Half of the Pokémon mini’s library never left Japan. Yet these are often the console’s most ambitious games. Here they are, based on Serebii; for Pokémon Puzzle Collection Vol. 2, see Puzzle Collection.
Pokémon Race mini (July 19, 2002)
A racing and platform game: Pikachu runs, jumps and clears tall grass and bodies of water to arrive before its opponent, over three laps. Each lap gives a charge for a burst of speed. The Grand Prix pits Pikachu against Pokémon suited to the terrain: Chikorita isn’t slowed by grass, Wooper by water, Sandshrew by sand, Magnemite clings to walls, Natu jumps higher, Diglett and Pichu squeeze through anywhere and Ditto climbs walls. The game has 16 courses, four of which are open from the start.
Pichu Bros. mini (August 9, 2002)
The successor to Party mini, this collection of mini-games is inspired by the Pichu Brothers of the short films. The lineup includes skateboarding with a Pichu, a hot-air balloon landing with Magby, a jump by Hoppip, Teddiursa eating fruit, Smoochum kissing Diglett, a bone toss between two Cubone, a tournament for up to ten players and a clock.
Togepi no Daibouken (October 18, 2002)
A Fearow carries Togepi to the top of a tower. As it escapes, Togepi trips and tumbles down the stairs: you have to guide it to the bottom of each tower, rolling, with only the directional pad and a lot of inertia. The levels are timed and filled with obstacles: Jigglypuff, Marill and Omanyte to push onto switches, Koffing, Poliwag and Voltorb to knock down, and Charizard as a boss.
Pokémon Sodateyasan mini (December 14, 2002)
The console’s last game is a virtual raising game. Professor Seko hands over an Egg that hatches into Treecko, Torchic or Mudkip. You feed it Poké Blocks every three hours, wash it, play with it: bubbles, a feather, a camera… Its four qualities, friendship, strength, intelligence and beauty, increase; when three reach the maximum, the Pokémon leaves for a new Trainer and a new game begins.
