pokemon stadium - Pokemon - http://maxpages.com/pokemonjhkjh/pokemon

Review
It's been a long time coming, but Pokemon Stadium has finally made it to the States, and the question remains, was it worth the wait. Then answer? Well, you have to really look at Pokemon Stadium in two ways; an add-on to Pokemon Yellow, Blue, and Red, or a game on it's own.
Graphics

Fans of the series will be very pleased to know that this game does not lag in the graphic department. Some of the moves are just simply amazing looking. From the burning power of Fire Blast to the mind-bending Psychic attack. Each move was carefully made to bring out the full magic of it. Even Tackle is a nice sight to see. What's more is that two Pokemon can use the same move, but the move will look a little different, going with the Pokemon Type. For example, when Flareon uses Body Slam, his legs spread out while he jumps into the air, but when Squirtle uses Body Slam, he will descend into his Shell and spin towards the enemy. These little touches will make sure that you won't grow bored of the battle animations. Speaking of Animations, each Pokemon was flawlessly made (Though Machamp looks a little funny). They move fluidly on screen as they battle. After awhile though, the moves do tend to get to be the old same stuff. Another added plus from Nintendo if their use of Pokemon Colors in the game. Depending on your Pokemon's ID number, name, and stats, it will have different colors. This adds a lot of variety of slightly different looking Pokemon. I mean, not every Pokemon is supposed to look just alike, are they? All in all, the graphic department will not disappoint, though some of the Pokemon needed a little more work (Like Machamp).
Gameplay

Well, the gameplay is what you probably expected, exactly like the battles in yellow, blue, and red; but Nintendo has added some more fun features for you to toy around with. First and foremost is the battles. They are just like the old Gameboy battles with added spice. One thing I noticed that was somewhat odd (kind of) is that when you defeat one of the computer trainer's Pokemon, it doesn't ask you if you want to bring a new one out. That had brought a lot of strategy to the game, and Nintendo should have kept that in, but anyway, it still doesn't detract much from the whole experience. In Stadium, you have some cups to complete. Some Cups are the Prime Cup, Petit Cup, and Pika Cup to name a few. Each one has set rules and a certain amount of difficulty. Depending on which ones you beat, you can get some nice surprises such as Surfing Pikachu and Amnesia Psyduck. Also present in the game is an area called the Kids Club. This area has simple, easy to learn mini games for your enjoyment. Though these games are simple and not that addicting, they could keep you hooked for a good 15 minutes . I wish Nintendo had put more difficulty into the mini games. Even at hard, they are too easy for me. I wish they had put in some more mini games. Now, what makes Pokemon Stadium so great is of course the Transfer Pack, which is bundled with Pokemon Stadium. This little gizmo hooks up to the back of your controller and lets you input your Pokemon from Blue, Red, or Yellow into Pokemon Stadium, you can battle it out with your Pokemon in all the 3D glory that Stadium is. What's more is that you can Register your Gameboy Pokemon into the game using the Registering mode so that you don't have to use the Transfer Pack anymore. Nintendo also allows you to play your Pokemon Game on the N64 when you go to the GB Tower. It is just like the Super NES Gameboy (accept you can only play Pokemon Yellow, Red, and Blue; not any Gameboy game you please. Sorry . So, when all put together, Pokemon Stadium has plenty of things to keep you occupied until the next game hits. Though the gameplay could have been better, it still shines.
Sound

Eeeeek! Now Pokemon Stadium kind of lags in the Sound department. The first negative thing that bugged me about the sound is the ever so annoying announcer. He says the same thing over and over and over and over and over. He is going to make you turn down the volume to the lowest it can get. What were the guys at Nintendo thinking? One positive happening in the sound department are the Pokemon voices. No they aren't like the TV show where they just say their name, no this is more like the Gameboy game. If you listen carefully, you can see that each Pokemon voice resembles the voice from their Gameboy counter part when you bring a Pokemon out into battle. The only difference is that the Stadium voices are spiced up and sound much more better and go nicely with the Pokemon type. Music isn't really there, but that's not what this game is about. You will be so hooked onto the game that you won't even hear the music. The soundtrack is not something to jump for. Though Pokemon Stadium contains lot of the original music from the game, it isn't enough. I was hoping for some great new original music, but was displeased with the overall result. Even though the Music lags and the announcer is unforgivable, you will still enjoy the other sounds.
Control

Not much to say here. Control in this game is top notch. The menu based system is simple and effective. And the mini games are easy to learn as well. The whole game is easy to navigate due to the fact that Nintendo wanted to make sure the game was enjoyable for all audiences. Moves can be pulled off more quickly than ever too. All in all, the control is flawless.
Well, I would like to think of Stadium not as a game on its own, but more as a add-on to an already great game. Stadium is more like a gift than an experience. It is fun, while it lasts. The cups are fun, but they are still not as great as playing a friend in some heavy combat. The mini games are pluses, but they are to simple and too few. Fans of the Pokemon series will enjoy this game for quite some time while the more avid gamer will get bored in about a month. Do not get this game unless you have one of the Pokemon Gameboy Games. It adds a lot to the experience.

Final Score - 8.5

-Blaze

Related Links
Walkthru
Codes
Game Info
Publisher:
Nintendo

Developer:
HAL Laboratories

Genre:
Battle Sim

Origin:
Japan

Players:
1 to 4

Supports:
Transfer Pak

Released:
?? (JP)
March 6, 2000 (US)
?? (AU)
?? (EUR)

Buy It

$59.99 @ Amazon

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Haris Ahmed

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Page Updated Sun Jul 16, 2000 7:58am EDT