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Pokemon Dash
Pokemon Dash is one of the first generation
of games for the Nintendo DS that is probably the world's first
interactive racing title. The title is set within the Pokemon universe
and gamers get to control Pikachu (that strange yellow creature) in a
variety of different races that span the globe. The look and feel of
Pokemon Dash is two divided into two screens, with the top LCD used as a
radar (and map), with the bottom LCD screen used to control your
characters through the gaming environment.
Although the gameplay of Pokemon Dash is
rather simplistic, in actual fact, it's rather ingenious as players
speedily move their stylus over Pikachu in order for him to run faster.
Therefore, the faster you rub, the faster Pikachu will run but you
should also be wary for the variety of different obstacles such as the
ocean, forests, snow and even some balloon racing that all must be taken
into account as you race. The race track also contains Poke Ball
checkpoints that are littered throughout the course and once your
character touches one of these Poke Balls, they must continue to other
balls until there are none left. Finding these Poke Balls does become
difficult when you are competing in balloon races but after a few races
(and perhaps a few losses), you should have no difficulty in finding
these checkpoints.
Although Pokemon Dash has the gamer racing
around certain obstacles such as land, sea and air, the gamer also has
access to a radar that displays other characters, Poke Balls, hot air
Balloons and Lapras who ferries you across the water. By running on
paved roads, your characters run at their top speeds but when you move
through sand or forests, your character quite literally comes to halt as
they slowly make their way through this in-game obstacle. These
obstacles really make for some interesting gameplay and turns Pokemon
Dash into something entirely different than just your stock standard
racing game.
The main method of play in Pokemon Dash is
the Grand Prix mode that challenges players to win five different cups
on five different courses and as you progress through events, the games
difficulty slowly increases. For those gamers that already own Pokemon
Ruby, Sapphire or Emerald on the GameBoy Advance, you can actually
insert the cartridge into the Nintendo DS to unlock new courses that are
in the shape of your GBA Pokemon. Pokemon Dash also allows for six
players to compete in some of the most exciting multiplayer action on
the Nintendo DS but unfortunately they must have their own version of
Pokemon Dash.
Graphically, Pokemon Dash pays homage to
the original cartoon series with the top screen used to display 2D
images of the characters with the bottom screen displaying a 3D
simulated environment (which is the obstacle course and the characters).
There are also a variety of different environments in Pokemon Dash that
include areas with sand, snow, grass and forests to help keep things
different for the player. Although the graphics don't really push the
borders and boundaries of the extremely powerful Nintendo DS, it does
make for some fun gaming, especially for younger gamers.
In conclusion, Pokemon Dash is an
entertaining racing game that truly makes use of the Nintendo DS stylus
but unfortunately the gameplay does become a little repetitive but
considering that this title is aimed at the younger generation of
gamers, I'm sure the majority of them will be blissfully unaware of the
fact. Cute graphics, a sturdy gaming engine and all your favourite
Pokemon characters will probably make this game a huge hit!
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