Pokémon Stadium 2 builds upon the strong foundation of its predecessor, bringing the beloved world of Pokémon into vibrant 3D battles on the Nintendo 64. Trainers can now import their hard-earned teams from Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal using the Transfer Pak, adding a new layer of strategy and customization. The addition of held items injects more depth into battles, and the Gym Leader Castle provides thrilling challenges. Plus, the expanded minigame selection delivers delightful party-style fun. While it may lack a traditional story mode, Pokémon Stadium 2 is a celebration of Pokémon battling and a must-have for any fan of the Game Boy classics.
loved everything about this game - from the gym challenge to the minigames
Known in English as (very confusingly from the Japanese perspective) “Pokemon Stadium 2”, this, the third Pokemon Stadium game, has been one I’ve owned in some form or another for ages. I’d always written off all of these games as just too hard to bother with trying to ever finish to the point I saw the credits. Too much time to train up a team alongside historically having neither a working Transfer Pak nor the gen 1 and 2 games to use to do this stuff properly. However, with my recent Pokemon mania of playing through Pokemon Gold as well as having a Transfer Pak and even a copy of Pokemon Green as well as a link cable, I decided it was time to funnel my current N64 mania into a new mission: Finally reaching the credits of a Pokemon Stadium game. It’s sorta impossible to really try and calculate a “completion time” for these games, as I used both of my completed saves of Pokemon Green and Pokemon Gold to acquire and train up Pokemon to use in this thing, and that isn’t even counting the time I spent playing the game itself. At the very least, playing the Japanese versions on real hardware over the course of about a normal work week, it took me about six or seven days to get through everything with the teams I’d put together as well as using various rental Pokemon (as well as guides on how best to use them XP).
There really isn’t any story to speak of for any Pokemon Stadium game. They’re really just Pokemon battle simulators that have a bundle of single-player content as well as a free battle mode along with some mini-games if you’re hanging out with your friends and want something fun to do. The battle mechanics for those multiplayer modes are also very clever. Your moves and Pokemon are actually hidden behind what are effectively spoiler windows unless you decide to show them, so your opponent has no idea what Pokemon or moves you’re picking despite the fact that you’re both using the same screen to play. Up until this point, the most time I’d actually spent with this game was by far concentrated in the mini-games, and while they’re indeed really fun, they’re never gonna help you reach the credits XD.
As far as the single-player content goes, you have two main areas: the Gym Leader Castle and the Stadium. You’ll need to clear all of both areas to see the credits, and there’s actually an even harder version of everything you can unlock after the credits, but beating the first round of content was so hard, I had no intention of playing the second round if I had already reached the credits XD
In the Stadium, you have four tournaments, with two of those having four divisions (for a total of ten cups of eight battles you’ll need to clear to win this). You have the four divisions (which are basically difficulties) of the Nintendo Cup, which is any Pokemon allowed from levels 50-55. Then there’s the Little Cup, which is only Pokemon of level 5. There’s the Ultra Cup, which is Pokemon leveled 1 to 100 ( though all of your competitors have only level 100 Pokemon). Finally, you have my personal favorite, the four divisions of the Challenge Cup, which is basically a card draft type of tournament. You’re given a random team of six Pokemon, and it’s your job to try and use them to win the next eight battles with them. That one is great fun!
I trained up my own team to beat the Nintendo Cup, and then I had to use rental Pokemon (ones the game pre-provides for you to use, but are generally less good than any team you’d properly prepared yourself) for the Little and Ultra Cups. Those last two were easily the hardest and roughest parts of the game and not only because I had to use rental Pokemon. It’s largely because, if I hadn’t, grinding up a suitable team for both would’ve taken untold hours of work, and I had no interest in doing that. By and large, the stadium section is really good fun for the fun parts while being pretty miserable in the worse parts due to the RNG that’s required to win. Granted, that goes for any time you’re going to be using rental Pokemon in this game, but the Little Cup having so little room for error (as you’re all basically minimum level) means that it’s mostly an exercise in getting lucky enough to win no matter how well prepared you are.
