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[Pokemon Month] When Pokemon went Analog: A Cassette Beasts Review || Chatsu Shorts
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Welcome to Pokémon Month! This month Satsunami is joined by wrestler and Pokemon fan Martin MacAlistair! Join the duo as they explore the vast world of the most popular media franchise out there, from rumours and fan creations to the first film and even a trivia quiz. So if you want to be the very best like no one ever was, join us on the 02/02/24 for our debut episode!
In this episode of Chatsu Shorts, Satsunami talks about the 2023 indie hit Cassette Beasts and its role in the monster catching genre. But what makes this game so special? Is it the Same Old Story? Or is it something far more special Wherever We Are? Without any further ado, let's find out!
This podcast is a member of the PodPack Collective. The members are as follows:
Chatsunami
Casting Views
Nerdstalgic
2 Girls 1 Reusable Cup
Review it Yourself
Seismic Cinema
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Transcript
Early Gaming Memories
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami.
00:00:16
Speaker
I've been a gamer for as long as I can remember, my earliest memories of which being by my brother's sides, watching them play the NES and Mega Drive respectively. It was only a matter of time before I too would fall into the world of gaming, with a franchise that I'm sure requires no introduction, Pokémon. I still remember sitting in the living room that day, ripping away the wrapping paper to reveal a brand new copy of Pokémon Yellow.
00:00:42
Speaker
And despite its aged graphics and gameplay, it still holds a special place in my heart. But unfortunately, the torrents of time kept flowing, and as I grew older, so too did my taste in gaming.
Evolution of Pokémon
00:00:56
Speaker
Pokemon moved from being an all-consuming interest of mine, to something that was relegated to a memory. Nothing more than part of my childhood. And as I transitioned into adulthood,
00:01:07
Speaker
I would eventually return to the world of Pokémon games every so often, but with each iteration after Pokémon Black and White, something changed. Pokémon had become something that was harder to recognize with each new game. The games of the 3D era felt hollow, like a former shell of what they once were.
00:01:25
Speaker
Was it because I was getting older? After all, as the biggest media franchise in the world, Pokémon's core demographic of children is one they would not dare risk alienating to appeal to older fans. And while we did joke about this in our Living in the Pokémon World episode, I felt that the games had lost their edge. At their core, Pokémon is a monster-hunting RPG directed towards children, yet always took the safer approach.
00:01:52
Speaker
As their audience grew older, Pokémon became the Peter Pan of gaming, and chose not to grow up with little changes to their core gameplay. That's not to say there still hasn't been some nods to older Pokémon fans, but overall the media appears to be rightfully aimed at the audience that will garner them both money and attention.
00:02:12
Speaker
But with this theme came other series promising a similar thrill of adventure with monsters at your side, from playing cards and digital devices to even spinning tops. And while not the first nor the last of its genre, there was one entry in 2023 that caught my eye in
Discovering Cassette Beasts
00:02:29
Speaker
passing.
00:02:29
Speaker
I remember vaguely seeing the trailer of a red-headed woman pointing her cassette player towards a creature, transforming herself into a ghostly-looking sheep to fight off the attacking monster. As crazy as that image sounds, it certainly piqued my curiosity. But over time, the announcement trailer went to the back of my mind.
00:02:48
Speaker
This missing it more is just another Pokémon clone. It wasn't until recently that I saw it pop up again in Game Pass, recalling vague memories of what I had seen, and decided to give it a shot. And what I found was something far greater than I could have ever hoped for. Its name? Cassette Beast. Before I go on, I just want to preface that I went into this game completely blind. If I had tried to keep my spoilers to a minimum, I would highly encourage anyone who hasn't played this game to
00:03:17
Speaker
pause this episode and, well, go play it. Because as much of a spoiler as this is for the episode itself, I genuinely believe that you will love this game. But without any further ado, let's talk about why Cassette Beasts is worth looking at within the wider conversation of Pokémon.
