The Steves discuss their favorite memories associated with the Pokemon video game franchise, along with what's making them happy and what to Binge or Purge in pop culture!
Stay happy!
Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.
The Steves discuss their favorite memories associated with the Pokemon video game franchise, along with what's making them happy and what to Binge or Purge in pop culture!
Stay happy!
Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.
So returning happies and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin,
Stephen:and this is Stephen Martin Bennet. And welcome to a
Steve:lifetime of happiness. The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, TV shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy while hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way. And
Stephen:today we are going to travel all the lens as we try to catch them all. As we discussed. Hook them
Steve:on. Yes. We're going to discuss a highlights of some of our favorite memories and experiences associated with the Pokemon franchise across its video games. Now we understand that it also is anime and trading card games and stuffed animal and restaurants and store fronts. And it's a billion other things. But today we will be focusing on the video game aspect of it. But before we get into that, my love what's been making you happy.
Stephen:So recently the CDC said that, fully vaccinated, people can gather out doors in smaller groups. And we at Lake house West were all vaccinated there. All the residents are, so we had our first. Outdoor group dining type of thing, where we hosted a poolside breakfast and, everyone was sitting at tables seated for four or five people. So there were still smaller groups, but it was nice to get everybody together. We had someone come and perform music outside. The sun was shining and it was just a lovely morning. And, you know, as we're into this. Like late stage pandemic where we're able to do more things. This was a nice reminder of all the type of fun things we used to do. Yeah. Yes,
Steve:I can understand. Because similarly for me with the way that podcasting magic works, it's this coming week for me, which is going to be last week for the listeners listening to it. We're going to be celebrating Cinco de Quatro.
Stephen:Yes. And all fans of arrested development. I've heard of Cinco de Quatro, but tell us what yours is.
Steve:Ours is because of our license. Since we can't do professional events in the community, yet we are still doing tours for leads and the community only, but we are able to bring all of our professionals together. Just down the road at Plaza, Mexico, to be able to celebrate a special networking event for our professionals for a happy hour. And it's been long overdue. It's been a couple of months since we've had one, since we've kind of been in transition. And so it's nice being able to be have everyone in the same room again. And I'm gonna, I know I'm going to love it by the time that this will come out. I'll have loved it very hard. It's the
Stephen:magic of podcasting. Yes. So. That sounds very exciting. But let's head over to our binge and purge section where we talk about the things that. You need in your life or the things that you can purge
Steve:from your life. Exactly. And this week, I think we have all binges in preparation for Pokemon snaps release. I did a replay through descale of five complete. I did that in quick succession after doing a descale one complete, and it was nice just revisiting that series. It is a wacky tactical RPG that prides itself in being. Extremely absurd, not only in its plot, its characters, but even the game mechanics, most RPG games, level people up from level one to 99 or a hundred. This, you can go up to thousands and thousands and do millions of damage. And it just kind of makes it all ridiculous in the best fun way.
Stephen:Well, I did not play it, so I can't speak on that, but it sounds fabulous and it looked like fun when I saw you playing it and
Steve:it is available on the switch.
Stephen:And something else that was on the switch is monster Hunter rise. And this was my first experience with the monster Hunter franchise. You know more, why don't you go
Steve:first? Yes. Well, we talked about how he first started playing together when it first came out and while the multiplayer didn't really work out for us, because I played at a slightly faster rate than you did. Yes. It, it is a game that I really, really Android before moving on to another game, it got to a challenging point for me, at least where I was struggling. And so I put it aside until you caught up and then we both retired the game. But I also know from my experience with monster Hunter world, it's a game. That since it continues to release new content, it is one that really encourages you to go back to it. And so I'm very confident that this isn't the less that I've seen of monster Hunter world. I already put about 40 to 50 hours into it and on, so I'm sure I'll do another 40 to 50. Once I get through another couple of games as a palate cleanser. Yes.
Stephen:And I will probably go back to it as well. Well, I thoroughly enjoyed this new experience and it was a lot of fun and I would recommend the game. It did get to a point for me, where it felt very repetitive without payoff. And so I needed something else. So while I had beaten the main story, gotten the credits and. I felt achieved in that section. I was like, you know what, at first
Steve:story, there's two within the game already.
Stephen:You're not getting me to go back. So that's not helping. Yeah, I was done and needed to move on to something else. So
Steve:what are you on to now? I am now
Stephen:playing outer worlds, which is also on the switch and it is an. Action adventure, scifi game. And so far it's quirky and fun and I'm really enjoying it. Excellent.
Steve:Sounds good. And while not an actual video game, it is based off a video game series. We watch the new mortal Kombat movie on HBO max and in theaters. And
Stephen:that was fantastic.
Steve:Yes, it was more than I had hoped it would be because the bar is very low in general for a lot of these video game movies, but mortal combat. I remember the old movies were in that. Great. I never
Stephen:saw any of the old ones and I'm not that first in the video games themselves. I know some of the characters, I know some of the catchphrases and things. The movie itself was just really
Steve:done. Well, it's done well. The character development was interesting. They did like, it was great for newcomers as well as for people who knew what was happening, because it wasn't really relying on you knowing everything. Previously, you enjoyed the ride just as it was a great moot story or a movie you didn't even have to know. It was based off a video game. Exactly. And so definitely a binge, especially now as it's out right now during the month of may in HBO, max, before it goes away. Cause I do know that they are temporary releases typically, right.