The Gym Leader Castle is exactly what it sounds like, for the most part. You have the eight gym leaders from Johto as well as the Elite Four + Champion in little mini-gauntlets, and beating the gauntlet will clear the stage. There are two or three normal trainers before the gym leader themselves, but those trainers are usually so easy that they feel like something of a waste of time before the actual challenging gym leader. There are even the Kanto gym leaders to fight afterwards, but they’re generally a lot easier and also have no gauntlets to go through. This ends up making it feel very much indeed like playing actual generation 2 Pokemon, where Johto is the actually challenging part, and your run through of Kanto is more like a victory lap XD.
Unlike in the stadium cups, where beating a round without having any Pokemon get KO’d gives you a continue to use if you fail, there are no continues in the Gym Leader Castle, so it can be pretty unforgiving. The one nice thing about the Gym Leader Castle is that you can use whatever Pokemon you like in terms of both actual Pokemon as well as their respective levels. The AI trainers you fight against all have Pokemon of the same level as your highest Pokemon, so just bringing in a team of level 50 Pokemon (likely even the same ones you’re using for the stadium’s Nintendo Cup) makes this a very fun and challenging trial to overcome.
Overall, the single-player content’s design is a very mixed bag. If you’re using rental Pokemon, winning is often simply down to just getting lucky enough. That then goes double for the more poorly designed tournaments like the Little Cup. Even if you’re using a team you trained up yourself, just getting unlucky can mess you up way harder than in normal Pokemon games, as these games actually mirror official tournament rules in that you don’t get a choice to swap out Pokemon when you KO one of your opponent’s Pokemon. Another very annoying difficult spike is from how you bring a team of six, sure, but then you choose only three of them to actually battle with (and so does your opponent). This means you can have an immaculate team prepared, but since you just got unlucky with your three picks verses what your opponent picked, you’re super dead anyhow.
Pokemon is always a game of luck, to no small degree, so this stuff admittedly does go with the territory. Picking unluckily can screw over your AI opponents just as much as it can with you, of course, though I’m not about to admit that they don’t cheat sometimes here and there in knowing what you’re going to do before you do it. Team building is also fun, but it’s also very strategic. This is tournament rules Pokemon, and if you’re going to build your own teams in the GameBoy games, you need to build teams to win, not just ones with Pokemon you like (because the AI is absolutely here to win, no bones about it ^^; ). If that’s your kind of deal, then the single-player content here will likely be a good and challenging time, but if this all sounds dreadful, then it’s likely you’re going to have more fun just messing around in the single-player mode than actually trying to finish it in any respect (which, in my opinion at least, is the far more fun option to take XD).
As for the presentation, they absolutely knock it out of the park. The announcer over Pokemon matches makes things feel very silly and extra high energy, and the music is a ton of really fun renditions of tracks from the GameBoy games. The actual visuals are quite limited, of course, as this is largely just a battle simulator, but the Pokemon do look pretty damn good. By the end of your time with this game, you’ll be able to very well appreciate just why nearly half the credited developers on this are 3D modelers for the Pokemon XD. All 250+ are animated and rendered in delightful detail, and watching them fight and use their moves is always really fun. I’d actually never registered my own Pokemon to be used in one of these games before, despite having played them in some form for over 20 years now, and I really do have to say that it was an absolutely thrilling experience seeing my lads I’d spent so long training up burst onto the screen in 3D. The presentation does exactly what you’d hope it’d do, and it’s awesome.
Verdict: Hesitantly Recommended. While the multiplayer content is super fun and enough of a reason to check this game out all on its own, the single-player content is difficult enough that it is likely to really turn off completionists. It’s usually well polished, and certain parts like the Challenge Cup tournament are such unique game variants that I’ll just replay on my own for fun, but the luck required to actually overcome the difficulty present in the hardest tournaments is really just more trouble than it’s worth. At the end of the day, this is a very easy game to recommend to just try out and play, but it’s a much harder game to recommend you try to beat.
There really isn’t any story to speak of for any Pokemon Stadium game. They’re really just Pokemon battle simulators that have a bundle of single-player content as well as a free battle mode along with some mini-games if you’re hanging out with your friends and want something fun to do. The battle mechanics for those multiplayer modes are also very clever. Your moves and Pokemon are actually hidden behind what are effectively spoiler windows unless you decide to show them, so your opponent has no idea what Pokemon or moves you’re picking despite the fact that you’re both using the same screen to play. Up until this point, the most time I’d actually spent with this game was by far concentrated in the mini-games, and while they’re indeed really fun, they’re never gonna help you reach the credits XD.
