--------------------------------------------- Pokemon Channel Version e-Reader/Smeargle Paint FAQ 1.2 --------------------------------------------- Welcome to the e-Reader/Smeargle Paint FAQ for the Pokemon Channel GCN game! It is copyright Mark Raby 2004-2005 via GameFAQs. It is not to be used for commercial use without proper permission. Please keep coming back for updates! NOTE: This FAQ will most likely not be updated anymore. The e-Reader in the US has died off. Any hopes for future Pokemon Channel-e expansions can now be officially shut down. ----------------------------------- CONTENTS ----------------------------------- 0) Version history 1) Background info 1.1 Pokemon Channel 1.2 e-Reader 2) e-Reader & Smeargle Paint 3) Smeargle Paint 3.1 What it is 3.2 How to get it 3.3 How to use it 3.4 Smeargle's Art Study 3.5 Auctions 3.6 Different TV's 3.7 Different Frames 4) Camp Starlight 4.1 What it is 4.2 How to get there 4.2A Viridian Bus Pass 4.2B Slowpoke's Weather Channel 4.3 Constellations 5) e-Reader Card list 6) How to scan cards 6.1 Plugging it all together 6.2 Scanning application 7) Coming Soon 8) Credits ----------------------------------- 0) Version history ----------------------------------- (Dates are based on when the FAQ was submitted, not necessarily when it was posted) 2/6/05: Version 1.2 - Did some very minor formatting changes - Added info about the Jirachi Line Art Card - Added a note about the e-Reader now being officially "dead" 1/21/04: Version 1.0 - Finished FAQ ----------------------------------- 1) Background info ----------------------------------- -1.1 Pokemon Channel- Pokemon Channel is the sequel of sorts to the game Hey You, Pikachu for the Nintendo 64 system. Although there is no Voice Recognition in this game, it feels very much the same. Pikachu will follow you around and you get to talk with other wild Pokemon and visit several different places. The "Channel" part comes in with the fact that you are chosen to be the test audience for a new Pokemon TV station, and much watch several different shows on your TV. With a special item, you can even get a picture from the TV to paint. The e-Reader lets you paint some extra pictures, as well as gives you some special features for the paint program. -1.2 e-Reader- Alright. A lot of the people who got this game are not big e-Reader fans like some who bought Animal Crossing (where we knew before the e-Reader's release about its connectivity with AC). So let me give you some info on it. It's Nintendo's latest GBA peripheral, which actually allows you to scan cards with specially encoded "dot code" to play a mini-game/watch an animation/listen to music. If you're familiar with Animal Crossing, the set-up to this game is very similar. The e-Reader has a "communication" option from which you can either choose Gamecube or Gameboy Advance. Pokemon Channel uses the "Communication to Nintendo Gamecube" feature. ----------------------------------- 2) e-Reader & Smeargle Paint ----------------------------------- The e-Reader and the Smeargle Paint program go hand in hand, because the only current e-Reader cards that interact with the game have to do with the painting application in the game. Some cards add a new black-and-white outline to color, and some add new patterns. If you want to save your painting, though, you'll need to have unlocked Smeargle Paint in your game. ----------------------------------- 3) Smeargle 2 ----------------------------------- -3.1 What it is- Smeargle 2 is the program you use to paint pictures from your TV. At first, you will only be able to grab screenshots from the Pichu Bros cartoon, but after it gets upgraded, you can paint any screenshot from the TV. -3.2 How to get it- You get Smeargle 2 on the first day of the game. You must watch all the shows at least one time. Professor Oak will then talk to you and let you know that a gift is coming for you, and it will be Smeargle 2. A magnemite will deliver it to your house. The upgrade will happen on the fourth day of the game with your new shows, as long as you complete the report every day. -3.3 How to use it- You have to watch your TV from the 2nd zoom view (zoom out once from the full-screen view). If you have just the original Smeargle 2, you must do the following while watching a Pichu Bros episode -- otherwise you can do it at anytime: While you're watching TV, if you see a picture you'd want to paint, click on Smeargle 2 (to the shelf on the right). You will then get a black-and-white outline of that picture. You're able to paint now! Here are the controls for Smeargle Paint: *Y Button (Hold down): Open up the change color/pattern menu *X Button: Switch between a crayon and a filler tool *Z Button: Switch between an eraser and the crayon/filler *Control Stick Up/Down: Move up/down; switch between patterns and solid colors while holding the Y button *Control Stick Left/Right: Move left/right; choose the color/pattern you want to use while holding the Y button *A Button: Fill; Hold down to draw with the crayon *B Button: Finish painting Once you click the B Button, a screen will pop up and ask if you want to keep painting or quit painting. Choosing "keep painting" will take you back to your painting, but choosing "quit painting" will make you choose whether you want to keep your currently displayed painting, or replace it with the one you just finished. If you want to replace it, you will have to give a title to your new painting. You are only allowed to display one painting at a time. -3.4 Smeargle's Art Study- Once you unlock the show Smeargle's Art Study, your currently-hanging painting will be critiqued by Smeargle. What Smeargle says will mostly be random stuff, as you can watch the show several times and he will say different stuff about your painting. It is cool to watch, though, because it will zoom in on your picture, and it is still neat to hear Smeargle talk about your painting. Plus, Pikachu will get very excited about your picture being on TV. -3.5 Auctions- You are only allowed to have one painting up at a time. If you