- This article is about the Famicom game called Pocket Monster. For the Mega Drive/SNES game of the same name, see Pocket Monster (Mega Drive/SNES).
Pocket Monster is a platforming game featuring Pikachu. The exact origins of this game remain unknown, but it's implied that the game's original developer had some ties to Gamtec and it was most likely released in early 2000's.
Overview
Pocket Monster's gameplay. Note that the background graphics are stolen from Athena and modified.
This is a simple platformer, in which the player controls Pikachu. Compared to many other NES games, the controls are inverted, which means that jumping is done pressing B, while A with a direction makes Pikachu run, and A on its' own clears every enemy on the screen. It's also possible to stomp on enemies, similarly to Super Mario Bros. Pikachu can take three hits before losing a life, with the amount of hits left represented by a Pokéball counter on the top right corner of the screen. There are a total of four worlds (Velbt, Woods, Tableland and Motte) which are split into three levels each, as well as a single-screen boss battle at the end of each. This game has a debug mode enabled by default, allowing the player free movement while paused, and to skip to the next level by pressing Select. In some places, the player can fall partway into the ground, although this doesn't have any implications. The music also glitches slightly at points.
Ending screen.
The background graphics are mostly ripped and slightly modified from Athena and Adventure Island II. Some of the enemies are also taken from various games, with some of them based off Pokémon. The sound engine was taken from Twin Bee, a game published and developed by Konami, and, while the game has a soundtrack of its' own, all the sound effects are still recognizably from Twin Bee - a setup similar to what Super Game (company) and Gamtec used to have. The ending is Pikachu dancing with an "End" message at the top of the screen.
Other versions
Panda World
This game was later hacked to make Panda World, which plays very similarly aside from different level layouts and the electric shock attack was replaced with the ability to throw snowballs, of which the player has a limited amount. Instead of Pikachu, the player controls a Tarepanda and this time around the debug mode now requires a cheat code to activate. Some of the background graphics are ripped from Mega Man 6.
Pocket Amethyst
Just a simple title screen hack.
Super Pocket Monster
Another hack of this game was made, called Super Pocket Monster, which is only known to exist on a 76-in-1 multicart. The rest of the game is exactly the same as the original.
Super Popo Adventure
This hack is based on the Teletubbies, and involves the main character going through levels to collect items for the rest of the cast. It is only known to exist on 150 in 1 Real Game.
Trivia
- The background music was later reused in Poke Tetris, a Tetris clone featuring Pikachu.
- "Velbt" is a misspelling of the word "Veldt" (also spelled "Veld") - a kind of field, usually present in South Africa, that's characteristic for being thinly forested but still having vegetation such as grass, bushes or shrubs.
- The dancing sprite of Pikachu seen in the ending is also used in Puckman Pockimon, when there are credits in the machine but only the first player is active. This, and the sound engine cues imply that the game's developer might've had some ties with Gamtec.
- The Tarepanda from Panda World appears on the front page of this Wiki.
- The backgrounds and tiles are taken and altered from Athena for the NES.
Gallery
Panda World
-0.png "Panda World (Unl)-0.png (5 KB)")
-7.png "Panda World (Unl)-7.png (4 KB)")
-2.png "Panda World (Unl)-2.png (7 KB)")
-1.png "Panda World (Unl)-1.png (3 KB)")