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Pokémon Dash (DS)

• Developer:
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Genre:
• Official Website: http://dash.pokemon-games.com
• Score: 2 of 5: Strictly Rental

Pokémon Dash is the newest and only Pokémon game currently out for the Nintendo DS, but you can bet that it is certainly not the last. Pokémon Dash boasts an impressive 25 different courses for you to conquer. What makes Pokémon Dash so unique is that the controls reside exclusively with the stylus and touch screen. This makes it unlike any other Pokémon game released so far.

PD is quite an interesting game and having it as my first journey into the massive world of Pokémon may not have been the smartest thing. I know the basic premise of Pokémon, but I probably have negative amounts of intimate knowledge on the topic, so bare with me here.

PD allows you to race alone or with up to six friends via the WiFi connection. Other racers must have a copy of the game to play. In addition to the 25 included courses, you may also use your copies of Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Sapphire, Pokémon Emerald, Pokémon FireRed and Pokémon LeafGreen to create new courses. This takes the total course count to a staggering 380.

The controls for PD were a little tough to get down, and despite logging a lot of time with the game, I still suck quite a bit. I am finding that exclusive use of the stylus and touch screen makes games very difficult for me to play. I almost have to position the DS on a bed or pillow so I can get my arm and hand in position to be flexible enough to play. The reason for this is that to make your Pokémon run, you stroke the touch screen in the direction you want him to run. While this may seem fun, it gets quite cumbersome and difficult to change directions.

In addition to running, you will also make use of balloons to travel large distances and funky blue water creatures (whose name escapes me) to cross bodies of water. The balloons add a level of difficulty to navigation because you have the option of popping your three balloons to land quicker. Pop them too fast and you will hit the ground and be stunned for a few seconds. Those few seconds are valuable seconds as the other racers speed past you.

The format of the game is very similar to any standard racing game, where you must complete the current racing circuit before moving on.

PD was not a terrible game, but I am going to be a little harsh on it because I am not a fan of Pokémon and I didn't particularly care for the method of controls. Pokémon fans will probably enjoy this one, so feel free to pick it up. Casual gamers will want to leave this on the shelf.

Jun 17, 2005 | 0 comments
Chris Rasco