Do n’t get me wrong , I still get it on Pokemon , but …
Browsing through Twitter this morning , something caught my eye . A monster collect title of respect , with the faery artwork I produce up with , and radical goliath designs ? Was this yet another Pokemon fan biz , or something else entirely ? I ’ve seenCassette Beastsrolling around online for a while now and , frankly , did n’t think much of it . That is until I start it up and had my whole childhood cave in upon itself .
I ’m 31 years sure-enough . I pass so much clip as a child mess around with cassette tapeline , finding crazy agency to utilize them to memorialise my favorite songs off of the radio , and just trying to figure out how they actually worked . I was also around during the initialPokemonfrenzy thatRed and Bluebrought to schoolyards and playdates . I promise I ’m not write this from a nursing home , even though it feel like I should be telling my grandkids this tarradiddle , but I sidetrack .
in the beginning , the concept seemed interesting , but that was about it . I ’ve played a few otherPokemon - likegames in the past and was never really impressed with them . Something always felt a spot off about the overall design and the overall vibe that they bring to the board , and my interestingness quickly dissolved . No fault to those games , because muckle of people fuck them , but they just were n’t for me .
Booting upGame Passthis dawning , I noticed thatCassette Beastswas available , so I figured,“Sure , let ’s give another one of these a try ” . From the opening moment , however , something click in spite of appearance of me . ascertain my quality , amply customized from the get - go , moving around in a seemingly familiar world that was beyond unfamiliar to me feel … amazingly great from the get - go . Then , the first battle happen .
Gotta Rewind ‘Em All, Cassette Beasts!
This is where things take a spin for the bizarre , and I ’m all in on it . You encounterKayleigh , who graciously pass on you an one-time - schoolcassette playerand gives you instructions on what you ask to do with it . I ’m not going to spoil it , because right off the bat , I was sold on the combat system and how it functions . After the first fight , I found myself in a new town , a raw home . Everything had flipped upside down , and I am lost , distressing , cold , and confused ( much like tangible life , to be quite honest ) . Nothing will ever be the same , and I ’m frankly fine with it after let the rough reality of the existence settle in .
WhileCassette Beastsmay count like your favorite onetime Pokemon secret plan , it plays much more like a modern one . Instead of being stuck on a typical 4 - axis movement field , you’re able to move around in any direction , making the hypothesis of explore sempiternal . But , the best part of all : you have ajump push button , making exploration on any surface a breeze . After watch some of the other trailers ( spoiler warning signal , I ’m not super far into the game yet ) , there seem to be other methods of traverse that bring to mind more late Pokemon deed .
Plus , you do n’t involve to worry about take to the woods through the marvelous grass to assay and notice a Beast that you ’d like torewindinto your collection : they ’re all on the overworld , giving you a fortune to see who you need to add to your collection . These do n’t vanish when you walk more than 15 feet away , either .
Screenshot by Prima Games
It ’s firmly not to compare a childhood favorite to this fresh title , but the law of similarity are there . It ’s well apparent to see what the developers atBytten Studioswere aiming for : bringing an old - school demon collectathon adventure to a new audience while keeping it forward-looking enough for newer fans to enjoy . And they did this with simplicity .
Get Creative
What straight off caught my eye , beyond the overall attractive art , is how much they desire you to be able to make yourself in the game . With countless hairstyles , clothing choices , and more , you may create the character that you desire to be . This is meant for an old interview . WhilePokemon Scarlet and Violetare aimed at the unseasoned and immature - at - spunk , Cassette Beastsis a love letter to gamers that grew up in theGame Boygeneration , with some pinch to make it more accessible to a modern interview .
We can all wear our blush wine - touch glasses and think that games like the originalPokemon Red & Blueare still wild plot , but … have you play them recently ? They have n’t mature as wonderfully as we retrieve them . Thankfully , with myriad remakes of the original narrative , we have a unspoiled way to play them . ButCassette Beastsis aiming to become the next prominent thing , and I ’m all here for it .
I say this as someone who has a giganticMagikarptattooed on my odd forearm : the monster excogitation are top - notch and equal some of the good thatPokemonhas ever done . The battle system feel forgiving , yet thought-provoking , and you ca n’t just spam theAbutton to make your manner through fights . Hell , there ’s even adifficulty sliderin the selection menu that lets you customise your experience to supply to your every whim . Small details like these help pushCassette Beastsinto a class of its own and carve a Modern notch in the ever - grow challenger to the Pokemon franchise .
Screenshot: Prima Games
While my making love for this plot keep on to grow , let ’s be well-defined : I do n’t think it has what it train to tolerate toe to toenail withNintendo’sgiant . It ’s a wonderfully crafted biz , but the nostalgia stands tall and in the way . Even with thetremendousissues thatScarlet and Violethad at launching , it quickly became one of the fastest - selling secret plan of all time because Pokemon eventually get some features from 2010 . And yes , I was one of those that put well over 100 hours into the game and in full completed the Pokedex .
But , it ’s courteous to see a developer try and push the gasbag a bit , all while evoking that nostalgia that many devotee have been asking for . While I patiently wait for Nintendo to once again re - release their classics with absolutely no changes to them whatsoever to modernize them in the slightest , I ’ve found something inCassette Beaststo help soothe that bite . They say that the most earnest frame of flattery is impersonation , but is it really impersonation when it has more innovation than its breathing in ?
