Nunchuck support would have easily remedied these shortcomings, but it was curiously forgone (presumably in the name of simplicity). The control scheme is needlessly limited and cumbersome as a result- digital movement is rarely precise in a three-dimensional space, and controlling Pikachu (especially while running) feels awkward at best and frustrating at worst. The A button allows Pikachu to charge and release a Thunderbolt, and a shake of the remote unleashes a swift Iron Tail (though only while engaged in battle). The D-pad controls Pikachu’s movement, while dashes and jumps are performed by the 1 and 2 buttons, respectively.

Pikachu is charged with restoring order to the land, and to do so he must travel between the individual sections of the park (called “Zones”) and recover the missing shards of the prism.Ĭontrols are handled entirely by the Wii Remote, held in a horizontal position. Without the prism, the Sky Pavilion, the heavenly sanctuary in which it is housed, will fall from the ether and destroy the park. Given the title’s younger target demographic, the plot of PokéPark Wii is expectedly simple: the Sky Prism, a celestial jewel that maintains the stability of the PokéPark, has inexplicably shattered, throwing the entire reserve into disarray. All of this history will undoubtedly be lost on younger fans of the series, but it will be enough to elicit an emotional response from those who grew up with the franchise, transforming a solid little adventure into a nostalgic experience that is greater than the sum of its parts.

It is for these reasons that the game feels chronologically displaced, a modern title that is simultaneously removed from and entrenched in the past.

That is not to say that the title is archaic rather, it shares a number of similarities with the Pokémon spin-offs of that time, and it is clear the game would have been among kin had it been released alongside the likes of Pokémon Snap and Hey You, Pikachu! Also of importance around this time was the American premiere of Mewtwo Strikes Back, and fans old enough to remember the event will note that PokéPark Wii bears more than a passing resemblance to “Pikachu’s Vacation,” the animated short that preceded the film. At a cursory glance, the title seems like it was ripped straight out of a bygone generation, the kind of Pokémon spin-off that would have felt more at home on Nintendo 64 than on a modern-day game console. PokéPark Wii is something of an anachronism.

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