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Pokémon Stadium 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the video game titled Pokémon Stadium 2 in Japan, see Pokémon Stadium.
Pokémon Stadium 2
North American box art featuring Ho-Oh (left) and Lugia
Developer(s)Nintendo EAD
Publisher(s)Nintendo
Director(s)Takao Shimizu
Producer(s)
Programmer(s)Tsutomu Kaneshige
Artist(s)Tatsuya Hishida
Composer(s)Hajime Wakai
SeriesPokémon
Platform(s)Nintendo 64
Release
  • JP: December 14, 2000
  • NA: March 26, 2001
  • AU: April 7, 2001
  • EU: October 10, 2001
Genre(s)Turn-based strategy, party
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Pokémon Stadium 2, known in Japan as Pokémon Stadium Gold & Silver,[a][b] is a strategy video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It is the third game in the Pokémon Stadium series, following prior releases Pocket Monsters Stadium and Pokémon Stadium. It features all 251 Pokémon from the first and second generations of the franchise, and allows for players to battle either with other players or against computer-controlled opponents. Like its predecessor, Pokémon Stadium 2 is compatible with the Transfer Pak accessory, allowing players to use Pokémon trained in the three original Game Boy Pokémon games (Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow) and the three Game Boy Color games (Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal).

Pokémon Stadium 2 was produced as a result of the popularity and strong sales of the series' prior entry, Pokémon Stadium, and demonstrated publicly during the 2000 Nintendo Space World trade show. Several publications considered its release to be part of marketing for the series' popularity at the time. The game was released in 2000 and 2001 worldwide.

The game received largely positive reviews from critics, who highlighted its graphics and the amount of content available, though many found the game similar to its predecessor. Criticism was directed to the fact that many felt it was better suited to fans of the series than a casual audience, and that a full experience of the game necessitated the use of Transfer Pak capabilities.

Following the release of the game, no further games in the Stadium series were released, though games with similar gameplay to the series were released afterward. The game was re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2023.

Gameplay

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Main articles: Pokémon Stadium § Gameplay, and Pokémon (video game series) § Gameplay
A battle between the player's Graveler and the opponent's Ekans

Like prior entries in the series, Pokémon Stadium 2 utilizes turned-based RPG gameplay. Teams of up to six fictional creatures called Pokémon can be used in battle, either against computer controlled opponents, or against other players. Players can use these creatures' special moves against an opposing Pokémon, with these moves having many effects, such as doing damage or by inflicting status conditions. Pokémon are also affected by elemental "types", which affects how much damage a species may take from a given attack. For example, a Grass-typed Pokémon takes more damage from a Fire-typed attack than it would another move. Players can also switch out their active Pokémon for another in their team, though this uses up their turn.[1]

Pokémon Stadium 2 does not have a storyline. Progress can be made by winning trophies in the Stadium, a tournament mode consisting of four "Cups", as well as completing the Gym Leader Castle, where the player earns badges by defeating Gym Leader characters who first appeared in the various Game Boy Pokémon games, culminating in a battle against the character Red. When all Stadium trophies have been won and the Gym Leader Castle is completed, the player's rival will want to battle. Defeating the rival will unlock Round 2, in which the player must re-challenge the Stadium, Gym Leader Castle, and the Rival at a higher difficulty level.[2] Players can also utilize the "Battle Now!" mode to engage in quick battles with random Pokémon,[3] while Free Battle mode allows players to either practice on their own against another player. Up to four players can battle each other, though players must share control of a team with another player if more than two participate.[4]

Additional features

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Pokémon Stadium 2 makes use of the Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak (pictured) to communicate with the Game Boy Pokémon games like its predecessor

The Mini-Game Park mode allows up to four players to play twelve different Pokémon-themed mini-games.[2] There are a large number of mini-games, such as a game where a top-like Pokémon named Hitmontop must be used to knock other Hitmontop off of the arena, and a game where a Pokémon named Delibird must sort and deliver gifts, with the player who delivers the most gifts being crowned the winner.[5] Players can use their Pokémon from the Game Boy games in these mini-games instead of the standard species; for instance, a player can use their own Scizor in the species' respective mini-game.[2] A new mode, called "Mini-Game Champion", allows players to play these mini-games while also attempting to collect coins, with the player with the most coins being crowned the winner. Mini-Game Champion also features event-based mechanics, similarly to the Mario Party series; one event is capable of causing players to lose some of their coins and give them to other players.[2] Stadium 2 also introduces quizzes, which allows players to answer Pokémon-themed questions to see how many can be answered while under a time limit. Quizzes can also be played with multiple players, and difficulty options for questions can be selected.[2]