Stephen:Because Godzilla vs. Kong is gone now.
Steve:Okay. Well, catch that on the flip
Stephen:side, sometime whenever we get caught up on all the monster verse things. Cause I don't think we've seen
Steve:them all anyway. Yes. Now onto the topic at hand it's Pokemon. Yes. And Pokemon is a series that was created in 1995 by Satoshi tagiri and is known as a Nintendo series created by game freak or developed under the game free title. And so what do you enjoy about Pokemon? My love. So
Stephen:I really enjoy the cute factor of it because whenever you're getting any of the. Un-involved Pokemon. They like, no matter what they are, they're all like puppies. And I really enjoy that. I enjoy the exploring. I like the different towns you go to. I just like the whole adventure of it. Usually when I play in the past, I wasn't as good about collecting them all or catching them all. And I would just find a team I really liked rank them all up really high and just blast through everything and beat the game. And then actually it started with Pokemon go or let's see. Go Evie,
Steve:let's go Evie and let's go peak at shoe.
Stephen:Yeah. So it was the let's go easy that I was like, you know what? I am going to catch everything because that was the point of that game. And it got me to the point where I was like, okay, now I do want to. And so when we got into sword and shield, I was like, okay, now I will be catching them all. And it turns out that's a lot of
Steve:them. It certainly is. Yes. And one thing I love about Pokemon is that there is no wrong way to play the series, especially for newcomers. It is very common for you to pick your starter, fall in love with your starter, because they're always, so gosh, darn cute. And then just use the starter as remain Pokemon and let other people. You know, Pokemon your party, back them up as necessary, right? Phoenix. Yeah.
Stephen:That, that was in
Steve:X and Y yes. Yeah. Even for me on the, playground in fourth grade and, I remember having my level 100 blast toys, and meet you too. And all of them blasting through things. So you know, you would definitely fall in love with your starter and then a couple of Pokemon along the way to help back them up.
Stephen:Now, my first experience with the series was later on and he was in 2013 with X and Y I'm guessing your first experience was much earlier?
Steve:Yes, it was much earlier, only in chronologically, but also younger in life because I must have been. In 1995 helped me. I was nine, nine. And so I remember hearing about it and reading about it in the Nintendo powers that I would get. And I was so excited. The animate came out right before the game came out and. I was so excited for the game. I fell in love with it. I have memories of playing it on the playground with my friends, with the link cables, with our big old clunky Gameboys you know, before wifi was a thing. And as in red and blue, there was like a cheat where if you turn it off at the right time, you can clone Pokemon. And it was so game breaking on the playground. So. I, I remember the original with just very fond memories from my childhood. And it's something that continued on through it where I never really, even when I wasn't a video game or actively, you know, the one thing that would get me back to a console that I owned or a handheld that I owned was a Pokemon game. And
Stephen:I remember the first games being on. Game boy. And my younger cousins, Craig and Ryan playing them. And I would watch them play them. But I don't know. I guess I just, I just couldn't see back then. The enjoyment of it. I just, I didn't get it. And then whenever you and I were first dating and you were like, let's go for the midnight and go get X and Y. So we drove over to Walmart shortly after midnight and we picked up X and Y and has always been. The thing with us, you get to pick which one you do. I did the other
Steve:one to you for the other one. Yes. Yeah. So I was asking you or
Stephen:why was why? Okay. And that was really interesting to do at first, because that was a big graphical leap. For the game. Just with that and that, I think that was the one where you first got to wear like roller skates
Steve:or something. Yeah. There's always a different method of transportation in games. And that one was roller skates to kind of show off how fluid and 3d, like the motion was, where it used to be very much, you had your boxes.
Stephen:And that was a lot of fun. I, as I mentioned, In the first thing, I didn't get the whole, Oh, you have to capture them because whenever I was playing adventure games, like legend of Zelda and things, you just kill them. And so I would use my Pokemon just to. Faint
Steve:to slaughter whole grass patches. Yep. That's what I do. Yes. But I mean, even with that playing it, you had so much fun. And that was one of like, that's my, one of my favorite memories of adulthood with Pokemon is just playing it with you and watching you fall in love with the series that I love so much because especially being that it is a series that oftentimes has that, you know, judgment of, Oh, it's a kid's game that like kids. Play. I never imagined that I'd find, a husband and a partner in life that I, would take me to the midnight releases and understand the, the, the trading process back and forth of restarting the game, you know, multiple times to be able to get all of the starters and just, enjoying my crazy with me and really enjoy the Pokemon experience.
