I’ve seen more of the full art cards for the upcoming Pokemon 151 set, and they are beautiful. It is seriously becoming impossible to fight the urge to buy into this set because it looks so good!
Pokemon 151 has done a terrific job of balancing enough of a nostalgic feel to satisfy long-time fans while establishing itself as a unique and desirable set to draw in new ones. Pokemon 151 releases on September 22nd. I only do Pokemon TCG live at the moment, but those of you who want physical cards can head over to Best Buy or Target to pre-preorder. Check out my previous post where I break down the pre-orders by product.
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This week, we got previews for more of the full art cards from the Alternative Being(EX-04), set and they are beautiful. This set has some very cool cards that you are going to want to add to your collection. Alternative Being is in stores now, so make sure you grab a couple of packs from your LGS or TCGPlayer if they don’t carry Digimon. Don’t forget to subscribe and share if you’ve been enjoying these updates!
Alternative Being(EX-04) Full Art Cards
I’m starting off with the cutest card in this set. I need this card badly and am just about ready to sell my soul for a play set of these. If this isn’t the card that moves boxes, I don’t know what is. Sure there are some cool Greymons to chase, but how can you say no to this face?
This card looks so sick! I love the mayhem in the background and how coolly ZeedGarurumon is landing, like he is ready to cause his own mayhem. It also has some solid bounce abilities you might want to add to your deck.
I love the glow effect they added to the metal armor and weapons. I love how this looks like a painting and the heroic prescience the artist gives ChaosGallontmon. Its got removal and a chance to play it free? Sign me up.
This set does a great job with these heroic poses. This looks like it could be on the cover of comic book and would look so sick in a binder or a slab. It also has some solid removal.
The artist does a beautiful job at making BlackMegaGargomon feel massive with this one. It is raining down death and destruction with such a nonchalant expression. I love it. I love it, and the effect isn’t bad either.
The foiling for this card is going to look so good in person. I love the moonlight effect washing over Kuzuhamon and the spirit flying around it.
Another cute card I need in my binder. It’s got a solid search ability and card destruction is always nice.
This Omnimon is amazing and the foiling is going to looks pretty. I love the zombified jankiness of this form! The mummy wraps, the tethered cape, and the eyes on the cannon and sword all give it a very Frankenstein monster vibe that I am here for. It’s a purple card with solid removal and a chance to play it for free? Say no more!
Royal Knights Pre-Release
Versus Knights comes out July 21! Make sure you check with your LGS to see if they are running any pre-release so that you can pick up these cool promos. I need this Psychemon!
More Ultimate Cup Results
And for those interested in the competitive scenes. Always check your LGS for a local scene, and head over to the official site to sign up for events near you.
North America
Looks like Green and Purple are consistent contenders in this format across all regions. Might be the safest bet to buy into green, or getting the Beelzemon deck and fix it up.
Latin America
Looks like blue is making a splash in Latin America this time around.
We’ve had another exciting week of reveals for the Digimon TCG. I have done my best to organize the reveals and announcements in a way that makes sense. I love the art of this set. The colors and the art style are really going to pop in my binder! Maybe I’ll even make a blue deck. There were also a few tournaments that might have shifted the meta.
Alternative Being Spoilers (EX4)
This set will be in stores June 23, so make sure you put in your pre-orders in and check to see if your LGS is running any pre-release events. The set is also introducing a new ability Alliance which might be worth reading on:
Alliance: When this Digimon Attacks, by suspending 1 of your other Digimon, this Digimon adds the suspended Digimon’s DP and gains <Security Attack +1> for the attack
This is a super cool ability to beef up your attacks. Check out the FAQ for more details:
This Terriermon is so sick! It has a search ability and it is eating a burger? I need it!
I love the art style for this one with all the divine Digimon fighting with Cherubimon. The color scheme is very serene, and the Alliance ability is a very nice touch for flavor and gameplay. You also get access to a nifty little debuff for using your Alliance ability? Sounds good to me.
This Renamon is so cool. I love the big full moon in the background and how it casts such a dramatic light on the figure. The smoke and energy coming off her as it fades into the dark is such a cool effect. I love the pinch of green she holds with her energy, it really makes this image pop. Not to mention that it has a solid on play effect and Inherited effect.
I love the painted style of this Gaogomon. The subtle colors and soft background really do it for me. That bounce ability and inherited memory gain on doesn’t hurt the appeal either.
This has a really nice bounce ability, but the vibrant colors and the art style are just so cool!
This is a such a cool looking card. The colors, the Digimon, the background! You get removal and either a discard spell or memory gain for a 3 cost? That’s a solid add to any green and purple deck.
Events for June – September 2023
Its going to be a busy couple weeks as the road to the 2023 Championships and the Ultimate cup continues. Make sure you check out the official page for events close to you! And make sure to check with your LGS to see if they are running the Store Championship.
