Review No. 45 PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure - Wii (3+)

Strong Points:

3D Pokémon

Good attractions

Nice soundtrack

Fun, colourful graphics

Weak Points:

Very short

Easy to complete
Besides the attractions, the rest of it isn't great

In-depth Review:

Release Dates:

Japan: December 5, 2009

North America: November 1, 2010

Australia: September 23, 2010

Europe: July 9, 2010

Controls:

D-pad: move/browse Poképark pad

+: open up PokéPark pad

2: read signs

A: use thunderbolt

B: face Pokémon

Wii Remote + B: zoom view

2: interact/jump

1: dash

-: take photo

This is a strange game. While it employs all three aspects of a good Pokémon game (capturing, training and battling) it doesn't develop them at all. Capturing is actually befriending Pokémon after doing a specific thing for them while training involves paying in game money to upgrade your moves and stats (of which there are few and are all predetermined). Battling is limited to a few predetermined battles and while these offer more freedom of movement than the turn based battles of the main series, they are so easy that there is no strategy involved other than run up and hit.

The point of the game is that Pikachu, Piplup, Charmander, Chikorita have fallen down a hole into the mythical Poképark and have become separated and, as Pikachu, it's your job to find them. While this is happening you also have to find out what is making the Poképark disappear. Oh, our poor overworked heroes. 

As you explore this magical land you will see Pokémon from gen 1 through to gen 4 and many different sections of the Park along with their attractions. Now we come to the reason why you play the game, these attractions are mini games that involve different Pokémon and different skills to participate. The attractions are: Bulbasaur's Daring Dash (6 way race),Venusaur's Vine Swing (launch yourself as far as possible), Pelipper's Circle Circuit (flying race with checkpoints which give you points), Gyarados' Aqua Dash (time trial), Empoleon's Snow Slide (time trial), Bastiodon's Block Barrage (think, Atari breakout), Rhyperior's Bumper Burn (sumo wrestlers), Blaziken's Boulder Bash, (smash the rocks at the right time when they are shot at you)Tangrowth's Swing-Along (timetrial by swinging), Dusknoir's Speed Slam (race with obstacles), Rotom's Spooky Shoot-'em-Up(shoot em up), Absol's Hurdle Bounce (hurdles), Salamence's Air Ace (shoot the projectiles while flying), Rayquaza's Balloon Panic (run into the targets while on top of a Rayquaza balloon).

Conclusion: overall the game is very basic and will only entertain young people. Although the attractions could provide some competitions to brew.

Rating: 40%

Goodbye for now, Harry