


You would think that the addition of Pokémon that can swim or fly or burrow would add some spice, but it doesn't. You'll repeat this over and over and over, but it never gets any more fun. Talk to the Pokémon, ram into them a few seconds later, and you're done. If the Chase sequences had been structured as a platforming challenge or even a simple race, they could have been pretty fun. The Pokémon begins running, and you chase after it you ram into it with your dash move to "tag" it. Tons of the Pokepals enjoy this minigame, but the player is likely to get bored of it after the first or second try. Probably the most common minigame in PokePark 2 is Chase, where the Pokémon basically play tag. Several moves rely on charging instead of a button press, and that makes them feel practically useless. The addition of more buttons and more controls could have made the game even easier to pick up and play. The game controls in three dimensions but limits you to the somewhat-uncomfortable d-pad on the Wiimote.

With that said, the lack of Nunchuk control is really obvious. You have a jump button and a dash button, and that is all you need to explore the world of PokePark 2. The game uses the Wii Remote in the NES controller style, limiting you primarily to the A and B buttons and the d-pad. It is a shame that only a few Pokémon are represented - not even a quarter of the available characters - but the game barely has enough content to justify the ones it does have. Befriend enough Pokémon, and you can open up new areas and content.

"Making Friends" is basically shorthand for performing a few different minigames to please them. Most of your time is spent wandering around the park making friends with the 100+ Pokémon who inhabit the place. However, the gameplay is incredibly simplistic. The presentation is charming, the pocket monsters are adorable and cuddly, and the atmosphere is bright and chipper. With that said, if there isn't a young child in your household, there isn't much for you to enjoy. It may seem weird to go from a (relatively) complex RPG like Pokémon Black and White to PokePark 2, but the target audience seems to be younger kids who enjoy the characters or television show but find the RPGs to be daunting. They can play around with the characters without the risk of frustration or anger. This may sound dull, but it makes it a fantastic game for younger kids. Even if you lose a battle that you must win, you're given the chance to do it again without fanfare. You can win or lose, and the game will continue. It has goals, challenges and missions, but they're presented as silly and fun things to do. Together, the pair must rescue their friends and stop the evil force before it ruins everything. Pikachu barely escapes with some help from his new pal, Oshawott. Evil Pokémon are using it, along with some evil cake, to brainwash the inhabitants of PokePark. Pikachu and his pals visit a special amusement park, which turns out to be a trap. Pikachu and his pals live in a near-idyllic PokePark, where they play and have fun without humans catching them and stuffing them in poké balls. In PokePark 2: Wonders Beyond, players take control of Pikachu, the adorable Pokémon mascot.
