Modern state of “Pokémon” is unacceptable

BY JACOB GUTIERREZ REPORTER

Recently, the latest entries in the Pokémon franchise, “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Pokémon Violet,” were released to widespread criticism. Fans generally enjoyed the story and gameplay, but cited poor performance and low quality of graphics as a sign of the franchise’s declining quality. Others argued that, because the game itself is fun, graphical and performance issues are less meaningful. However, those problems are a manifestation of a far larger problem; a problem lying in the business practices of the franchise’s owners, Game Freak and Nintendo. The severe issues in performance and graphical quality are simply inexcusable for Pokémon, a franchise worth tens of billions of dollars.

Issues in the newest games are said to stem from the harsh deadlines and difficult conditions imposed upon the development team. Low quality graphics and frequent crashes are used as an example of poor employee treatment. Difficult standards during a game’s development process often lead to flaws in the final product, and such flaws were obvious with the release of “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Pokémon Violet.”

The widespread acceptance of the low quality of the Pokémon games at launch shows corporations such as Nintendo that fans would accept lower quality products for the same price. Such a philosophy could lead to game development studios producing worse games given the attitude of fans, who would staunchly defend both the game’s producers and the game itself due to the lowered standards of the community.

Fans of both the franchise and Nintendo claim that graphical quality is generally a minor part of a game and insignificant to its final quality. To an extent, that is true, but the issues present in “Pokémon Scarlet” and “Pokémon Violet” run far deeper than simple poor graphical quality. Visual flaws are a sign of the game development’s decreasing quality and the lack of care expressed by the franchise’s owners.

Financially supporting Nintendo and the Pokémon Company is, as evidenced by the flaws present within their newest release, supporting a company that cares less and less about the quality of their games. Unacceptable quality drops should tell consumers that their money is more important than their voice to Nintendo, and will lead to further drops in the functionality and playability of the franchise they enjoy.

The first season of Alice in the Borderland came out on Dec. 10, 2020, the month before I started watching it. This show came out before another show called Squid Game. Both shows were similar, but this show’s concept was unique: there was a different boss in each game. I thought it was pretty cool, but it was back and forth with the events. However the show was getting more enjoyable as I watched it.

My favorite character was Kuina because she seemed vital, spirited, and very strong-minded Her confidence in general — as a woman — is what I loved the most about her. The other characters were pretty cool, but I got annoyed at them because of the way they did certain things during the games or when their death happened. I just felt like some of it was weird or cringy.

On the other hand, there were parts where the characters surprised me because of the bonds and trust they have built. Additionally, it was a bit annoying because some characters were supposed to be dead, but they either came back and died again or just came back and disappeared. Some of those characters I disliked a lot because of how they betrayed the others. At the same time there was always a reason behind it which made me understand why they did what they did.

Besides that, I would say it is an excellent show to watch. There were amusing games, and I thought some of the games implemented excellent strategies and the way some people challenged themselves or came up with their ideas to survive the games. It was also a bit gruesome when it came to how some of the people died. One thing is the ending was a bit upsetting and disappointing. I did not like the ending as much, but I understood how it could happen. I was a little happy, but it was not the same with the relationships between the characters.

For years, rumors about garlic's immune-boosting properties have circulated in parents' kitchens. With the flu season in full swing, this soup is perfect for those seeking the benefits of garlic without the harsh taste.

Ingredients:

60 cloves of garlic

¼ - ½ cup of olive oil

1 medium onion

1 medium potato

4-5 cups of chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Seasonings of choice (optional)

Lemon juice to taste

Step 1: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Step 2: Place 40 cloves of garlic in a small, oven safe dish, and cover with olive oil.

Step 3: Cover dish, and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until soft and browned.

Step 4: Coat the bottom of a large pot with olive oil, and bring to medium heat.

Step 5: Mince the other 20 cloves of garlic, and chop the onion and potato.

Step 6: Add to the pot garlic, onions, potato, salt, pepper, and other seasonings you desire into the pot.

Step 7: Pour the chicken broth into the pot; if you prefer a rich soup, add less broth.

Step 8: Boil until the potato is soft enough to be easily pierced by a fork.

Step 9: Add soup into a blender along with the 40 roasted cloves of garlic and lemon juice, then blend until smooth.

Step 10: Pour soup back into the pot and bring back to a boil before serving.