Pokémon Stadium 2 | |
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Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD HAL Laboratory |
Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
Series | Pokémon |
Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
Release date(s) | |
Genre(s) | Strategy |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Rating(s) | |
Media/distribution | 512Mib (64MiB) Nintendo 64 Cartridge |
Pokémon Stadium 2, known as Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin (ポケモンスタジアム金銀 Pokemon Sutajiamu Kin Gin , lit. "Pokémon Stadium Gold Silver") in Japan, is a video game for the Nintendo 64. It features all 251 Pokémon from the first and second generations. It was released in North America as simply Pokémon Stadium 2, as it was the second Stadium game to be released there. In Japan, Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin was the third game of the Pokémon Stadium series. The Japanese edition also featured the capability to use the Pokémon Mobile System from Pokémon Crystal which was also released on the same day.
This game featured support for all three original Game Boy Pokémon games (Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow) and the three Game Boy Color games (Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal). As in the previous Stadium games, Pikachu from Yellow was a hidden character if the game cartridge was connected. The majority of the game takes place inside the new location White City, where various facilities for battling, organizing, researching, and playing with Pokémon are located. This can be considered to be the Pokémon League for the second generation games. The sequel to the popular Pokémon Stadium features minigames, multiplayer, and league mode.
Contents |
While Pokémon Stadium 2 does have a storyline, progress in the game can be made by winning Cups in the Stadium and completing the Gym Leader Castle. When all Cups have been won and the Gym Leader Castle completed, the player's Rival will appear. Defeating the Rival will unlock Round 2, in which the player must re-challenge the Stadium, Gym Leader Castle, and the Rival in order to complete the game. But, they have different Pokémon and the difficulty is much higher.
The player begins by choosing 6 different Pokémon. There are 250 different Pokémon to choose from; including some legendary Pokémon. Pokémon tournaments take place in the Stadium. There are four Cups to participate in. Each round consists of eight battles, and every Cup except the Little and Prime Cup consists of four rounds, named after Poké Balls, that must be cleared to win that Cup.
Twelve Pokémon-themed minigames and quizzes can be played here, either as stand-alone games or as part of a tournament.
In Free Battle mode, players may conduct practice battles. Players can select rules from any of the tournament cups, or use modified rules. Up to four players may participate, using any combination of rental Pokémon and those imported from cartridges plugged into a Transfer Pak.
At the Game Boy Tower, the player can play Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal on the Nintendo 64. Winning tournament cups in the Stadium and completing the Gym Leader Castle will eventually unlock Doduo Mode (double speed) and Dodrio Mode (quadruple speed for Red, Blue, and Yellow; triple speed for Gold, Silver, and Crystal). However, only Red, Blue, and Yellow have any color while using either of the two modes.
Types of Pokémon: Pokémon Stadium 2 allows the player to use all Pokémon from the Game Boy games Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal; these Pokémon can be brought into the Pokémon Stadium 2 from said games via the Transfer Pak.
Like its predecessor, Pokémon Stadium 2 is compatible with the Transfer Pak: an attachment to the Nintendo 64 controller with a slot to insert Game Boy and Game Boy Color games. This allows players to use Pokémon trained in their Game Boy games to compete in Pokémon Stadium 2's multiple game modes.
However, many gamers have reported that Pokémon Stadium 2 has the tendency to erase the saved data of Pokémon Game Boy games inserted in the Transfer Pak without warning and seemingly without a cause.
Reception | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Aggregator | Score |
GameRankings | 74.10%[1] |
Metacritic | 78%[2] |
Review scores | |
Publication | Score |
GameSpot | 7.2/10[3] |
IGN | 7.5/10[4] |
While discussing the mixed quality of the Pokémon console games, Retronauts member Kat Bailey described it as “okay”.[5]