Monday, August 8, 2022

The Old New Addiction: Pokémon Café Remix

OK, for the next five days starting from today, I want to discuss one specific Pokémon game that has become a colorful part of my newfound experiences with my new-and-old Nintendo Switch Lite. That would be Pokémon Café Remix (stylized as ReMix), the current hit puzzle game for the franchise. It is also present on mobile platforms - and from what I've seen, they're in sync - but for my purposes, the Switch is where I've chosen to play it. And I've become real addicted to it, due to being tasked with other needs that preclude playing the longer-play games on the Switch. That addiction is also an old new thing for certain reasons.

The gameplay is similar to some current hit puzzle games on mobile platforms, for those familiar with them. It involves connecting Pokémon icons in chains, which then can do different things. The main purpose of doing so is to score points and clear obstacles, which may constitute certain objectives to be completed for clearing stages, here many of which are called "orders". And there are many kinds of these stages, which deserve some explanation later on. For those who understand, it becomes clearly addictive in that regard.

For those who (still) play Pokémon Shuffle, Café Remix might construe a "continued" addiction, and in effect it might as well be regarded as its "successor", in contrast to what I've said previously about it as shown in the very first Pokémon Presents. It helps that the sub-developer is the same (Genius Sonority), so I'm sure the things they've learned about developing Shuffle has been likewise applied to Café Remix. The latter also in effect doesn't stray too far off from the mechanics of the former for some very evident reasons. Still, it is a success if the addiction of players manages to be preserved in some capacity.

Then, there is one old new thing. Café Remix is the updated version of Café Mix, which was also divulged in a different edition of Pokémon Presents. While I've clearly missed out on this older version, there is one facet of the old version that remains in the new version, as is the gameplay, which remains the same regardless even with the new things added since. In the end, it really doesn't matter much, as the current version is the "now" and there is no need of concern for the ways of the old version.

Old and new alike, the addiction to Café Remix is the result of the reasons above, and of course the interest of "puzzle game junkies" like me who will play those games regardless of their form. It also works out very well for me personally, given that I am a Pokémon fan and will happily snap up games of the franchise regardless of shape and/or form. It's also as equally deserving to be on the Switch as it is to naturally exist on mobile platforms, where it makes for a good home. I'm certain that the colorful experiences fans like me will have with this game will remain as new as they are old in various ways.

Five years ago: Pokémon Wrapping Paper

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