Stephen:And I absolutely did. And it's weird that they say it is a game for children, because I think that there are definitely. Aspects of that, that seem not, story-wise obviously the seem far advanced for kids because there's some mechanics and things with all the trading and the breeding and the restarting that I'm like. Yeah, that that was definitely added in for the older
Steve:audience generation. It got more complex as they realized that there was that niche of, you know, competitive battling is huge for Pokemon. And I always get like this close to being able to do it to the point where I'll even train certain Pokemon based off of doing the IVs and EVs and move sets. In breeding experiences. And we won't get into all of that for our listeners to get all that. But, you know, I've done all of that before and ended up with my team of six. But I've never actually really pulled the trigger on doing the competitive battling, which I don't know why, but I I've enjoyed the experience of doing all of that. But what I enjoy is that you don't have to do all of that. You can just breeze through the game, barely understanding the basic mechanics other than. You know, people exclamation Mark at you, and then you keep hitting the, a button with your favorite moves that say like super effective. And then you beat the game as you get all the gym baggage at badges. Like they do, you can make it very simple if you want to, which is how I did
Stephen:for X and Y. Yes. And. Something that I do want to mention, like there's some really dark
Steve:stuff. Oh. And the polka decks entries, especially,
Stephen:and also in, I think it was the, no, it was in sun and moon when we were playing. And so there's up on the top left of the map. There was a motel and there was a Pokemon that had a been abandoned there that you couldn't. Get into your team that just had to stay there and was only there waiting for his people to come back. And it was pretty much insinuated to this Pokemon was going to die. Yes. Like
Steve:that's dark. Yes. Or like Cubone who's wearing the skull of its dead mother dark. Yes. Or there's the, the new one, the ghost peak at Shu mimic you. Or if you see it, he steals your soul and you die.
Stephen:Well, and then, so it makes me wonder with Cubans. So there are a lot of them. Yes. Do Cubans kill their mother during childbirth? Is that how it happens? That whenever the Cubone is being born, that they.
Steve:And it must be because think of it, you never see, like, it's not like a Kangaskhan where you see the baby in the pouch. You don't see a baby Cubone with its mothers. So I'm wondering whether that's part, but it doesn't work like that in the Pokemon series because you breed them and you can have one mama give a whole bunch, but with the lore, I can see that making sense. So
Stephen:then is it more like warlocks people from the X-Men where the child has to go back and kill the parent? And that's the thing that a baby Cuban has to go and kill its mother. And that's the only way it can survive and grow mystery solved. It's something that dark that's all I can say.
Steve:The whole series certainly has its dark moments, but what typically isn't dark art starter type Pokemon because they normally pick three. The cute little monsters that you start your journey with a fire type, a grass type or a water type. Is it
Stephen:always those three? Yes, it is.
Steve:Okay. And all of the main games, it is always those three, there have been some spinoffs where you have exceptions, like in one of the Pokemon Colosseum games, it was a SP on and Brianne. But yes, typically it's always those three types. And so while I know that I'm your type, when you translate that to Pokemon, what is your type type?
Stephen:Always, always fire type, because at that point you can just
Steve:kill. Yeah. So you like to burn the burn the earth to the ground
Stephen:if need be. I mean, that just, I don't know. I like the fire types. I like their evolutions a lot. I like their move sets because usually. With the starter. There's a chance that you're going to get something that is going to resemble my favorite. X-Men Jean Gray. So it's going to be like a fire with like Telepathy or like a psychic type of thing. So I always feel like it's a Phoenix.
Steve:I was gonna say, I fell in love with the fire type, especially because you chose the fire type in Y and it did turn into a psychic fire type. Yeah. And so from
Stephen:then on out, I was like fire only. Yeah. Yeah, that's me. Yeah. What about you? I know that usually I, if I remember correctly, you go tight.
Steve:Yes. I am. You know, three out of four times a water type guy, because mostly it started with my love of Squirtle. My favorite Pokemon But with that, I also have fallen in love with other types throughout the generations that always, you know, I like to do my research ahead of time to figure out what their evolutions look like and what their ever, because now recently in most games they have a second type when they evolve. And so figuring out what they look like, and some of them sometimes are Derby. So I want to make sure that I'm putting my love into wine, but also now that I have you, I can get all three typically. So it's not even as big of a concern.
Stephen:Well, and my favorite Pokemon in general is Evie. I love Evie and I love that it can evolve. Into 30,000 different products come on. Yes. Roughly exactly 30,000 give
Steve:or take. Yes. And that is that, that is while that was the first gimmick Pokemon, really in the first game where it had three different evolutions and it's expanded its evolutionary lines since then.
Stephen:And so like whenever I play my. Thing that I just really enjoy doing is I will, you know, take my starter Pokemon, raise the level up to a billion. And then I have my, the rest of my team are all Evie evolutions. So that it's like my starter and my like EVR army. And it makes me so happy. Yeah. And I mean, I love them all they change and they're still cute. When they've got the embryonic on and
Steve:they all stay cute and
Stephen:smile. Yeah. Like even as the grownup. And I was like, yep, these are my
Steve:favorites. Yes. In real life, if I was a trainer, I would have a team of the Evie evolutions. And that would be like, our family just have pets with Remi.
