Café Remix 6th Anniversary: The Gap Year

Meanwhile, years have passed by for one of the games I addressed the other day, and this year marks the sixth year of that passage. Now that I've addressed it a couple of times, it seems fitting to continue to do that, moreover on its exact day - today, as I did last year (see below). Still, this passing of the years marks a particularly uneventful time for the game's history - one that can be termed as a "gap year", and that becomes a key point of the current discussion.

The "gap year" is of course due to a pending major update for the game, which is currently in development and has necessitated in-game events to be "reruns" in some sense. Obviously, that major update didn't make it in time for this anniversary - or to put it differently, it just needs more time than is possible for that timeframe (since it only started development two months ago). Either way, the content of the update as outlined in the previous post does need to be worked out properly, and that may be better off to be developed within the long run.

Yet it should be noted that the game's current anniversary is for when the game was first released as Café Mix; its "remix anniversary" that represents the Café Remix aspect comes later in the year. As such, there could be the possibility that the pending major update will make it in time for that instead, which would make it appropriately timed. Of course, there is always the possibility of the major update coming earlier (not as likely) or later (more likely than not) given the scope of the update and whatever is planned to satisfy the points of that update.

Whatever the case, it can be seen that a "gap" is established between the game's "original" and "remix" anniversaries regardless, whether there is new content being added as in past years or there is a pause going on for that, as in the current case of preparing for the next major update. It's a gap that can and has been filled with a lot of niceties then and now, and now more than ever, it seems to be up for another "gap-filling exercise" much like back then.

Having reached a full six years, Café Remix has served the food fantasies of puzzle-inclined Pokémon fans quite well with all the content in that time. Now as the game takes a break from new content for its major next step, it's taking an opportunity to fill the gap that is left along with other existing gaps when the major update is released to close up the taken "gap year".

One year ago: Café Remix 5th Anniversary: Evolving the Vision

Two years ago: Let's Talk About Not Becoming Ourselves

Three years ago: Cosplay: Indonesia Comic Con - Pop Asia 2023, Day 1

Four years ago: 2000 Posts!!!

Five years ago: Cosplay: YASUMI 2 - Sunday Holiday

Six years ago: Lifestyle Gaming

Seven years ago: Cosplay: ENNICHISAI 2019 + CLAS:H/ICGP Nationals

Eight years ago: Gym Rework, One Year Later

Nine years ago: Pokémon Go Gym Rework

Changing the Year Mention Convention

As part of their attribution, Pokémon games mention the year of their first release, which many players (Trainers) will have seen at least once when they start up the games in question. In the most recent time, however, this has changed to a somewhat radical approach, which would be... not mentioning it at all. This change might be a small thing, but it may be considered to have some implications, and therefore I thought about discussing it, how it applies (or has applied), and what this might mean for the Pokémon games in question.

Those who play Café Remix, Unite, and TCGP will likely have noticed this recently as they loaded up the respective games, looked toward the attribution notice on the title screen, and found that the year that is usually present there has gone missing - which is how I personally found out about it through playing said games. Again, it's a relatively small and recent change: for many, it may possibly go unnoticed, and not too long ago, the year had still been present on the games that I have mentioned above. It's also a sudden change after many, many years of maintaining the (previously) established convention.

The change can be considered to be in line with this year's big Pokémon anniversary, since if it really had been willed as such, it would have occurred a lot sooner - as in, even several years ago would have been a prime time for the change to occur. Meanwhile, the presence of the year that indicates a time that has somewhat passed might be perceived by some players (Trainers) as being something dated, so the removal of the year in a way also removes such a perception and allows the game to remain perceived as "current" even if it's not - as well as furthermore "relevant", which may be a bigger thing given a certain game.

A change in the way that attributions are made in certain works (for games and beyond) may be small, but it is still possible to draw out certain messages. In the case of the Pokémon games above - and others I might have missed - the change that is made with the removal of the year in the attribution can indicate that such a mention may not matter anymore given how long Pokémon in general has been around. What matters then would be the games continuing to make history, no matter what year it may be.

One year ago: Cosplay: ChibiCon 6 x ICC & ICGP Finals 2025

Two years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 6/22/2024

Three years ago: The Eternal Pokémon Fanfare

Four years ago: The Catch 'Em Battle Arena

Five years ago: All for a "Pokémon (Pikachu) Meal"

Six years ago: Dub Absence, Again

Seven years ago: Tournament+Cosplay: Club 40 Indonesia Tournament

Eight years ago: Food Chain Axioms

Nine years ago: Technology, Good and Evil

Cosplay: "Saturday's Remnants" & Asobi Stage

Me: OK, now we can talk about yesterday (or what was left of it) and something else for today.