00:03:35
Speaker
Developed by UK developers Byton Studio and published by Raw Fury, the game revolves around the plight of the player, waking up to the world of New World. With quite possibly the most British goal I have ever heard in a video game, to find a working train station to take them home. But unfortunately, the player soon realises that the island is overrun by a myriad of creatures great and small, who are more than capable of taking out unprepared travellers.
00:04:03
Speaker
The only means of defending oneself is by using a cassette player to transform into the very monsters that are trying to kill them.
Cassette Beasts' Unique Features
00:04:10
Speaker
After being rescued, the player must discover the secrets lurking in the heart of New World, with the help of a colourful cast of characters. Right off the bat, I was instantly mesmerised by just how great this game looks. Its pixel art is something that, as a person who grew up with games of a similar style, gave me a cosy feeling of nostalgia that I didn't quite expect.
00:04:32
Speaker
While there is a combination of pixel art and 3D models, the developers utilise this planned perfectly, and it makes me want to explore the world of New World Further. I never felt bored as I travelled the land, allowing myself to get swept up in the adventure aspect, as I had no idea what would come next.
00:04:50
Speaker
This is made better when you gain access to the overworld abilities by recording certain monsters significantly opening up the way you can traverse the landscape. Before I go on to the story of this game, I must address the Dawn Fan in this room. That being the fact that at first glance,
00:05:08
Speaker
Some may regard this as just another Pokémon going, and at a very basic level, one could draw similarities to the two games. Like many RPGs before it, the game uses elements such as turn-based combat and type matchups to determine what moves are effective. But beyond that, Cassette Base places its own unique spin on the monster-catching genre by utilizing more complex mechanics that pretty much change the way you combat your opponents.
00:05:36
Speaker
Not only are there more types such as plastic, beasting, litter to name a few, but even some type match ups will have secondary effects. For example, in the case of fire types, using them on air types will create a barrier of wind due to an updraft, while using a fire move and a plastic type will melt it.
00:05:54
Speaker
thereby turning it into a poison type. It's little details like these that flesh out the identity of the game, further shown by the sheer roster of moves that each creature can learn. Beyond Pokémon's strict limit of four, and with the ability to eventually fuse your monsters together, the strategies are endless.
00:06:13
Speaker
I must admit, in the early hours of playing this game, I found myself using the age-old strategy of using moves that hit hardest. But once you learn about the mechanics of the game, then New World doesn't stand a chance. Even Cassette Beast's shiny system, to borrow a phrase from its competitor, where you catch variants of the creatures, is handled really well. In the game, you'll come across bootleg creatures which, other than being a fantastic name, changes the type of the variant monster.
00:06:40
Speaker
thereby becoming more practical than just a palette-swapped sprite.
Soundtrack and Nostalgia
00:06:45
Speaker
Nothing sets fear like a traffic crab that's just doused itself in glitter, ready to throw down. But beyond the visuals, I must commend the stellar soundtrack composed by Joel Bayless in featuring the vocal tablets of Shelby Harvey.
00:06:58
Speaker
The instruments alone are fantastic, from luring you into a sense of security as you rest in the town's cafe, to the more uptempo tracks which play as you fight for your life against the creatures. But the game cleverly weaves in the vocals at particular moments, transforming songs like Same Old Story and Where We Are Now into impactful ones.
00:07:19
Speaker
If you haven't heard them by now, then check out Joel Bayless on YouTube. Could NOT recommend this music enough. While if I wouldn't say the story is usually something that I would think about being a highlight in a monster-catching game, there's something quite endearing about the way Cassette Beast tackles it.
00:07:35
Speaker
As stated before, you're a stranger in a far-off land, desperate to return home. Your only choice is to throw yourself into the madness of New World in hopes of returning to your old life. But unlike other games, you soon grow attached to your new home as well as the partners you meet along the way. The game also allows you to boost your relationship with your companions in a way that provides in-game benefits such as more powerful fusions, making it worthwhile to pay attention to them.
