Hey You, Pikachu!

Infobox VG
title = Hey You, Pikachu!


developer = Ambrella
publisher = Nintendo
designer =
engine =
released = vgrelease|Japan|JPN|December 12, 1998
vgrelease|United States of America|USA|November 6, 2000
genre = Life simulation game
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Everyone
platforms = Nintendo 64
media = Cartridge
requirements =
input = Microphone

nihongo|"Hey You, Pikachu!"|ピカチュウげんきでちゅう|Pikachū Genki dechū is a Nintendo 64 game released in 1998. It was developed by Nintendo and Ambrella. Its Japanese name is "Pikachu Genki dechū", a pun on "Pikachu genki desu" (Pikachu is fine).

The game features voice-recognition technology used to talk to Pikachu, the star of the game. It one of only two games that utilizes the N64's "Voice Recognition Unit" (VRU), a piece of hardware that can comprehend and analyze the human voice. However, It is the only game released in America to use the VRU. Similar technology has been subsequently built into the Nintendo DS. The player can move around and pick up items, in addition to speaking with Pikachu.

A spiritual sequel to "Hey You" is "Pokémon Channel", a game released three years later on the Nintendo GameCube.

Gameplay

The game begins when the main character is asked to try out a new device of Professor Oak's that is used to talk to Pokémon. The player soon meets a wild Pikachu and befriends it. The Pikachu's trust must be earned by the player and eventually it will come and live in the player's house. There are three different activity days: Pikachu's Daring Days, Discovery Days, and Play Days. Each day has a different objective (i.e. collecting food, going fishing) and the player can earn Pika Points, which is the currency used at Abra's Shop to unlock new items.

Eventually, if the player reaches day 365, Professor Oak appears and says that Pikachu has to be released, as it is a wild Pokémon. The player has to go to the woods where Pikachu was found and say "goodbye" several times, upon which Pikachu realizes he can't live with the player anymore, and, sadly, leaves. After the credits, while the player is looking around the front yard and reminiscing about Pikachu, it returns, and the game continues as if Pikachu was never released.

Reception

Video game review aggregators like Metacritic [ [http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/n64/heyyoupikachu Hey You, Pikachu! (n64: 2000): Reviews ] ] and Game Rankings [ [http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/250595.asp Hey You, Pikachu! Reviews ] ] gave the game mixed reviews. Some complaints included the simplistic music and graphics, the controls, and the limits of the voice-recognition technology, which only understood about 200 words. Because of this, and due to the many different languages in Europe and other territories(and the huge variation of English accents in the UK, significantly more than any other anglophone region), it was never released outside of Japan and North America.

ee Also

Densha de Go! 64, the other game to use the VRU.

References