so I can clear the Raid task easily with a 1 Star Raid. Even so, the wild spawns have oddly appeared scarcer lately and become harder to catch. So, clearing the Daily Tasks suddenly requires more time than completing one regular battle (10 minutes, not counting the waiting process) on UNITE. 😑⏰

To make the situation worse, the wild encounters aren't inspiring. Or should I say, BORING? It's always the same old sets, recycled again and again. A new Pokémon either debuts via Raids, Eggs, or as a single reward for completing ranks in GO Pass. Even when they are available in the wild, they rarely appear. Previously, Café ReMix felt like the grindiest Pokémon mobile game. Now, it seems UNITE has beaten it to it, with GO taking the top spot. 🥱😵

In short, players who want to complete a GO Pass to claim every reward MUST play daily. No, I mean GRIND daily. Those who no longer care, like yours truly, have ignored it altogether. I don't even catch all the Pokémon rewarded from it, either. Besides flooding the Pokémon Storage quickly, they are weirdly hard to catch, too. Looking at you, Snorlax and Lapras. 15 Ultra Balls or Golden Razz Berries don't even work on you! 😒🤦🏻‍♂️

So, it's beyond bizarre that despite that casual approach, I still feel exhausted by GO. GO Fest is around the corner, and it will debut Zeraora alongside Mega Mewtwo, who was teased 5 years ago. Yet, hearing that news didn't spark excitement inside me. My instant reaction was, "Nope! Another PASS for me!" 😅🤷🏻‍♂️ 

Well, not really bizarre, I guess. In July 2016, Niantic CEO John Hanke shared that the goal was to make GO "facilitate the real-life stuff." I guess they've achieved that, huh? Including making it exhausting and boring, much like life often feels, too. And I suppose there's no end in sight until players decide to end it and walk away. 🙅🏻‍♂️🚶🏻‍♂️

This July, GO will celebrate its 10th Anniversary. A big number and a grand achievement, no doubt! Then again, with all Galar starters having their Community Days this year, that means no more starters left to feature in that monthly event. The next mainline Pokémon titles are set to launch, presumably, late 2027. What will next year be like for GO then? Should the 10th Anniversary serve as the final checkpoint for my run in the game, then? Wait, that's not a bad idea... 😲👍🏻   

(Source: Nintendo of America)

Future Forecast: Choosing Champions? Weathering Winds with Waves! 

To complete this post, let's return to the present and gaze toward the future, some near, another far. 🏆💨🌊

While many Pokémon fans around the world are busy revitalizing and redeveloping the post-apocalyptic world in Pokémon Pokopia, more fascinating titles are on the way. Pokémon Champions will launch just a week from now, on April 8. Currently in development, the next mainline Pokémon game and the 10th Gen, Pokémon Winds/Waves, will be released in 2027. ⏳📅

As announced last August, Champions will serve as the official platform for the Video Game Championship competition in the annual Pokémon World Championship. I'm not into the competitive scene of this franchise, and Champions is definitely aimed at that. So, that's a glaring mismatch already. But instead of swiping left right away, I'm keeping an open mind to try it first. I thought I would never play UNITE, and yet I already have all the released Legendaries and Mythicals in it now. Hahaha. Besides, that will be a nice experiment for the next Fool's Errands, right? 🤼‍♀️🤭

Winds/Waves, on the other hand, hit very close to home. There's no question that it's something I'm already looking forward to playing. It made me realize I haven't even considered writing about Pokémon Scarlet/Violet or Pokémon Sword/Shield. Alas, the ships have already sailed to the Isle of Armor and Blueberry Academy (long story short, I enjoyed the former, not fond of the latter. That's all). Of course, it's still many months away for Winds/Waves to arrive. I'll cross that underwater bridge next year, then. Hahaha! 🚣‍♀️🌅

In that case, the final question to wrap: Will I continue playing UNITE, Café ReMix, and GO? The respective answers, as already hinted above: Depends on the update, Most likely, and Still not sure. 🤷🏻‍♂️🙆🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