As far as the single-player content goes, you have two main areas: the Gym Leader Castle and the Stadium. You’ll need to clear all of both areas to see the credits, and there’s actually an even harder version of everything you can unlock after the credits, but beating the first round of content was so hard, I had no intention of playing the second round if I had already reached the credits XD
In the Stadium, you have four tournaments, with two of those having four divisions (for a total of ten cups of eight battles you’ll need to clear to win this). You have the four divisions (which are basically difficulties) of the Nintendo Cup, which is any Pokemon allowed from levels 50-55. Then there’s the Little Cup, which is only Pokemon of level 5. There’s the Ultra Cup, which is Pokemon leveled 1 to 100 ( though all of your competitors have only level 100 Pokemon). Finally, you have my personal favorite, the four divisions of the Challenge Cup, which is basically a card draft type of tournament. You’re given a random team of six Pokemon, and it’s your job to try and use them to win the next eight battles with them. That one is great fun!
I trained up my own team to beat the Nintendo Cup, and then I had to use rental Pokemon (ones the game pre-provides for you to use, but are generally less good than any team you’d properly prepared yourself) for the Little and Ultra Cups. Those last two were easily the hardest and roughest parts of the game and not only because I had to use rental Pokemon. It’s largely because, if I hadn’t, grinding up a suitable team for both would’ve taken untold hours of work, and I had no interest in doing that. By and large, the stadium section is really good fun for the fun parts while being pretty miserable in the worse parts due to the RNG that’s required to win. Granted, that goes for any time you’re going to be using rental Pokemon in this game, but the Little Cup having so little room for error (as you’re all basically minimum level) means that it’s mostly an exercise in getting lucky enough to win no matter how well prepared you are.
The Gym Leader Castle is exactly what it sounds like, for the most part. You have the eight gym leaders from Johto as well as the Elite Four + Champion in little mini-gauntlets, and beating the gauntlet will clear the stage. There are two or three normal trainers before the gym leader themselves, but those trainers are usually so easy that they feel like something of a waste of time before the actual challenging gym leader. There are even the Kanto gym leaders to fight afterwards, but they’re generally a lot easier and also have no gauntlets to go through. This ends up making it feel very much indeed like playing actual generation 2 Pokemon, where Johto is the actually challenging part, and your run through of Kanto is more like a victory lap XD.
Unlike in the stadium cups, where beating a round without having any Pokemon get KO’d gives you a continue to use if you fail, there are no continues in the Gym Leader Castle, so it can be pretty unforgiving. The one nice thing about the Gym Leader Castle is that you can use whatever Pokemon you like in terms of both actual Pokemon as well as their respective levels. The AI trainers you fight against all have Pokemon of the same level as your highest Pokemon, so just bringing in a team of level 50 Pokemon (likely even the same ones you’re using for the stadium’s Nintendo Cup) makes this a very fun and challenging trial to overcome.
Overall, the single-player content’s design is a very mixed bag. If you’re using rental Pokemon, winning is often simply down to just getting lucky enough. That then goes double for the more poorly designed tournaments like the Little Cup. Even if you’re using a team you trained up yourself, just getting unlucky can mess you up way harder than in normal Pokemon games, as these games actually mirror official tournament rules in that you don’t get a choice to swap out Pokemon when you KO one of your opponent’s Pokemon. Another very annoying difficult spike is from how you bring a team of six, sure, but then you choose only three of them to actually battle with (and so does your opponent). This means you can have an immaculate team prepared, but since you just got unlucky with your three picks verses what your opponent picked, you’re super dead anyhow.
Pokemon is always a game of luck, to no small degree, so this stuff admittedly does go with the territory. Picking unluckily can screw over your AI opponents just as much as it can with you, of course, though I’m not about to admit that they don’t cheat sometimes here and there in knowing what you’re going to do before you do it. Team building is also fun, but it’s also very strategic. This is tournament rules Pokemon, and if you’re going to build your own teams in the GameBoy games, you need to build teams to win, not just ones with Pokemon you like (because the AI is absolutely here to win, no bones about it ^^; ). If that’s your kind of deal, then the single-player content here will likely be a good and challenging time, but if this all sounds dreadful, then it’s likely you’re going to have more fun just messing around in the single-player mode than actually trying to finish it in any respect (which, in my opinion at least, is the far more fun option to take XD).