The Game Boy Tower feature returns from the prior entry, Pokémon Stadium. Using the Transfer Pak, players can connect to the games Pokémon Gold and Silver, Pokémon Crystal, and Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow and transfer their Pokémon from those games into Stadium 2. Once transferred, players can use these Pokémon in battles in Stadium 2. Additionally, players can use the Pak to play Gold and Silver on the Nintendo 64 console.[2] The Pokémon Laboratory mode also returns, which allows players to organize their Pokémon storage in the Game Boy games through Stadium 2, as well as view 3D world maps of the Game Boy games and all 251 species' 3D models. Players can also use the lab to trade Pokemon between the Game Boy games without the need for a Game Link Cable.[2]

Other features include Earl's Pokémon Academy, which teaches players about battling mechanics, the player's room, a 3D environment which can be decorated with plushies and posters, among other items, and the Mystery Gift function, which allows players with Stadium 2 to send items to Gold, Silver, or Crystal once a day.[2] In Japan, through use of the mobile phone adapter bundled with copies of Crystal, the player could access a "Mobile Stadium" game mode in which the player could battle against other players through the mobile phone service, as well as watch their battles. It was also possible to play against friends through transferring the information across the mobile adapter.[6][7][8]

Development and release

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Pokémon Stadium, known in Japan as Pokémon Stadium 2, sold highly and was popular enough to be included in bundles for the Nintendo 64 console.[9] The success led to the development of a third entry.[10][11] Scheduled for a late 2000 release, the game was demonstrated publicly at the 2000 Nintendo Space World festival.[1][11] It was considered by IGN to be part of a large franchise-wide marketing push, coupled alongside the release of Pokémon the Movie 2000,[9] and Nintendo Life considered the game to be part of a larger push to capitalize on the success of the Pokémon franchise's first generation.[2]

By July 20, 2000, the game's title was changed from Pokémon Stadium 3 to Pokémon Stadium Gold/Silver.[9] Nintendo announced more information on October 3, including the dates of the Japanese release and official tournaments.[12] On October 25, Nintendo set the game's North American release date for March 26, 2001.[13] The game was released in Japan on December 14th, 2000,[14] and later released in 2001 globally.[2] The game had a marketing budget of $7 million.[15] Following its release, the game became the 18th best-selling Nintendo 64 video game, with a reported shipment of 2,540,000 units.[16] It was the tenth highest selling video game of 2001.[17]

Reception

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Pokémon Stadium 2 holds a 78% score on the review aggregate website Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19] GameRankings rated it 73.31% based on 18 reviews.[18]

GamePro stated that the game would be an enjoyable experience for fans of the series, finding the game to be an upgrade to its predecessor's. [23] Gerald Villoria, in a review for GameSpot, found the game to require the Game Boy compatibility to get a complete experience, but that with the Game Boy games was a strong release. He highlighted several aspects of the game, such as its accessibility for new players and the animations and models for the Pokémon, though criticized the game's lackluster soundtrack, sound effects, and announcer.[3] Electronic Gaming Monthly's three-person review stated that the game was a strong release for fans of the series, but those without a Transfer Pak or a strong attachment to the series would not be as interested in the game. They also found its gameplay incredibly similar to the previous entry in the series.[20]

Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell found the game's gameplay to be highly repetitive, and that only those who deeply enjoyed the series and its gameplay would enjoy it. He highlighted Earl's Battle Academy and the ability to play the Game Boy games on the television as positives for the game.[21] IGN's Chris Carle stated that while the game had a large number of options available to the player, and that the release was improved greatly from the previous installment, players without the Transfer Pak would lack much excitement with the game. He also criticized the game's announcer, finding it to be a negative carried across from the previous entry.[24] In a retrospective review from Nintendo Life, writer Arjun Joshi stated that nearly every part of the game included in Stadium was improved in some way in the sequel, though he felt that the game's soundtrack was a downgrade, and that the game featured a lack of revamped graphics from its predecessor.[2]

Pokémon Stadium 2 was a nominee for "11th Annual GamePro Readers' Choice Awards" for "Best Action Game of the Year", but lost to Grand Theft Auto III for PlayStation 2.[26][27]