Earlier this month, Keza MacDonald published a piece titled "Even for fans like me, the Pokémon 30th anniversary 'stuff' is a bit much" for The Guardian. That headline resonated with me, even though the exhaustion written there is somewhat different. So, right now, I'm enjoying this relaxing break from being stuck too deep in a Pokémon well. At least before I let the floodgates reopen again by playing GO to catch a stalking ghost. Ooof, I hope I won't get suffocated to death. 😵😅

But no kidding, in the end, we're the bosses of ourselves. We decide which game we want to play. Moderation is important, even if it's tough to practice. Taking some time out and not being bothered to play a game is not a bad thing either. Quite the contrary, a pause might be necessary to realign our view about it. Or as MacDonald explained it, to reclaim the sense of wonder that has been lost. 😌😍

Even video game characters need proper rest to replenish their energy anyway. Otherwise, they could get KO-ed by annoying low-level bots right away. Would you agree? 😝 

Happy April Fools' Day, everyone! 👋🏻😄

Thanks for reading, and don't worry, this writing is neither a practical joke nor a prank. Unless the joke is on me, for being THE FOOL by tiring myself too much. Hahaha. Oh, well. Let's all strive to be less foolish today and this year, especially when playing games. Re-member to Re-lax! 🤭🤡

(Source: Pokémon Asia ENG)

Fool's Errands #005 – United We Stand, In UNITE We Brawl

*****

This is a non-regular series I dub 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 unthinkable 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... 😉

*****

When I said my farewell to Pokémon Masters EX (even though the app is, bizarrely enough, still asking for updates), one sense of regret loomed large in my head. I never really pulled a Fool's Errands experiment about it due to technical hurdles. Therefore, that makes me think I should at least try making one for other available titles, before the chance to do so is completely gone. It'll be my first for 2026, too, and that's a double benefit.  ✌🏻😌

As mentioned before, starting Pokémon Masters EX from scratch would require a separate smartphone or tablet. After all, the game is unplayable on other platforms, such as Nintendo Switch or PC. The same limitation, unfortunately, applies to Pokémon TCG Pocket. So, I figured I should go with a title that has been around far longer and is easier to work with. 🤔

Besides, Pokémon Day, which celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the first games and franchise in general, will arrive just around the corner. So, this feels fitting as a tribute. Moreover, it's my way to anticipate the future of the franchise and its offerings. 🥳😉

(Source: Pokémon UNITE)

Before Entering Mer Stadium...

And so, what title are we talking about here? 😏

 

The very on-the-nose answer to that rhetoric—from this post's title and the video above— is none other than Pokémon UNITE. UNITE is readily available on smartphones, tablets, and, best of all, the Nintendo Switch systems. Being one of the most complex free-to-play games on the console, it's very easy to install and try. For this experiment, I only needed to run the game via my alt Nintendo Account, and everything started fresh. 😁👍🏻

Similar to my first 3-Parter for Pokémon GO, a curious question served as the fundamental, driving force. "How about UNITE? Has the game become more enjoyable and appealing to new players in 2026?" 👀⁉️

With that said, the biggest concern in choosing which mobile title to explore/experiment is the ever-evolving updates to its gameplay, really. In just a short span, things could suddenly shift into a completely different experience. For example, in July last year, I wrote about Pokémon Café ReMix. Annoyingly enough, that game has transformed so much that around half of what I described there has already felt "outdated." Even Pokémon GO has also seen various quality-of-life updates, and the vibe is no longer the same as it was last April. 🤦🏻‍♂️🙄

That's also the case with UNITE, to be fair. From the recent news alone, there will be some significant additions and changes happening soon. Nevertheless, delaying this piece also feels pointless. I can always wait to experience the new updates first for one, two weeks, or a month. But another major update might land by then. It'll be an endless cycle of waiting. Ugh. 😑⌛️

In short, please consider this disclaimer before proceeding to read this:

This Fool's Errands will cover my experience to re-experience UNITE from December 5, 2025, to February 14, 2026. For complete transparency, that includes a gap from December 31 to January 30. Any updates that transpire beyond that time frame will be discussed only based on official information and not through actual experience. I still haven't yet mastered time travel to make that work. 😅🙅🏻‍♂️

Why December 5 of all dates, though? Precisely a day earlier, the much-disdained, if not downright controversial, update, entitled License Journey, entered the arena and changed the discussion. But hey, that makes for a fun starting point for a Fool's Errands experiment, as I can consciously compare it with how things used to be. Right? 😇👿

(Source: Pokémon UNITE)

Rewind through Remoat

History and backstory talk, to start! 🧐📜

On a late June 2020 exclusive Pokémon Presents (did it even air in the USA or Europe?), The Pokémon Company announced UNITE as a partnership product with Tencent Games. Shenzhen-based TiMi Studio Group serves as the developer of this cross-platform game.

As written in the official press release, UNITE is touted as the first strategic Pokémon team battle game. The free-to-start title plays like this:

"Players face off against each other in five-on-five team battles. During these battles, players will cooperate with teammates to catch wild Pokémon, level up, and evolve their own Pokémon. They will need to defeat their opponents' Pokémon while trying to earn more points than the opposing team within the allotted time."

It's a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) in a nutshell. The news might come as a surprise to many. But considering the cooks involved, it felt like a natural progression, I suppose? 😮

The Pokémon Company loves diversifying its game library with new innovations. Tencent was already a known name in the MOBA circuit. Furthermore, the company has overseen the region-locked Nintendo Switch system in China. China has always been a promising market that Nintendo wouldn't want to miss. Its potential is so high that the closing of the Chinese eShop, which will begin next month, has become a global hot topic. 😟🤷🏻‍♂️

Anyway, looking back, upon hearing UNITE's announcement, my instant reaction was, "MOBA? Nope!" ✋🏻🤨

Was I familiar with what that genre is supposed to be? Also NOPE! 😅

But seeing the names of titles like League of Legends and Dota 2 was enough to give me an idea of what it would be like. I never caught the bug for that gameplay when my college friends did. 😐

Cut to the present time, and UNITE most likely ranks third of the Pokémon games I've played the most (After Pokémon GO and Pokémon Scarlet/Violet). What changed my initial sentiment? Several reasons. 😅

First, it's a Pokémon game. Naturally, the allure and my curiosity are too high to ignore. Second, UNITE is FREE. When I finally bought my reasonably-priced Switch (the price hike during the COVID-19 pandemic was ridiculous, ugh 😞), I hadn't purchased any games. After days of using the console only to organize Pokémon HOME, I decided to add UNITE to my library to expand my options. Third, the game just "worked" when I ended up trying it.

"Worked" as in I got the hang of the game system unusually fast. For someone with ZERO experience in MOBA, that was quite a feat! The list of available Pokémon on launch was attractive. Each one was designed and animated nicely. 👀😳

One of my favorites, Talonflame, is part of the roster. That means I only need to collect enough in-game currency as fast as possible to obtain its permanent License and bench out Pikachu, the free starter. The urge to ascend the Fire/Flying-type Kalos native towards the opposing team was too strong to resist. 😤😜

Also, the music? My goodness, it gave that sense of wonder and uplifting energy that didn't even need to be that good in the first place! I mean, listen to that catchy BGM for the Character Selection Screen. Hearing that upbeat rhythm immediately riled me up to jump into the stadium. Mer Stadium, if possible (00:28-01:10 was the cool part)! The attention to detail in the arrangement put it on par with Pokémon Masters EX, and undeniably leagues higher than the simplistic Pokémon GO. Hahaha. 🤩🎵

(Source: Pokémon UNITE Music)

A Walk in the Auroma Park?