As for the presentation, they absolutely knock it out of the park. The announcer over Pokemon matches makes things feel very silly and extra high energy, and the music is a ton of really fun renditions of tracks from the GameBoy games. The actual visuals are quite limited, of course, as this is largely just a battle simulator, but the Pokemon do look pretty damn good. By the end of your time with this game, you’ll be able to very well appreciate just why nearly half the credited developers on this are 3D modelers for the Pokemon XD. All 250+ are animated and rendered in delightful detail, and watching them fight and use their moves is always really fun. I’d actually never registered my own Pokemon to be used in one of these games before, despite having played them in some form for over 20 years now, and I really do have to say that it was an absolutely thrilling experience seeing my lads I’d spent so long training up burst onto the screen in 3D. The presentation does exactly what you’d hope it’d do, and it’s awesome.
Verdict: Hesitantly Recommended. While the multiplayer content is super fun and enough of a reason to check this game out all on its own, the single-player content is difficult enough that it is likely to really turn off completionists. It’s usually well polished, and certain parts like the Challenge Cup tournament are such unique game variants that I’ll just replay on my own for fun, but the luck required to actually overcome the difficulty present in the hardest tournaments is really just more trouble than it’s worth. At the end of the day, this is a very easy game to recommend to just try out and play, but it’s a much harder game to recommend you try to beat.
amazing follow up to stadium 1, great minigames, borrowed mons are all pretty balanced, 1p mode is extremely fun and a little challenging and multiplayer is peak especially with 4 ppl
Dois jogos distintos em um. Os minijogos desse jogo seriam facilmente um jogo solo, e as batalhas são divertidas demais, com uma variedade grande de animações quando executado os golpes. Fora a dificuldade na "torre dos treinadores" como se tem no MK
didnt really like the vibe, i get the appeal
The minigames just make me feel robbed over how we never got a Mario Party clone but with Pokemon.
Better than the first one in a lot of ways.
THAT WAS BRUTAL!
Just like the original, this is a game that realizes its full potential when connecting to the original Gold and Silver versions. Without them, all you are left with is a small but excellent collection of minigames and a striped version of the battle mode.
Graphically this game looks fantastic, especially for a title on this console. The animations are also wonderful, with each creature lovingly crafted. As a child, this completely blew me away and had me enthralled. It also runs very well, with no noticeable framerate issues to speak of.
The gameplay is simple, as it is a 3D battle simulator for the 2nd generation of Pokemon. That means if you like fighting in the games, you are going to have a great time with this game as there are many different tournaments and challenges you can partake in. As I mentioned before, if you own either Pokemon Gold or Pokemon Silver and you also own the N64 Game Pak, you will be able to use the team that you raised for all of these fights.
It is still a brilliant move to allow players to use their original teams for these challenges, but the drawback is that any player who doesn't own the game or the Game Pak will be left using the rental Pokemon, which increases the challenge quite a bit. It was frustrating not being able to customize the team you wanted to use, and it seriously put a damper on a fun time.
I don't feel the need to go into the minigames here, as they are all phenomenal. It is the only thing to do if you don't like battling or if you don't own the Game Pak. Each minigame is great fun even to this day. Overall I liked the game, but it doesn't shy away from being a novelty. It's hard to recommend this now unless you own the original cartridge and its compatible games. But if you love Pokemon and have everything, then you'll have a good time.
Graphically this game looks fantastic, especially for a title on this console. The animations are also wonderful, with each creature lovingly crafted. As a child, this completely blew me away and had me enthralled. It also runs very well, with no noticeable framerate issues to speak of.
The gameplay is simple, as it is a 3D battle simulator for the 2nd generation of Pokemon. That means if you like fighting in the games, you are going to have a great time with this game as there are many different tournaments and challenges you can partake in. As I mentioned before, if you own either Pokemon Gold or Pokemon Silver and you also own the N64 Game Pak, you will be able to use the team that you raised for all of these fights.
