PokéROM

PokéROM
A Pikachu PokéROM

	Basic info
Platform:		PC
Category:		Educational
Players:		1-4 players
Connectivity:		None
Developer:		Basis Applied Technology
Publisher:		The Learning Company Mattel Interactive
Part of:		Generation I miscellaneous

	Ratings
CERO:		N/A
ESRB:		N/A
ACB:		N/A
OFLC:		N/A
PEGI:		N/A
GRAC:		N/A
GSRR:		N/A

	Release dates
Japan:		N/A
North America:		2000
Australia:		???
Europe:		???
South Korea:		N/A
Hong Kong:		N/A
Taiwan:		N/A

	Websites
Japanese:		N/A
English:		Official site (archive)

PokéROMs are a series of educational CD-ROMs created in 2000 by The Learning Company and Mattel. It can be run on both Windows and Macintosh.

Gameplay

The entire game is guided by Professor Oak, voiced by Stan Hart.

Upon startup, the player is asked to choose a name and difficulty level; there are five difficulty levels, corresponding to the elementary school grades 1-5.

After doing so, the player is shown a 6×4 array of tiles with either natural numbers or elementary arithmetic expressions of natural numbers (incorrectly referred to as equations by the game), which are then concealed after a fixed amount of time. This is a game of Concentration, in which player must reveal two tiles with equivalent values at the same time, which causes both tiles to disappear. Underneath the tiles is stock artwork of the Pokémon featured on the disc.

After pairing all the tiles, the player has freed the Pokémon, and gains the option to view to Pokémon in its natural habitat or go to the Pokémon Sanctuary. Clicking "Print" allows the player to navigate through various images of that Pokémon from the anime. Selecting to go to the Pokémon Sanctuary causes a loading screen featuring various screenshots from the Pokémon anime to appear. Once at the Pokémon Sanctuary, the player can either go to the Trainer Center or Observation Lab.

The Trainer Center contains the Trainer Race, a multiplayer quiz game for 1-4 players, stylized as a virtual board game. The players are put on a board with 11 stations. In turn, players are each asked a question from a pool of 200 on math, science, reading and social studies, as well as Pokémon; getting a question right advances the player's piece by one station. The first player to reach the end is the winner.

The Observation Center allows the player to click on pinging circles on a horizontally scrolling landscape to view various screenshots from the Pokémon anime of that Pokémon.

Releases

Mew PokéROM disc

The Premiere Series (also spelled Premier Series) contains ten discs: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pikachu, Meowth, Psyduck, Poliwhirl, Gengar, Eevee, and Mewtwo. These were primarily single releases in blister packs. These were all available together in the Complete Collection release. Two-disc packs were also available in blister packs. A sampler PokéROM for the Premier Series featuring Mew was included with some copies of The ClueFinders 4th Grade Adventures: Puzzle of the Pyramid.^[1]

The Movie Series contains ten discs: Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Hoothoot, Togepi, Marill, Elekid, Ledyba, Slowking, and Lugia. This set is focused on The Power of One, with the anime stills coming from that movie. These were primarily single releases in blister packs. Two-disc packs were also available in sleeves, containing one of these three pairs: Zapdos and Elekid, Articuno and Lugia, Moltres and Togepi.

The Mystery Series contains 30 discs, which were released in Mystery Packs, packs containing two visible discs and one hidden disc; the discs are arranged diagonally from the bottom to the top, with the central disc turned over. The 20 Pokémon released as visible discs are: Butterfree, Arbok, Jigglypuff, Venonat, Geodude, Mr. Mime, Lapras, Exeggutor, Jynx, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Spinarak, Mareep, Bellossom, Sunflora, Quagsire, Snubbull, Scizor, and Stantler. Pokémon released as Mystery Discs are: Charizard, Blastoise, Gyarados, Dragonite, Sentret, Hoppip, Gligar, Heracross, Donphan, and Blissey.

Images

Premiere Series

Bulbasaur PokéROM (packaging)
Bulbasaur PokéROM (disc)
Squirtle PokéROM (packaging)
Squirtle PokéROM (disc)
Charmander PokéROM (packaging)
Charmander PokéROM (disc)
Pikachu PokéROM (packaging)
Pikachu PokéROM (disc)
Meowth PokéROM (packaging)
Meowth PokéROM (disc)
Psyduck PokéROM (packaging)
Psyduck PokéROM (disc)
Poliwhirl PokéROM (packaging)
Poliwhirl PokéROM (disc)
Gengar PokéROM (packaging)
Gengar PokéROM (disc)
Eevee PokéROM (packaging)
Eevee PokéROM (disc)
Mewtwo PokéROM (packaging)
Mewtwo PokéROM (disc)
The Complete Collection of the Premier Series
Premiere Series Collection cover
Premiere Series 2-disc pack
Premiere Series single pack back

Movie Series

Articuno PokéROM (packaging)
Articuno PokéROM (disc)
Zapdos PokéROM (packaging)
Zapdos PokéROM (disc)
Moltres PokéROM (packaging)
Moltres PokéROM (disc)
Hoothoot PokéROM (packaging)
Hoothoot PokéROM (disc)
Ledyba PokéROM (packaging)
Ledyba PokéROM (disc)
Togepi PokéROM (packaging)
Togepi PokéROM (disc)
Marill PokéROM (disc)
Elekid PokéROM (disc)
Slowking PokéROM (packaging)
Slowking PokéROM (disc)
Lugia PokéROM (packaging)
Lugia PokéROM (disc)
Articuno and Lugia two-pack
Moltres and Togepi two-pack
Movie Series PokéROM single pack back
Movie Series PokéROM 2-disc back

Mystery Series

Charizard PokéROM (disc)
Mr. Mime PokéROM (disc)
Lapras PokéROM (disc)
Mystery Pack
Mystery Pack back

Discs

The size of a PokéROM compared to a standard CD

The discs are mini discs, but also have two opposite sides cut off to create an odd shape. These discs are only intended for use with spindle-type CD-ROM drives or trays with inner mounting rails; they are not intended for use with caddy trays, slot-loading drives, and most iMac computers.