All new systems have to be graced by an appearance by their flagship iconic characters. Nintendo’s ever-popular Pokemon was released to coincide with the release of the new DS system which also features WarioWares: Touched. Both versions show a decided lack of imagination in utilizing the system’s unique touch and dual screen feature. Pokemon Dash is a really uninspired racing game. It seems to be aimed at kids as young as a fetus with the exception of the sudden increase in difficulty that even gave me a headache. And not because it was challenging but because it’s annoyingly difficult due to the lack of control. Using the stylus to outline a path, you guide Pikachu through an obstacle course to various checkpoints on the map. The faster you move the stylus, the faster Pikachu will move. You’ll encounter hazards such as lava fields, ice flows and open water. To traverse this inhospitable terrain you can use power-ups to run over them or find balloons that will float you over them. The balloons can be moved in any direction. Being in the air is the only time you’ll have a good look at the map and where it is you’re supposed to go. The radar system basically disappears when you’re on the ground. You can poke the balloon to land quickly but you risk stunning Pikachu if you land on a hard surface. At first the difficulty level is way too easy. If you can breathe, you can expect to win. The other characters that are supposed to be racing against you move like they just got out of rehab. Then without warning things take a turn for the worse. The pace becomes faster but the claustrophobic view of the environments does nothing to accommodate you. If you haven’t been through these levels a number of times you’ll never stand a chance because there is no way to tell where to go unless you have the path memorized. The top-down view is void of any real relief or dimension. Everything looks flat. I’ve seen better looking GBC games than this. The colors are good and the sprites are nicely animated but the overall lack of detail is unacceptable. You could get away with these graphics in an RPG but not in an action racing game. The music is average but those annoyingly cutesy Pickachu squeeks and gurgles have got to go. Up to six players can take part in the multi-player mode but each will have to have a copy of the game which is most likely since the majority of kids that would want this game are too young to read this review. |