It is still a brilliant move to allow players to use their original teams for these challenges, but the drawback is that any player who doesn't own the game or the Game Pak will be left using the rental Pokemon, which increases the challenge quite a bit. It was frustrating not being able to customize the team you wanted to use, and it seriously put a damper on a fun time.
I don't feel the need to go into the minigames here, as they are all phenomenal. It is the only thing to do if you don't like battling or if you don't own the Game Pak. Each minigame is great fun even to this day. Overall I liked the game, but it doesn't shy away from being a novelty. It's hard to recommend this now unless you own the original cartridge and its compatible games. But if you love Pokemon and have everything, then you'll have a good time.
be honest you're not playing this for the pokemon part, you're here for the minigames
trop bien les mini jeux
Gameplay- Pokémon Stadium 2, while lacking a traditional storyline, offers a rich and engaging gameplay experience. The main progression revolves around winning trophies in the Stadium, which features four distinct "Cups" with their unique rules and regulations: the Poké Cup, Prime Cup, Challenge Cup, and Little Cup. Each Cup adds variety and complexity to the battles. In the Stadium, players assemble a team of six Pokémon, which can be a mix of rental Pokémon provided by the game or imported Pokémon from a Game Boy cartridge. This flexibility allows for diverse strategies and team compositions. The Challenge Cup, in particular, introduces an element of randomness, as both the player and their opponents receive parties of Pokémon selected entirely at random. This Cup provides an exciting and unpredictable twist to the battles. The Gym Leader Castle presents an additional layer of challenge. To earn Gym badges and progress, players must defeat trainers at the eight Johto League Gyms. Each Gym specializes in a particular type of Pokémon, but the trainers within the Gym can employ a mix of types for balance, adding strategic depth to the battles. The three-on-three format for Pokémon battles adds a layer of complexity to these encounters, requiring players to carefully choose their team of six Pokémon, which can again consist of imported or rental Pokémon. As you progress, you'll encounter the Elite Four, and their defeat unlocks a rival battle. Beyond this, the game introduces the Kanto Gym Leaders and ultimately culminates in a face-off with the Pokémon Champion, Red. The gameplay's structure is well-designed to keep players engaged, offering a satisfying sense of accomplishment as you conquer Gym after Gym and aim to become the ultimate Pokémon Champion. Pokémon Stadium 2's gameplay is a mixture of strategy, unpredictability, and a steady progression system, making it a rewarding and entertaining experience for both Pokémon enthusiasts and newcomers to the franchise.
Modes & Features- Pokémon Stadium 2 offers a versatile Free Battle mode that allows players to engage in practice battles. You have the freedom to select rules from any of the tournament cups or even create custom rules to suit your preferences. With support for up to four players, the battles can become even more exciting. You can assemble teams using a combination of rental Pokémon and those imported from your Game Boy games via the Transfer Pak. Plus, who could forget the charming touch of Pikachu announcing its name when you select the trainer icon from the Pokémon section screen? One of the standout features of The Pokémon Stadium Series is the Game Boy Tower, which, unfortunately, is absent in the Nintendo Switch Online version. In the original, you could play Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal on your Nintendo 64. Winning Stadium cups and conquering the Gym Leader Castle unlocked higher speed options, allowing you to relive your Game Boy adventures with a fresh twist. If you connect Pokémon Stadium 2 to Pokémon Gold, Silver, or Crystal, you unlock the intriguing "Mystery Gift" function. This feature lets you receive random items in your Game Boy game, adding an extra layer of excitement to your Pokémon journey. Some of these items include decorations for your in-game room, which can be both viewed and customized within Stadium 2. It's a unique and charming way to personalize your gaming experience. For players in Japan, Pokémon Stadium 2 introduced the innovative "Mobile Stadium" game mode. By using the mobile phone adapter bundled with copies of Pokémon Crystal, you could access this exciting feature. In Mobile Stadium, you could battle against other players downloaded from the mobile phone service in tournament-style matches. Moreover, you could also engage in battles with friends by transferring information across the mobile adapter, taking your Pokémon battles to a whole new level. For those seeking an upgrade in visual quality, the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak comes to the rescue. When inserted into the console, it elevates the texture resolution and overall image quality of Pokémon Stadium 2. Additionally, it reduces the frequency of data loading when playing Pokémon Crystal in the Game Boy Tower, ensuring a smoother and more visually appealing gaming experience. This hardware enhancement adds depth to the gameplay and is a welcome addition for those looking to optimize their Pokémon adventures on the Nintendo 64.
