Chase Bonner
Banned
Pokemon are Nintendo's pride and joy. If you don't know what they are, you must have been living under a rock for the last 8 years. Originally released on Game Boy in 1997 in America, Pokemon Red and Blue captured the hearts of millions of children and adults alike. Since then, more than 20 Pokemon games have been released, and there are even more that are being developed. One of the numerous Pokemon games is Pokemon Channel, which was released exclusively for Gamecube back in December 2003. Pokemon Channel isn't like any other Pokemon game ever released; it's also not like any other video game ever released. It's completely original, and I totally give it props for that. Instead of the normal rpg style Pokemon game, Pokemon Channel has you taking care of a Pikachu, one of most popular and adorable Pokemon. Now, you did take care of a Pikachu in Hey You, Pikachu! on the N64, which I never really played, but in this game, you get to watch TV with Pikachu! Seems boring, huh? Well it's not, read on to find out.
Gameplay: 8/10
The basic gameplay in Pokemon Channel is to watch TV with Pikachu, pet Pikachu, take Pikachu outside to meet other Pokemon, (which, by the way, is one of the best parts of the game), and collect Nice Cards, which are the game's own collectable card game. When you first start the game, there are only a few channels to watch, and you must watch them all to proceed any further. As the days go by, more and more channels are available to watch. It runs on real time, so once you watch all the channels for one day, you have to wait until tomorrow to watch the new ones. Now, you can just change the clock on your Gamecube to finish the game faster, but I implore you to play it right. Believe me, you'll enjoy the game a lot more. The game is basically a point and click adventure, so the control is flawless. Difficulty? There is no difficulty! But you have to understand that there wasn't supposed to be any. This game is aimed at younger children. I still loved it, however. There is a shopping channel that you can watch, and you can order items and Nice Cards off it with the money you make, and if you tried to collect all the Nice cards, that would certainly be a challenge! It'd take a while to do that!!!
Story: 8/10
I like the story in this game. You are chosen by Professor Oak to watch the channels on the “Pokemon Channel” and see if they are good enough to broadcast to the Pokemon world. Short, but sweet.
Graphics/Sound: 10/10
The graphics in this game are simply amazing. Just take a look at Pikachu! He/She looks amazing! Also, the backgrounds of the areas that you explore also look great. There is no slowdown at all, but there really shouldn't be, because it's a calm, light-hearted game. The sound is also great. Hearing Pikachu recite his name over and over, (that's how Pokemon talk), sounds great, and the music in the game is good, too.
Play Time/Replayability: 7/10
Although the game doesn't give you too much to do once you beat it, you can still try to collect all the Nice Cards, answer all of the Pokemon's questions that they give you, take care of Pikachu, and watch TV! If you play the game the way it should be played, it should take you around 5 days to beat.
Final Recommendation: Buy
Pokemon Channel is a nice change of pace from the other fast paced games that we play today, and it's just there to make you feel good. It is most definitely worth a purchase.
Final Score: 8/10
Gameplay: 8/10
The basic gameplay in Pokemon Channel is to watch TV with Pikachu, pet Pikachu, take Pikachu outside to meet other Pokemon, (which, by the way, is one of the best parts of the game), and collect Nice Cards, which are the game's own collectable card game. When you first start the game, there are only a few channels to watch, and you must watch them all to proceed any further. As the days go by, more and more channels are available to watch. It runs on real time, so once you watch all the channels for one day, you have to wait until tomorrow to watch the new ones. Now, you can just change the clock on your Gamecube to finish the game faster, but I implore you to play it right. Believe me, you'll enjoy the game a lot more. The game is basically a point and click adventure, so the control is flawless. Difficulty? There is no difficulty! But you have to understand that there wasn't supposed to be any. This game is aimed at younger children. I still loved it, however. There is a shopping channel that you can watch, and you can order items and Nice Cards off it with the money you make, and if you tried to collect all the Nice cards, that would certainly be a challenge! It'd take a while to do that!!!
Story: 8/10
I like the story in this game. You are chosen by Professor Oak to watch the channels on the “Pokemon Channel” and see if they are good enough to broadcast to the Pokemon world. Short, but sweet.
Graphics/Sound: 10/10
The graphics in this game are simply amazing. Just take a look at Pikachu! He/She looks amazing! Also, the backgrounds of the areas that you explore also look great. There is no slowdown at all, but there really shouldn't be, because it's a calm, light-hearted game. The sound is also great. Hearing Pikachu recite his name over and over, (that's how Pokemon talk), sounds great, and the music in the game is good, too.
Play Time/Replayability: 7/10
Although the game doesn't give you too much to do once you beat it, you can still try to collect all the Nice Cards, answer all of the Pokemon's questions that they give you, take care of Pikachu, and watch TV! If you play the game the way it should be played, it should take you around 5 days to beat.
Final Recommendation: Buy
Pokemon Channel is a nice change of pace from the other fast paced games that we play today, and it's just there to make you feel good. It is most definitely worth a purchase.
Final Score: 8/10
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