The much anticipated Pokemon Stadium has arrived, and for young Pokemon fans who own any of the GameBoy Pokemon games (Red, Blue, or Yellow), it is sure to please. Now kids can transfer their hard-earned Pokemon they have trained on their GameBoy to the TV screen/N64 and battle against the computer or their friend(s). In tournament mode, players are on a quest to defeat the 4 World Masters.
The Transfer Pak that ships with the game is great -- it brings together two different platforms, the GameBoy and the Nintendo 64. Additionally, there are features that allow players to enjoy the game in a speedier mode (4X faster). A big appeal is the ability to bring collected Pokemon characters onto the battleground in full, colorful and animated 3D.
Select Battle Now! if you want a quick battle. Specific Pokemon cannot be selected in this mode. Either play against the computer or against a friend in a 2-player battle.
An Event Battle is for 2 players and requires two Game Boy games and Transfer Paks.
Go to the Trainers' Plaza for tournament battles, mini-games, and to visit the machines containing Pokemon data. In the Stadium, there are 4 tournament cups to be won. Players compete in the tournaments in single-player mode. A Free Battle is a 1 to 4-player mode battle in which players can control a team with a friend. In the Gym Leader Castle, battle with Gym Leaders who appeared in the Game Boy versions of Pokemon.
In the Lab, kids can actually organize their Pokemon, rummage through the Pokemon they have earned using the Pokedex, and even trade Pokemon with a friend's Game Boy Game Pak (note that 2 Transfer paks are required for this -- only one is included with Pokemon Stadium).
In the GB Tower, play the GameBoy game on the N64.The 9 mini-games can be found in the Kids Club. In Clefairy Says, players need to repeat sequences on their controllers given to them by the Clefairy teacher. Kids need to repeatedly press their buttons and time their jumps well in Run, Rattata, Run as they race to the finish line, clearing hurdles along the way. In Dig! Dig! Dig!, players try to be the first to make Sandshrew dig down to the water.
The graphics of the Pokemon themselves are excellent. Kids will love to see their favorite characters in 3D (and they look even better than they did in Pokemon Snap). The battling itself is not outstanding -- though the animations are done well, there is no real physical contact. Players choose their Pokemon's attack, then the character steps up and executes that attack, and the animation of the attacked character begins.