Canoweissmon is the latest card to be announced as prize support for participating or being the top players in regional. Make sure you check the calendar for events near you!
Ultimate Cup Meta
And for those who enjoy keeping up with the meta, here is what has been shaping the Ultimate Cup. I always find it interesting how the meta shifts between regions.
Europe
Latin America
Oceania
Regionals
Here how it is shaping up in regionals!
Europe
Upcoming Releases
Bandai has graciously given us a roadmap for what is to come in the future. Lots of exciting releases, I can only hope my wallet can handle them all.
Thanks again for tuning in to enjoy the hobby with me. If you have been enjoying these updates, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and maybe share this with a friend or too. I think I’ll be doing these every Sunday. See you then!
Pokemon has officially announced the complete card list for their upcoming Pokemon 151 set releasing in Japan on June 16th. The Western release is scheduled for September 22nd, so make sure you start saving up now! This set is simply beautiful. The regular set is nice, but the alt arts are amazing! The set will feature the original 151 Pokemon, including Kadabra which hasn’t been available in a card for 20 years. There are 165 cards in this set with a few alt arts to pad it out. I will have to try my hardest not to collect them all. I don’t normally buy Pokemon cards, but I might have to snag a couple of packs on my trip to Japan for the nostalgia.
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I enjoy a good visual novel every now and again. I love to see the unique ways they approach narrative and enjoy the change of pace they allow. The first game I was ever sent to review was a Visual Novel, and I always look back on it fondly. Since then, I keep an eye on what is happening in the genre for my collection. When I saw the announcement for Death Trick: Double Blind, I knew I needed to play it. The art is beautiful, and I am always in the market for a good mystery.
A great magician has been murdered, and it is up to players to piece together clues to solve his murder before the circus leaves town. The game allows players to switch between two playable characters: the detective investigating the case and the magician’s replacement. Players can explore the circus grounds, interview suspects, and collect clues. Can you piece it all together before time runs out?
I love the aesthetic of this game. The colors, character design, and the world make something I want to explore. The developers promise a mystery that won’t soft lock if you solve the mystery early and a different interaction every time you talk to an NPC. If you enjoy the genre and need a new game to add to your collection, check out Death Trick: Double Blind today!
1 / 9
Death Trick: Double Blind releases on Steam later this year, but you can Wishlist the game and sign up for the playtest today. Don’t forget to follow the Noen Doctorine on their socials for all the news: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Discord!
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I was sent Volcano Princess as a review code. I am very grateful for the opportunity but won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review of the game.
Volcano Princess is a visual novel life sim for PC. You play as a single father who must raise a daughter in a fantasy world where demons and man are at war. You make the choices that will foster her growth into a functioning adult. How you choose to raise her is up to you, but the choices you make affect her future.
The gameplay loop is simple. Each day you are given a limited amount of action points to spend where you do activities with your daughter that increase her stats. What you choose to do is up to you, but the limits affect your relationship with her and what she grows up being. The game slowly introduces more mechanics as your daughter ages and choices become harder. When she is old enough, there will be a lite dating sim where she can choose from 18 romantic partners and a mini turn-based rpg game. The pacing is fantastic, and the different game mechanics give the game much-needed diversity. Your first playthrough will take about eight hours, but there are more than 50 endings to work toward.
This game is surprisingly addicting. I stressed over my choices because I needed to be a great father the first time around. I think I was successful, but I already have some ideas for future runs. The amount of choices available is what makes this game so much fun. Eventually, you be forced to think tactically about how you spend time with your daughter. Do you help her through a difficult time at the cost of some important attributes? Do you let her date? Become a writer? An actor? A warrior? It is all up to you, and it is such a wholesome good time.
My biggest tip for new players is to go in as blind as possible. I recommend not looking up a guide unless you want to collect every ending. Even then, I recommend you get some of your own endings first. The story is a little cheesy, but it is a good kind of cheesy worth experiencing at least once.
I love this game and would buy it if I hadn’t gotten it already. The art is cute, the story is wholesome, and the mechanics are relaxing and fun. That said, it isn’t for everyone. This game is great for players who love life sims and don’t mind visual novels. This game involves a lot of reading and waiting for timers. The timers aren’t long, but it doesn’t make for the most exciting gameplay. The story is fine, but there are noticeable grammatical errors. I didn’t mind the grammatical errors and loved the gameplay, but it is something to think about before you make the purchase.
Volcano Princess is $10.99 on Steam, and it is totally worth it for what you are getting.
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I got to try Worldlessat GDC, and it was one of the few times I have ever enjoyed a platformer. Worldless is a 2D minimalistic adventure platformer with an interesting battle mechanic. This game is beautiful, but the game has a great design. You play as this character of light and travel through this abstract world, fighting against monsters and marveling at how pretty everything is.
