Pocket Monster

From Sega Retro

n/a

PocketMonster title.png

Pocket Monster
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: X Boy(?)
Developer:
Sound driver: Data East/High Seas Havoc
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
TW
?
Non-Sega versions

Pocket Monster, also known as Bǐkǎchāo (比卡超)[1], is an unlicensed game for the Sega Mega Drive based on Nintendo's Pokémon franchise. It is a platform game where the player controls Pikachu.

The game's origins are unknown, however a port exists for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and there is a sequel, Pocket Monster II. Graphics are stolen from a number of games, including Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure, Mr. Nutz, QuackShot Starring Donald Duck, Magical Taruruto-kun and Monster World IV.

Gameplay

Pocket Monster presents itself as a standard platformer across five side-scrolling levels, each level ending with a boss encounter. Pikachu is capable of moving left and right with the D-Pad and jumping with the C button. When Pikachu has collected at least 20 points of energy from batteries, he can perform an electrical attack with the A button, which takes out all on-screen enemies and does damage to bosses. Another way to defeat enemies is to jump on their heads, though defeated enemies will respawn when Pikachu moves away from their location and comes back.

Pikachu's health is represented by a two-digit number below the lives counter with a maximum value of 99, and is decreased by enemy attacks. Pikachu has a set amount of lives and continues to beat the game, both of which can be set between 3 and 5 in the options menu, as well as a difficulty setting which affects how much Pikachu's health decreases from enemy attacks (5 points on Easy, 10 on Normal, 15 on Hard).

While some of the enemies encountered throughout the game are Pokémon such as Porygon and Beedrill, there are some enemies taken from other games such as Syd of Valis and Magical Taruruto-kun. Most sound effects are in PCM format and are taken from games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers, Donkey Kong Country 2, Disney's Aladdin and The Lion King, while Pikachu's voice clip comes from the Pokémon anime series.

Items

PocketMonster MD Sprite Items.png
Gem
Collecting 50 gems will give Pikachu 10 points of electrical energy, however taking damage will make him lose all of his gems.
PocketMonster MD Sprite Items.png
PocketMonster MD Sprite Items.png
Battery
Small batteries give 5 points of electrical energy, while larger batteries give 10 points.
PocketMonster MD Sprite Items.png
PocketMonster MD Sprite Items.png
Heart
Small hearts restore 10 points of health, while larger hearts restore 20 points.
PocketMonster MD Sprite Items.png
Poké Ball
Makes Pikachu invincible to enemies for a few seconds.
PocketMonster MD Sprite Items.png
Pikachu icon
Awards an extra life.

Stages

PocketMonster MD Stage1.png

PocketMonster MD Stage1 Midboss.png

PocketMonster MD Stage1 Boss.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage1.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage1 Midboss.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage1 Boss.png

In the Forest
This is a typical grassland/forest stage which uses the background from the grassland level in Tiny Toon Adventures: Buster's Hidden Treasure, and sees Pikachu hopping between trees to cross pits or reach higher places.

Pinsir appears as a mid-boss who moves back and forth and must be defeated in order to enable a platform to take Pikachu further through the level. Snorlax is the boss of the level inside a cave, who attacks by rolling and jumping.

PocketMonster MD Stage2.png

PocketMonster MD Stage2 Boss.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage2.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage2 Boss.png

It's Hot
A lava-themed stage which copies its foreground graphics and level design directly from Volcano Underpass 2 from Mr. Nutz, though uses the background from Zone A from Darius II.

Its boss, which takes place in its own arena on a different map, is a turtle-like monster who rolls around in its shell and can only be attacked when it pokes its head out, thus it has a significantly lower amount of hit points compared to other bosses. Pikachu can avoid its attacks by standing on the beanstalk branch.

PocketMonster MD Stage3.png

PocketMonster MD Stage3 Boss.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage3.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage3 Boss.png

Jump Around
This mechanical-themed stage copies its foreground graphics and level layout directly from the third area of Pete's Hideout from QuackShot Starring Donald Duck, though the level design has been extended by mirroring it from where the area normally ended in QuackShot and also adding a boss arena. The background is taken from the factory levels of Donkey Kong Country and recoloured blue.

Its boss is the mid-boss from the second Act of the first stage of Syd of Valis with a different palette, who moves back and forth in the arena.

PocketMonster MD Stage4.png

PocketMonster MD Stage4 Boss.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage4.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage4 Boss.png

Underground
Despite its name, this stage is set in a forest using the background and foreground graphics from Estafan Village from Monster World IV with the addition of wooden structures, floating wooden platforms, bridges that collapse when walked on, and spikes that will instantly kill Pikachu.

Its boss is Gengar, who walks and hops back and forth in its arena.

PocketMonster MD Stage5.png

PocketMonster MD Stage5 Boss.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage5.png

  • PocketMonster MD Stage5 Boss.png

Hard Rock
The final stage in the game uses the graphics and much of the level design for the first area of the Great Duck Treasure Island from QuackShot, with Pikachu jumping through the jungle across instant-death spikes and making his way underground.

Onix is fought as the final boss of the game in its own arena on a different map, and attacks Pikachu by lunging its head at him from a fixed position, which is also its weak point. As Pikachu's electrical energy is set to zero when reaching this boss, Pikachu can only defeat the Onix with jump attacks.

Magazine articles

Main article: Pocket Monster/Magazine articles.

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[2]
Cool Gamer (RU)
60
[3]
Cool Gamer (RU)
30
[4]
Tricks Gold (RU)
62
[5]
Sega Mega Drive
48
Based on
4 reviews

Pocket Monster

Mega Drive, TW

PocketMonsters MD TW cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, TW (rerelease)
PocketMonster MD Box.jpg
Cover
PocketMonster MD Cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, RU

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
 ?
CRC32 f68f6367
MD5 e2be9447b4665f2f9a0683c56615ee5d
SHA-1 d10de935e099c520384c986b1f00fd5e72d64e03
2MB Cartridge

References

  1. File:PocketMonster MD Box.jpg
  2. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 236
  3. Cool Gamer, "8" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 299
  4. Cool Gamer, "9" (RU; 2002-10-13), page 158
  5. Tricks Gold, "Sega dlya fantazerov" (RU; 2002-08-23), page 137


Pocket Monster

PocketMonster title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Maps | Bugs | Magazine articles | Reception | Region coding | Technical information


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