By Andrew Liszewski
Given the billions of dollars Nintendo has/continues to make from the Pokemon franchise (roughly twice the number of actual Pokemon FYI) it’s no surprise that there’s still a steady stream of knock-offs trying to cash in on the ‘gotta collect/buy em’ all’ craze. And according to thumbsUp!, the latest is a game called Catcha Beast from Japan. It’s based around these handheld units that feature a ‘Beast Positioning System’ that interacts with the Earth’s magnetic fields to let kids find said beasts hiding in the atmosphere. (Translation: It’s completely random.) And where as Pokemon uses pokeballs to trap your prey, Catcha Beast uses a fishing rod approach requiring you to wind them in with a pop-out crank.
Once captured the same gameplay mechanics as Pokemon exist which include training your beast, earning its trust and then forcing it to compete and battle with your friend’s beasts by connecting two units together. And of course, as they get stronger there’s the chance they’ll evolve into other kinds of beasts, which of course is endlessly exciting. Now since they’re a wholesale outfit thumbsUp! requires you to order 6 units without knowing the price, but Catcha Beast also appears to be available from Amazon UK for just over $10 each. (£6.99)
[ Catcha Beast ]