00:08:03
Speaker
Over time, you also learn about their backstories, their hopes and dreams, culminating in a finale to each story that is, well, worth the trouble. And without spoiling it, some of them proved to be really entertaining and, at times, poignant. But despite the somewhat familiar and comfortable design of the cassette piece themselves,
00:08:22
Speaker
This is followed up by the underlying threat of creatures called Archangels that serve as the game's boss fights. The first time I saw these things, they took me by surprise. As I said before, beyond the initial trailer, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, and when I fought my first Archangel, it left me with a feeling of unease. Unlike the other monsters that rely on 2D pixel art,
00:08:47
Speaker
The Archangels are a somewhat awkward 3D style that feel like they've been plucked from another game, and while normally I would question such a choice, is this an easiness that makes them seem unworldily in a true threat? Each one also comes with their own designs and motifs, making you want to learn more about where they came from, but above all else, Cassette Beast made me feel something that I haven't felt for
Cassette Beasts' Impact on Gaming Passion
00:09:12
Speaker
a while.
00:09:12
Speaker
As silly as it may sound, as I get older I find it difficult to capture that old feeling that made me enjoy games when I was younger. Initially I just chalked it down to getting older and relented to the fact that maybe I would never feel this way again about a game. After all, the gaming landscape has evolved beyond recognition and it can be easy to drift away from the thing that once played a significant part of my childhood growing up.
00:09:37
Speaker
Maybe it was the music, or perhaps the familiarity of a pixelated world that gave me a sense of comfort. But regardless, Cassette Beasts is a gem of its genre. The irony of a retro-style game based off of Cassette tapes of the 80s revitalizing my interest in the genre isn't lost only. After all, as a child of the 90s and early 2000s,
00:09:58
Speaker
I was born just at the right time to witness the monster-catching trend explode in popularity, thanks to titans such as Pokémon and Digimon. Truth be told, before New World, I found myself disillusioned with the monster-catching genre, instead exploring other indie titles and more story-based games. But after being transported into the world of New World, I see now that the game is so much more than the initial impressions have given me.
00:10:26
Speaker
As of this episode, Pokémon clones, for lack of a better term, have been all over the internet recently with the release of another game called Power World, aka that Pokémon game with guns that you forgot about from 2020. But to call cassette beasts a clone does it a great disservice. While I do have my gripes about certain aspects of the game, such as broken combinations and some side quests that should have been main ones,
00:10:52
Speaker
I can't say that I would ever consider this a Pokémon clone. What's even more impressive is the somewhat maturity that it uses when handling certain story beats. I'm not going to pretend that there aren't some goofy elements that may seem melodramatic, but I was pleasantly surprised overall. Each partner has a unique backstory, from their poor life choices to a desire to be the very best versions of themselves.
00:11:16
Speaker
It's a relatively universal feeling that we've all had at one point, and what's better is that it never seeks to water down their message, nor does it become gratuitous. I could spend hours discussing how much I love this game, but I plan to do a full episode with a friend of mine to give it the praise and attention that fully deserves. But for now, if you're still on the fence about this game,
00:11:37
Speaker
and they're into the genre, then pick it up now. We'll support the devs because they have made an incredible game that I would rank highly in my list of favourite indie games. My comparisons to cassette beasts and Pokémon aren't to disparage either one, nor is it to criticise the respect of fans.
00:11:56
Speaker
However, we can't deny that Pokémon has become a somewhat victim of its own success. While other games have been allowed to flourish with an abundance of creative control, Game Freak sits upon a throne of familiarity that has been stagnating for a while. Yet it is not their goal to innovate as much as they used to. After all, a franchise as big as Pokémon will always do its best to hold onto relevance through the only way it knows.
00:12:23
Speaker
And while other games around it grow up, Pokémon will always be a series fueled by nostalgia and distant memories. But while Pokémon will never truly go away, we're lucky to have games like Cassette Beasts that take up the torch to not only be inspired by them, but to create their own identity in the gaming landscape. So what did you think of Cassette Beasts?
00:12:44
Speaker
Was it your top monster-catching RPG of 2023? And which one of you caught a traffic wrap? Feel free to reach out via our website, Chatsunami.com, and let us know. But until then, thank you all so much for listening to this episode of Chatsu Shorts. And as always, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.