Poké Lids with Alola Pixie, Endless Ocean Luminous

[00:00:01] Welcome to Tokyo Game Life, a Tokyo-based video game podcast focusing on Nintendo and

[00:00:13] gaming culture in Japan's capital.

[00:00:15] Your host Mono here to bring you a slice of gaming life from Tokyo.

[00:00:19] Alola Pixie joins the podcast yet again to chat about Poke Lids, Pokemon themed utility

[00:00:23] lids that are all over Japan.

[00:00:26] We chat about its fascinating history, Poke Lid travel hotspots, and whether or not

[00:00:30] it's worth taking a boat and dedicating a week of your life to finding them.

[00:00:34] In the game section, I chat about Arica's endless ocean luminous.

[00:00:38] And in the news, I touch on some interesting Nintendo rumors.

[00:00:41] Let's start with Alola Pixie and the feature on Poke Lids.

[00:00:51] Today's feature is about Poke Lids, a series of official Pokemon themed utility hole covers

[00:00:56] all over Japan.

[00:00:57] Trust me, it's way more fun than it sounds.

[00:01:00] Joining me to chat all about them is a special guest.

[00:01:03] So guest, please introduce yourself.

[00:01:05] Aloha everyone.

[00:01:06] My name is Tiani and I'm Alola Pixie on Instagram.

[00:01:11] And I was here before to talk about Pokemon worlds, but now we're going to talk about

[00:01:16] the awesome Poke Lids in Japan.

[00:01:18] Yes.

[00:01:19] Welcome back to the podcast.

[00:01:21] You mentioned that you joined me chatting about the Pokemon world championships last

[00:01:24] year and now we're really digging into one of your areas of expertise.

[00:01:28] So for those who don't know, give us the basics.

[00:01:30] What are the Poke Lids?

[00:01:33] Okay.

[00:01:34] So in Japan, there are a very popular subculture for art on manhole covers or utility hole

[00:01:41] covers and Pokemon Company is spreading their awareness around prefectures in Japan through

[00:01:49] art on these manhole covers so you can find them throughout 34 prefectures all

[00:01:54] over the place.

[00:01:55] I started my Poke Lid journey in Kagoshima, the very first prefecture to have the lids

[00:02:02] in Ibusuki city.

[00:02:04] So Ibusuki sounds very similar to Ibusuki who is Eevee in Japanese and suki is like,

[00:02:12] so I like Eevee.

[00:02:13] So all nine Eeveelutions are down there in Kagoshima and that was the first set

[00:02:19] of Poke Lids.

[00:02:20] So I love Eevee and the evolutions.

[00:02:23] So when I wanted to travel around Japan, I thought, wow, what a great place to

[00:02:27] visit. Just go down there and see lots of lids.

[00:02:30] And then I discovered there's tons of them around the country.

[00:02:33] So I wanted to catch them all.

[00:02:36] How many have you seen up to now?

[00:02:38] Now I have seen 133 and currently there's a total of 342.

[00:02:46] So I'm not even halfway there, but I've seen quite a few of them.

[00:02:51] They keep adding them every month too.

[00:02:53] Yeah. A bit of backstory, Poke Lids or Poke Futa as they're known in Japanese,

[00:02:58] it's part of the bigger Pokemon Local Acts project, which seeks to promote local Japanese

[00:03:03] culture through Pokemon collaborations.

[00:03:05] And as you know this, it started in 2018 and the first lid was, yes, in Ibusuki.

[00:03:11] And now there are several hundred across Japan and they're often in lesser known

[00:03:15] tourist areas and serve as a way to at least get hardcore Pokemon fans to visit

[00:03:19] them and partake in what the prefecture or town has to offer.

[00:03:23] So you mentioned before the very first Poke Lid is in Ibusuki.

[00:03:27] Did you go there because you knew that it was happening or just coincidental that was the first place you went to?

[00:03:33] I was actually doing a tour around Kyushu during the summer, but that was definitely one of my highlights and go-to spots.

[00:03:41] I planned to go all the way down south in Japan just to see those lids.

[00:03:45] So it was worth it.

[00:03:48] And yes, as you mentioned, each of, well not each of the prefectures,

[00:03:52] but majority of the prefectures have an ambassador Pokemon connected to the local acts as mascots.

[00:03:59] So, for example, Hokkaido has the two Vulpix because Hokkaido has lots of foxes.

[00:04:05] Totori has the two sand shrews because of the deserts in the area.

[00:04:10] And Fukushima has Chansey whose name in Japanese is Lucky or Lucky and Fuku in Fukushima is also Lucky.

[00:04:18] So they're trying to bring back tourism and happiness to the prefecture after a lot of the devastation that they experienced in the past.

[00:04:26] So a lot of these ambassadors have a really good message or promotion towards each prefecture to try and get people to tour outside of the big cities.

[00:04:37] Like when people go to Japan, you just think of Tokyo or Osaka.

[00:04:41] But many of these places are quite far out there.

[00:04:44] So it's a real pilgrimage to get to some of these lids.

[00:04:48] Yeah, Ibutsuki is just like on the very, very southern part of Kyushu.

[00:04:52] I actually have been to Ibutsuki, but it was before the PokeLit project actually started and they're famous for their sand onsen.

[00:04:59] Did you try that sand onsen when you went to Ibutsuki?

[00:05:02] Actually, I didn't get a chance to try it, but I really wanted to.

[00:05:06] One of the most famous sand onsens is right where the Flareon lid is.

[00:05:11] We were actually rushing to try and make it on time for the Shinkansen in the evening.

[00:05:15] So we were rushing around because we didn't have a car, the public buses.