Stephen:Wouldn't that be
Steve:fantastic. It would end with all of their different elements, the amount of things that can help us
Stephen:with. Yeah. Do you have an overall favorite Pokemon like that? If there is one. Of, you know, all thousand in the polka decks. Now, do you have one, like, is it a newer one? Because there are some really cute and fun ones that they created recently for sword and shield. But then there's some really great classic ones
Steve:Squirtle, and you know that I know Squirtle is my absolute favorite. You've had artwork commissioned of me with this squirrel evolutionary line. That's now up in my office,
Stephen:my very first 3d printed thing I ever. Saw in real life I bought in in a parking lot of a defunct Kmart during a rain storm for you.
Steve:Well, thank you. Yes. I'm glad that you were safe and it was well worth it. So, yes, I love that. I love, I love my Squirtle memorabilia. He's still my favorite Pokemon for sure.
Stephen:And I re like, especially, I mean, we're not talking about them, but in the anime, they're so adorable because all they say
Steve:are squirrel. Yes. And I think part of it is because I fell in love with it watching the anime. And when I was little, they had this, the squirrel who was the leader of the Squirtle squad was Ash's Squirtle. And he had more personality than any other Pokemon. And that's what made me fall in love with Squirtle and, you know, being Squirtle and a water type, I would be a water type trainer if I had to choose one type. So it all makes sense for squirrel to be in mind. So, Oh
Stephen:goodness. What trainer would I be? Would I be a fairer type or would I go psychic? I think I'd go with the fire trainer.
Steve:Yeah. That works. And I can always just put you out with my water gun. Yeah.
Stephen:And then I'll just, you know, pay one of the electric type to
Steve:shock you. All right. Sounds good. But yes, my love of squirt all did start with the original red and blue games and they had in Japan, green. But you played basically that with let's go Evie. And so in terms of it also play yellow. Oh, and you did yellow
Stephen:3d S U where you could get it from the e-store either
Steve:shop store. Yeah. And so what did you think of that? That as the first game.
Stephen:So I was very impressed with how complex the game was for being an original game boy title. Like, you know, it's eight bit graphics. Yes. Or even for bit graphics, what was the game? Boy? It was seven. Eight. Yeah. And it was in black and white and you have your little pixel characters and things, and when you go in the battle, it was bigger. And there was a complex story with
Steve:all eight
Stephen:badges grading. Great villains, the badges. You know, you could talk about whether none of the parents. In the world of Pokemon actually care about their children because it's like, Oh, you hit puberty, pack your shit and get out
Steve:in real life. If I bet if it was encouraged and accepted by society, the amount of parents who would encourage their children to become Pokemon trainers and just get the fuck out at the moment that they turn into bratty asshole teams.
Stephen:But I like. How many 13 year olds do, you know, could survive in the wilderness on their own. I bet
Steve:they're tougher in the canter region than our little soft snowflakes. Oh
Stephen:goodness. Oh. But that always amazed me that it was. Oh, you are of that age. Make sure you go see the professor here. I packed the last meal that you will ever have for me. And if you come back, I'll treat it like you still shouldn't be here. Be gone.
Steve:Yes. Well, that is something that continues on through all of the entries. And most recently the Mo the main line game sort of shields was a great new entry for the switch that people fell in love with.
Stephen:I loved sword and shield. And I know I'm in the minority because it got a lot of hate online, like whole bunch, because people were like, wait, you can't catch all of them. And I get why. And, and people say that I'm going to tend to apologist for saying this. But I think it made sense to reduce the number that you could catch in the game, which actually isn't that different because there was always a certain number. It was what you could bring over. And this is the first one you couldn't bring all. Thousand Pokemon
Steve:since like that, the transition from like game boy to game boy advance. Right? And so people, most people aren't used to that idea and have had their Pokemon, some of them that they brought over and they also have some favorites that are included. So I get it. But at the same time, the game itself was fantastic.
Stephen:Loved the wild area that you could just walk around and depending on what the weather was or the time and things, what Pokemon we're going to be out and where. And so that was really interesting for me. And it was kind of like breadth of the Pokemon is what it kind of like, and it felt like they were trying it out because It was interesting in that fact that it was, it's a larger area, but it's a small area when compared to the whole game. Yes. But one of the things I also loved is the towns felt better. I really enjoyed the towns. The graphics were.
Steve:Phenomenal. Yeah. And so I, I really enjoyed it. It makes me excited for where this series is going, especially with the wild area being turned into the new land and Sunoco for Pokemon champions. Yes. And so I think that that's going to be really cool. And I think the series is heading into a great direction. Now, the diamond and Pearl similarly is getting a remake. That's also taking place in Ceno. Yes.
Stephen:And That is one now, correct me if I'm wrong. But a lot of the times some of the games would get a third entry that would encompass some of the things from before and then add new Pokemon and stuff. And then some, so like, what are some of the ones that you remember that got a third
Steve:entry typically it's red, blue, yellow, or diamond Pearl platinum, where it takes, you know, the best of the first two games switches up some of the unique. Pokemon that you can get with it, but it's mostly the same story you retold with maybe a third act or a combination of both legendaries, but it very much is replaying that same game. Meanwhile, black, too, and white, too. We're in the same world years later, like new trainer, but everything from the first game happened and it really gave you that sense that the land changed the world changed from your actions from the first game into the second game. It has one of the most complex Anti-heroes like in the game with N who is, you know, an antagonist was one of the more interesting ones. So I really loved the, the black and white series with the black, white, black to white too. Now,
Stephen:Diamond and Pearl are getting an HD remake. Yes. And from what I understand, the. Platinum parts are being taken directly into the remake game, so that you're getting the best of the third with just the two remakes. Is that what you I've heard as well?