Legacy

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Following the release of Stadium 2, no other games in the Stadium series were released, though games with similar gameplay followed. According to Game Freak employees Shigeru Ohmori and Junichi Masuda, the Stadium series' main feature of allowing for Pokémon battles in 3D was not considered as "impressive" as it was before, primarily due to the release of Pokémon X and Y, the first mainline Pokémon games to feature entirely 3D graphics. They stated it would require "some sort of new invention" to justify the series' return.[28] Stadium 2 was later re-released via Nintendo Switch Online in 2023. The re-release functions identically to the original, though players are unable to use the game's Transfer Pak features.[29]

Notes

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  1. ^ Japanese: ポケモンスタジアム金銀, Hepburn: Pokemon Sutajiamu Kin Gin
  2. ^ Also known in Japan as Pokémon Stadium Gold, Silver & Crystal Version (Japanese: ポケモンスタジアム 金銀 クリスタルバージョン, Hepburn: Pokemon Sutajiamu Kin Gin Kurisutaru Bājon).

References

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  1. ^ a b Staff, I. G. N. (March 15, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2". IGN. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Joshi, Arjun (August 8, 2023). "Review: Pokémon Stadium 2 - A Sequel Of Gold (& Silver) Standard". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Villoria, Gerald (March 26, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  4. ^ Pokémon Stadium 2 Manual. Nintendo. December 14, 2000. p. 16.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  5. ^ "Ranking all 21 'Pokémon Stadium' minigames, from "Snore War" to "Sushi-Go-Round"". Mic. March 27, 2019. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  6. ^ "モバイルスタジアム". Nintendo. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  7. ^ "ともだちデータで遊ぶ". Nintendo. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  8. ^ "ともだちデータで遊ぶ". Nintendo. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "First Screens of the Next N64 Pokemon Stadium". IGN. July 20, 2000. Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  10. ^ Santo, Yukiyoshi Ike (January 3, 2000). "Nintendo Plans Pokemon Stadium 3?". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  11. ^ a b "Stadium 3 Competition at Space World". IGN. May 25, 2000. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  12. ^ "New Pokémon Stadium Gold/Silver Details". IGN. October 3, 2000. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  13. ^ Harris, Craig (October 25, 2000). "Pokémon Stadium GS on the Way". IGN. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  14. ^ Craddock, Ryan (December 14, 2020). "Anniversary: Pokémon Stadium 2 Launched 20 Years Ago Today In Japan". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  15. ^ Gaudiosi, John. "Nintendo to price GBA about $99". Video Business. Archived from the original on February 4, 2001. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  16. ^ 2021CESAゲーム白書 (2021 CESA Games White Papers). Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2021. ISBN 978-4-902346-43-5.
  17. ^ Makuch, Eddie (January 23, 2025). "Best-Selling Games Of Each Year Since 1998 In The US". GameSpot. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
  18. ^ a b c "Pokemon Stadium 2". GameRankings. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  19. ^ a b "Pokemon Stadium 2 Critic Reviews for Nintendo 64 - Metacritic". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 21, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  20. ^ a b Johnston, Chris; Kim, Jeanne; Einhorn, Ethan (June 2001). "Pokémon Stadium 2". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 143. Ziff Davis. p. 103 – via Archive.org.
  21. ^ a b Bramwell, Tom (December 9, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 21, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  22. ^ "ニンテンドウ64 - ポケモンスタジアム金銀". Weekly Famitsu. No. 915 Pt.2. June 30, 2006. p. 33.
  23. ^ a b POKEMAX (March 26, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2 GamePro Review". GamePro. Archived from the original on January 25, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  24. ^ a b Carle, Chris (March 26, 2001). "Pokemon Stadium 2". IGN. News Corporation. Archived from the original on October 16, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  25. ^ "Pokémon Stadium 2". Nintendo Power. No. 142. Nintendo of America. March 2001. p. 122 – via Archive.org.
  26. ^ "11th Annual Gamepro Readers' Choice Awards". GamePro. No. 161. International Data Group. February 2002. pp. 44–45 – via Archive.org.
  27. ^ "Readers' Choice: Your Best of 2001". GamePro. No. 166. International Data Group. July 2002. pp. 42–43 – via Archive.org.
  28. ^ Doolan, Liam (October 17, 2014). "Game Freak Confirms That The Pokémon Stadium Series Is On Hiatus". Nintendo Life. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  29. ^ Grossman, David (August 20, 2023). "You Need to Play the Most Underrated Pokémon Spinoff on Switch Online ASAP". Inverse. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
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