Dance! Pikachu
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The subject of this article has no official English name. The name currently in use is a fan translation of the Japanese name. |
Dance! Pikachu (Japanese: おどって！ ピカチュウ) is a Japanese arcade rhythm game developed and published by Banpresto. It was released in December 1999 and is based on the original series of the Pokémon anime.
| Dance! Pikachu おどって！ ピカチュウ | |
|---|---|
 Dance! Pikachu arcade machine | |
Basic info
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| Platform: | Arcade |
| Category: | Rhythm game |
| Players: | 1 player |
| Connectivity: | None |
| Developer: | Banpresto |
| Publisher: | Banpresto |
| Part of: | Generation I miscellaneous |
Ratings
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| CERO: | N/A |
| ESRB: | N/A |
| ACB: | N/A |
| OFLC: | N/A |
| PEGI: | N/A |
| GRAC: | N/A |
| GSRR: | N/A |
Release dates
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| Japan: | December 1999 |
| North America: | N/A |
| Australia: | N/A |
| Europe: | N/A |
| South Korea: | N/A |
| Hong Kong: | N/A |
| Taiwan: | N/A |
Websites
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| Japanese: | N/A |
| English: | N/A |
System
The focal point of the machine is a large Pikachu encased in a transparent plastic dome, which dances in time with music played during gameplay and also performs various actions when buttons on the machine are pressed. The machine features five main buttons that are used in the actual game, and two smaller buttons below these that are used to select game modes. Preliminary designs for the machine featured another set of five small buttons, presumably used for the music selection, but these were ultimately integrated into the five buttons present on the final version.
Gameplay
Dance! Pikachu requires ¥100 to operate and features two gameplay modes: Game Course and Sound Play Course, color-coded blue and orange respectively. Before the player selects a game mode, the player must select a song by pressing one of the five main buttons. The object of each mode is the same: to press the buttons in time with the music being played, prompted by the corresponding illuminated Pikachu images. Intervals between the prompts vary, but generally become shorter as the song progresses. Multiple prompts may also occur during the song, requiring the player to press buttons simultaneously. Pressing the buttons in a timely manner will increase the Groovy Meter. Regardless of the player's final Groovy Meter percentage, the machine will dispense a Pokémon postcard once the song has finished.
Over the course of the machine's lifespan, postcards of varying designs have been made available. The first set consisted of 24 postcards, and a second featuring Generation II Pokémon included 18. Sets based on Pokémon the Series: Ruby and Sapphire and Pokémon the Series: Diamond and Pearl of the anime were also subsequently released.
The table below details the functions of the five main buttons, from left to right:
| Song | Pikachu's action in Game Course |
Instrument in Sound Play Course |
|---|---|---|
| One Hundred Fifty-One | Pivots left and right | Clash cymbals |
| The Rivals | Moves arms up and down | Bass drum |
| Aim to Be a Pokémon Master | Moves feet and shuffles | Clapping hands |
| Riding on Lapras | Says "Pika" or "Pikachu" | Snare drum |
| Type: Wild | Jumps up | Xylophone |
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This article is part of Project Arcade, a Bulbapedia project that covers all aspects of Pokémon arcade games. |