Mini Games- One of the standout features in Pokémon Stadium 2 is the Mini-Game Park, nestled in White City. This vibrant area invites up to four players to indulge in 12 exciting Pokémon-themed mini-games, promising a plethora of fun and competition. While it's not mandatory, players can even bring their favorite Pokémon from their Game Boy cartridges into select mini-games, adding a unique twist to the experience.
Gutsy Golbat: Transform into four Golbat and soar through a cavern, collecting hearts that are playfully blown by a Jynx. The challenge lies in avoiding collisions with both your opponents and the tricky Magnemite. A true test of aerial agility.
Topsy-Turvy: Assume the role of Hitmontop and engage in an intense showdown where the Rapid Spin move is your key to victory. Knock your opponents out of the arena, and the first player to secure five knockouts emerges as the winner.
Clear Cut Challenge: As Scyther, Scizor, or Pinsir, your task is to slice a white line on logs. The finesse in your cutting technique determines whether you gain or lose points. After five logs, the player with the highest score claims victory.
Furret's Frolic: Play as Furret and focus on knocking four Poké Balls into your designated corner to rack up points. Alternatively, you can opt to take the role of a Girafarig for a change of pace.
Barrier Ball: Step into the shoes of Mr. Mime, and engage in a fast-paced game where you bounce a Poké Ball back and forth across your opponent's court. Precision and agility are your best friends in this thrilling mini-game.
Pichu's Power Plant: As Pichu, engage in a race against time as you compete to be the first to fully charge up using four electrodes. Alternatively, you can opt for a Pikachu to take on the challenge.
Rampage Rollout: Transform into Donphan and partake in a race to complete nine laps around a square track. Emerge victorious by strategically utilizing dust clouds to impede your rivals. On the final lap, Donphan's Rollout adds an exciting twist.
Streaming Stampede: As Cleffa or Igglybuff, test your counting skills by estimating the number of a specific Pokémon. Your performance determines the points you earn, with the final question challenging you to count every Pokémon.
Tumbling Togepi: Embark on a fast-paced journey as Togepi, running on a treadmill towards the goal while avoiding obstacles like boulders, flowers, and Diglett. For a change, you can opt for an Omanyte as your character.
Delibird's Delivery: Take control of Delibird, gather presents, and amass points, with bonus points awarded for delivering the same presents multiple times. It's a delightful delivery challenge.
Egg Emergency: Play as Chansey, tasked with catching falling eggs while skillfully avoiding pesky Voltorb. Precision and speed are your allies in this frantic task.
Eager Eevee: Four Eevee are in a race, and you must outpace your rivals as you race around a lid held down by Aipom. The twist comes when Aipom opens the lid to reveal fruit that you must grab, all while dodging Pineco.
These mini-games introduce a breath of fresh air compared to Pokémon Stadium 1, offering players a diverse range of challenges and entertainment. Among them, personal favorites like "Pichu's Power Plant" and "Tumbling Togepi" stand out as exceptional choices that add an extra layer of excitement to the Pokémon Stadium 2 experience.
Summary
Gameplay: 7.5
Graphics: 8
Characters: 6
Content: 8
Music: 6
Difficulty: Nightmare
Length: 19 hours
Audience: 7+
Perk: Collector
Final Score (8 - Great): Pokemon Stadium 2 is a fantastic sequel that outshines its predecessor. With a diverse selection of Pokemon, entertaining mini-games, and plenty of content, it's a must-play for Pokemon fans. While not without its flaws, it remains the pinnacle of Pokemon gaming on the N64. I may not have experienced Pokemon Colosseum or Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness yet, but if the opportunity arises, I'll explore those titles as well.