[00:05:21] And that was really difficult to do in half of a day.

[00:05:24] So we were rushing to try and make it for the train.

[00:05:27] But next time I definitely want to check out the sand onsen.

[00:05:30] Yeah. Listeners, if you don't know what the sand onsen is, they basically bury you in sand up to your neck horizontally, not vertically.

[00:05:36] So not standing in the beach or anything.

[00:05:38] But the sand is really hot.

[00:05:39] And then when you go out of it, you go into the onsen.

[00:05:43] And Ibutsuki is famous for this, which kind of makes me think that, oh, maybe Diglett would be better to represent Ibutsuki because there is some sort of like dig connection.

[00:05:53] And according to the official Pokemon Lids website, it says that some of them were made by Diglett.

[00:05:58] Is there any truth to this?

[00:06:00] Oh, yes, I've seen that on the site too.

[00:06:04] So maybe the Diglett dig their tunnels underground and pop up to make that hole.

[00:06:08] And they say, oh, let's put a Pokemon Lid right there.

[00:06:13] Yeah, it's really awesome.

[00:06:15] Yeah, like you mentioned, I really like how they are all connected to the local culture and they choose Pokemon that makes sense.

[00:06:20] And you've seen over 100.

[00:06:22] I've only actually seen two both in Ueno.

[00:06:25] There's one in front of the Natural History Museum, which features a ball toy and bronzor because those Pokemon are based on Japanese artifacts.

[00:06:33] And the Science and Nature Museum pretty close by.

[00:06:36] That's Tyrant and why not?

[00:06:38] Because there are fossils inside and Tyrant is like a T-Rex Pokemon.

[00:06:41] Honestly, I don't know why.

[00:06:42] Why not is there?

[00:06:43] Do you have any idea why?

[00:06:45] Why not?

[00:06:45] Is it represented?

[00:06:48] I'm actually not sure.

[00:06:49] Maybe he's just a good sidekick Pokemon like how he is the Team Rocket.

[00:06:54] Maybe he's showing off the fossils.

[00:06:57] But yeah, a lot of the lids have a little secret image or secret character hidden on their artwork as well.

[00:07:04] So out in Iwate Prefecture, Geodude is their ambassador.

[00:07:08] And on every single lid in the prefecture, you can find a little Geodude hidden somewhere in the picture or the word rock for rock type.

[00:07:19] Also, the Ibusuki lids down in Kagoshima.

[00:07:23] Every lid, if you're able to read Hiragana and Katakana, they have a secret message of what type of Eevee it is.

[00:07:31] So you can look on the lid and see if you can find the hidden words.

[00:07:36] Is there a particular Pokemon in place pairing that you really, really like?

[00:07:40] I think my favorite set of lids are the Miyagi Prefecture lids, whose ambassador is Lapras, the fairy transport Pokemon.

[00:07:51] So Miyagi has a lot of beautiful coastline and it's the image of Lapras just ferrying people across the water, taking it easy.

[00:08:01] It really reminds me of back home in Hawaii where we lived the really slow island life.

[00:08:05] So I really enjoyed all of the Miyagi lids featuring Lapras.

[00:08:10] I think there's like 30 to 40 lids and I've seen them all because I really like that theme of the ocean.

[00:08:18] Oh wow.

[00:08:18] Yeah, we drove all throughout Miyagi a few times just to hit every single one of those lids.

[00:08:24] Walk me through going to see a Poke Lid.

[00:08:26] Do you ever make trips just to specifically see a lid or after you plan a vacation, do you just check the website to see which lids are nearby?

[00:08:33] What's your strategy?

[00:08:35] So since I've been living in the Kanto area and we have a car, we do actually plan road trips based on finding the Poke Lids.

[00:08:45] And usually they're around tourist attractive areas.

[00:08:49] There's also merchandise and goods available for the Poke Lids.

[00:08:54] So it's like a well-rounded trip.

[00:08:56] So we always drive though.

[00:08:59] It's kind of difficult to see some of the lids using just buses or trains because some of them are quite far out there, like in the countryside.

[00:09:08] So I would definitely recommend at least for Tohoku and southern Japan, you might need a rental car on those days to visit some of those lids.

[00:09:18] But usually map it out on Google Maps and I'll mark some interesting attractions along the way and restaurants and just make a weekend out of it, searching for lids, trying new foods and seeing some sightseeing.

[00:09:35] What kind of Poke Lids merch exists?

[00:09:37] So at some of the prefectures, there will be a little station shop or stationary shop near to the lids that will sell coasters, rubber keychains, stickers, postcards, mugs, all kinds of things that are related to the Poke Lids in that area or within the prefecture.

[00:09:58] So that's another little secret treasure you can find while you're hunting for these lids.

[00:10:04] And sometimes if those little shops aren't open, you can also try places like Village Vanguard.

[00:10:11] There's a popular anime and pop culture shop all around Japan and they do sell Pokemon manhole cover merch too.

[00:10:19] Oh, cool.

[00:10:20] Do they sell replica manhole covers at all?

[00:10:23] They do actually.

[00:10:24] It comes as a coaster.

[00:10:26] It's like a metal coaster with a mug.

[00:10:29] So it's quite expensive.

[00:10:31] I think the mug and coaster set is around 6,000 yen or so.

[00:10:37] But it's like a good way to get the exact lid that you like if you want a miniature version of it.

[00:10:44] But yeah, they also have like the magnets and pin badges.

[00:10:48] There's so many different things you could buy to represent the lids you've seen.

[00:10:52] Is there a place you visited just to see the Poke Lid, but then you realized, oh hey, this place is way more interesting than I expected?