Goh: Well. It's a happening weekend - except for what went on yesterday.

Ash: Yeah, you can say that.

Goh: So, what did happen yesterday?

Ash: I got to a place where a festival was supposed to happen, but it was empty.

Me: And then I found out it got delayed to next month because the place was not ready. You saw it, didn't you?

Ash: A little, I guess. 

Pikachu: Pi pika pika... ["I saw that too..."]

Ash: After that I just went for Community Day like you usually do.

Goh: OK, so that's that. Maybe you two will try to go to it when it happens then?

Me: We'll see. And I might try to do something about it.

Ash: I hope it can happen too. 

Me: Right. One more thing: I thought I'd get in this one instead of a local festival in my area, but it evidently blew up in our faces.

Goh: Maybe Community Day was the answer.

Ash: At the same time, if only I could be there for the local one...

Me: If I only knew. Let's move on - today we have another festival, the one with "stage" in the name.

Goh: Oh, the stage thing. It sounds like everything will happen there.

Ash: Yeah! It's at the mall rooftop at a little stage. I went there to check things out first.

Goh: Wait - doesn't this sound like the one from last year?

Ash: Um... it actually does. The poster even had the name of the school and its business festival.

Pikachu: Pi pika chu! ["All of that!"] 

Me: Well, there you go. But I have to say, I heard that this one doesn't have anything special (a competition) for characters, but they can still come if they want to.

Goh: OK, if that's the case, then what did you do instead?

Ash: I went to the card game shop to play a tile game with your other friends.

Me: It was planned anyway, and it's better than walking around for nothing.

Goh: Oh, that's new. I'm sure you had a good time.

Ash: Yeah, it was OK. Then I went back there and met many of your friends - character and more.

Goh: Looks like everyone wanted a good time. So... I guess the entertainment was dance groups, because of the "stage" thing.

Ash: I did see and hear a couple of them while I was outside with our friend's friends.

Me: And... that's about all you did, right?

Ash: Sure, before I went back to you. 

Pikachu: Pika chu. ["A full day."] 

Goh: Well, with whatever is (or was) left on both days, at least you two made it more than it seemed.

Ash: That's true.

Me: It could have been more, but that's the way things went.

Goh: I think more will definitely come.

Me: It sure will, so there will be things to be prepared for that.

One year ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/21/2025

Two years ago: My Pokémon Leveling Progress in Café Remix

Three years ago: So You Think You Can (_____) with Pokémon

Four years ago: The Fossil Cup of GBL

Five years ago: Community Day Patterns

Six years ago: Another Anime Dream

Seven years ago: Cosplay Card, Fourth Version

Eight years ago: Local Ex-Raid (and Complications), 6/21/2018

Nine years ago: Resets and Redos

Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/20/2026

After six years, Community Day for Pokémon Go returns on the very same date (see below), which could become something expected after some number of years pass. Something else that has been expected for the editions of this month, at least in more recent times, is "dragons in June" - meaning a featured Pokémon species of that type. That too remains true for this edition, and that does make it important to be dealt with - as in played (by those who deal with the game) and written (by yours truly).

The "dragon of the month" this time is Frigibax, the powerhouse Pokémon from the ninth generation and the region of Paldea. It evolves to Arctibax and then to Baxcalibur, which for the purpose of this Community Day edition gets the special move of Glaive Rush, essentially its "signature move" as well. The powerhouse Pokémon is also joined by the powerhouse main bonus of triple catch Stardust, making this edition a powerful one for what it offers and what Trainers can take advantage of.

Of course, other niceties are available for Trainsets as well. The "basic form" is encountered in great numbers through extended Lure Modules (three hours) and Incense (one hour plus extra) plus photo bombs. Its Shiny form - now for greater availability - and those with special backgrounds are up for grabs. Trading cost is halved and there is an extra Special Trade. Lastly, tasks from Field, Timed (community check-in), and Special Research are to be dealt with and completed as best as they can.

Most of the rest of this writeup will now be carried in discussion format involving two human characters for good (and in a way also important) reasons to be explained soon...

Me: ...so let's get on with it.

Goh: This is a neat Pokémon! 

Ash: It kind of reminds me of Gible from my days in Sinnoh. I guess that's why you wanted me to wear it. 

Goh: Well, that means there had to be an occasion of some sort. Right? 

