Pokémon Café Mix ~ RIEview

 

Ah, Pokémon. Many generations grew up with Pokémon, be it the games or the anime. People who never heard or seen Pokémon probably had no access to them due to external circumstances, but most of us do at some point in my lives. I grew up watching my childhood friends play the game on PlayStation, and briefly watched the anime, but other than that I wasn’t too into the game since I don’t have the right console for it. But don’t be fooled thinking that Pokémon Café Mix is the same as the old play style! You might be thinking of Pokémon Go, which is hunting for Pokemon in real life. Here’s how Pokémon Café Mix is different from its predecessors:

Game Plot

There is no concrete plot. Your responsibility is to run the cafe successfully by hiring Pokémon to serve fellow Pokémon customers. That’s it. No complex “I inherited this cafe from my late father who wanted it to be the best cafe there ever was, so now I will follow his footsteps to make him proud” storyline. Hence this section is ungraded: N/A

Character Diversity & Personality

Pokémon are really the star of the game here, so you’ll be able to see all your favourites here. Some rare Pokémon will appear as part of events, meaning these Pokémon won’t appear in the daily customer lineup outside of the event. To recruit Pokémon as your staff, you will need to increase the friendship level with each species to level 1. Note that like with other Pokémon franchises, each Pokémon brings with it unique skill set that will help players in clearing the puzzle.

Verdict (5/5)

Even if some Pokémon have more inferior skill sets than others, I stand by a philosophy that I picked up when I started playing ShiWuYu (食物语): There are no weak characters, only incompetent players who don’t know how to use them effectively. Pro-tip: use the right Pokémon skill type that will give you the necessary boost needed, because the different skills will be handy at different situations. 

Game & CG Art

Very cute art style! The art style felt less digital and more traditional medium, colour-wise they are not hard/harsh colours, but almost soft pastel colours that will definitely draw you in.

Verdict (5/5)

Can you tell how much I adore the art style here?? Consider the plus point: cute staff outfits for the Pokémon you successfully recruited as a staff!

Game Mechanics

Unlike puzzles in Candy Crush, the game play here is a bit more unique. You clear each level to serve a dish that the customer wants, and you can use the helper Pokémon's special skill to more effectively clear the level. Clear the mini Pokémons by linking a group of the same Pokémon together, but be careful as the chain will move depending on how you link them!

Verdict (4.5/5)

It’s interesting and straight-forwardly easy. Whenever there’s new obstacle, the game pops up a window that explains the new obstacle and how to clear said obstacle. Over time the game can be repetitive, like Candy Crush. When the time comes, it will be your will/determination as a collector to continue playing the game.

In-Game Events

The rare Pokémons I mentioned earlier in the ‘Character Diversity & Personality’ section appear in Special Character events. When I first started the game, it so happened to be a Dragonite event, meaning there’s a higher chance of spotting a Dragonite queueing up to enjoy its time in the cafe. Because the event is time-limited, make sure to play as often as possible to raise your friendship level and add the event-limited Pokémon to your staff roster! 

The other, more consistent event is the Café Grand Prix, which is the Pokémon equivalent of weekly leadership scoreboard where you battle against other players to see who scores the most stars and thus be in the top rank.

Verdict (5/5)

After playing the events in SuperStar JYPNation, the Special Character event in Pokémon Café Mix is doable for even the most amateur players. There is no pressure for players to spend real money in order to get the special character – which is a rare feature as most games opt to subtly force players to pay in exchange for being able to get the character they want. This is understandable, considering all game developers need to make a living off their games somehow, Pokémon Café Mix hasn’t done this (yet?) so kudos to them!

Pokémon fans, this game shouldn’t not be a part of your Pokémon collection. You want to relax and take a break from outdoor hunting of Pokémons? Try Pokémon Café Mix. Need to step back from the intense storyline in the anime? Give Pokémon Café Mix a go.

Planning to give this game a try? Comment below your thoughts!

Happy Gaming!

~ RieRie