Of course, music is just a supporting element. We play a game to play it, not to hear the BGMs alone. So, how does UNITE play out? 🤭

As the MOBA description above stated, each battle assigns us to a team. This team can consist of other players who enter the Lobby randomly, or they can be NPCs. What we call an NPC applies to both fellow team members and the opponent. If we wish to play solo? Then we'll be the sole player with generated NPCs to fill in the rest of the players. If we go with the CPU Match option? We'll play with "other players" while the opposing team consists of all NPCs. 🙋🏻‍♂️👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

We, as in the Pokémon that we choose to play, by the way. Even though we're the trainers, there's no human in the stadium. What we're controlling is the Pokémon themselves (under a gimmick called License, which can be Permanent or Time Limited). I mean, like any Pokémon game, they are the stars of the show who must do all the work. Trainers only stand, watch, and give orders. Anyone familiar with the Synchro Machine in Pokémon Scarlet/Violet's DLC would know how that plays out. 😅

The stage is split into two sides, as symbolized by the orange and purple colors in UNITE's title. Each half serves as the base area of one team. But that's also the primary objective for the opposite team to conquer or clear. The circular rings situated along the top and bottom paths are the Goal Zones. ⭕️🏃🏻

Every Pokémon of one team will level up to its final form while gathering Aeos Energy by defeating wild species that are popping up around the stadium. They then try their best to score the energy as points in the goal zones. Upon reaching a certain number of points, the goal zone will vanish. Once the Pokémon eliminates a goal zone, the path toward the next one will be easier to traverse. 🙆🏻‍♂️🏃🏻‍♀️

That doesn't necessarily guarantee a victory, though. Sometimes, even after every goal zone is cleared, the other party can still turn the tables and win anyway if they manage to score more points. For that reason, both teams must race against time to score as many points as possible. In theory, at least. 😐🤷🏻‍♂️

All roads eventually lead to the final goal zone located in front of the other team's off-limits base. When that happens, the opposing team can either try to defend their goal zone with their life or sneak out to launch an attack on the other team's area. A powerful or Legendary Pokémon (Rayquaza, Groudon, Kyogre, Zapdos, etc.) also appears at the center of the area in the very last minute or two. Defeating that beast will grant a boost in scoring points and double the points. 😱

Like any MOBA game, that's pretty much the core gameplay of UNITE in its entirety. A solid strategy surrounding what actions to take along the paths may alter the course of each battle. The five designated Roles of each Pokémon—All-Rounder, Attacker, Defender, Speedster, and Supporter— also factor in the synergy of a lineup. Moreover, a display of unity and teamwork will favor the team. Again, in theory, at least. In practice? It's a different story. 🙄

Some stages, added later on, do shake the formula up a bit. The general battle mode, either Ranked Match or Casual Battle, is a five-on-five member composition. While most have a fixed 10-minute run, First to 500 forgoes that and lets a battle be completed as soon as one side reaches 500 points. The stages of Quick Battles take it further. They come in a four-on-four or three-on-three format instead, as the map is usually smaller. The battle duration is also only 5 minutes. 🙃⏳

In the cramped arena of Shivre City, each team only has one goal zone to defend and score into. Meanwhile, in the laid-back Auroma Park, there are two shared goal zones that any team can focus on. The Catch 'Em stage that takes place in Mer Stadium allows a Pokémon to morph temporarily into any wild encounter they defeat. Both Pika Party and Eevee Appeal-o-Rama limit players to using the Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee mascots and their evolutions. 😀

Fancy a mini game instead? The Electrode Volleyball sees a team trying to bounce the explosive titular species, and blow it up on the opposing base. Meanwhile, the Charjabug Scuffle involves charging Charjabug to score 300 points. 😟

Oh, and yes, there are Boss Rush and Panic Parade, as well. True to its name, Boss Rush means a team must work together to defeat a series of three powerful and usually Legendary Pokémon. Panic Parade is the defensive opposite, with each team working together to prevent those powerful Pokémon from taking over the base. There are other holiday-themed limited battles, too. 👻🎅

(Source: Pokémon UNITE)

Gotta Catch 'Em All!

