Pokémon Channel

Pokémon Channel is a spinoff of the rather popular Pokémon video game series. It's the Spiritual Successor of Hey You, Pikachu!, and with its own Spiritual Successor in Poke Park Wii, it would appear the 'cute Pikachu' games - Pokémon spinoffs geared for younger players in which the main draw is Pikachu running around acting all cute - is officially a subseries.

It is a simulation/virtual pet game that is about watching TV with a wild Pikachu and unlocking new channels every real day you watch. You can also go outside the house and have the Pikachu talk with other wild Pokémon to get collectible cards.

And that is pretty much it.

It was and still is wildly criticized for lacking gameplay and just being a blatant cash-in on Pokémon's popularity. In Europe, it was the only way to get a Jirachi, since you got one each time you beat the game. On the other hand, it is painfully cute, and approached on its own merits can be a mindlessly enjoyable endeavor. It also debuted the Pichu Bros. short "The Pichu Brothers in Party Panic", and if you ever wondered where the game Meowth's Party from the Spaceworld tech demo that unveiled the Gamecube went, it's here.

The game as a whole exhibits examples of:
"Pikachu wants to eat the Charmander Doll. The Charmander Doll wasn't very tasty!"
 * A Boy and His X
 * Dark Fic: The rather infamous Creepypasta Pokemon Dead Channel manages to turn an extremely cute game into something that gives the likes of Cupcakes a run for its money.
 * Extreme Omnivore:


 * Fishing Minigame: ...and then the fish Pokémon ask you trivia questions about themselves.
 * Guide Dang It: You get the Pokémon cards by answering Pokémon trivia. The game can fall into this if you haven't kept up with the main games' flavour text.
 * Loyal Animal Companion
 * Mythology Gag: Once you unlock the full Pichu Bros. short and watch it on a projector, the game's main story ends on the "End of Day" jingle from Hey You, Pikachu!.
 * Regional Bonus: Only Europeans could unlock Jirachi by beating the main story. He still visits Pikachu and the player in the other versions, but it's only a cameo.
 * Ridiculously Cute Critter: Pikachu, of course!
 * Sweet Dreams Fuel: Oh my, yes.

The game also features several channels for the player and Pikachu to enjoy together.

"The Pichu Bros. in Party Panic!" provides examples of:

 * Expository Theme Tune

Pokémon News Flash provides examples of:

 * Intrepid Reporter: In the form of Meowth, no less. Yes, that Meowth from Team Rocket.
 * Worst News Judgment Ever / Kent Brockman News: Some of Meowth's on-the-scene clips are a bit... too trivial for a news report.

Shopping With Squirtle provides examples of:

 * An Interior Designer Is You: Most of the products sold here are things to spiff up the room, including dolls, different TV sets, wallpaper...
 * Funny Character, Boring Actor: The boisterous Squirtle hawking everything with such enthusiasm is actually pretty reserved off-camera.

Slowpoke's Weather Report provides examples of:

 * Overly Long Gag
 * Offscreen Teleportation: Slowpoke will occasionally leave the frame on one side and walk back on from the other side.

The Fortune Channel provides examples of:

 * Ice Cream Koan

Mareep Farm provides examples of:

 * Counting Sheep
 * Relax-O-Vision

Chum Chum Ranking provides examples of:

 * Guilt Based Gaming: The show's final segment only exists to make the player feel guilty for not playing the game enough.