Hey You, Pikachu!

Info About Hey You, Pikachu!

Hey You, Pikachu! is a life simulation game from Ambrella and Nintendo. It launched in Japan in 1998 and in North America in 2000. The core idea puts a small microphone in your hands so you speak short phrases to Pikachu and watch how he responds.

You start as a kid who helps Professor Oak with simple fieldwork. Each day you visit places like a forest, a beach, and your room and carry out small tasks. You say things like come here, pick that up, or use Thunderbolt. Pikachu reacts to your tone and to key words, and you guide him with praise or scolding. The system recognizes a limited set of phrases, so you experiment and learn what works.

Reports at the time highlighted a novel premise and also pointed out inconsistent speech recognition. Missed words could slow a session and turn an easy task into trial and error. Even so, the game marked an early push for voice driven play and set a reference point for later projects that let players talk to characters.