[00:10:59] Oh, let me think about that.

[00:11:01] Yes.

[00:11:02] OK, so actually I did plan trips to see lids specifically in Tochigi, Saitama and Chiba.

[00:11:10] And I was living in Ibaraki for a while, so I had never been to those three prefectures, but I knew they had just added lids.

[00:11:18] So we planned to go to those three places and there were so many cool things around those areas.

[00:11:24] Like you wouldn't think of Tochigi, Saitama or like Eastern Chiba to be very tourist attractive areas.

[00:11:32] But they were in towns that were either very historical, they had beautiful flower gardens or it had a lot of michi no eki roadside stations for you to stop and see like a farmers market or buy some local goods.

[00:11:47] So it ends up being a really fulfilling trip because we went out there just for the Poke Lids, but there was so much more to see.

[00:11:55] So I think that was one of the main points of Pokemon Company putting these lids in the non-popular areas is because there is so much more of Japan to see outside of the big tourist city areas.

[00:12:07] So I'm really appreciative of that.

[00:12:09] Yeah, for some reason, I always thought that they weren't in Tokyo at all.

[00:12:13] And the ones I stumbled across, I found them purely by accident.

[00:12:16] I planned to go to the Nature and Science Museum and then oh, suddenly there's a Poke Lid there.

[00:12:21] And then that's when I started to search about, oh, Tokyo must have a few others.

[00:12:25] And there are six in Machida.

[00:12:28] Have you been to those?

[00:12:29] And do you have any travel tips if I go and check them out?

[00:12:32] Yes, I have seen the ones in Machida.

[00:12:34] That was actually one of my holy grail bucket list set of lids because Machida is the hometown of Satoshi Taijiri, the creator of Pokemon.

[00:12:45] So he grew up in Machida and going to Serigaya Park there where he used to catch all his bugs and note them down.

[00:12:53] So it's really awesome that they put the Gen 1 starters and a bunch of Gen 1 Pokemon there too.

[00:13:00] So luckily, all six of those lids are located in the same park.

[00:13:04] It's easy to get there by train and you can just walk through that beautiful park.

[00:13:09] There's like two different sides of the park that has a water park and then a play park.

[00:13:15] So it's a really nice area.

[00:13:17] I think it takes about less than one hour from major Tokyo.

[00:13:21] So it's a good day trip to just go and see some nature.

[00:13:26] And there's also really good food and restaurants around Machida Station too.

[00:13:31] And even a squirrel garden, there's like a park with a bunch of squirrels you could go and feed in the area.

[00:13:38] Yeah, Machida is really nice.

[00:13:40] Yeah. And the lids, they're the Gen 1 starters, correct?

[00:13:43] Yes, the first evolutions.

[00:13:46] So those are the-

[00:13:47] Okay, that makes sense.

[00:13:48] Yeah.

[00:13:49] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:50] Yes. And then farther out in Tokyo, the real Holy Grail lids out at Ogasa Wada Island-

[00:13:58] Oh yes.

[00:13:59] ... have the third evolutions.

[00:14:01] So Charizard, Volinosaur, and Blastoise, and the coveted new lid.

[00:14:06] Yeah. I wanted to ask you about that specifically.

[00:14:08] I was looking at the existing ones and there are some in Ogasa Wada,

[00:14:11] which the site says that it's in Tokyo Prefecture.

[00:14:14] But I was thinking, oh, I've never heard of Ogasa Wada before.

[00:14:18] And I looked at it and it's actually an island chain.

[00:14:21] And it's off of Japan.

[00:14:22] And by what I mean off, I mean really, really off.

[00:14:25] Taiwan is probably closer to Tokyo than these islands.

[00:14:30] But as you said, they do have the designs for all the Gen 1 final evolutions.

[00:14:34] So they are primo lids.

[00:14:36] Do you have any plans at all on checking out the Ogasa Wada Poke Lids?

[00:14:40] I don't currently have any plans because it is like a full week plan

[00:14:47] that you have to plan out for this.

[00:14:49] So the boat there takes a full 24 hours to get from Tokyo to the island.

[00:14:56] And then the boat doesn't go back again for three days.

[00:15:00] So you have to be on the island for three days.

[00:15:03] And then it takes another 24 hours to get back.

[00:15:06] So that's like a full five days.

[00:15:09] And it's not very cheap either, like maybe 700 USD.

[00:15:13] So it's quite a lot.

[00:15:16] And yeah, I haven't made plans.

[00:15:18] But I do have a friend that is planning to see it during the summertime.

[00:15:22] So he's really stoked.

[00:15:24] Awesome. Is there no plane to Ogasa Wada?

[00:15:27] No, you can only get there by boat.

[00:15:29] So it's a real journey.

[00:15:32] They really hit those, didn't they?

[00:15:34] Right.

[00:15:35] So is that your Poke Lid white whale?

[00:15:37] Or is there another one that you really want to see,

[00:15:39] but you just haven't been there yet?

[00:15:41] Oh, the ones that I really want to see are in Akita.

[00:15:45] So Akita just recently put five lids and they're all dog Pokemon lids.

[00:15:51] So I really love dogs and they're like my favorite Pokemon and animals.

[00:15:56] So I really want to see there's like a Fido, Rockruff, Growlithe, and Snubbull.

[00:16:02] There's like all the dog Pokemon.

[00:16:04] And I haven't been to Akita yet.

[00:16:06] So that's also on my travel plan.

[00:16:08] So I really want to plan a trip together for the lids and to see Akita culture and food.