Steve:I have not followed it as much, but I would assume so, or I hope so because they always added something even with when they did Magma and Aqua us, my least favorite of them. Oh, no. Haters are gonna hate it so much water. The third entry, Sapphire and Ruby and Emerald. Yes. I dislike those. I try and block them from my memory. Cause I just feel like I was surfing forever and it was all water and water, water and water.
Stephen:Now that like, is that one of the things that they've done? Better now about traveling on water as they've gotten into newer generation.
Steve:Yes. And what I enjoy is you don't need an H M slave anymore.
Stephen:No, what it's an what's. Hm. Yes.
Steve:Typically in the original games, for the most part, you always need it to have one Pokemon on your team that can learn a myriad of different moves or spread set moves throughout that you can apply to the field to solve puzzles. So if you see a heavy Boulder, you teach your Pokemon, the move strength, and it can push the Boulder around to get on the water. You need to have a Pokemon that can serve. So like a water type. So you end up with these moves, but. Thing issue in the original games and not even an issue. Cause we were just always told that that's how it was, was that you needed to have that move on your team to be able to use it. And if you ran into a puzzle in a cave and you don't have the flashlight up the tunnel or the strength to move that Boulder, it's a dead end. And so you have to have. Sometimes Pokemon on the team you don't want to have, or moves that your Pokemon have on you when you can only have four moves. And one of them is a cut, which is like a low power week move. It's not fun for anyone.
Stephen:It had to be really frustrating.
Steve:It, it was, but again, similarly, like, I mean, you don't know, it could be better until it's better. And so they have improved it. Now that edit is typically like a system where once you learn the move, you can use it wherever, whenever. So it's made it much more accessible.
Stephen:Now, whenever we were playing. Even I noticed that there, while I was very impressed with X and Y and what the town's looked like, especially that one that was built where you're just traveling in that circle around the giant town, sun and moon felt really different.
Steve:Yes. And what I liked about that was sun and moon, I feel like was really inspired spiritually, not so much in mechanics, but spiritually by Pokemon go the. Mobile app that swept the world. If you know what Pokemon go
Stephen:is, Oh, we played so many hours of that and it was a lot of
Steve:fun. It was a lot of fun. And so with that, the whole idea of this whole new generation that's fallen in love with it. They really did their best to make it new. So instead of having the gyms, they had the Island trials and they tried to give it like this fresh feel with the Hawaiian theme of it being bright. And I really appreciate what it did. It certainly. I I thoroughly enjoyed the series again. I wished that the SQLs were like more of a SQL than it was. Cause I F I feel like that was one where it was sun two and moon two, but they were similar as in the ultrasound ultra moon. Yes. But it was basically the same thing. But what I didn't like about the titling with that is that it was basically a souped up version of the original to Allah, like how it used to be the third entry, but they made it two entries instead of one, so that they could get you to buy more.
Stephen:And I didn't, I did not double dip with you and for the ultra
Steve:of the, and that's what disappointed me was not in you, but it just appointed me that when I played through it, I can understand it. And I didn't feel like you missed out on anything. It was good for me to play through it because of all the extras and it is like the definitive edition, but it wasn't one where you missed out on a whole new, amazing.
Stephen:Now, what I liked about that is, you know, we'd been playing. Pokemon go. And I had done yellow and I had done X and Y by that point, and then you get to sun and moon, and there's some Pokemon that I had just gotten familiar and learned what they looked like. And now they look different. Oh,
Steve:a low in forum. What was that all about that? I actually, again, it was them trying to breathe new life into the series. So all of a sudden, now you have, and it's something that carried over into sword and shield where they have more forms now. I, I, I really enjoy taking the, the original Pokemon and giving them some new takes. So I hope that that's something that they continue on. I just hope that some of them end up being better. Competitively. Yeah.
Stephen:Cause wasn't there one that looked like a Palm tree.
Steve:Yes. And that one was actually good though. The yellow and executor. Yeah. I really
Stephen:liked how that one looked. And then there was one that was super cute and it's a low Inforum was like all white. And Paul picks favorites. Remy's toy. That's right. That's why I've seen it.
Steve:Recently. Remy has an ALO involved picks that he plays with around the house.
Stephen:That poor thing is going to lose its ears with the way he shakes it around.
Steve:Yes. It's not a, no, it's not a white involved pics anymore. It's a little dirty. It's a little
Stephen:dirty, no matter how much we wash it now, like I remember, well, when we were first dating and you know, we'd get up on Saturday mornings, we'd have some coffee. And we'd be watching TV, but we weren't watching Pokemon cartoons. It Digimon was what was on isn't that right?
