It wasn’t my intention to write a whole article for the Pokemon Stadium games but there were plenty of things I needed to talk about. The first games to use a transfer pack and allow us to play Pokemon in 3D by transferring them from our Game Boy games. This was a huge deal that felt futuristic, a transfer of knowledge from your little Game Boy to his big brother the Nintendo 64. The whole idea was already super appealing when I read about the SpaceWorld 1997 DiskDrive 64 game report. So let me walk you through the Pokemon Stadium Trilogy.
Pocket Monsters Stadium 0
A barebones release it made sense for its time. It was doing something new and while it only included 42 Pokemon, it basically included most Pokemon any competitive player was going to use. They’re mostly all evolved Pokemon or strong single stage Pokemon. The only exception is Pikachu because well he’s the mascot. You see the basics of what would become the second entry. For example all the stuff you can do like Pokedex, PC & trading and playing the games would become their own facilities in the sequels like the Pokemon lab.
As far as battles you get a free battle mode but the two special modes are the ones that you get to battle actual trainers from the first VGC in Japan the Nintendo Cup 97 and 98. Each immortalized by becoming actual trainers in the Pokemon World. You do get a badge every round until you get all 8 and win the trophy. Those specific rules and whatnot are also evolved in the sequels with the different cups. While Pokemon Stadium (2 JP) can be seen as more of an enhanced port version of this same game making this one obsolete, it is indeed a different entry.
Pokemon Stadium
This game on the other hand feels full of features, whle just the battle mode alone was enough for hardcore Pokemon fans. You have plenty of stuff here to keep yourself entertained. This is a far more polished entry, you get the Gym Leader castle which feels like a grown up version of the badge quest on the Game Boy games in a Saint Seiya 12 temples way. All told with a full story that you get to go through twice after Mewtwo sets the whole town in darkness only to face off against him, truly epic. Didn’t know there was a Nintendo 64 with specific colors released but it did. Anyone know of someone who actually wrote their name on the cartridge?
Japanese version does include the Nintendo Cups 97, 98, 99 but all versions include special Cups that you can register for and beat. I think some of the prizes you can get can be a bit difficult, especially Amnesia Psyduck. Surfing Pikachu while easier is still a bit too difficult. Playing through the Pokemon games and quicker with the Super Game Boy borders. This was a full package. Biggest addition was the mini games which were so original and fun which makes you wonder why they never released party game. Most forgotten aspect is that you could take pictures of your team and print them out on the Pokemon Snap stations.
Pokemon Stadium 2 Gold Silver
The big box already made the original game special, but this one instead had a cartridge that was half silver and half gold. Everything that was in the last game came back as well here updated and remixed a bit. Obviously now it included the 100 new Pokemon from the Generation 2 games. Everything else including Pokemon models are all just returning from the original game basically. Some stuff I have not mentioned is I love how the pokemon cries actually try to sound more realistic which is something the actual games never did as they got into better hardware. Another underrated feature is how the Nicknames you gave them would alter their color based on your trainer ID, making each of the Pokemon on your team a bit more unique.
whiute city
Some new stuff in this game included being able to see your room from the games in 3D and Earl’s Pokemon Academy which would teach you stuff. You also had Mobile stadium where you could download data from friends or tournaments to battle. It is a sequel so of course everything is Johto themed, different stadiums and trainers etc. It’s a new game that just expands on the features of the original while still providing new content of said features like the cups. Oh those new mini games were still addictive as the old ones. This game does tell you you’re in White City, but I like to think the previous games are also taking place in the same City despite not mentioning it, it just makes sense.
The name alone for the franchise “Stadium” kept the feeling of the games. It didn’t need an adventure mode. There were plenty of things to do here even without a game. Which is good since they released on NSO without any Transfer Pack compatability. Which I do think it’s a shame as they could’ve easily added a save file version that includes some transferred teams that would help beating the games. Not to mention the release of Pocket Monsters Stadium 0 to the Japanese NSO service even if a bit redundant.