[00:16:14] Yeah, Akita listeners, if you don't know, they're famous for Akitaken,

[00:16:17] which is the Akita dog.

[00:16:19] So yeah, I really like how they think quite carefully about how they integrate

[00:16:24] the Pokemon into the local customs or the local culture.

[00:16:28] It's really interesting.

[00:16:30] Yes, definitely.

[00:16:31] It's a great way to like learn more about Japan through Pokemon.

[00:16:36] Of course, there's so much more to these prefectures than just the lids,

[00:16:39] but it's always such a cool little hidden secret when the Pokemon can tie

[00:16:45] into the real local culture in the area.

[00:16:48] On your Instagram, you have a ton of pictures of your travels.

[00:16:50] What's the key to taking a good photo of a Poke Lid?

[00:16:54] So every time I visit the Poke Lids,

[00:16:56] I try to take one aerial shot directly above the lid just to get all of the images

[00:17:03] and colors out of the lid.

[00:17:05] I also like clean them off a little bit before if they're dirty,

[00:17:09] just so that they look nice.

[00:17:11] And then I also try to take a Pokemon Go AR photo with each lid

[00:17:16] if they have the Pokemon in the game.

[00:17:19] So that, yeah, you can see them in AR with the lid.

[00:17:24] And yeah, I also try to take pictures of the surrounding area

[00:17:29] or interesting things nearby.

[00:17:31] Just so many cool things you can do while you search for these Poke Lids

[00:17:35] across the country.

[00:17:37] When you go visit them, is there often a line?

[00:17:39] Are there other people there who are also taking pictures

[00:17:41] or is it mostly just you?

[00:17:43] Mostly it's just me.

[00:17:44] But once people kind of see me taking pictures of the ground,

[00:17:47] they're like, oh, what is she doing?

[00:17:49] So some people will come and take pictures too.

[00:17:52] But of course, in the popular areas like in Kyoto or Osaka and Tokyo,

[00:17:58] people are taking pictures of the lids too.

[00:18:00] Especially when we were there for Yokohama Worlds,

[00:18:03] they had just added five new Pikachu lids.

[00:18:06] So there was a line for those lids at that time.

[00:18:09] Oh yeah, definitely.

[00:18:11] Yeah, when I went to see one of the lids in Ueno,

[00:18:13] there was about two or three people ahead of me

[00:18:15] and they all had plushies.

[00:18:17] And they definitely had like a plan.

[00:18:18] It's like plushie one, take a picture, take it out.

[00:18:20] Plushie two, take a picture.

[00:18:22] So it is funny to see that, OK, people are very, very prepared.

[00:18:25] Oftentimes, it's not just by accident.

[00:18:27] Do you have any recommended Poké Lid spots,

[00:18:29] places that people should make effort to check out

[00:18:31] when they might be in the region?

[00:18:33] I definitely think the lids down in Osaka and Kyoto and Nara,

[00:18:38] if you're in the Kansai area, those are a good set to check out

[00:18:42] because I think there's five per prefecture

[00:18:45] and they're near other popular tourist spots.

[00:18:48] So in the Kansai area, those are definitely nice.

[00:18:51] And if you head up to Hokkaido, where the Vulpix lids are,

[00:18:55] there's tons all over the island, mostly with a car.

[00:19:00] But there are some at train stations too.

[00:19:02] But the Vulpix lids are also really beautiful in all seasons.

[00:19:07] Yeah.

[00:19:08] Yeah, I really wish I knew more about the Poké Lids

[00:19:10] when I did my travels.

[00:19:12] Actually, I just came back from Kansai

[00:19:14] just about a month or two ago.

[00:19:15] And I've been to 24 prefectures in Japan.

[00:19:19] But now I feel like, oh, I got to go back to the Ueno.

[00:19:21] Find the Poké Lids and then take pictures of them.

[00:19:23] So I have to redo all my Japan travels more time.

[00:19:26] Yeah, sometimes I know that there's lids in the prefecture,

[00:19:30] but I have so many other things planned.

[00:19:32] I don't have time to make it to the lids.

[00:19:35] So one that I keep missing is in Shiba.

[00:19:38] They have Gyarados lids and Greninja lids

[00:19:42] near a ninja village that has all ninja themed things.

[00:19:47] And the Gyarados lids have a shiny Gyarados on it too.

[00:19:50] So I really want to see those.

[00:19:52] But every time I'm in Kyoto,

[00:19:53] I'm doing so many other things.

[00:19:55] So yeah, there's so many to see.

[00:19:59] Is one of the Nara lids, is it Stantler?

[00:20:01] Yes, they have the deers with the deerling too.

[00:20:05] Oh, the deerling, yes, that also makes sense.

[00:20:08] Of course, when you go to that deer park.

[00:20:10] All right, final question that admittedly has nothing

[00:20:12] to do with Poké Lids.

[00:20:13] Have you seen the logo for Pokemon World 2024 in Hawaii?

[00:20:17] And if so, what are your thoughts?

[00:20:18] Yes, I have.

[00:20:20] I was so excited when I saw the official announcement

[00:20:24] with the image for Worlds in Honolulu.

[00:20:27] I really liked the underwater theme.

[00:20:29] I'm really hoping that we're gonna get

[00:20:31] some scuba diving plushies

[00:20:34] and Hawaii Aloha style Hawaiian print merch.

[00:20:38] It's all so exciting to me.

[00:20:40] It makes my heart so warm to see a whole bunch

[00:20:42] of Hawaiian images coming out for Worlds.

[00:20:46] Have you already started making your plans to visit?

[00:20:49] Yes, I have requested off of work.

