Pokémon Dream Radar 3DS Review | DestroyRepeat

Pokemon Dream Radar is an eShop downloadable game that released alongside Pokemon Black Version 2 and Pokemon White Version 2. It’s a stand alone game that makes use of the 3DS camera. Unlike the Pokedex 3D game, this is much more than just looking at Pokemon, as things you find in Pokemon Dream Radar can be moved over to your Pokemon Black Version 2 or Pokemon White Version 2 game.

Pokemon Dream Radar

Platform: 3DS (eShop)

Publisher: Nintendo

Developer: Creatures Inc.

Genre: Action, RPG

Release Date: October 7, 2012

Price: $2.99

In Pokemon Dream Radar you partner up with Professor Burnet, as she explores the mysteries of the Interdream Zone. The Interdream Zone is a place that bridges the real world and the world of dreams. Within this zone, mystery Pokemon have been appearing, and Professor Burnet enlists your help to discover who these mystery Pokemon are.

The Interdream Zone is full of Dream Clouds, and you’ll shoot out a beam at them in order to collect Dream Orbs. You explore the area via the 3DS camera and tilting the 3DS around. It’s a similar concept seen in Face Raiders and Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir. You line up your shot with the camera and push A to shoot a beam out.

There are two kinds of clouds to find in the Interdream Zone, pink and yellow. Pink clouds are the most common clouds and they’ll primarily spit out Dream Orbs, which you’ll then need to shoot at in order to collect them. Yellow clouds are like pink clouds, but have a chance of being a Pokemon instead of Dream Orbs. If this happens, you’ll trigger a capture mode where there will be a big flying orb moving around the screen. You’ll need to target it and shoot it with your beam. Then hold the A button down to keep the beam alive and over the target in order to catch it. Once your capture meter is full, you’ll be successful. However, that doesn’t exactly mean you’ve caught a Pokemon, as you might end up with an item instead that the Pokemon left behind. There’s also a time limit on how long you have to catch a Pokemon, which can be depleted faster if you get hit by an attack from the Pokemon.

Each time you enter the Interdream Zone, you’ll only have a specific amount of Dream Clouds to find. Dream Clouds replenish after a while, around 45 minutes in real world time. So you’re a bit limited in how long you can play the game before you’ll need to wait for clouds to replenish. However, if you wish to speed up the process, you can opt in to use 5 Play Coins to maximize your Dream Cloud count. This method can only be used three times a day.

As you collect Dream Orbs, you can use them towards upgrades for your beam gun. Upgrades include a longer time limit to catch Pokemon, a stronger beam, and the ability to find more Dream Clouds. There are also items you can purchase to use in the Interdream Zone to make things easier for you, like slowing down a Pokemon or even stopping it in place for easy tracking. You’ll also come across extensions that you could also choose to use which can help increase the amount of Yellow clouds you find or increase chances of finding items. Even extensions that will allow you to capture legendary Pokemon.

Any items or Pokemon you catch in Pokemon Dream Radar, you can transfer over to your main game in Pokemon Black Version 2 or Pokemon White Version 2. You can hold up to six different kinds of items and six Pokemon at one time. Any more, and you’ll need to switch new finds with old ones until you transfer those over. You transfer these items by inserting your Pokemon DS game into the 3DS slot and going through a series of steps.

Pokemon Dream Radar is a simple and easy game to play. It helps to have a love for Pokemon in order to enjoy it. The main benefits for Pokemon Dream Radar are that it’s another means of obtaining free items and capturing Pokemon. The biggest appeal for Pokemon fanatics is that there are legendary Pokemon that can be caught in Pokemon Dream Radar, and those can be transferred over. There is some length to the game thanks to the 45 minute recharge time needed in between sessions, but it also takes a while until you’re given the opportunity to track down a legendary Pokemon.

There’s not much to Pokemon Dream Radar, but I enjoyed the overall simplicity of it. As a huge Pokemon fan, it’s hard to ignore the opportunity of having way to capture legendary Pokemon. It’s a small price to pay, and just further expands the overall Pokemon experience. As a game on it’s own though, there’s not really much to it and no point in checking it out if you don’t play Pokemon. This is really a game to purchase to accompany your experience in Pokemon Black Version 2 and Pokemon White Version 2. Along with those games, Pokemon Dream Radar becomes an extra side-game that you can enjoy while taking a break from the main Pokemon adventure.

Review Score:

[starreview tpl=46]
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