Steve:Yes. I liked the Digi Mon cartoon series better than I liked the Pokemon anime. And I still do, but it's something that I also felt was important for your education to realize that Digi mine is not Pokemon because that's something that many people oftentimes. Get confused or they consider DigiMe on a rip off or a copycat. And it makes me upset. I will
Stephen:fully admit that before you not playing either one, I thought that they were, the Digimon was a spinoff. I thought that they were like the same because Pokemon Digi Mon, I mean, it ends the same. And so being. Uneducated in it. I thought that they were like, you know, one, one looked more terrifying, one looked cuter and I thought it was maybe one was her grownups and one was for younger people. But. Can you, you know, why don't you do a deep dive and tell us the difference between them?
Steve:Yes, happily. I mean, the biggest difference is the birth of the series of the, well, they did start roughly around the same time. Pokemon started off as a video game franchise, and that's primarily what it is and what it always will be. Well, Digi Mon was created two years later in 1997 by Akiyoshi and they were created as a virtual pets. Oh that time. I gotcha.
Stephen:Oh, the things that I could never keep alive. Yes.
Steve:And like many awesome things about Japanese culture. The idea of the virtual pet didn't die off after the nineties like it did in America. It's something that continued on like, well into the late nineties and early aughts. And the Digi Mon was a very popular form of it for having more evolutions and things like that, that people were learning to become, you know, expect through their video game. Medium. And it was two years later in 1999 that the Digi Mon world game released on the PlayStation as well as Digi Mon a venture, the anime. And that's where they really. Shined in my opinion was the anime. It is. What did you think of the anime? It was
Stephen:really good. And I also remember liking the theme song a whole
Steve:bunch. It had better songs. Digi Mon digital monsters are the champions. Yeah. I always liked that better than, yeah. Got to catch them out, got to catch them out, got
Stephen:to catch them out. Gotta catch them off that wrap at the end of the episodes where you're trying to name them. All right. That was pretty cute. I enjoyed that at one
Steve:point in my life, I was able to do that with confidence and flair.
Stephen:And that was why you were a Virgin until you were 30.
Steve:I'm kidding. No, no. I was like, you know that that's not true. I know. But yeah, so with that, the gameplay is so different though, that it frustrates me when people compare them. Cause I like both series for their own different ways. And it really is like someone comparing, playing super Mario games to legend of Zelda games when you get right down to it,
Stephen:which are nothing at all. Like, so yeah. That's a good, because I've never played Digimon. I will fully admit that I've never picked up a Digimon game or even really watched you play a Digi Mon game. So comparing it that way, super Mario versus legend of Zelda. That is so entirely different. I mean, yeah, you can't compare.
Steve:Yes. So because both of them can be adventure games or platform games are like a mix of certain things. Like Asana is like Digi, Mon is an RPG the same way that Pokemon is an RPG, but they approach it completely differently. Rather than following set evolutionary lines, you know, Digi, Mon evolve and evolve and evolve. Yes, exactly. So like,
Stephen:let's say you get one and you evolve it. We'll say twice. I don't know if you can
Steve:evolve them like five, six times
Stephen:oftentimes. Okay. And then, so you can take it from level four, back to three,
Steve:not so much with the levels you can do, like state. So yeah.
Stephen:So, so what would be the
Steve:point of doing that? Oftentimes you can go devolve it into something different than it used to be. Well to help take it backwards through different evolutionary lines, that's witchcraft. And then because you do that, then you can evolve it in different ways, depending on the way that you're leveling it up with its experience.
Stephen:Oh,
Steve:my goodness. So technically using that, you can have a peak at shoe that becomes a Squirtle. Yes. That's like
Stephen:that's craziness. I mean, how creative is it?
Steve:And it's because they are treated like debt data, like while it is very much in Pokemon, the whole idea that you have your friends that are with you, that you have these relationships with, these are computer programs that you're playing with inside a computer world.
Stephen:Right. Cause I remember they would go to the Digi Mon world or the digital
Steve:world, or yeah. Yeah. And so in the games, like you're absorbing data from the hook, the, or observing that are from the Digi Mon that you defeat and you can use that then to screen, like basically changed your DNA in the way that you evolve in D evolve. Yeah.
Stephen:That's totally
Steve:different. Yes. And then that the, the gameplay normally follows the more typical RPG story and they various from. You know, iteration to iteration, just like the Pokemon games do a little bit. But it does ultimately be a more of a traditional RPG experience with that.
Stephen:So there's a, there's a crystal that's powering the world and you were a child and you didn't realize you were a chosen one, right? And you must go out and save the
Steve:crystal in the digital modern worlds. Yes. Okay. Yeah. And, and like, there's been, I'm sure that there was one with an actual crystal. I
Stephen:was just thinking of your typical RPG trope.
Steve:They do that basically to computers and technology. So typically it's like viruses are invading the digital world and you need to wipe out the viruses or that the digital worlds slipping into the human world. So you have to like, you know, sort of that problem out, but it's always. But it's always a little bit different. It doesn't follow that same, like a Jim's H M slash Jim's H Jim's that the Pokemon series usually has it very much has a different journey each time. Now I
Stephen:know that in general, the Digimon games have not taken over. America the way Pokemon has, is it, are they popular in Japan? We're
Steve:more popular than they are here. For sure. They have games that have not come out here at which always pains my soul. Or we typically get game is delayed much later, but it does seem like recently with the whole new generation of, you know, Parents that played these games, teaching their kids, how to play these games, that, that is getting this new market based off of this. And the anime was rebooted for a while. They kept on changing it in Japan and they brought back the original cast, which was the best cast. And I haven't watched the new tri series yet, but I think that that kind of revitalized it for the, you know, for the East cultures. And then it's coming more to the West now. So there are some coming out on the switch that I'm sure I'll be playing. I'm sure you will be. But back to Pokemon, because that is what we are talking about. Pokemon is a game that has had many spinoffs as well. It has its series where you are got to catch them all and you have your eight gyms, but they also have ones where you do completely crazy different things. Right?