Boasting a flexible array of roster, the playable Pokémon (90 so far, counting the Mega Evolutions separately) will appeal to any Pokémon fan. As already mentioned above, they have Roles with their strengths and weaknesses. 📊👀

The All-Rounders like Charizard or Tinkaton have the flexibility to either go on the offense or defense. How about Mega Evolving? Yes, some have that ability. Defenders like Blastoise or Umbreon usually can survive hits longer to keep opponents busy while allowing Attackers like the surf-giddy Alolan Raichu or my trusted Venusaur to literally storm the opposing castle. And then there are Speedsters like Zeraora or Galarian Rapidash that can move fast to score points while creating a tactical diversion. Lastly, Supporters meddle with the balance by healing team members (Comfey), putting them to sleep (Wigglytuff), or deploying other kinds of hindrance, such as barriers or traps. 🤸🤾‍♀️

Unlike in my first run, UNITE now provides a helpful tutorial process to new players. Before, I had to understand everything by either asking another player or figuring things out on my own. So, in my second run (for this Fool's Errands experiment), I could better understand how to maximise the scoring process and other intricate aspects of the battles. Finishing the tutorial also rewards useful items, including a free License for some fan-favorite Pokémon, like the feathered archer Decidueye. 🏹🍃

Aaah, yes, there's also a Welcome Beginner campaign that gives more Gifts. Increasing the player's level will reward more permanent Licenses that enable more Pokémon of various Roles to play. Playing for 14 days awarded the cool, classy Alolan Ninetales, the flaming, sporty Cinderace, along with the slippery, stealthy Greninja! 🦊🐰🐸

Not to mention, there are limited-run events that practically give away the new, featured Pokémon's License simply by playing. Honestly, it all makes entering UNITE feel less like a confusing chore, which was what I felt during my first run, really. 😌

Likewise, it's now easier to find a community that plays UNITE. Many experts online offer free tips and tricks on how to achieve better results. The discussions often include which Pokémon is more recommended than the rest. Whenever a new Pokémon joins the fray, people will be posting their impressions and reactions. It's a nice way to check if it's right for one's preference or not. 😏📱

Speaking of preference, Holowears give a different aesthetic for each Pokémon. Curious to see how Garchomp will look as a scuba diver? There's a Holowear for that. How about Meowscarada as a dancer? Psyduck as a superhero? The options are growing with every update. 🕴🧚

Ranked Match and Casual Battles expand the social(-gaming) skill in-game by playing with friends or complete strangers. If anyone craves NONE of that and prefers playing on their own? Solo Challenge and CPU-Matches are available. Quick Battles also let a player finish a stage or two when they don't have a lot of spare time to play. In fact, winning just one is often enough to access the Daily Rewards. ☝🏻😉

(Source: Bulbapedia)

Full-Fury Across the Fandom

Unfortunately, getting a winning streak may not be as simple as it seems. What's an ongoing issue for a competitive game that continues adding more playable characters with different stats and abilities? The answer is, naturally, BALANCE. How to make every character have an equal chance of being good and bad. 👍🏻⚖️👎🏻

On the one hand, I must admit that TiMi, the developer, does pay attention to this. Every update in UNITE is the simple proof of that. It ALWAYS contains a balancing patch, whether it is reducing the effectiveness of a Pokémon's deadly moveset or increasing the effect of its status-inducing attacks. That implementation changes the flow of the battle, often inspiring (which is a softer word for "forcing") players to try out different Pokémon. Seeing people flocking to use Dhelmise, a bizarre Pokémon that likely has less fanbase compared to the ever-popular Eeveelution, is such a welcome change. 👏🏻😳

But on the other hand, does the gesture even work? I don't really pay attention to the nerfing and buffing of the Pokémon roster. However, overpowered Pokémon and/or Held Items always seem to be around. The recently added Vanguard Bell, for example, has made some Pokémon even more menacing than before. From the non-stop online discussion, it seems very rare (or perhaps, never at all) that TiMi could pull it off flawlessly, especially when monetization is involved. 💵😈

