To jump start the adventure, the mystical and rare Mew seeks out Pikachu and his friends Chikorita, Charmander and Piplup to help save the PokePark from destruction. Venusaur, Blaziken and Empoleon, former friends and rulers of the PokePark's regions, have drifted apart and the lack of friendship has shattered the Sky Prism, scattering its pieces all throughout the land. Maybe that doesn't sound so bad at first, but the Sky Prism is what keeps the Sky Pavilion (a magical fortress in the heavens where Mew lives) afloat and without it, it will fall from above and crush all those that live in the PokePark.
Using the Wii remote horizontally and playing chiefly as Pikachu, you will explore the different zones of the park with the goal of making friends with 193 different Pokemon, gathering berries, solving problems and clearing Attractions (mini-games) so you can collect Sky Prism pieces.
The park's areas are distinct and themed -- there's the beach zone, meadow zone, flower zone, haunted zone, etc. and different Pokemon types hang out in their respective areas. The zones look pretty good, though they can feel sparse, especially the cave and granite areas. Despite the lack of filling, each zone invokes an appropriate feeling -- the beach area is bright and seems like a fun place to hang out, while the haunted zone is creepy and mysterious. Some areas are locked and can only be visited once you complete a quest and if you want to save the PokePark you'll need to make friends everywhere.
Pokemon are strange little creatures and becoming buddies with them takes some work: some want to quiz you on your knowledge of Pokemon, others want to battle, some will make you participate in Obstacle Hop (a platforming sequence) while some can only be befriended through quests or giving them food.
Despite all these ways to add pals to your ParkPad there's one thing you'll be doing a lot of: playing chase. It seems that most Pokemon just want to play a quick game of tag, and if you're fast enough to catch up to them, you'll headbutt them in the behind and send them flying. It's strangely satisfying to launch another Pokemon into the air, and I think kids are really going to enjoy crashing into other Pokemon. You don't even have to engage in a game of chase to bump into others, you can just run around smashing into them. It's like Pokemon bumper cars.
The most annoying way to make friends is Obstacle Hop. A rudimentary platforming mini-game, this has you guide Pikachu to a Pokemon located on higher ground. Though you have plenty of time to complete the task, frustrations from the controls and camera are exacerbated in these sections. Thankfully, there are only a handful of them in the entire game so you won't do it that often.
Becoming buddy-buddy with another Pokemon isn't just good for the soul; it also nets you some berries and means you can call upon them to help you out in Attractions, motion-control mini-games present in each zone. This is important because certain Pokemon are exceptionally skilled in specific Attractions, so it's easier to clear the benchmark. For example, Buizel is a good friend to have when you're trying to play a water Attraction. Surpassing the "goal" of an Attraction will earn you a plethora of berries and a Sky Prism piece. You can replay the Attractions as much as you'd like, but it does cost a small amount of berries to start a game.
Attractions can be quite fun and generally use motion controls – some are races where you need to place first, others are courses where you need to collect a certain amount of points, another involves shooting, etc. so there's a good amount of variety here. A few mini-games require you to flick the Wii remote like you do in Wii Sports' bowling, but it doesn't seem to be very accurate and is sort of frustrating to use. But since this is a kids game, the Attractions are pretty forgiving and adults should have no trouble clearing most of them in their first playthrough.
Besides Attractions, battling other Pokemon is also quite refreshing – it's not turn-based and you don't draw circles of "friendship" over and over. Instead you'll navigate the 3D space and use Thundershock to zap the opposing Pokemon's health and stun them, leaving them vulnerable for a Dash or Iron Tail attack to knock down their HP a little more. The bummer here is that Pikachu's aim can be unreliable and the camera can get frustrating. You can reset your aim and the camera by hitting "B," but that's something I never felt natural doing. Still, with slightly tweaked camera and controls, I think the Pokemon Company should consider using this battle style in more games.
Participating in battles and skill games won't improve your stats though, that can only be done with berries. Not just currency for admittance into Attractions, berries are an integral part of leveling up Pikachu's powers. Primape, Bibarel, Ponyta and Electabuzz increase your Iron Tail, HP, Dash and Thundershock respectively. Dash seems like the most important skill to develop because it's used constantly either to get around or catch a Pokemon in a game of chase. Increasing your aptitude at skills is simple, but satisfying and it's a great way to get kids into role-playing games. Maxing out Pikachu's stats also requires some dedication, as the cost of berries for each level rises significantly as you progress.
Verdict
There seem to be some missed opportunities with PokePark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure (why is there no multiplayer option?), but that doesn’t stop it from being a solid game for children and the young at heart. With fun motion-control based mini-games, up to 193 Pokemon to befriend, lots of areas to explore and leveling up to do, Pikachu’s Adventure offers a lot of content. Sure, there are some slow and frustrating times peppered throughout the PokePark, but overall it’s an adorable and satisfying family-friendly experience.
