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| GENRE |
| RPG |
| DEVELOPER |
| Nintendo |
| PUBLISHER |
| Nintendo |
| NUMBER OF PLAYERS |
| 1-4 |
| CONTROLLER PAK |
| no |
| RUMBLE PAK |
| no |
| RAM PAK |
| no |
BUY NOW AT
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Pokémon Stadium
Yes, the game that everyone's little brother has been pining for over the past year has finally arrived. Utilizing previously maxxed-out Pokémon Game Boy cartridges and the included Transfer Pak, Pokémaniacs can now unleash their favorite critters on the N64 in beautifully rendered 3-D models in any of 22,801 possible battle combinations. So get your Pokémon to "fighting fit" status and join the legions of Poké-hungry children with Pokémon Stadium.
visuals
Nintendo has come through as promised with detailed renderings of each of the 151 Pocket Monsters. Each one is a testament to The Big N's attention to detail as evidenced by the close-up shots of the combatants during battle that look just like their 2-D cartoon counterparts and appear just as they should in 3-D. The movement of each Pokémon truly brings out their character; for example, Pikachu is a happy yellow little electric seizure rat, Mewtwo's fierce glaze shows that he can withstand any blow, Mr. Mime dances and acts as if there's a glass wall in front of him, Nidorina waggles about in style, and Slowbro just kinda… sits there. Glaringly absent from the battles are the rendered trainers, who are represented only by the original artistic drawings within the kid-friendly menu system. The stadiums themselves are rather simplistic and crowd-free to pave way for the high-poly Pokémon models. And with the lack of any water in the stadiums, the water Pokémon float in the air as one could infer from the 8-bit battles, though this form of battling is vastly more visually stunning than the blocky characters and flashing attacks of the past. Rather, the attacks in Pokémon Stadium reflect their predecessors with surprisingly impressive Final Fantasy-like moves, but without the excruciatingly long waits.
audio
The elementary and middle school crowd will squeal with delight over the slightly enhanced and now-"classic" Pokémon theme songs as played by a synthesized MIDI orchestra. To really get the blood pumping though, one would be much better off to pop in some street fightin' music to set the mood of pitting the varmints against one another in heated battles to the death. Well, battles to the faint. The Factor 5-compressed announcer also caters to the very young with his mastery of the obvious. After about 5 minutes of hearing, "Neither one is conceding an inch," and, "Fireworks are flying in this battle," the announcer grates on the nerves very quickly. "The heated battle rages on," is repeated so frequently as to merit the announcer's turning off with each game session. Turn it off... TURN IT OFF!!!
gameplay
Pokémon Stadium offers a wide variety of game modes, most of which are quite entertaining as an extension to the original triumvirate. The main Stadium itself plays host to four tournament cups, each for differently-leveled Pokémon and each with a number of difficulty levels so that no matter where players are in the original title, they'll have a place to fight in an 8-trainer tourney with the computer. For more experienced Pokémon trainers, the Gym Leader Castle offers a chance to relive the most exciting parts of the Game Boy title, culminating in a face off with your rival. Upon completing each circuit, the game awards players with brand spankin' new Pokémon to add to their collection, such as Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Omanyte, Kabuto, an Amnesia Psyduck, or a Surfing Pikachu. Each tournament allows players to either register Pokémon from their game paks and/or so-called "Rental Pokémon" for those lacking the monsters for use in future tournaments or to simply pick ones from the same pool for one go through. Opposing Pokémon always have levels similar to that of your own, so fights aren't blatantly unfair and always present a challenge. Rather than rely on level differences, trainers must use their knowledge of type differences and strategy to best their opponents. Control of Pokémon during battle only requires one hand on the right grip, leaving the other hand free to eat snacks, flip through a guide (like anybody would need one), play the card game, or whatever. Each attack is assigned to one of the C buttons, so if the ordering is memorized, then there's no need to "check" the configuration each time with the R button. It's simple, turn-based menu selection that enhances the original and precisely translated battle engine. Nauseatingly cute mini-games offer a distraction from the real draw of this title, though it's always fun to relive Kentucky Fried Pikachu in "Thundering Dynamo." Additionally, the speed-boosted Dodrio Game Boy Tower allows players to quickly raise some levels by playing the original game a la Super Game Boy, eliminating the tedium at up to triple speed. Woo-hoo!
multiplayer
Though it's possible to have free two- to four-player battles with your friends using only one Transfer Pak, it's probably a safe investment of an extra for Pokémon trading and the like. If you've ever wanted to battle your Poké-wielding friends without having to turn the place upside-down looking for that lousy Game Link cable only to discover that it's not compatible with the new Game Boy Color, then ordering a new one from Nintendo only to take part in a slow-paced, poorly-lit, 8-bit fight, then the Free Battle mode is where the game really shines. Like in tournaments, players can register or pick monsters for just one go, then enjoy the excitement of humiliating their friends using a cheap, rotten, Game Shark-created Mew.
overall
This extension and enhancement of Pokémon for Game Boy is a must-have for rabid Pokémaniacs due to its brilliant-by-comparison GUI and the presence of Prof. Oak's Lab where Pokémon and items can be sorted and traded by the boxful, but folks not owning the original game or barely scratching its surface will be disappointed in using the "Rental Pokémon" to play, lacking the fulfillment of the game's real hook of unleashing previously-trained monsters in this new setting. It's great for franchise aficionados, but to be avoided by everyone else.
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