Modes & Features- Pokémon Stadium 2 offers a versatile Free Battle mode that allows players to engage in practice battles. You have the freedom to select rules from any of the tournament cups or even create custom rules to suit your preferences. With support for up to four players, the battles can become even more exciting. You can assemble teams using a combination of rental Pokémon and those imported from your Game Boy games via the Transfer Pak. Plus, who could forget the charming touch of Pikachu announcing its name when you select the trainer icon from the Pokémon section screen? One of the standout features of The Pokémon Stadium Series is the Game Boy Tower, which, unfortunately, is absent in the Nintendo Switch Online version. In the original, you could play Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal on your Nintendo 64. Winning Stadium cups and conquering the Gym Leader Castle unlocked higher speed options, allowing you to relive your Game Boy adventures with a fresh twist. If you connect Pokémon Stadium 2 to Pokémon Gold, Silver, or Crystal, you unlock the intriguing "Mystery Gift" function. This feature lets you receive random items in your Game Boy game, adding an extra layer of excitement to your Pokémon journey. Some of these items include decorations for your in-game room, which can be both viewed and customized within Stadium 2. It's a unique and charming way to personalize your gaming experience. For players in Japan, Pokémon Stadium 2 introduced the innovative "Mobile Stadium" game mode. By using the mobile phone adapter bundled with copies of Pokémon Crystal, you could access this exciting feature. In Mobile Stadium, you could battle against other players downloaded from the mobile phone service in tournament-style matches. Moreover, you could also engage in battles with friends by transferring information across the mobile adapter, taking your Pokémon battles to a whole new level. For those seeking an upgrade in visual quality, the Nintendo 64 Expansion Pak comes to the rescue. When inserted into the console, it elevates the texture resolution and overall image quality of Pokémon Stadium 2. Additionally, it reduces the frequency of data loading when playing Pokémon Crystal in the Game Boy Tower, ensuring a smoother and more visually appealing gaming experience. This hardware enhancement adds depth to the gameplay and is a welcome addition for those looking to optimize their Pokémon adventures on the Nintendo 64.
Mini Games- One of the standout features in Pokémon Stadium 2 is the Mini-Game Park, nestled in White City. This vibrant area invites up to four players to indulge in 12 exciting Pokémon-themed mini-games, promising a plethora of fun and competition. While it's not mandatory, players can even bring their favorite Pokémon from their Game Boy cartridges into select mini-games, adding a unique twist to the experience.
Gutsy Golbat: Transform into four Golbat and soar through a cavern, collecting hearts that are playfully blown by a Jynx. The challenge lies in avoiding collisions with both your opponents and the tricky Magnemite. A true test of aerial agility.
Topsy-Turvy: Assume the role of Hitmontop and engage in an intense showdown where the Rapid Spin move is your key to victory. Knock your opponents out of the arena, and the first player to secure five knockouts emerges as the winner.
Clear Cut Challenge: As Scyther, Scizor, or Pinsir, your task is to slice a white line on logs. The finesse in your cutting technique determines whether you gain or lose points. After five logs, the player with the highest score claims victory.
Furret's Frolic: Play as Furret and focus on knocking four Poké Balls into your designated corner to rack up points. Alternatively, you can opt to take the role of a Girafarig for a change of pace.
Barrier Ball: Step into the shoes of Mr. Mime, and engage in a fast-paced game where you bounce a Poké Ball back and forth across your opponent's court. Precision and agility are your best friends in this thrilling mini-game.
Pichu's Power Plant: As Pichu, engage in a race against time as you compete to be the first to fully charge up using four electrodes. Alternatively, you can opt for a Pikachu to take on the challenge.
Rampage Rollout: Transform into Donphan and partake in a race to complete nine laps around a square track. Emerge victorious by strategically utilizing dust clouds to impede your rivals. On the final lap, Donphan's Rollout adds an exciting twist.
Streaming Stampede: As Cleffa or Igglybuff, test your counting skills by estimating the number of a specific Pokémon. Your performance determines the points you earn, with the final question challenging you to count every Pokémon.
Tumbling Togepi: Embark on a fast-paced journey as Togepi, running on a treadmill towards the goal while avoiding obstacles like boulders, flowers, and Diglett. For a change, you can opt for an Omanyte as your character.
Delibird's Delivery: Take control of Delibird, gather presents, and amass points, with bonus points awarded for delivering the same presents multiple times. It's a delightful delivery challenge.
