Pokemon Stadium 2

"I Choose You! ________(name of Pokemon here)"

Introduction
Pokemon Stadium 2 is simply one of the greatest 64 - bit games of all time. There have been plenty of updates since Pokemon Stadium 1. I love playing it more than any other Nintendo 64 game I have as of right now. Anyway, I guess that I had better get on to the reviewing of this beautiful, wonderful Nintendo 64 Pokemon video game.

Game Play 10/10
This game is hard, I will tell you that. I have had it since its release date and play it as often as I can, but I still have not beaten it all the way through yet. Here are all of the different modes of play. I will give each a different score.

Stadium 10/10
Test your battling skills with four different sets of battle rules. This is a one player mode.
Free Battle 8/10
Team up with a friend or battle using the custom rules. This is a one to a four player mode.
Gym Leader Castle 10/10
Battle against the Gym Leaders that appear in the Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal Gameboy Color video games.
GB Tower 9/10
Play your Gameboy Color Pokemon game on the Nintendo 64. This is for one player.
Laboratory 9/10
Here you may organize your Pokemon and your items, or use the Pokemon List to search through the Pokemon you have collected on your Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal Gameboy Color video games. You may also trade Pokemon with a friend’s Gameboy Color Game Pak.
Pokemon Academy 10/10
Here you may take Earl’s latest course on battling Pokemon. You can get lectures that match your level of training, then you may practice what you have learned with quizzes and battles. There is also a Library that is full of Pokemon books.
Your Room 7/10
You can bring your room from the Gold/Silver/Crystal version to life in 3D. You can also redecorate your room here.
Mini Games 10/10
Here you can play lots of different mini games and take some Pokemon quizzes. This is a one to four player mode.

Story Line X/10
What? There is absolutely no story line whatsoever at all? Awww man, darn it all! It probably would have been deserving of a ten if it had had a story line.

Graphics and Animation 8/10
The pictures are a lot more detailed and smoother than in Pokemon Stadium 1. The animations have also improved a lot since the old days. The only reason why this did not get a nine or a ten was because it does not show what you look like or what the announcer looks like.

Controls 10/10
These controls are really, really easy to use and work very well for Pokemon Stadium 2. The control pad is used for moving the cursor and scrolling through lists. The control stick is used in the Kid’s Club. The L button is used to change boxes in certain modes. The R button is used to change boxes in certain modes. The C buttons are used to flip through pages in certain modes. The A button is used to confirm your selections. And the B button is used to cancel your selection and return to the previous screen. The controls for battling are easy too. To see a Pokemon’s data, hold R, then press that Pokemon’s button. L is used to reselect all of your Pokemon. The A B and C buttons are used for choosing the Pokemon you want to enter. Control in this game is so easy, that even a little baby that has not even been born yet could use them without having any troubles or problems at all.

Sound Effects and Music 8/10
The sound effects were detailed very nicely. Some of the sound effects are very funny. The music is really great at first, but after you have played it for a little while, it gets sort of annoying. This did not get a ten because the announcer and the music can get aggravating and/or irritating. You can still turn the sound off, though.

Gym Leaders 10/10
All of the sixteen gym leaders from Pokemon Gold, Pokemon Silver, and Pokemon Crystal are in this Pokemon Stadium game, as well as the Elite Four; your rival from the Game Boy Color, and even Ash makes an appearance in Pokemon Stadium 2. You can also fight that groovy Team Rocket in Pokemon Stadium 2

Mini Games 10/10
There are several fun filled mini games. Some of them are easy some of them are hard. If you have a Pokemon on your Game Boy Color, you can use it on the mini game you are playing.

Pokemon Availability 9/10
You can rent almost every single one of the 251 Pokemon on this game, but for some you have to use your own Pokemon from your Gold, Silver, and Crystal Versions.

Extras and Multi Player 10/10
You can challenge some of your friends, play mini games by yourself or with some of your friends, and do Mystery Gift with your Gold, Silver and Crystal versions, and you can play your Gold, Silver, and Crystal versions on this game.

Replay Value 9/10
When you play it once all the way through, a Round 2 comes up, and all the gym leaders and trainers are much, much harder to defeat than before.

Fun Factor 10/10
Just like all the other great games for the Nintendo 64, Pokemon Stadium 2 is fun, because it is a great game. No, wait. I meant to say that Pokemon Stadium 2 is an AWESOME game.

Cons and Pros

Cons
No story line whatsoever

Pros
Nice graphics and animation
Good controls
Cool sound effects and music
Lots of gym leaders to battle
Plenty mini games
Most Pokemon
Tons of extras

Rent or Buy
I suggest that you rent it first, just to see if it is for you though it is most likely that you will not finish it by the return time. But if you buy it first and do not like it, then you should either: sell it, give it away, or give it to a little brother or a little sister. (if you have one)

Final Score

Overall
Game Play: 10/10
Story Line: X/10
Graphics and Animation: 9/10
Controls: 10/10
Sound Effects and Music: 8/10
Gym Leaders: 10/10
Mini Games: 10/10
Pokemon Availability: 9/10
Extras: 10/10
Replay Value: 9/10
Fun Factor: 10/10

Final Score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/04/03, Updated 11/22/03