Yes, that's one of the loudest complaints filed against UNITE in recent months. The evidence? Up to November last year, when a new Pokémon was released, players could use two different currencies, Aeos Gems and Aeos Coins, to obtain it. Aeos Gems are PAID items using real money. Aeos Coins, on the contrary, could be collected by doing daily battles. It was the income that free players could optimize that gave a sense of a target. 💰⚔️

That said, the new Pokémon could only be bought with Coins after a certain span of time since its debut. Until then, only Aeos Gems were valid. Unsurprisingly, this limited window was when the Pokémon debuted overpowered. Hence, the pay-to-win accusation easily rose. 🤑💸

License Journey, the feature I mentioned earlier, has also become one of the biggest offenders. Before, if players played religiously and hoarded their Aeos Coins long enough, they could purchase a License for their personal favorite. Maybe they wanted to partner with the sneaky-ghost Sableye or obtain the hard-hitting Legendary Urshifu (both cost 12,000 Aeos Coins at the time)? With patience and perseverance, they could fulfill those targets. It's a simple, pleasing logic. 💪🏻😤

Regrettably, Aeos Coin has been retired with the December 4 update. Players can now exchange their leftover Coins for License Points for a limited window. As the phrase suggests, License Points is a crucial part of License Journey. Players need to earn enough points to obtain a License for free! 🧩💳

(Source: Spragels)

Wait, what's problematic about that? At a glance, it does seem harmless. Alas, the more players experience it, the more demanding grinding becomes apparent. Unlike the pre-December 4 all-out store, License Journey plays like a leaderboard with "select" Pokémon License available on each step. Emphasis on the word "select," which means players can only choose ONE of the offers on that step. As written in the official announcement: 

"Each time the player selects a Unite license to work toward, they'll choose from five available licenses."

To simplify the explanation, please observe the simulated scenario below. I'll use an image example provided on the official page (because somehow, I haven't been able to find the complete list on any fansite 😟). 

A: "Which Pokémon would you like to obtain next?"

B: " Oh, Espeon! Definitely Espeon. I have 1000 License Points right now, and it's only 980 to get!"

A: "In that case, choose between Sylveon, Lapras, and Lucario first on Step 2."

B: "Huh? But I don't even want any of those. Can I skip them?"

A: "No."

B: "Ugh, okay. In that case, I'll get Sylveon. Only 325 License Points. But after that, I can get Espeon, right?" 

A: "YES, you can! After you choose one from Step 3, which costs 490 Points."

B: "Eeeeeeh?! Then I won't have enough License Points when I reach Espeon in Step 4!"

A: "KEEP PLAYING."

(Source: community.pokemon.com)

Now, where can one obtain License Points? They are available as Battle Pass Rewards. Oh, but they come with this bold and blatant caveat:

"Some license points can be obtained via a standard battle pass, but players can obtain even more license points via a premium pass. This means premium passes won't just include high-quality Holowear—they'll also be a way to progress through License Journeys quickly."

In that case, what is a Premium Battle Pass? Well, it's another PAID feature, with real-life money, to unlock more rewards. For comparison, the No-Cost Pass that every player receives will give 700 License Points. Assuming the player clears the Battle Pass daily. The Premium Pass adds an extra 300! 🤨😰

So, a player can obtain Mythicals like Mew or Hoopa for free after clearing around TWO Premium Battle Passes. Yaaaay! Hold on, each Battle Pass runs around 20 to 30 days to complete. Don't want to use License Points as it takes too long? Remember, they can always use PAID Aeos Gems instead. 🤑😨

Can you see the message the developer was trying to say?

Can you sense why players, especially free-to-play ones, feel displeased, if not disdainful, of this treatment?

I'll let you do the math and decide if it's problematic or not. 