Egg Emergency: Play as Chansey, tasked with catching falling eggs while skillfully avoiding pesky Voltorb. Precision and speed are your allies in this frantic task.
Eager Eevee: Four Eevee are in a race, and you must outpace your rivals as you race around a lid held down by Aipom. The twist comes when Aipom opens the lid to reveal fruit that you must grab, all while dodging Pineco.
These mini-games introduce a breath of fresh air compared to Pokémon Stadium 1, offering players a diverse range of challenges and entertainment. Among them, personal favorites like "Pichu's Power Plant" and "Tumbling Togepi" stand out as exceptional choices that add an extra layer of excitement to the Pokémon Stadium 2 experience.
Summary
Gameplay: 7.5
Graphics: 8
Characters: 6
Content: 8
Music: 6
Difficulty: Nightmare
Length: 19 hours
Audience: 7+
Perk: Collector
Final Score (8 - Great): Pokemon Stadium 2 is a fantastic sequel that outshines its predecessor. With a diverse selection of Pokemon, entertaining mini-games, and plenty of content, it's a must-play for Pokemon fans. While not without its flaws, it remains the pinnacle of Pokemon gaming on the N64. I may not have experienced Pokemon Colosseum or Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness yet, but if the opportunity arises, I'll explore those titles as well.
emulated
its just the first one but johto.....just like gen 2 is
I don't know if I was just a dumb kid, but this game gets extremely hard later on. I never had the GBC/GBA games to transfer pokemon in which realistically is probably how you beat the hardest parts. As is true for most of the G/S/C generation, it has so much more content than its predecessor and feels like an all-around improvement. Minigames also top tier.
Much like Pokémon Stadium 1, I'm mostly here for the minigames. It's great seeing Johto 'Mons in full 3D duking it out, but having fun with family & friends playing minigames & the quiz show mode is where my fondest memories of this game come from. I may even argue the minigames on tap here are better than in Stadium 1. Topsy-Turvy, Clear Cut Challenge, Rampage Rollout, Barrier Ball, Streaming Stampede ---- the whole collection's a winner. Some good times were had for sure.
Cool party game that I connect a lot of memories with my childhood.
Pretty much what you'd expect from a G/S iteration upon the original, but with a few more modes and features, including a neat Battle School that taught you the more obscure rules of combat. For me it's couched in the same warm, golden glow as all Gen 2 titles.
Stadium 2 is more or less the same game as 1, but a bit more fun and varied with the addition of 100 generation 2 Pokemon.
I give Pokemon Stadium 2 a 7!
I give Pokemon Stadium 2 a 7!
First N64 I've ever played, so I'm biased and charmed by everything about it.
...but sadly, it has to be said: like the previous one, without the Transfer Pak and YOUR copy of Gold/Silver the experience feels halved.
...but sadly, it has to be said: like the previous one, without the Transfer Pak and YOUR copy of Gold/Silver the experience feels halved.
Feels uncomplete without the GB games.
pokemon
(same review of first title)
fuck it, I'm going to rate this solely and exclusively based on my fucking nostalgia because recently i've played that and bro its extreamely tiring
but the minigames are AWESOME
fuck it, I'm going to rate this solely and exclusively based on my fucking nostalgia because recently i've played that and bro its extreamely tiring
but the minigames are AWESOME
Improves on certain aspects of the first game such as more polished graphics and animations. Gameplay and rules remain the same and the single player mode is fairly straightforward with nothing interesting besides the obvious Pokemon battles in 3D.
However, as most players already know, the real place to be in this game are the minigames. They were designed very well and were very fun to play against 4 people and even against the CPU.
However, as most players already know, the real place to be in this game are the minigames. They were designed very well and were very fun to play against 4 people and even against the CPU.
confuso
pokemon stadium 1 but for gen 2. has all the same flaws but has more content.
Immediate 5 stars solely for the Minigames. All of them still slap so hard after 23 years.
it's fun how the animations haven't changed in 23 years
Pokémon Stadium 2 (2000): El juego base es bastante aburridillo y la gracia de ver a los bichos en alta calidad tenía sentido en su momento, hoy día ya no, pero los minijuegos son otro cantar. Divertidísimos y a la altura del mejor Mario Party, ideal para jugar con amigos (7,30)