Pokemon Stadium known in Japan as Pokémon Stadium 2,[a] is a strategy video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. First released in Japan on April 30, 1999, it was later released as the first Stadium title in Western regions the following year, and is a sequel to the Japanese-only 1998 Nintendo 64 release Pocket Monsters’ Stadium. The gameplay revolves around a 3D turn-based battling system using the 151 Pokémon from the Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow.
Originally intended for the 64DD, it was later developed into a standard console game after the add-on failed. Using the Transfer Pak accessory that was bundled with the game, players are able to view, organize, store, trade, and battle their own Pokémon uploaded from Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow. The game includes four stadium cups, each of which is a series of three-on-three Pokémon battles against an ordered lineup of opponents. Gym Leader Castle mode involves battles against the eight Kanto gym leaders and the Elite Four. Pokémon Stadium also features mini-games, versus-style battles, a hall of fame and a built-in emulation function for Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow.
Pokémon Stadium became one of the best-selling Nintendo 64 titles, selling one million copies before the end of 2000. Critics praised the game’s visuals but faulted the audio quality. A sequel, Pokémon Stadium 2, released in 2000 as a counterpart for the next-generation Pokémon Gold, Pokémon Silver, and Pokémon Crystal games.
Gameplay
The player’s Dragonite faces off against the opponent’s Parasect. Pokémon in this game may be rented or imported from Pokémon Red, Blue, or Yellow.
Unlike the Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow, Pokémon Stadium does not have a storyline or a well-defined world, meaning that it is not considered a role-playing video game.[5] Instead the game challenges the player to succeed in trainer battles at the Stadium, a tournament consisting of 4 “Cups” and 80 battles in total, as well as the Gym Leader Castle, where the player battles the 8 Kanto Gym Leaders, the Kanto Elite Four, and the Champion. When all Cups have been won and the Gym Leader Castle is completed, a six-on-one battle against Mewtwo is unlocked. Defeating Mewtwo unlocks another round of Stadium, Gym Leader Castle, and the Mewtwo battle, but with higher AI difficulty.[5]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 78.60%[21] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Famitsu | 33/40[22] |
| GamePro | 17/20[23] |
| GameSpot | 5.7/10[24] |
| IGN | 8.2/10[5] |
| Nintendo Power | 8.8/10[25] |
GameSpot contributor Jeff Gerstmann gave the game a 5.7 “mediocre” review, writing that the gameplay “feels scaled down and oversimplified, even when compared with the original Game Boy games”. IGN‘s Peer Schneider wrote an 8.2 “great” review of the game, calling it “a must-buy for Pokémon fans”, but also citing that “the audio is nowhere near the quality of some of the recent Nintendo releases”.[5] Regarding the game’s announcer, a frequent complaint among critics, RPGamer’s Ben Martin wrote that: “With a very limited vocabulary and continual comments thoughout [sic] every single action, it certainly is a nice option to be able to turn this guy off”.[26] In his review on gaming website Cubed3, Ross Morley praised the game’s battle system for its “beautiful 3D models, special effects and range of options”.[27]
In its first month of sales in North America, Pokémon Stadium sold over one million copies,[18] and it became the best-selling console game in the region during the year 2000.[28] Nintendo of America announced that it would be released as a Player’s Choice title, a well-selling game with a lower suggested retail price, on December 26, 2000.[29] At least more than 3.97 million copies have been sold, including 3.16 million in the United States,[30] 710,765 in Japan,[31] and more than 100,000 in the United Kingdom.[32]