And then there's the ongoing issue of matchmaking. 👬🏻🧍🏻👫🏻

When playing Ranked Match, UNITE intersects random players from all walks of life. A rambling writer who posts on Blogspot and Medium can team up with a tech tutor, along with a pair of college students, in one battle. Likewise, the opposing team can consist of a long-time player who's paired with complete newcomers in the game. They can feel so clueless, it bears the question: have these players even graduated primary school yet? 🧓🏻👩‍🦱

My experience in my first and second runs was vastly different for that reason. I entered the stadium as an inexperienced player before, repeatedly failing to win despite trying my best. No regret, of course, as it let me embrace each loss as one valuable lesson: 

"Maybe just focus on Solo Challenges? Having to do the heavy lifting in most battles is tiring." 😥

In my second run, I came as an experienced, failure-forged player. The result? Well, I still did most of the heavy lifting. But at least my opponents this time didn't seem to know how to play. 😅

For days, I proceeded through Ranked Battle like a champ, with a perfect winning rate. Until one fateful day, I ran into what was seemingly an ALL-PRO AND PAYING players unit. Draped in expensive costumes, they were so in sync with one another that my team was obliterated almost immediately. They even, in unison, gave me thumbs up for bravely trying, while epically failing, at defending my goal zones over and over again. I guess they could also notice how my teammates were too busy going back and forth, hiding on the grass, or running scared toward our base to heal. 😏👍🏻😭

Famous content creators have fondly addressed my teammates as RAN-DUMBS. Although one or two could also be humanless BOTS, considering their odd tendency to hoard but never score points. And yes, I've caught them stuck running toward a wall a few times. The number of both has only grown the more I played. So, I decided to focus on trying to WIN most of the time, while considering that everyone else is useless. 😤

That's not really a healthy way to play a team-based game, eh? 👩🏻‍🚀

But, yeah. I'm not kidding. There's that, too. Be prepared to be paired with those bunch if you choose to give UNITE a chance. Don't worry! Whatever your impression shall be, you're not alone in thinking that way. Sooner or later, you'll get used to that (annoyed?) feeling over time. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I might be wrong on this one, but I also sense the game has favored the paying players more excessively. As such, free players are, at times, treated like cannon fodder for the higher-level paying players to beat up. Otherwise, they might stop buying Holowear, Aeos Gems, and Battle Passes. Hmmm...   

(Source: Night Krow)

What Lies Beyond the Theia Sky?

And just like that, before this spirals into an uncontrollable, nonsensical rant, allow me to return to my initial question. 

"Has [UNITE] become more enjoyable and appealing to new players in 2026?" 😐

It's a YES and NO, in my opinion. The game's way of showering new players with free Pokémon Licenses is appealing and will undeniably boost the excitement level. So, that's a "YES." The handholding approach and the existence of an online community to share insights are also helpful now. That will make the game feel more enjoyable. Another "YES." 👍🏻 

However, if patience is not their strong suit, that eagerness may likely die down once the freebies suddenly STOP. Gathering License Points only to waste them on a Pokémon they don't want can feel like an exhausting effort. Sadly, that sense of dread wasn't as profound before, as long-time players would attest; they felt their time playing was rewarding. Now? Not so much. That's the "NO" part. 👎🏻

 

For a statistical consideration, my second run is now at Player Level 19. Through the License Journey and free events, I've collected a total of 22 Pokémon Licenses so far. Sirfetch'd was the latest through its free Dice Event. The number could've been higher had I known Venusaur would be given for free just by Leveling Up. I wasted 490 License Points for that alone. Please don't make the same mistake! 🙄🤦🏻‍♂️

I've reached the "Special Selection" step on License Journey, where I can choose any License (from the list I haven't acquired). So, I've hoarded points to obtain one of the Mythicals or Legendaries. After all, their costs have equally skyrocketed compared to before. My License Points paused at 2075 on February 14, the day I stopped playing again to focus on life. 🥱😴