[00:20:50] Hopefully it gets approved,

[00:20:52] but I really wanna be home for like at least two weeks

[00:20:56] during that time because especially as we saw

[00:20:59] with Yokohama, there was like a full week's worth

[00:21:01] of events leading up to and even after the Worlds event.

[00:21:06] Yeah, I'm definitely excited to see

[00:21:07] all the different collaborations and all the different,

[00:21:09] especially the merch, what they come up with

[00:21:11] because the merch last year for Yokohama

[00:21:13] was really awesome and it really integrated

[00:21:15] Yokohama culture.

[00:21:16] And of course, Hawaii is so unique.

[00:21:18] So I'm really excited to see,

[00:21:20] of course, the Alola connection.

[00:21:22] So I'm really excited to see them emphasize that.

[00:21:24] Yeah, it's been a while since Alola

[00:21:26] and of course I'm really biased

[00:21:28] but those were my favorite games.

[00:21:30] And yeah, I'm excited that I hope

[00:21:34] the lottery system will work a little better this year.

[00:21:37] It was really difficult to get tickets

[00:21:40] in the Yokohama section.

[00:21:42] So we'll see how it works,

[00:21:43] but I'm hoping that it'll work out.

[00:21:47] Awesome, well, I'm happy I could chat with you

[00:21:49] about this really unique aspect

[00:21:50] of both Pokemon and Japanese culture.

[00:21:53] So Alola Pixie, where can people find you?

[00:21:55] You can find me on Instagram, alola.pixie

[00:21:59] and that's where I post all the information

[00:22:01] about the Lids and my Pokemon travels throughout Japan.

[00:22:05] I'll also be posting when I'm back home

[00:22:07] in Hawaii for Worlds.

[00:22:09] And I also am on Twitter

[00:22:11] and you can find the link later,

[00:22:14] but I'm not as active there.

[00:22:15] So Instagram is the best way to find me.

[00:22:17] Yes, and if you wanna see pictures of all the PokeLids,

[00:22:19] they are there on your Instagram.

[00:22:22] I was looking at one of your stories the other day

[00:22:24] and you definitely have like pretty much every Lid

[00:22:27] in a single story.

[00:22:27] So it's very convenient.

[00:22:29] Yeah, I do.

[00:22:30] If anyone needs any help planning their trips

[00:22:34] or their paths to finding the Lids,

[00:22:36] please feel free to directly message me

[00:22:38] and I'll try to help you out as best I can.

[00:22:41] Great, and the links to everything

[00:22:42] will be in the podcast description.

[00:22:43] So listeners check it out.

[00:22:45] Alola Pixie once again, thanks for joining me.

[00:22:48] Yes, thank you so much for having me.

[00:22:49] It's fun as always.

[00:22:51] Thank you, mahalo.

[00:22:59] Nintendo skipped April

[00:22:59] when it comes to new first party releases.

[00:23:01] Well, unless you count Wrecking Crew 98 for the West,

[00:23:04] which you should,

[00:23:05] but May has two first party titles on the Switch.

[00:23:08] The first being Endless Ocean Luminous from Arika.

[00:23:12] The Tokyo based dev has an interesting catalog of games

[00:23:14] including Street Fighter EX

[00:23:16] and the Tetris the Grand Master series.

[00:23:18] They do a lot of support work

[00:23:19] and co-development of a lot of other titles.

[00:23:21] I mean, they even worked on Tekken 8,

[00:23:23] but Nintendo fans likely know them

[00:23:25] thanks to the 3D Classic series on 3DS,

[00:23:28] Tetris 99 and of course, Endless Ocean.

[00:23:31] Endless Ocean is a franchise that started on the Wii.

[00:23:34] Remember Iwata's blue ocean strategy?

[00:23:36] Well, this game took it literally

[00:23:37] as you are a scuba diver

[00:23:39] who explores under the sea and looks at fish.

[00:23:42] That's the basic premise of the entire franchise.

[00:23:44] It is actually the spiritual successor to Everblue

[00:23:47] from Arika on the PS2,

[00:23:48] which has two games,

[00:23:49] but only the second game was released in the West.

[00:23:52] The Japanese name of Endless Ocean

[00:23:54] is actually a play on that franchise.

[00:23:56] It's forever blue in Japanese.

[00:23:58] So if you count that,

[00:23:59] this diving series from Arika has over a 20 year history.

[00:24:03] I don't think it's ever been a huge hit,

[00:24:05] but it has a cult following.

[00:24:06] And now it's back with a brand new game

[00:24:08] that hit the Switch just a few days ago.

[00:24:10] It was announced only a few months ago

[00:24:11] during a partner's showcase

[00:24:13] and it fits in nicely with Nintendo's 2024 strategy

[00:24:16] of releasing games only I

[00:24:17] and hopefully you, my amazing listeners care about.

[00:24:21] It does feel like Nintendo sat down and said,

[00:24:23] one Nintendo franchises has Mono not played

[00:24:26] and then they just released them in a five month span.

[00:24:29] Another code, Mario versus DK, Endless Ocean.

[00:24:32] Nintendo is days away from announcing

[00:24:34] a full blown remake of Hajimari no Mori.

[00:24:37] So this is actually my first Endless Ocean title.

[00:24:39] I wish I could say I'm an expert on the series

[00:24:41] and be all pretentious about it,

[00:24:43] but I'm not and I can't.

[00:24:45] It is a franchise that I've been interested in

[00:24:46] for a long time though.

[00:24:48] The concept of simply exploring with no action or violence

[00:24:51] is a pretty intriguing one

[00:24:52] and I would say it's more suitable

[00:24:53] for today's gaming climate

[00:24:54] than when the franchise was released in the late 2000s.

