Pokemon Stadium
- March 16, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Pok�mon Snap peeked into the 3D world of Pok�mon and was a huge hit even though it didn't offer the thrill of training and battle. Well, grab a hold of something solid because Pok�mon Stadium delivers the same cool graphics along with most of the fun of the phenomenally successful Game Boy games.
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It Takes A Lickitung And Keeps On Ticking
For those of you who have been hiding under a rock for the last year or so, here's a brief explanation of Pok�mon Stadium. It's the first fully 3D Pok�mon video game to feature battles (including multi-player rumbles), it also includes 9 mini-games and can use the information from your Game Boy cartridges. Every Pok�mon is in this game, as long as you caught them on your Game Boy, which you download onto Stadium by using the included Transfer Pak. You can even play you Game Boy games (Red, Blue and Yellow) on the big screen of your TV. Try to defeat eight trainers in four different tournaments (Pika Cup, Petit Cup, Pok� Cup and Prime Cup) to become the master Pok�mon trainer. And if that bores you, grab some friends and battle it out in multi-player fights or mini-games with up to four players.
As a multi-player party game, Pok�mon Stadium rules, but it fails to replicate the addictive single-player fun of the Game Boy games. Experience level restrictions in all but the Prime Cup make it difficult to use your favorite Pok�mon from your Game Boy in the various tournaments, leaving you to use the Rental Pok�mon, which haven't learned the moves you might need or want.
Meowth Mix
The thrill of seeing all of your favorite Pok�mon in 3D, along with flashy animations of their moves, is definitely the best part of this game. If you played Pok�mon Snap you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect. The models are all right on the money, but some of the animations and certain moves are a bit awkward and some of the animation gets repetitive.
Sound is without a doubt the worst part of this game. Gone are the trademark sounds of each Pok�mon from Snap, which have been replaced by the cheesy Game Boy sounds and a ridiculously tedious announcer. Battles would have been much better hearing the Pok�mon say their names rather than an announcer repeat the same tired analysis over and over while overly dramatic music wails on in the background.
The controls are a bit weird. Rather than sticking to the D-pad and two-button configuration of the Game Boy, you use the four yellow C-buttons and shoulder buttons to move through battle menus and make your selections. You can basically play the game one-handed, but that is just not very intuitive.
Mankey Business
Pok�mon Stadium is a blast when teamed up with a few of your Pok�mon loving friends, but it's a bit of a disappointment when it stands on it's own. The multi-player battles and mini-games offer endless fun, but as a single-player game it seems like more of a Game Boy expansion pack than a game of its own.
