Pokémon Channel

Pokémon Channel is a 2003 GameCube game in the Pokémon series, developed by Ambrella and published by The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. Players help Professor Oak improve and promote his TV network by watching broadcasts alongside Pikachu. The game blends adventure, digital pet, and simulation genres, letting players explore 3D environments, have Pikachu talk to other Pokémon, and collect items.

The game was made quickly as a follow-up to the Nintendo 64 title Hey You, Pikachu! and to promote the Nintendo e-Reader, using a new 3D texturing effect. It debuted at E3 2003 and was promoted through a month-long series of events in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. It launched in Japan on July 18, 2003, in North America on December 1, 2003, and in Europe on April 2, 2004. In Japan, it sold 66,373 copies in its first year. Reviews were mixed, criticizing low interactivity and repetitive sound effects, though its collecting and visuals fared somewhat better.

Gameplay is hard to pin to one genre, mixing adventure, simulation, and digital pet elements. The graphics are 3D with a first-person view, and the player navigates using a cursor. The core activity is watching TV programs with Pikachu (voiced by Ikue Ōtani). The player lives in a house, can freely channel-surf through Professor Oak’s network, explore one room and several outdoor areas, and Pikachu sometimes shows emotions like happiness or anger while watching. The game spans a few days, with unique events each day, and the GameCube’s internal clock ensures each in-game day lasts at least one real-time day.

Only a few channels are needed to finish the game. Players save by reporting to Oak at Prof. Oak Report, watch episodes of the anime Pichu Bros., and listen to plot-advancing news from Psyduck on Pokémon News Flash (PNF). On Shop ’n Squirtle, players use the currency “Poké” to buy bus passes for travel, plus non-essential items like Pokémon dolls, new TVs, and decorations, all delivered by Delibird. Extra channels include the trivia game show Quiz Wobbuffet (where players earn Poké), Smeargle’s Art Study (an art exhibition where Smeargle comments on paint-by-numbers art made at home), and Smoochum Shape-Up (an exercise program).

Main collectibles are trading cards called Nice Cards, in three forms: Single (just a picture), Motion (holographic), and Platinum (holographic with Pokémon cries).