[00:24:57] It makes a ton of sense to release a game like this

[00:24:59] on the Switch, which has over 140 million players

[00:25:02] with many of them enjoying titles

[00:25:04] that don't focus on combat at all.

[00:25:06] The game is part roguelike, part collectathon,

[00:25:08] part Pokemon Snap and part online chat room.

[00:25:11] You're a diver and you set out

[00:25:12] to discover new locations, treasure and most importantly, fish.

[00:25:17] There are over 500 of them, including extinct animals

[00:25:19] and even mythical creatures.

[00:25:21] I think this is such a good idea

[00:25:23] because eventually you're going to stop being wowed

[00:25:25] by all the different types of tuna in the sea

[00:25:27] and then bam, a dinosaur.

[00:25:29] But even if they didn't include these fake creatures,

[00:25:32] I mean, can you name over 500 fish

[00:25:34] off the top of your head?

[00:25:35] I am getting confused at times

[00:25:36] about whether or not the fish I just encountered

[00:25:38] is extinct or not.

[00:25:39] The gameplay loop is incredibly simple.

[00:25:42] You're placed into a procedurally generated ocean

[00:25:44] and then you're off to explore.

[00:25:46] Obviously the main thing you're searching for

[00:25:48] are some aquatic friends.

[00:25:49] You scan them, get some info,

[00:25:51] add them to your fish collection book

[00:25:52] and also rack up points for your diver rank,

[00:25:55] which lets you unlock more cosmetics and maybe fish.

[00:25:58] Not sure if the diver rank gate keeps

[00:26:00] what fish you can see,

[00:26:01] but you can also collect items

[00:26:02] that crank up your diver rank

[00:26:03] and there are some quests that you can fulfill

[00:26:06] mostly surrounding finding a certain fish.

[00:26:08] That's it, that's the game.

[00:26:10] I really wonder if this was originally planned

[00:26:12] to be a free NSO title

[00:26:14] or something like Endless Ocean 99.

[00:26:16] It is from Arica and the director of the game

[00:26:18] is also the director of Tetris 99.

[00:26:21] The cosmetic focus progression, roguelike nature

[00:26:24] and even menus all feel like they are

[00:26:26] from the NSO 99 series.

[00:26:28] But somehow Nintendo decided to just release it

[00:26:30] for $50 instead of, you know, $0.

[00:26:33] But that has been the main discussion point

[00:26:35] in a lot of reviews.

[00:26:36] Is there enough here for a $50 experience?

[00:26:40] I think it depends on what you're looking for.

[00:26:42] If you want to see all the fish,

[00:26:43] fill out your collection books,

[00:26:45] clear the Smash-like mystery board,

[00:26:47] I'm sure it'll take quite a long time

[00:26:49] before you want it to present it.

[00:26:50] You could literally spend hours and hours

[00:26:52] in just one instance, not see everything.

[00:26:54] But honestly, you shouldn't be playing it by yourself

[00:26:56] because the online multiplayer

[00:26:58] is the real meat of the game.

[00:27:00] You can join multiplayer instances with other divers

[00:27:03] and purchase the map they clear or also cleared for you.

[00:27:06] Plus all the quest progression is tied together.

[00:27:08] You can also attack certain areas and alert other divers

[00:27:11] which is great to lead people to rare fish

[00:27:12] or secret areas.

[00:27:14] The multiplayer mode is easily the best part.

[00:27:16] Everything just happens much, much quicker

[00:27:18] compared to the single player mode.

[00:27:20] And since you're unlocking cosmetics,

[00:27:22] don't you want to show them off?

[00:27:23] Emoting by yourself is fairly lonely, right?

[00:27:26] It's clear the game was designed

[00:27:27] as a multiplayer first title.

[00:27:29] There's pretty much no reason to do the solo dives

[00:27:31] or even the story mode.

[00:27:33] I've only dipped my toes into the story mode

[00:27:35] but it basically serves as a glorified tutorial.

[00:27:38] Maybe you get something by completing it

[00:27:40] but really just do the multiplayer dives

[00:27:42] and you'll have a better time.

[00:27:43] While the flow of the game

[00:27:44] is pretty simple and straightforward,

[00:27:45] I must say there's a lot to like here.

[00:27:47] The maps are procedurally generated

[00:27:49] but they don't feel like a hodgepodge.

[00:27:51] The areas float together pretty coherently

[00:27:53] even if they are different biomes and themes.

[00:27:55] Transition from one to another isn't jarring

[00:27:58] and a lot of the areas are quite captivating

[00:28:00] and fun to swim through.

[00:28:01] You might notice a hole in the ground

[00:28:02] and when you descend into the darkness,

[00:28:04] you pass by sharks and then encounter

[00:28:06] a super rare mythical fish at the bottom.

[00:28:09] Another area has this cave system inside a huge rock

[00:28:12] and in the middle is a sunken temple.

[00:28:14] These moments are the game's strengths

[00:28:16] and capture the spirit of exploration,

[00:28:17] the spirit of adventure.

[00:28:19] There's a lot of cool things to see and find here

[00:28:21] but that's basically all you're doing, seeing.

[00:28:24] The interaction with the fish is minimal at best.

[00:28:26] You scan them and then you're done.

[00:28:28] You can swim with certain fish depending on your rank

[00:28:30] but depending on the fish,

[00:28:32] they might easily break away from you or get lost.

[00:28:35] I do recommend the crabs though

[00:28:36] since they latch onto your tank

[00:28:38] so you can take them pretty much anywhere.