Ash: Um...

Pikachu: Pi... ["Um..."]

Me: I guess now is not the time. Let's deal with just Community Day for now. 

Goh: I suspect something's up. But continue. 

Ash: Yeah, so I got to the usual mall to find your faraway friends to catch a lot of the Pokémon. 

Goh: I sure hope you got good ones.

Ash: Our friend already had a good one, but I made a Lucky Trade for a Shiny one - and it was almost the best! 

Me: Hey, that's pretty nice. 

Pikachu: Pika pika! ["Wonderful!"]

Ash: And I evolved a few others too. But I really got so much Candy this time.

Me: Which should be part of a related bonus, but that's for later too.

Ash: I also played the music game before and got into the group photo after. 

Goh: Nice!

Ash: It would've been a usual day if it weren't for that...

Me: Well, that's for tomorrow. 

Goh: I think I feel a cold chill from all the ones you caught. 

Ash: Brr!

So, with a Special Research set titled "Chill Out, Frigibax!", it would be no surprise that the members of the species family can deliver a piercing chill, especially given their types. It's a chill that remains as the species goes through its evolution... and perhaps in the impressions of those partaking in this month's Community Day.

One year ago: General Community Day Prospects

Two years ago: Driving and Loving with Pokémon

Three years ago: Possible Silph Successors?

Four years ago: I Love You, As Long As You Are

Five years ago: Trainer Rank in Pokémon Shuffle

Six years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day, 6/20/2020

Seven years ago: Thematic Battles

Eight years ago: Losing Touch and Keeping in Touch

Nine years ago: Pokémon Exclusivity

Keeping Pokémon Unite Relevant

There is a floating discourse about Pokémon Unite, and it's not necessarily a good one. In fact, it could be said that the discourse has floated since the time a certain important change befell a key part of the game. The discourse, as hinted by the title of this post, is that the game is becoming irrelevant, and that is evidently disconcerting for those who consistently play even now and enjoy it. It's such an important matter that I have to address it now before other relevant matters to that discourse also emerge to the surface.

So, besides that important change, there's always been the matter of players misbehaving, whether they're human or not-so-human. Meanwhile, that important change and a few other elements in the game (like Holowear and associated methods to get it and other items) seem to remain in a "cash grab" position that may or may not be rewarding, like for the monthly subscription. It's also seemingly hard to get teams of players going, both on and off the game and partially due to the above. All of these seemingly contribute to the apparent irrelevance.

Having outlined the possible contributions to the irrelevance, the problem now is considering ways to sidestep the issues and maintain relevance. Revolutionary ways to play might help in this regard (if Electrode Volleyball hasn't already proven as such, which also may need to be built on) and especially to improve Ranked play; a different system for it may still need to be considered. That, along with continued promotion of the wonders of the game, might just be the necessary burden to keep relevance at hand.

For other ways to keep relevance, big-time events (such as one that's going on now, which I might just explain later on) could have its contributions somehow. If the game could also recycle interest from other realms of Pokémon - almost all of which are now present on the same platforms of the game itself (both Nintendo Switch and mobile) - it could have a shot at gaining some new interest. Yet that also implies that the older interest from the longer-term players also needs to be kept as much as possible, which is likely the challenge.

Pokémon Unite has been around for a few years now - something I'll get to soon enough - and it has gone through a roller-coaster ride, for both its game cycles and its fans. That then reflects on its relevance, which has evidently also become a struggle. Just as the apparent lack of it is emerging as a discourse, the discourse of trying to furnish it also needs to emerge in order to keep the game in its place among fans and even competitive players. For them, Pokémon is always relevant - the hope is that Unite can be so as well.

One year ago: Held Items in Pokémon Unite

Two years ago: Saving (Preserving) Pokémon Locations

Three years ago: The Flurry of Unite Team Creation

Four years ago: Say You Love Me (Not)

Five years ago: Earthing with Pokémon

Six years ago: Taking Pictures of Pokémon

Seven years ago: LINE Pokémon Emoji

Eight years ago: The Super Incubator

Nine years ago: The Badge Arcade Hit Its Limits

Ideas for New Pokémon Go Events

Sometimes, I still think about how Pokémon Go events may seem to lack variety, with many of them being directed for the debut of a new species in the game. This would certainly be based on the viewpoints of other players (Trainers), including a vocal one on this blog - even if that person was more concerned with the (previous) magnitude of events. For that, I've thought of offering suggestions for new event ideas, and now that's what I'd like to do with this post.

