Genius Sonority/Nintendo application. Pet-Pikachu simulation with mini-games, interactive TV shows, evolving content. Not a real Pokémon game, more a light edutainment piece. Only for very young Pokémon fans.
Your verdict
Category
Simulation1 player3+
Description
Original Japanese edition of the Pokémon Channel adventure with Pikachu. Published by Nintendo, released in July 2003. Several interactive TV channels, mini-games, interactions with Pikachu and a runtime that evolves day by day. Japanese release only.
Pokemon Channel - Pikachu to Issho! review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
3/5
Music
★★★★★
"Memorable"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
Gameplay
"Sloppy"
Fun
"Pleasant"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Very easy"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾0,98 GB📅18/07/2003
Published by Nintendo
Pokemon Channel - Pikachu to Issho! (GameCube) price, value & rarity
The original Japanese edition of Pokémon Channel, released before the Western versions under the title Pikachu to Issho. The first iteration of this home edutainment, it documents the genesis of the concept and carries Japan-specific adjustments. Its desirability rests on that inaugural-version status and on Pokémon collectors' interest in first releases, the object circulating mainly on the Japanese second-hand market.
A questionable morality
Everything here breathes gentleness: you watch TV in Pikachu's company, without a shred of violence. And yet the whole universe rests on the placid idea of collecting living creatures to keep them close. Even in lounging mode, the endearing logic of catching them all keeps humming in the background, and nobody dreams of taking offense.
Is Pokemon Channel - Pikachu to Issho! still worth playing in 2026?
Pokemon Channel is less a game than a contemplative experience where Pikachu watches television alongside the player. The interactive channels and minigames have a quaint charm, but the deliberately slow pace and lack of real progression work against the whole today. Reserved for diehard Pikachu fans and the curious about the franchise's offbeat projects, it struggles to justify a session for today's general audience.
