Pokemon Stadium

"Pokemania has fully hit the N64!"

If you like Pokemon, you will love this game. Ugh, sorry, I had to say it. However, I'm not kidding. If you have your own copy of Pokemon Blue, Red, or Yellow, this game is the perfect addition to your collection. The Transfer Pak which is included with the game (making the box quite large) allows you to hook up your Gameboy game with your N64. It's very useful, as I will explain later.

Graphics: 9
The opening sequence gives you just a tiny view of the amazing graphics this game is capable of producing. All of the Pokemon special attacks are rendered very well and greatly enchance what you saw on your Gameboy screen. Of course, that's selling it short. These graphics must be experienced to understand them fully.

Sound/Music: 7
This is the game's one weak point. The music is taken directly from the Gameboy game and the TV show and enhanced. This does bring back a bit of nostalgia, and you can easily recognize the tunes. However, the lack of an original score does bring down the rating. Also, the Pokemon do not shout out their names. Instead they merely make the generic noises they make in the Gameboy game. Finally, the announcer is just plain annoying. Fortunately, you can turn him off.

Gameplay: 9
Aside from the fact that it will take you some time to get used to the odd control style, it is quite intuitive. The C-buttons are used to command your Pokemon in battle. It is also done blindly so that your opponent can't see what you are doing. It is possible to bring up a menu with the attacks, but that eliminates your strategy of keeping your opponent guessing. However, this game is HARD. The AI is actually quite good and will challenge you for quite some time.

Replayability: 10
I still can't get over seeing Pokemon duke it out in 3D. Since there really is no plotline to the game, the whole thing is based in strategy. There are 4 different tournaments to play in, Gym Leader Tower (where those Gym leaders gained a LOT of experience since you fought them last), and Free Battle. If you're really bored, you can even play the nine hillarious mini-games. (I highly reccomend the sushi-eating game.) Finally, you can engage in a 4 player tag-team Pokemon rumble. The multi-player aspect alone gives this game huge replay value.

Buy or Rent: BUY!
Aside from the fact that you will never be able to FIND this game at a rental store, it is well worth the money to buy it. However, if you don't own a Pokemon cartirdge, you may want to consider renting it first.

Overall: 9
As I stated before, the only real defects are the sound. You may find this game frustrating at times, (Beware the Polywag!) but it will give you months of challenge. Also, if you defeat certain parts of the game, you can get certain ''rare'' Pokemon... Gotta catch 'em all!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/07/00, Updated 03/07/00