One of the event ideas would be a "Fusion Festival" - or perhaps it could be called an "Energy Festival", since not every energy is technically for Fusion. It would have tasks for earning energy (and some Candy) for all of the Pokémon that are capable of making use of energy for Fusion or transformation up to the event. It also would have related raids and if possible allow someone to get started on a particular Fusion (or to fill a gap) if they don't already have it. This event would be primarily for the convenience of new players or those who are long absent.

Then, I also have a pair of related ideas. An event (or events) for "Urban Life" and/or "Rural Venture" would celebrate those who live in the city and/or country respectively and have thematic Pokémon species that represent both areas. Though the concept of these two events would seem not to be very different from that of current events, it can be made different by involving Pokémon species of as many type varieties as possible; this would hopefully make the events more attractive and less likely to be complained about, especially by players like the above.

As a final event idea, I want to present the event idea of "Keep Exploring". This one is a bit technical in that some of its elements could be tied to efforts made in Niantic Wayfarer, although this would and could only apply to those who have access to it. For everyone (else), the event would have some usual "explore" tasks - and maybe a couple of Route tasks for good measure - but it could have new ones like "place Pokémon in 2 Gyms" and be tied to the addition of some new exploration features. I have some ideas for this, but perhaps they'll be explained later.

For all the events that are or have been featured in Pokémon Go, there may always be the possibility to consider new ones to satisfy the desires and alleviate the concerns of some players (Trainers). The possibilities as presented above may be some that are worthy of consideration - if not for my personal views, for the views of others - to be implemented somehow into Pokémon Go. As with certain other things in life, it's the thought that counts, perhaps especially now.

One year ago: Cosplay: Amphoreus Cup 25 - Futsal and Cosplay

Two years ago: Community Day Classic Prospects

Three years ago: Beachside with Pokémon

Four years ago: Cosplay: Mini Futsal Gathering & Cup 2022

Five years ago: Pokémon Words from the Coach

Six years ago: Pokémon (PKMN) Presents, 6/17/2020

Seven years ago: On Copyrights

Eight years ago: Boxes of Go-Goodies

Nine years ago: There Is Only One Ball

The Next Step: Pokémon Champions on Mobile

Fans who are eager to play Pokémon Champions as the standalone "battle client" edition for battles in the traditional main series style have been able to do that since the version for the Nintendo Switch was released ("unleashed", my term) a couple of months ago. The rest of the fans who don't have the console had to wait for the mobile version to be released... and now happily, I can say that the day has come. The mobile version of said game has been released today, and fans can and should be able to get in on the action. That said, there are a few more things to note, which prompts this discussion about the "next step".

Some parts of that "next step" concern devices and device limits. Though their devices are somewhat modern, some will nevertheless be unable to play the game on the devices since they're behind in hardware and/or software. Then there's the matter of space: the initial download for the game is nearly 1 GB in size, and the extra data will further balloon the storage requirements, making it on par with a certain electronic card game. These issues demand ways to deal with them that may neither be quick nor easy. 

But once Trainers get over those issues, they'll be in for the fun - but then there's still some work to do. For many of those who don't commonly deal with Pokémon affairs on the Nintendo Switch (or their consoles in general), they'll still have to ensure Pokémon Home is linked to it, especially if Pokémon have been put there from Pokémon Go, the most likely source for them as such. Then there are the intricacies of this specific game, but that's also to be understood as things go along.

Meanwhile, fans beyond the Nintendo Switch system are setting up (or in fact have set up) their support systems - as in the communities of players they'll battle with and against. That would also mean future competitions and tournaments that can now cover those who play without a Nintendo Switch, but still with the possibility of playing with those on it. The support systems would help to ensure that they get up to speed on what is needed for this style of play in order to be effective in it.

Now that Pokémon Champions covers the breadth of platforms that it's meant to cover, the "new era" of VGC as suggested in the earlier "unleashed" post is starting to come into its own with the involvement of the mobile platform implementation and the players (Trainers) who will take it up. It's a "next step" just as much as the game itself is a "next step" for continued enjoyment of Pokémon across players and time.

One year ago: Switching Up (and Upgrading)

Two years ago: Not Alone... But Alone

Three years ago: The Mystique of 151

Four years ago: Knotting Destinies and Love

Five years ago: The Mystique of the Slowpoke Well

Six years ago: Good Storage Limit Counts

Seven years ago: I'm a "General"!

Eight years ago: Viewpoints and Preferences

Nine years ago: Hounds and Hyenas, Canines of the Dark