As far as platformers go, this one isn’t that bad. According to the game’s producer, the devs wanted to make the focus of the game its combat system. I don’t like platformers, but I found the experience pleasant and relaxing. I particularly loved how the world changes around the main character as you move her through the world. This feature was implemented to keep players from getting lost, and it works perfectly. It also looks great in practice.
The combat is where I had the most fun with the game. Combat is turn-based, but there is a slight rhythm mechanic to it. You can easily button-mash between turns to get through fights, but it is more efficient to get the timing correctly. The loop is simple. On your turn, you cast spells and abilities, and on theirs, you block. There are elemental weaknesses, resistances, and other quirks to keep combat engaging. Worldless also features a relatively expansive skill tree that you fill by absorbing monsters or finding hidden nodes. You can fill up the whole tree, so make sure you explore everything!
The demo does a fantastic job at slowly introducing mechanics as you explore the world and builds up perfectly to a final boss. The game design for this game is terrific, and I appreciate the attention to detail that went into the making of this experience. If you pay attention, the encounters give you enough hints to make the final boss fight easier. I was told that the boss in the demo isn’t as hard as the bosses in the full game, but I was also told that I was one of the few to beat it on the first try. I found the encounter to be challenging enough to keep me engaged. I wouldn’t have been able beat the boss without a solid strategy or proper game design.
If you like RPGs and platformers, you should be looking into Worldless. The combat is fun and engaging, the platforming is relaxing, and the game is beautiful. I loved my limited exposure to this game, and I look forward to its release.
Worldlessis coming to the PC and Xbox sometime this year, but an official date hasn’t been announced. The Demo is available on Steam, and I highly recommend you go download it. Don’t forget to wishlist it while you’re there!
Shout out the Dev who was so kind and answered all my questions. Make sure you follow them on Twitter and Join the Discord so that you are always up to date!
The winners for the 2023 Digimon Illustration winners have just been announced. Winners of this competition will have their cards printed in special promotional packs at a later date. I just got into the hobby and hope to score a set for my collection. Only eight cards will be printed, and I think my favorite is the Jellymon. Make sure you go over to the official website for the ruling.
Grand Prize
「Blood moon」 Kariki Hajime
Second Place
「Imperialdramon a new hope」 Capitan Artiglio
「Gather dreams」 E_Volution_
「Have a Sukamon parfait」 IRASA
「Know Oneself」 Takeuchi Moto
「Strong! Strong! Strong!」 Aurola
「Sunny day after rain」 naru
「Watching the sunset」 Iori Sunakura
I just wanted to share the news because the cards are beautiful, and wanted to spread the news. My hope is that it will get other people interested in at least collecting. I just started my collection and I am obsessed. I haven’t had a chance to play the game with people because my schedule is so busy, but the gameplay is pretty fun. If you want to start learning the game, they have a free app for Android and IOS devices that shows how to play. The official Reddit and Discord are great places to go if you want information or want to pick up a game or three. I will make sure I come back with news on how to get the cards.
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Great Pretender started as background noise. It was something I threw on randomly while I worked. Instead of something I glossed over, I ended up binging the series far quicker than I wanted. This anime has beautiful art, a great story, and a fantastic soundtrack. If you enjoy watching heist movies, this series should be next on your watchlist.
Edamura was a lowly scammer in Japan, preying on the old to get by. His life changes when a mysterious blond French man recruits him into an elite group of con men. This group of ethical con men preys on the shadiest figures that plague the planet to rob them of all their money for personal gain. But despite Edamura’s natural talent as a scammer, he doesn’t want to be a conman. As hard as he tries to live a normal life, Edamura keeps finding himself on another job. Can people like Edamura ever find peace?
This series captures everything I loved about heist movies. It has unique and charming characters to fall in love with, high stakes, and a very colorful art style. This series is full of deception and misdirection. Every time I thought I figured out the mystery, I found myself being scammed. What sets this series apart in the genre is Edamura’s constant struggle with being a con man. He doesn’t want to scam anyone, even when they deserve it. Watching this struggle as he tries to figure out what kind of man he wants to be made for a powerful narrative. Watching the cast grow with Edamura was even more powerful still.
The crew that Edamura joins isn’t perfect. They never execute a plan perfectly, and they find themself having to constantly improvise. This gave the series a much-needed sense of tension. I liked that despite the crew being made up of gifted individuals, they are all flawed. I loved watching them work through their flaws and grow from their experience. It makes for a very good narrative. One that I am sure you will enjoy.
Great Pretender is a fantastic series with beautiful art, terrific music, and a fun story. If you haven’t done so already, check it out on Netflix.