Stephen:You mean like Pokemon go, which had us traipsing all over Sarasota and Manatee counties. And. Like talking to strangers to find out, like, what did you catch over there? And like, we would go out many nights of the week. And so we'd park the car and then we'd walk around these parks and around the waterfront and things. So, Hey, we're getting exercise, Bravo Pokemon, and then we're also just having fun, like. I dunno, we just, it was always so happy making like us walking around and trying to catch and be like, Oh, I got on my first tour. And you're like, Oh, I had to take five of these balls.
Steve:Yeah. Or I missed it. Oh, darn it. Yeah. So yes, that, that was such a great time. And this episode's tiny. Couldn't be more perfect because I have been falling in love with new Pokemon snap.
Stephen:That one is the. Picture taking game. Is that right? Yes. I am now
Steve:a professional Pokemon photographer my life. Oh
Stephen:my goodness. Congratulations. Can we turn that into any like real world talents? No damn. Okay. But tell me what Pokemon snap is. Cause I saw you playing a little bit, but go in, fill me in,
Steve:it's basically an on the real shooter, but instead of shooting things dead, you're shooting pictures of Pokemon. Okay. So that's very much what the gameplay is, right. But because it's not violent. And because it is watching Pokemon in their unique habitats, it's just this joyous experience. And it's very much a relaxing, happy game. I've heard it compared online as like a spiritual sister or brother to animal crossing, because it is very much just about enjoying. So
Stephen:I saw one that you were doing and there was I'm a champ or a mature joke and he was flexing and you got the perfect picture when he was doing like his bodybuilder flex with his arms up. And I was like, how adorable is that? It
Steve:is the most fun game in what I really. Feel like this game accomplished well is to remind me that short games can still be worth full price because I did buy it on day one. So it was the$60. And I know people are always willing to bitch about price tags for anything, because people love paying less than of course they do, but that's no reason to complain about paying full price. Well,
Stephen:and how many hours would you say you put into
Steve:it? I've already, probably, and like the two days or three days, but like about a dozen hours
Stephen:into it. So that's about the length of a resident evil game. Yes. So, and nobody complains that resident evil games are full price.
Steve:Yes. And so what I've really enjoyed Troy was just being able to enjoy this experience of playing it. And I'll probably go back whenever I have a stressful day or want to do something. I think next I got a mortal Kombat on super sales. Yeah. So I might try that. And then the new one, 11 a whole bunch, I can go back and do a chorus on Pokemon snap to relax myself. So. Now, one of
Stephen:the most fun times I've had with a video game that was just cute and enjoyable and had a really nice fleshed out villain story and things was Pokemon let's go eat.
Steve:Yes, because you love your team rocket.
Stephen:I think they're so enjoyable. I love them from the cartoon. I think they're fantastic. I mean a gay and his best girlfriend and their evil cat. Like what's not to enjoy about that.
Steve:Yes. And there, the definition of camp.
Stephen:Oh, which, you know, I love me some camp, but
Steve:also you got to have EVB your best friend, your favorite Pokemon, and they overpowered him. So you didn't have the peer pressure, the mainland games give you having him evolve. I
Stephen:know that. And while you couldn't physically.
Steve:So they made them so strong. You can have a strong EBV.
Stephen:What I really liked too was kind of like in sword and shield in the wild area, you saw all these Pokemon out in the wild, just walking in. Let's go Eevee. So if you were looking for. Retarda. Let's say, even though they're super common, super common, but you're like, Oh, that's what I need. No, there's a Pidgey. And so you're avoiding the area where the piggy is and then either blow it up. There's your retina. And it was nice that, you know, you didn't get into a random battle with an invisible Pokemon that you didn't see coming. And well and that was enjoyable for me. That was the first time I caught them all.
