Hey You, Pikachu!

Hey You, Pikachu!
Developer(s)	Ambrella
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Nintendo 64
Release date	December 12, 1998 November 6, 2000
Genre	Digital pet, life simulation
Ratings	ESRB: - Everyone
Mode(s)	Single player
Media	Nintendo 64: Game Pak
Input	Nintendo 64: Nintendo 64 Controller

Hey You, Pikachu! is a virtual pet video game for the Nintendo 64, developed by Ambrella and published by Nintendo. It is a spinoff game of the Pokémon franchise. Hey You, Pikachu! was released in Japan in 1998 and in North America in 2000. The player's goal is to help Professor Oak by using a voice device named the PokéHelper (which had a 256 word database) to communicate to a Pikachu.

It is one of the only two Nintendo 64 games that utilizes the Voice Recognition Unit, the other game being Densha de Go! 64. The Voice Recognition Unit is a peripheral that can analyze and react to human voice. It can interpret the player's commands to Pikachu.

Ambrella developed a spiritual sequel to Hey You, Pikachu!, Pokémon Channel, which was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. The Wii also received a spiritual sequel, PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure, which itself eventually received a direct sequel, PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond.

Gameplay

The game begins when the main character is asked to try out a new device of Professor Oak's PokéHelper device. The player soon meets a wild Pikachu and befriends it. The player must earn Pikachu's trust 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 (e.g. 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 it 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.

Characters

• Mom - The main character's mother. She does not come into the storyline much, but does say "Good morning" to the player every morning.
• Professor Oak - The professor who invented the PokéHelper, the device used to talk to Pokémon.
• Pikachu - The partner of the main character, Pikachu and the player go on many adventures together, such as fishing trips and picnics.

Items

Throughout the game, the player collects many important items that can be stored in the toolbox:

• Ball: This is Pikachu's beach ball; Pikachu gives it to the player early in the game.
• Cupcake: This is a treat for Pikachu.
• Fishing Hook: This is used for fishing.
• Flying Acorn: Most likely the last item to be purchased from Abra's shop. Its availability depends on the number of days spent with Pikachu. It is a brown acorn with three leaves sprouting from the top. The item works very similar to the Frisbee but will cut off fruit from trees with which it comes into contact.
• Harmonica: This can be given to Pikachu for him to play different tunes.
• Lucky Hook: This hook is used to catch rare Pokémon.
• Megaphone: This is used to talk to Pikachu when it runs away. It can only fire sound in a straight line, and does it too loudly for normal use.
• PokéHelper: This device is used to talk to Pikachu.
• Watering Can: This is used to water Oddish and Gloom in the different parts of Springleaf Field. It can hold 5 servings.
• Watering Pail: This is used to water Oddish and Gloom in the different parts of Springleaf Field. It can hold 30 servings.

Reception

Reviews
Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Frank Provo, GameSpot	8.3/10	"'Despite the positive nature of this review, a huge flag of caution must be waved in the direction of the adolescents and adults out there: This game is not a powerhouse of voice recognition, nor is it a bastion of deep gameplay. If you're not a fan of the series or not into solving puzzles, your needs will be better met elsewhere. However, if you're a dyed-in-the-wool Pokéfan or if you happen to care for young children, then Hey You, Pikachu! is right up your alley. Its price tag may be steep, but there is limitless replay value to be found in the hands of the right audience."
Fran Mirabella III, IGN	6/10	"I found this game to be extremely boring. It's good for some laughs for about 10 minutes, but trying to accustom yourself to the erratic camera and "thick" control just won't happen easily. If you've played something like Turok it will be all the more painful trying to control your character. It's a first-person perspective and you can use the C-buttons to strafe left and right, but it's terribly stiff. Even in limited environments it doesn't work well. I'd rather be out mixing cement than having to deal with this control scheme. Although, you'll find they're eerily similar. That's coming from someone over 20 years old, though. From the eyes of a child this game will probably be a bit more appealing because you get to talk to Pikachu. Something any Pokémon fan would love to have a chance at. With that said, though, the sloppy game engine is going to choke the patience out of children, and there's seldom much to begin with. If you're a die-hard Pokémon fan over the age of 12 I'd suggest renting is about as far as you go. If you're a parent/guardian looking to give your child a great gift for the Holidays this may actually turn out great. It's not likely to be a gift that stands the test of time, but it will prove to be a timely novelty. It won't come cheap, though, so take caution before plunking down your hard-earned money. The end judgement is that Trix are for kids. Pokémon-loving children will get a kick out of this, but there's nothing a teenager or adult would really be interested in."

This article is a stub. You can help the Pokémon Wiki by expanding it.