PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure Game Review

The Pokemon franchise has seen huge amounts of success on hand-held systems in the past few years, but never really impressing on any main console. Though there are Pokemon games on the Wii, none are worth you're time or hard earned money. PokePark Wii is the latest instalment of the franchise to hit the Nintendo Wii and this time it might just be worth a look. This little RPG is heavy on mini-games and while it is directed at the younger audience, it can still provide a fun enjoyable experience for anyone.

You're magical adventure begins when the Legendary Mew seeks out Pikachu and his friends, Chikorita, Charmander, and Piplup to help save the PokePark from certain destruction. Former friends and rulers of the PokePark regions, Venusaur, Blaziken, and Empoleon have drifted apart and the lack of friendship has shattered the Sky Prism, scattering it's pieces all throughout the land. The Sky Prism is what keeps the Sky Pavilion (Magical fortress in the heavens, Mew's home) floating. If this was to fall it would crush all the Pokemon bellow, so this is a very serious issue in the world of Pokemon.

You play as expected as Pikachu, using the Wii remote horizontally you're goal is to become friends with 193 different Pokemon, solve problems, gather berries, and complete the various mini-games to gather all of the fallen Sky Prism pieces.

There is a great deal of variety at the park, you will go to places like the Beach Zone, Meadow Zone, Flower Zone, and a Haunted Zone are just a few of the various colourful places to explore. Pokemon stick to their own areas and although some of the areas feel bare and show little signs of life, they all provoke a different mood and feel which is great. The Beach area is fun, brightly coloured, and seems like a fun place to hang out. The Haunted area on the other hand is creepy and mysterious. The game manages to make the player feel like everywhere they explore is a new and fresh adventure. Some areas will need you to complete a specific challenge before it will unlock for you. Saving the game will require you to make lots of friends.

It's not as easy as you would think, becoming friends with one of these strange little creatures will take some work. Some Pokemon will want to quiz you on you're knowledge of Pokemon, while others will want you to battle, find food, or even compete in some fun challenges with them.

Despite all these ways to add new friends to you're ParkPad, the one thing you will be doing more than anything else is playing chase. Most Pokemon just want to play a quick game of tag, if you're fast enough to catch them, you'll headbutt them from behind and this is surprisingly satisfying. I would have liked to spend more time doing the other mini-games but for the most part there is no feeling of repetitiveness here which is good. Children will likely have a blast running up to other Pokemon and bumping into them like little bumper cars, you can do this even when you're not playing a mini game which is also fun.

Obstacle Hop, a mini-game in which Pikachu's goal is to reach a Pokemon on higher ground, is the most annoying and frustrating way to make new friends. This is due to the below average controls and poor camera angles which make it frustrating even with the amount of time you have available.

Becoming friends with other Pokemon also nets you some berries, you can also call upon them to help you out in some events which is very useful. Motion controlled mini-games are present in each zone so this is extremely important because certain types of Pokemon will perform better in different attractions. Water Pokemon will do better in water related events just as fire Pokemon will be much more helpful in a fire related event. So making new friends is not just for fun, it's a necessity. It does cost a small amount of berries to compete in these challenges but the rewards are great, a ton of berries and Sky Prism pieces will encourage anyone to play even the more frustrating events.

There is a good variety when it comes to the attractions, they will range from racing to shooting. This creates a much richer experience and will hold the players interest for much longer. The only real test is the poor controls and camera angles, once those have been mastered the game will be far to easy for adults, but still fun.

The battles are really refreshing to see, they are not turn-based like the hand-held Pokemon games. Players will navigate the 3D space attempting to stun the opponent with a Thundershock attack, leaving them vulnerable for the Dash or Iron Tale attack which will remove some of the opponents HP. There is not a great deal of depth to the combat but just having it is great. The disappointment is Pikachu's aim is dreadful, with poor camera angles it makes the controls feel awkward and unreliable. This however is a step in the right direction for other Pokemon games which involve battling and should be continued in the future.

Berries are the only way to increase Pikachu's stats, you can't do it through combat. Berries act as currency and while there is not a great deal of depth to Pikachu, it's still fun to improve his moves and stats.

Overall PokePark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure is a fun and delightful little game for children, it can provide some enjoyment for adults, but not much. The game is bare but beautifully coloured and the variety really adds a great deal to the overall experience. There are lot's of fun mini-games which would have been more fun if it wasn't for the poor controls and camera angles.

Definitely fun for Pokemon fans, disappointing to everyone else 6/10