If you are a Pikachu fan, Hey You, Pikachu will serve some fun, but if you're not, you should look elsewhere.
Graphics: 5/10
Sound: 9/10
Value: 6/10
Tilt: 7/10
Final Score: 7.7/10 (C+)
I originally gave Hey You, Pikachu a mediocre review, but that was when my reviews SUCKED!! Now, I can see that it's growing on me. Yes I know, a lot of people hate this game, but I can't help it. I actually like this game! Maybe it's because I loved this game as a 7 year old in 2000, or it's that I am a die hard Nintendo 64 fan and Nintendo fanboy, or if it's I'm a Pokemon fan or Pikachu fan, but whatever the case, I found Hey You, Pikachu to be more enjoyable than what other critics said it was.
Pikachu is and was always my favorite Pokemon character. In fact, EVERYONE loved that yellow mouse back in the late 90's and early 2000's. So Nintendo made a game where you could talk to Pikachu, using VRU microphone technology. This was the ONLY game released on the N64 in America with that concept, but it's pretty novel. The problem is, I wanted to BE PIKACHU!! How the hell didn't Nintendo think of making a 3D free roaming Pokemon game for the N64? I pretty sure the console had the technology, especially when you consider Super Mario 64 was release FOUR YEARS EARLIER!! Especially when you see Pikachu in all of these minigames, you really want to be him instead of talking to him.
I lost my microphone sometime in the middle 2000's, but my cousin gave me his (without the yellow thing on the top). It still works fine, and allowed me to play this game without major problems. Basically, you press the Z button to make a bubble appear, then you talk into it when you see Pikachu. Pikachu will then respond on whatever you said. At least that's what the manual says! The problem with Hey You, Pikachu is that you have to use PERFECT DICTION if you want Pikachu to respond most of the time. Sometimes, Pikachu doesn't respond at all, or does the opposite of what you request. For example, during the hunt for food, I told him to give the corn he found to Magnemite, but he thought I said not to give it to Magnemite, so he threw it away! The Pinata level is almost unplayable, because Pikachu takes forever to get to the pinata because he doesn't really respond that well to your commands.
When Pikachu does respond to your commands, you're in for a treat all you Pikachu fans. Pikachu does all these cute animations and accomplishes tasks for you so you can advance to another part of the game. At the end of the day, Pikachu says goodbye to you. At a certain point, he gets to live with you for a while. Then you can unlock levels and decorate your room. These animations and cool interaction make for a pleasant experience.
Even so, Hey You, Pikachu is the least enjoyable of all the N64 Pokemon games I've played. The Quiz Time minigame is UNPLAYABLE!! It tells you to name the pokemon in the shadow. I knew a lot of it, since I'm a pokefan, but Pikachu sometimes presses the WRONG BUTTON OR PRESSES IT TOO FAST!! HOW COME I CAN'T TAKE THE QUIZ MYSELF?! The quiz in Pokemon Stadium 2 is MUCH more enjoyable than this crap. I like how you can buy items in the Abra shop, but only Pikachu can pick whatever he wants!! Watching Pikachu fish is fun, but I wish I could've done the fishing. Sometimes I felt like I never accomplished anything one day, because I FAILED THE MISSION but BROUGHT the right ingredients in the cooking level. Still, the game is easy and the missions are short.
The graphics aren't anything to impress. The pokemon are nicely detailed, and the backgrounds are interesting, but the framerate seems choppy and the area seems to look like a 1996 game! Hell, SM64 looks better than this game. The audio is top notch, however, and the music is pretty relaxing.
If you are a Pikachu fan, Hey You Pikachu will serve some fun, but if you're not, you should look elsewhere. Some elements of it suck, but I liked it nevertheless. It's hard to judge this one, considering it was the only VRU game on the N64 in America. Still, Pokemon fans should collect this title thanks to its charm and cute animations.