[00:28:39] Also, while a lot of the locations are pretty cool,

[00:28:42] I do wonder how unique they are.

[00:28:44] Am I gonna see the same sunken temple over and over again?

[00:28:47] Probably.

[00:28:48] Inless Ocean Luminous is a very

[00:28:49] no-nonsense chill experience that's incredibly low stakes.

[00:28:52] There's no timer, you can't die,

[00:28:54] a shark isn't going to maim you.

[00:28:56] You swim around, look at things, take some pictures.

[00:28:59] It is very much a podcast game

[00:29:01] where you don't have to pay a whole lot of attention.

[00:29:02] Now the game hasn't been reviewing that well

[00:29:04] with many people saying it's bare bones or worst, boring.

[00:29:08] I mean, those are fair criticisms.

[00:29:11] The game is very bare bones in terms of the feature set.

[00:29:14] Let's blue sky this for a moment.

[00:29:16] What would be the ultimate endless ocean game

[00:29:18] or diving game in general?

[00:29:20] I think something like a hub would go a long way,

[00:29:22] someplace you can decorate like your locker in Splatoon 3,

[00:29:25] maybe a mode that's a diorama or an aquarium

[00:29:28] which was in past endless ocean games.

[00:29:31] A more advanced gear loadout that can make you swim faster

[00:29:33] or you can unlock a radar

[00:29:35] that tells you when rare fish are close.

[00:29:38] There are many, many ideas you could implement

[00:29:39] if you want to make a video game diving experience.

[00:29:42] Apparently, endless ocean two was much meatier

[00:29:44] in terms of content

[00:29:46] with a more fleshed out story and some extra modes.

[00:29:48] So hardcore fans have been disappointed

[00:29:50] by this game's more stripped down multiplayer focused.

[00:29:53] And I understand that.

[00:29:54] I mean, this game is reviewing poorly

[00:29:57] and it probably isn't going to set the South Star on fire.

[00:30:00] So another endless ocean game might be way, way off

[00:30:03] but I am having fun exploring the ocean biomes

[00:30:05] with other people online

[00:30:07] and making silly poses next to fish.

[00:30:09] While the game's graphics aren't amazing,

[00:30:11] a lot of the locations are pretty awe inspiring

[00:30:13] and fun to swim through.

[00:30:14] Though it is a very hard game to recommend.

[00:30:17] If you weren't immediately hooked

[00:30:18] by the concept or trailer,

[00:30:19] I don't think you're gonna get a whole lot

[00:30:21] out of the game.

[00:30:22] If someone played it for 20 minutes,

[00:30:23] said boring and then never played it again,

[00:30:26] I mean, I get it.

[00:30:28] The game is absolutely not for everyone

[00:30:30] and it's not an easy recommendation

[00:30:32] but I can see people will really enjoy the game

[00:30:34] if they're into multiplayer games

[00:30:35] where you just kind of chill out

[00:30:37] or if you really like fish.

[00:30:39] I think this would be a fun game to play with a kid

[00:30:41] since it does have a bit of an edutainment flair to it.

[00:30:44] It does feel like you've got a big aquarium

[00:30:45] right there on your Switch.

[00:30:47] I am curious to see how much Ardika supports the game.

[00:30:50] There are special events

[00:30:51] with the first one happening next week

[00:30:53] but eventually you're going to scan all the fish

[00:30:55] and then what?

[00:30:56] What's the impetuous to keep playing?

[00:30:58] Something like Tetris 99 has a strong competitive angle

[00:31:01] and the core gameplay loop is really, really fun

[00:31:03] but in Inland Ocean,

[00:31:04] there's a big emphasis on unlocking stuff

[00:31:06] for unlocking sake.

[00:31:08] So Inland Ocean Luminous,

[00:31:09] not a home run revival of a cult classic

[00:31:11] but it does have some interesting ideas

[00:31:13] and I can see people vibing with it.

[00:31:15] But if you're on the fence

[00:31:16] or not interested at all,

[00:31:17] you don't need to make an effort to check it out.

[00:31:20] But the people who do play the game

[00:31:21] will end up with an encyclopedic knowledge about fish.

[00:31:24] And isn't that alone worth $50?

[00:31:27] Okay, that's all for games.

[00:31:28] Now for the news.

[00:31:29] Out of nowhere,

[00:31:37] Nintendo randomly announced

[00:31:38] and released brand new Zelda Tears of the Kingdom

[00:31:40] themed merch at Nintendo Tokyo.

[00:31:43] There's been an uptake in promotion for the game

[00:31:44] these past few weeks,

[00:31:45] I suppose to hype up the game's one year anniversary.

[00:31:48] We got some new shirts at Uniqlo

[00:31:49] and a ton of new awesome items at Nintendo Tokyo.

[00:31:53] Items include a rug that looks like

[00:31:55] a Zonai Eagle Glider,

[00:31:56] so yes, you can pretend to ride it.

[00:31:58] A blind box of secret stone pin badges,

[00:32:01] a treasure box key chain,

[00:32:03] a Hudson sign key chain,

[00:32:04] a bag shaped like a bomb flower,

[00:32:06] earrings, a hairband,

[00:32:08] stickers modeled after the Geoglyphs,

[00:32:10] a new button up shirt with a Geoglyphs design,

[00:32:13] a Korok backpack pouch

[00:32:15] and some other stuff I might be missing.

[00:32:17] Did I already go to Nintendo Tokyo and buy stuff?

[00:32:20] Yes, I got the button up shirt

[00:32:22] and a secret stone pin badge.