Steve:Yes, it was. And it was a very fun game to play through. It was a great way to re-introduce the whole red and blue games to a new generation
Stephen:and the graphics were great. I really want them to do. A Pokemon let's go Eby and Pekichu Giotto. Yes, because that's region two, right? Yes. Oh, look at me with my
Steve:name prepared. Yes. Emma would be awesome about that is the SQL golden silver that would be based off of after you beat the eight gyms, you actually get to go back to Canto the first game to go beat those original eight all over again, too. So it could, it actually could make it two games in one. Ooh,
Stephen:that could be really interesting. And it's just fun. Now. I see on our outline, there's something called Pokemon ranger and I have zero idea what that is like none not, and I'm not playing for the. Podcast. What the heck is Pokemon ranger as a series
Steve:on the gameplay advance or D S games where you were a Pokemon ranger, like a wildlife ranger with Pokemon and it's
Stephen:like a forest ranger. Yeah. Like, or at a zoo
Steve:type of thing. Exactly. Yeah. And so you would help solve like ecological problems that are affecting Pokemon or effecting the world. And it was just. A lot of it was like spin based where you be using your stylists to like do things to, to catch them or solve the problems. But you had different helper Pokemon that you would use to help, you know, you'd have your water type to help put out the fires or you'd have that psycho type, that psychic type that could help like lift something. So the, the, the puzzle aspect of it was fun and it was just really cute and charming and with all the different. You know, iterations of Pokemon games that are getting, you know, sequels and new life. I, I would hope that that's one that they would consider revisiting, because I think that they could really make a cute, and
Stephen:that sound like that sounds absolutely adorable, but it also sounds like there's a lot of potential and with newer technology and things that they could really go. Deep into that because there was one of the games that we played and it may have been the let's go games where there was like a wildlife sanctuary. That you could go to and drop off your Pokemon and
Steve:the, well that's normally the breeding zone or the daycare. No. Was a party zone where you can just catch Pokemon without fighting them.
Stephen:Yes. That's what it is. Was yes. The Safari zone. So that, like, that would be like, you
Steve:were keeping the Safari zone safe. Yeah.
Stephen:Like that's what they need to do. And then it could be like, The Safari zone could be larger so that it has like a whole biome of like desert, snow, grasslands, water type of things. And, you know, I could see like, Introducing the new Pokemon Safari biome, brand new in the contour region where you can explore Pokemon on their natural habitat and help out. You're starting as an intern and you work your way up through the ranks as you help them. And I could see this being a whole yeah,
Steve:well, Pokemon ranger as a series that they should just bring new life into. So I'm glad you're on board. Yes. Now one series that I played the game and I didn't like, but has so much potential because of the movie. Detective peak issue.
Stephen:I loved this movie. So, so, so much like getting to see like full HD, real life. Amazing, amazing CGI Pokemon and having the people interact with them. And each of them having such huge personalities and whenever they go to the city, And they didn't have jobs and things like one is just, they're a crossing guard and they help like telling people here, or you can cross here or you can cross there and or then you've got and I'm blanking right now. The big one that was just blocking traffic Snorlax. Cause he fell asleep and that like, that was such, such. An endearing movie. It was so well done. It was well acted. It was well voiced. I was very, very impressed with that
Steve:movie. Yes. While the, or detective Pikachu game, I did play a little bit of it. It did a mountain. So like there's these bird feathers on the ground. Could it be the bird Pokemon, the grass Pokemon or the fire
Stephen:Pokemon? Well, obviously the fire Pokemon. Exactly.
Steve:Burke the bird. Yeah. So with it was designed more, I feel like for children, I want a detective Pikachu that takes place that has this SAS.
Stephen:Oh yeah. Like where he's kind of like the 1930s. No, our detective where he's like. You know, the Dane walked into my office and like, but then he's got some sarcasm and
Steve:wit to it. And Reynolds basically being in the game.
Stephen:Oh, what Ryan Reynolds couldn't do no wrong these days and movies. I mean, he's the one that when I heard he was involved with the potential clue, the movie reboot, I was like, you know what, I'm willing to give it a shot. And you know, how. I don't want anybody touching clue. Yes,
Steve:exactly. So with all the amounts of games that they have for Pokemon, I probably have easily spent three years. Well, yeah, three years of real life. I wasn't kidding. I mean like easily thousands of hours, you know, more than the minutes in a year. And from rent
Stephen:525,600 Pokemon. Yeah.
Steve:I've probably caught as many of those throughout my, my adventures. Yeah. I love the series. I spent so much time doing it. I am a Pokemon. If not master, I am at least a very Pokemon maniac and
Stephen:I really appreciate. Your enthusiasm, bringing me into the series and not telling me how I should play. Just letting me play, how. I wanted to, because I think you enjoyed me and joining something that was a favorite of yours more than you wanting me to play a quote the right way. No,
Steve:because you didn't have to play it the right way. Once you got to a certain point in the story, I would just end up catching the Pokemon I wanted and trading them to myself. Giving you dummy Pokemon that you'd never even realized you had hiding in your Pokemon box. So I got what I needed out of you playing the game. And I had amazing memories of just playing it on the couch with you and being able to have that like lifelong fantasy of having a gaming husband come true.
Stephen:Well, there you have it. I mean, I love Pokemon. I am a full convert and I'm excited for The new diamond and Pearl, and I'm also excited for the breadth of the Pokemon game coming out.
Steve:Yes, exactly. So what I'm also very excited for is hearing what our fans think of this episode and what their favorite Pokemon game. Yeah,
Stephen:well, you know, we make it really easy for them to get in touch with us. You can find us on all the socials, whether it's Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. At happy life
Steve:pod, or you can go right to us directly by emailing us@happylifepodatgmail.com.
Stephen:That's H a P P Y L I F E P O D.
Steve:Yes. Thank you very much. My love for your excellent styling and for going on this Pokemon adventure with me. Thank you you for
Stephen:taking me along darling. And until next time stay happy.