With the Kanto Legendary Birds arriving as playable tomorrow, on Pokémon Day, it seems I may be jumping back into the stadium until around April. They're likely a part of the 30th Anniversary celebration of the franchise. Zapdos will debut on February 27. Free event generally lasts around 2 weeks. So, Moltres and Articuno may presumably join in March before leaving in April. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Their debut will herald another change that has already been the talk of the town. First, the addition of the Solo Mode. That will be a new way to provide License Points for every player. Unfortunately, the second one, called the Move Path system, will see every new Pokémon, starting with the Legendary Birds, arrive "incomplete." The current feature of choosing a Moveset while in a stadium will be removed. And players can undergo the Move Path to add more Moves using a new currency. One step forward, one step backward? Hahaha. 😑🤦🏻‍♂️ 

It's too early to tell if both features will be good or bad. But it would be a lie to say that I'm surprised by the community's unfavorable reaction to the news already. Unlike other mobile titles, UNITE strides along so confidently without paying attention to its players. We live in an era of toxic fandom, and Pokémon is no exception. Of course, the developer's action and decision wouldn't sit well with many long-time players. Some have already left the game due to the License Points fiasco. 😞🤦🏻‍♂️

What happens if the player count continues to drop? Don't forget that Tencent's deal with Nintendo has started entering shutdown. What happens to UNITE if they decide to stop collaborating? Besides, UNITE may be one of the highlights in the annual World Championship. But a new cross-platform title, Pokémon Champions, is also poised to debut this year. Will UNITE players pack their bags (and wallets) and move to that new, greener pasture? The future seems bright, but also bleak at the same time. ✨🌑

Still, for me at least, there's a small reason I'm still playing UNITE, and may continue even if not daily anymore. In core Pokémon titles like Pokémon Scarlet/Violet or Pokémon Sword/Shield, and even spin-offs like Pokémon Legends Z-A, every player takes control of the protagonist. That protagonist will go on an adventure, befriend other trainers, and encounter the antagonists. Eventually, the protagonist saves the region from destruction or impending doom. ⚔️🤴🏻

Having been familiar with that formula, I've always wondered what it would feel like if I played as the antagonist instead. Instead of showing compassion and defeating thugs to rescue kidnapped creatures, what if I want to be the thug-like character? The figure who annoys and pesters others while beating the living daylight out of other Pokémon, wild or caught? Or for the sake of reaching a satisfying victory! 😈🤪

Yes, I know! That sounds too dark and disturbing to hear! But believe it or not, that's how I feel whenever I play UNITE. Of course, teamwork and camaraderie exist. They will always be required. However, the goal is still to win a match by ruthlessly stealing points from other players, if not sending them running scared to recover in their base. In UNITE, I feel like a villain, and I'm genuinely relishing that dark turn to the tee. Mwahahahaha! 😆👹  

Whenever life gets on my nerves, Petal Dance-ing or Brave Bird-ing against virtual opponents is the kind of brawl that helps unleash negative emotions. After all, there's nothing wrong with letting off some steam. Especially knowing full well that this game will never arrive on Steam. 😛

Anyway, will UNITE have a surprise in store tomorrow in the much-anticipated Pokémon Presents that's arriving less than 24 hours from now? Perhaps there'll be some positive light that hints at an optimistic direction to please the waning interest of its playerbase? Or maybe they've already revealed it all, and it'll be just business as usual. I guess we can only wait and see. 🙄🤷🏻‍♂️

***

HAPPY 30TH ANNIVERSARY, Pokémon! 🙏🏻🎉

May this year mark a milestone where your players and enthusiasts become more UNITE-d than ever, in a positive way. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Fool's Errands #004 – Pokémon Café ReMix: Grinding Through an Adorably Mixed Blend

*****

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). 

(Source: The Pokémon Company)

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. 

(Source: The Pokémon Company)

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.

******

How about Skill? It is the equivalent of Super Moves in fighting games, complete with a few seconds of dazzling stock animated reel. The early Staff members got unique actions that, in a way, fit the character. Sadly, the developer seemed to have lost creative touch as the newer recruits truly do nothing but, uhm, "pose" and "spark." Did the players, as owners, recruit them only to be a fashion model or something? 😨

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.

(Source: DaddyGamer Fred)

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.

******

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.

******

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. 

******

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! 🤯

(Source: The Pokémon Company)

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. 😝