[00:32:24] It's a blind box so you don't get to choose,

[00:32:26] but I didn't end up with the wind secret stone,

[00:32:27] which is probably the most useful in the game,

[00:32:29] so no complaints.

[00:32:30] It was pretty crazy that Nintendo

[00:32:32] just dropped these items out of nowhere.

[00:32:34] They normally at least announce items

[00:32:36] a few weeks ahead of time.

[00:32:37] So if you're near Nintendo Tokyo, check it out.

[00:32:40] There are also some new NSO games,

[00:32:42] Extreme G and Iggy's Wrecking Crew

[00:32:44] for the Western N64 app

[00:32:45] and Japan Got Blast Core,

[00:32:47] which they didn't already have.

[00:32:49] Some interesting inclusions,

[00:32:50] they really haven't dipped into the shallow

[00:32:52] third party well for N64 games.

[00:32:55] There are some Nintendo published titles

[00:32:57] that have yet to the app,

[00:32:58] probably most notably Donkey Kong 64

[00:33:00] and Super Smash Brothers.

[00:33:02] Podcast guest Nantin Jax

[00:33:03] does have a great thread on Twitter

[00:33:05] of possible NSO releases that aren't there yet

[00:33:07] and the list is longer than you'd think,

[00:33:09] but Nintendo will run out eventually.

[00:33:11] Like does Nintendo have seven more years worth

[00:33:13] of NES to N64 games to release?

[00:33:16] They could eventually implement a hybrid system,

[00:33:18] which I think a lot of people want

[00:33:20] the ability to either play it via NSO

[00:33:21] or buy it outright,

[00:33:23] like the old virtual console.

[00:33:24] But I think Nintendo has sort of moved past that

[00:33:27] as they really want to push their online services

[00:33:29] as something you need to sign up for.

[00:33:31] Sony makes an absurd amount of money per year

[00:33:33] solely through PSN

[00:33:35] and Nintendo wants the slice of that pie.

[00:33:37] And there's a pretty interesting rumor,

[00:33:38] although now I guess it's more or less confirmed.

[00:33:41] ESRB uploaded a description

[00:33:42] for Nintendo World Championships NES edition

[00:33:45] on their website.

[00:33:47] This was also teased a few hours earlier

[00:33:48] by the king of leakers, Pyoro.

[00:33:51] Pyoro gave out some more info,

[00:33:52] mostly that it's a brand new game and a $30 release.

[00:33:55] So it's not a port of the original cart

[00:33:57] from the 1990 competition,

[00:33:59] which is one of the more rare NES games.

[00:34:01] From the description,

[00:34:02] it seems to be another spin on the NES remix concept,

[00:34:05] probably focusing on online leaderboards

[00:34:07] and challenges this time around.

[00:34:09] I'm taking a very wait and see approach.

[00:34:11] If it's just NES remix again,

[00:34:12] that's not too exciting.

[00:34:14] I do wonder how they're going to differentiate

[00:34:16] this game from that.

[00:34:17] I would like to see sort of NES versions

[00:34:19] of newer franchises,

[00:34:21] like an NES Splatoon.

[00:34:23] Having these types of off the wall challenges

[00:34:25] and new content would be way more interesting

[00:34:26] than challenges like Clear 1.1 in 15 seconds.

[00:34:30] We will see though,

[00:34:31] I imagine this is an Indie Zero project

[00:34:33] who worked on NES remix.

[00:34:35] Before we wrap up,

[00:34:36] here's some brief Tokyo related updates.

[00:34:38] The My Famicase exhibit is happening right now

[00:34:40] in Meteor in Ogeekabo, Tokyo.

[00:34:43] This is a small exhibition where artists submit artwork

[00:34:45] and then they are printed on real life Famicom carts.

[00:34:48] And those carts are then displayed inside of Meteor.

[00:34:51] I went to it in 2022

[00:34:52] and it was definitely worth checking out.

[00:34:54] So if you're in the area, pop by.

[00:34:57] Also, I briefly stopped

[00:34:58] by the newly opened Pokemon card lounge

[00:35:00] in the renovated Shibuya Tsutaya.

[00:35:02] This is a cafe where you can play

[00:35:03] the Pokemon card game

[00:35:04] once you place a reservation.

[00:35:06] You don't even need to bring your own cards.

[00:35:08] They can give you some

[00:35:09] and it's all you can eat and drink

[00:35:10] while you're playing.

[00:35:12] The lounge looks fantastic.

[00:35:13] It's mostly black and white

[00:35:14] with a very mature, minimalistic theming.

[00:35:17] It doesn't really seem like a place

[00:35:18] for kids to hang out and play.

[00:35:20] It's definitely geared more towards adults.

[00:35:22] I do plan on making a reservation there in the future

[00:35:24] so look out for that upcoming feature.

[00:35:26] Okay, that's all for now.

[00:35:27] Thanks as always for listening.

[00:35:29] Be sure to like and subscribe to this podcast

[00:35:30] on your favorite app.

[00:35:32] Leave a five star review as well

[00:35:33] and it really helps with visibility.

[00:35:35] The podcast is also available on YouTube

[00:35:36] so like and subscribe there as well.

[00:35:39] I'm on Twitter, threads, blue sky, Instagram.

[00:35:41] Just search for Tokyo Game Life

[00:35:42] or find the links in the podcast description.

[00:35:44] If you liked the podcast,

[00:35:45] be sure to share with your friends

[00:35:46] and on social media.

[00:35:48] If there's anything you want me to talk about or cover,

[00:35:49] don't be shy, just message me on Twitter.

[00:35:52] The next episode will be on May 19th.

[00:35:54] See you next time.

[00:35:55] Mata ne!