Editorial Review
Based on the popular Pokémon card game, this Pokéball LCD game features a much simpler goal: capture a Pokémon. The device looks like a 3-D replica of the coveted red and white Pokéball from the cartoon series. The hinged plastic ball opens with the push of a button. The top half contains a small LCD screen that shows your score and the Pokémon you are trying to catch. The bottom half is the console with on/off and volume buttons, catch buttons, and two concentric circles of LED lights with one large LED light in the middle. The LED lights represent the Pokémon, and when the Pokéball is rotated, the lights move around the circles. The goal is to tilt the Pokéball so that the light is in the very middle, then quickly press both catch buttons. The action is similar to one of those old plastic maze games. If you catch the Pokémon, its picture and statistics show up on the LCD screen. All of this action is accompanied by loud arcade-style sound effects, which can be turned off at any time during play. The games get progressively tougher as new elements are added: more than one Pokémon appear at a time, captured Pokémons escape, or a time limit is imposed. This is a game of speed and coordination, but its simplicity might grow old quickly. Since most Pokémon card-game fans love the complexity of the game, this one might only be for Pokémon collectors who have to catch them all.
--M. Sullivan
