The first Pokémon game on the Nintendo DS, Pokémon Dash was released in Europe on 11 March 2005. It is a racing game where you don’t steer anything: you rub the touch screen with the stylus to make Pikachu run, from checkpoint to checkpoint, across huge maps. Our original review gave it 12 out of 20. An original game, but a limited one.

The Pokémon Dash cover.

Running with the stylus

Every stroke drawn on the touch screen moves Pikachu forward; the longer and faster the strokes, the faster he runs. The goal: pass the checkpoints in order, by whatever route you choose, and finish first. Facing him are about fifteen console-controlled Pokémon, each with their own balloon.

Pikachu.

Balloons, terrains and boosters

Hot-air balloons let you rise up to spot the next checkpoint, then jump with two little balloons as a parachute. Popping them speeds up the fall, but you need to know where to land: on the road, no problem; in the forest, the sea or the lava, you have to redo the jump. Each terrain slows Pikachu down in its own way, and specific boosters restore his top speed. See Terrains and Boosters.

Pikachu’s balloon.
The landing.
A race in the sand.

The drawbacks

The content boils down to the cups and Time Attack. Only Pikachu is playable, the graphics remain modest and the repeated “Pika!” cries eventually grow tiresome. Above all, rubbing the screen continuously quickly becomes tiring, and memorizing the 25 courses, essential for winning on hard difficulty, will put many players off.

Is it worth playing today?

As a curiosity from the early days of the DS, yes. For a real racing game, you’re better off looking elsewhere. Note that it is the first game to show Munchlax, a fourth-generation Pokémon, even before Diamond and Pearl.

Munchlax.
11/20

Our verdict

A curiosity from the early days of the Nintendo DS, original but too thin to last.

What we like

  • An original stylus-based control scheme
  • Huge worlds
  • The balloon and terrain system
  • The first glimpse of Munchlax

What we like less

  • Only Pikachu is playable
  • Content limited to the cups
  • Tiresome music and cries
  • Tiring controls

Our original review is still online.