This wonderful Wii game has been enjoyed in Japan since 5 December last year, and we’re still waiting to hear about a UK release, but we thought it would be fun to catch up with what Pikachu is up to in the new PokéPark…

The PokéPark is a bit like a theme park for Pokémon, and is usually a place of fun and frolics, but one day Pikachu gets a visit from Mew who tells him that all is not right at the PokéPark. Everyone’s favourite electric mouse rushes off to see if he can help. It turns out there are problems with the attractions and so Pikachu sets to work to solve them. The Pokémon’s Pika-abilities aren’t enough to solve some problems though, so he has to befriend other Pokémon and get them to use their abilities to help out.

The key to getting on in the game is to make friends with as many Pokémon as you can. This is through taking part in a Trial of Strength. Beat the Pokémon and they will join your ranks of pocket monsters! You need them on your side, as Pikachu can’t solve all of the park’s problems on his own – the other Pokémon each bring with them certain strengths and weaknesses that will make some of the tasks much easier to complete.

The locations in the game are varied in both terrain and look. There are large expanses of park to explore, filled with trees and rock formations; then there are enclosed locations like volcanoes and battle rings. All the Pokémon have been modelled in detailed 3D, so Pokémon fans are going to get a real kick out of seeing their favourites in the park!

While there are reportedly 193 Pokémon in the game, it’s a real shame that Game Freak couldn’t fit all 495 known Pokémon onto the Wii disc. Everyone has their own favourite Pokémon, and there will always be fans who will be disappointed that theirs has not made it into the ranks in the PokéPark.

The game is split into a selection of ‘zones’ for Pikachu to explore. There’s the Green Zone we see here with forest and a river running through it, the Gathering Place has gates and connects to the other areas of the park, the Beach Zone has a bridge you can access once you have completed certain tasks, then on to the Ice Zone with a ski lift and icy mountain, the Mine Zone with mine cart tracks, Magma Zone set inside a volcano, House Zone that you access from a hole in a hot air balloon and is full of ghosts, Stone Zone where Pikachu must deal with an earthquake, the Flower Zone where you get to meet Shaymin, and finally the Sky Garden where you meet a Piplup – but all is not as it seems!

The are lots of extra features in the game that can be accessed by entering a password… Things like a surfboard for Pikachu to ride on, balloons, snowboards and appearances from the Pokémon Celebi, Groudon, Darkrai and Jirachi, and all unlockable through secret passwords. These will soon be hot property at school breaktimes we wager!

One of the main moves that will keep Pikachu moving through the game is the Thunderbolt. Pikachu’s powers do decrease over time, but the plucky Pokémon can visit Electabuzz in The Gathering Place to recharge his special move. It costs 350 Pokédollars each time.

Getting about the PokéPark quickly is achieved by standing by a kind of bus stop and calling a Drifblim. At first the Pokémon will charge you 20 Pokédollars for a ride to another part of the park, but once you have made it your friend, the price goes down to 10 Pokédollars! Visit Misdreavus at his stall and you will get a camera to take photos of your adventures around the park. You simply hit the ‘-’ button on the Wii Remote to take a shot!

All the Fun of the Fair…

There are so many cool attractions in the PokéPark, you’re going to be spoilt for choice! From sliding to flying to smashing to targets to batting balls – you will need to make friends with a lot of Pokémon, as some are better than others at each attraction.

Bastiodon’s Panel Crash

Empoleon’s Snow Slider

Rhyperior’s Heat Up Fight

Salamence’s Super Sky Race

Venusaur’s Rope Swinging

A Trial of Strength!

As Pikachu wanders around the PokéPark he will come across 193 Pokémon. You can make these Pokémon join you if you beat them in a Trial of Strength. There are five trials in all, and each one offers some radically different gameplay to master. If you beat the Pokémon, you can then challenge them over and over again for fun!

Battles
This is the main trial and sees Pikachu battling against all kinds of Pokémon with various health bars and moves. Pikachu will always start off with a Thunderbolt, stunning the opponent so you can follow up with a Quick Attack or Iron Tail!

Tag Race
You’ve got to catch up with another Pokémon in this trial, which can be quite tricky when they are Ghost-types and disappear, or Flying-types and take off so you can’t touch them! Some Pokémon will also use attacks on Pikachu to make the trial even tougher.

Hide & Seek
Some Pokémon just love to play Hide & Seek! Accept a game and they will run off to hide. You have simply got to find them – sometimes they are easy to find, other times they will be behind objects, but listen out as you will be able to hear their cries.

Quizzes
Some Pokémon will join you if you answer a quiz question from them. Most Pokémon Trainers will know the answers to their Pokémon questions, but if you get one wrong, they will tell you the answer afterwards so you can remember it for next time.

Jump Challenge
This is the most tricky, and rarest, trial in the game. You have 99 seconds to jump across a series of platforms. There’s plenty of time, so take it slowly and get it right first time. If you fall, you will start again with the timer continuing to count down.