ever decide to put a new painting up, your old one will be auctioned. You don't get to see the auction or anything like that. Up to 24 hours after you give it up, Professor Oak will greet you (after you turn on the game) and say how much it sold for. There are different levels of money you can make, and it actually is determined by the effort you put in to the painting (for example, if you use a lot of different colors and use the marker instead of just the filler tool, you'll make more from it). Professor Oak will also say what he thinks of the price (i.e. "I thought the painting would have sold for more than this"). -3.6 Different TV's- While watching "Shop N Squirtle" you may come across a new TV. Some TV's, like the Hoothoot TV, will distort the picture by inverting the colors, having clouds in the background, etc. None of this will interfere with when you click on Smeargle 2. In other words, the clouds or whatever in the background will NOT appear on the black-and-white outline. -3.7 Different Frames- When you finish coloring a painting, it will be hung up by the door to the yard. At first, it will be in a Pokeblock frame. However, if you watch "Shop N Squirtle" enough times, a new frame may come up. Most of them are based on Pokemon (i.e. The Shroomish frame or Smoochum frame). Be warned, though, that you may only have one frame up at a time, and if you buy a new one, your old one will be gone. The frames always circulate on "Shop N Squirtle" though, including the Pokeblock frame, so don't get too discouraged if you miss your old frame. ----------------------------------- 4) Camp Starlight ----------------------------------- -4.1 What it is- Camp Starlight is a place you can visit at Viridian Forest, but only at night. It relates to the e-Reader because the pictures available on the Pokemon Channel-e cards come directly from Camp Starlight. -4.2 How to get there- To get the Camp Starlight, you need a Viridian Bus Pass. To view the constellations, it needs to be a clear evening. Here's how to get both: *4.2A Viridian Buss Pass* You have to wait until the second day to get the Viridian Bus Pass. Just tune to Shop & Squirtle and the first item should be the pass. Now, turn off the TV, click on your front door, and click on the bus when it comes by. *4.2B Slowpoke's Weather Channel* To make sure it is a clear evening, you should watch Slowpoke's Weather Channel on your TV. If Slowpoke is reporting live from Viridian, watch it. Otherwise, it won't help. Watch his forecast (which, as you probably already know, can be very boring). If it becomes clear, you may now go to Camp Starlight and gaze at the stars. -4.3 Constellations- If you're lucky, you will see either the Kyogre or Pikachu constellation in the sky. If you've looked at the Pokemon Channel-e cards that come in the game, you'll see the similarities. The pictures from those cards are inspired from the constellations you see at Camp Starlight. The descriptions for the constellations are also the same on the cards as they are in the game. It's kind of cool knowing that you get to paint a picture of it, which is only available with the e-Reader! ----------------------------------- 5) Card list ----------------------------------- There are two kinds of cards: Line Art Cards and Paint Pattern Cards. Line art cards unlock a new outline sketch for you to color. Paint pattern cards give you new patterns that can be used whenever you use Smeargle 2. -5.1 Line Art Cards- *The Pikachu Star "The Pikachu Star is the one that glitters brightly in the skies on summer nights. The Pikachu Star is always smiling near the Gardevoir Constellation." Reccomended colors: Yellow, orange, red, brown, black -This card comes packaged with the U.S. version of the game *The Kyogre Constellation "This star constellation crosses the Milky Way as if it were Kyogre moving across the starry sky. It is an impressive summertime sight." Reccomended colors: Light blue, blue, red, fuschia, white, gray, yellow, black -This card comes packages with the game *Jirachi Line Art Card -This card comes packaged with the Australian version of the game -5.2 Paint Pattern Cards- *Poke A La Card Contains two "footprint" patterns, two "pika faces" patterns, two "Poke Balls" patterns, two "Silhouettes" patterns, and two "TVs" patterns. -This card comes packaged with the game ----------------------------------- 6) How to scan cards ----------------------------------- -6.1 Plugging it all together- Okay! Here's the fun part. This is what you need to do scan a Pokemon Channel-e card: *One Gamecube System *One Gameboy Advance System *One e-Reader *One Pokemon Channel Disc *One GBA/GCN link cable Now, first thing's first: Make sure your e-Reader is in your GBA. If you have a regular GBA, plug the GBA/GCN cable into the COMM port of the e-Reader. If you have a GBA SP, plug it into the COMM port of your GBA SP. Also make sure your Pokemon Channel game is in your Gamecube. That's all you have to do in terms of plugging stuff together. See section (6) for info on how to scan the cards. -6.2 Scanning the cards- Step 1: -Turn your GBA and Gamecube on Step 2: -Choose "Options" on the main menu of Pokemon Channel Step 3: -Choose "e-Reader" Step 4: -Follow the instructions on the Pokemon Channel game ----------------------------------- 7) Coming Soon ----------------------------------- NO FUTURE UPDATES EXPECTED However, I have not listed this as the "final" version of the guide because it is possible that I may make minor updates here and there. --- PREVIEW OF VERSION 1.1: Coming up in the next update: Well, this is pretty much everything, but I do need to add: *A more detailed step-by-step list on how to scan Pokemon Channel-e cards ETA for Version 1.1 - Feb 10, 2004 ----------------------------------- 8) Credits ----------------------------------- Thanks so much to CJayC for publishing this FAQ (if he does). I understand his unimaginably busy schedule, so the effort spent in putting up this FAQ is greatly appreciated! A big kudos also goes to Nintendo for making such a terrific game!!!