Pokemon Stadium

"Battling 'em all in 3D... someone pass the coffee!"

Introduction -

Pokemon Stadium was released for the Nintendo 64 in 1996, and ever since that glorious date, millions of people have been battling it out with their Pokemon against friends and/or enemies. Me and my acquaintances are no exception. Remember how when you would play Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow, and constantly run out of space in your PC for extra items? Well, fear no more! Pokemon Stadium comes equipped with a special feature: Professor Oak's Lab! Now you can store all of your items in the N64's PC, right on the game! I know practically ALL of you reading this knew that before you even registered at this site, but so what--I want this review to look hot. It's always fun to train your Pokemon in Red, Blue and Yellow versions, and then upload them to your Nintendo 64's game: Pokemon Stadium to battle it out or just challenge some of the various (and mildly difficult) cups and CPU-controlled opponents. 'But how does one go about uploading their Pokemon to Pokemon Stadium?', you may ask. Well, it's simple, really--when you purchase your copy of Pokemon Stadium, you also get a Transfer Pak. This Transfer Pak allows you to slip your game cartridges into its port, then upload or trade them to and through the Nintendo 64! Cool, huh? Yep!

Storyline 8/10 -

Although this is a great game, there really is no storyline to present. The game is more focused on the sole purpose of battling Pokemon, rather than attempting complicated or odd storylines to it. You're basically using this game to win various cups throughout the Stadium, and you also get to challenge Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow version's Gym Leaders! Doing so will earn you a special gift.. or two... or more! Hee, hee. There is also a section of the game known as the 'Kid's Club', where you can get together with your friends (or for you who share no friends at any point in time, the CPU) to play several different kinds of mini-games, all with fun and exciting challenges. Try them out! I give the overall storyline a positive 8/10, since there is no storyline to really judge, I'll just rate it on the basis of what it's constructed as - a battle cup.

Graphics 10/10 -

Awesome. Spectacular. Enviously beautiful. The graphics of this game consist of 3D and couldn't be any more sharp. Speaking of excellent graphics, when you enter a Pokemon battle on any of the many, many battle grounds to choose from, you get to watch your Pokemon come to life on your TV! They are boldly colored and beautifully mastered to fit the format of your television set. All of the motions, movements, options (wow!) and even fainting/attacking Pokemon are all mastered in 3D for the best performance possible! I definitely give this one an A+.

Sound 9/10 -

Great sound. I personally like the background music, and the battle music best. When you instruct your Pokemon to attack (or switch) against your opponent, the sound is so superb, you actually feel as though you're really there! I know it sounds odd of me saying this, but the sound is extremely authentic and shouldn't be underestimated because of its history (the old Pokemon game graphics aren't as accurate as today's are, but that matters not). Each attack your Pokemon uses has its own unique sound and motion, and is truly an envious sight to behold!

Gameplay 10/10 -

A truly fun game to play, especially when your friends claim/brag that they can 'own' you at Pokemon--this is where you bring them to your house, turn on your game (after uploading your Pokemon teams), and let it all hang out! The gameplay is awesome; no question stands in its way of perfect solitude.

Challenge? -

Yep. A good challenging game. It's especially difficult when you reach the second round of the Stadium's cups - then the true ferocity of the CPU is exposed. But hey, it's not all as hard as it's made out to be. Just have hope (and train your Pokemon! Cheating equals losing sometimes!).

Buy or Rent? -

Buyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. I say this in every review I write. Why? Because I'm right! Doh... This game couldn't possibly be rented, then returned to the rental store - all of that saved data from those various difficult cups you cleared? Consider them gone. Most people delete game files as soon as they rent them just to spite whoever was hoping to re-rent it. Believe me; I've done this myself.

Controls 9/10 -

Pretty decent controls. It basically tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about all of the controls that are used in this game. Most of the controls are a cinch to become accustomed to, and shouldn't be that hard to remember. I give the Controls an A.

Conclusion -

Now we're here at the end... [sigh].. I hate endings. I certainly do. But what must be done, must be done (or at least that's what one of my old teachers once told me about my schoolwork). I recommend STRONGLY that you purchase this game, and pretty much every other Pokemon game that is in existence. Don't take my word for it.....try it out for yourself!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/05