Summary
The 25th anniversary ofPokemon Stadiumhas arrived, and its contributions to the franchise should be respected. Most of the major advancements inPokemonhave come along with new generations. For example, the addition of held items in Generation 2 and abilities in Generation 3 permanently changed the face of the game.Pokemon Stadiumdeserves some credit for what it did for the series as well. It didn’t shake up the series, but it laid the groundwork forPokemon’s future.
Pokemon Stadiumlaunched for the Nintendo 64 on Jun 05, 2025, and unlike the main series, it was almost entirely focused on battles. Among the manyspin-offs in thePokemonseries, it’s one of the simplest. Considering that it was also one of the first, this is unsurprising. The game has several modes, most of which revolve around battling. There is also the GB Tower, where players can play a first-generationPokemongame with a transfer pack, complete with unlockable high-speed gameplay.
Pokemon Stadium Brought Pokemon Battles Into the Third Dimension
One of the most obvious differences between the Game Boy games andPokemon Stadiumis their graphics. The Game Boy games relied on 2D sprites, while the Nintendo 64 was capable of 3D models. Every Pokemon inPokemon Stadiumreceived a makeover, making the most of these new graphics. While fellowNintendo 64 classicPokemon Snapbeat it to the punch in terms of bringingPokemoninto the third dimension,Pokemon Stadiumwas the first internationally releasedPokemontitle to feature 3D battles.
There was a prequel toPokemon Stadiumin Japan, but it only featured 40 Pokemon and never saw an international release.
These new graphics led to more cinematic battles thanPokemon Red, Blue, and Yellowcould present. Each Pokemon had a set of animations that they would use when performing certain moves, in addition to the animations of the moves themselves. The presentation was further enhanced by the addition of an announcer, whose excited exclamations ended up becoming one of the most iconic aspects of the game.Pokemon Stadiumwas a first step towards creating more detailed and thrillingPokemonbattles.
BecausePokemon’s graphics have evolved significantlysince the days of the Nintendo 64,Pokemon Stadiummay not look particularly impressive in the present day. However, it laid the groundwork for the series; eventual jump into 3D. The mainline series wouldn’t enter the third dimension untilPokemon X and Y, althoughPokemon Colosseumwould bringStadium-style battles to the Gamecube, complete with its own story mode.Pokemon Stadiummay have been simple, but it offered a preview of the future ofPokemonbattles.
Pokemon Stadium’s Kids Club Features Pokemon’s First Great Minigames
Pokemon Stadiummay have focused on battles, but that wasn’t all that the game had to offer. The Kids Club mode featured a series of minigames similar to theminigames from theMario Partyseries, all providing quick bursts of gameplay with simple goals. Each game’s unique goals and fast pace made them good for plenty of fun. The games include:
While the Kids Club is ultimately a small part ofPokemon Stadium, it represents something that would become a bigger part of later games. It was the main diversion from the game’s battles, and was rich enough to provide its own solid brand of entertainment. The Kids Club can be seen as a predecessor to side content such as thepicnics inPokemon Scarlet and Violet. In fact, its influence could be seen earlier in activities such as the Pokemon Contest and Pokemon-Amie.
Pokemon Stadium’s Kids Club became a memorable part of the game thanks to its several entertaining minigames. One could even argue that the Kids Club paved the way for thePokeParkgames in that sense. Though it’s common for more recent games to give players more to do with their Pokemon than just battling. The Kids Club helped prove that Pokemon could do more than just battle, and the sequel letting players use their own Pokemon in certain minigames only proved it further.
Pokemon Stadium Gave the Iconic Creatures More Personality
The variousnatures that Pokemon can haveare not the only thing about them that gives them personality. Over time, the series has given Pokemon plenty of individual personality quirks that help to flesh out each species further. This isn’t a particularly new feature for thePokemonseries, though. WhilePokemon Yellowgave the player’s Pikachu plenty of facial expressions, andPokemon Snaphighlighted Pokemon behavior,Pokemon Stadiumexpanded on what those games did and offered personality to the whole cast.
Pokemon Stadium’s battle animations did more than show off the Nintendo 64’s graphical capabilities, they also gave each Pokemon a bit more flair and personality. For instance, Articuno ofPokemon’s Kanto Legendary Bird triolooks calm and regal in its animations, befitting its legendary status. Meanwhile, Nidoking absolutely hams it up in his animations, adding a lot of energy to a Pokemon that previously had little identity of its own. Every Pokemon in the original 151 got a boost fromPokemon Stadiumin this way.
Pokemon-Amie would eventually let players pet Pokemon and play with them, showing off plenty of emotional range to adorable effect, even for typically intimidating Pokemon.Pokemon Stadiumwas arguably the first step in bringing these kinds of interactions to life. Its animations were specific to battles and minigames, but they all helped the Pokemon feel more alive. Whilethe originalPokemon Snaphad a natural feel,Pokemon Stadiumwent full steam ahead on giving its Pokemon personalities.
Pokemon Stadiumwas more than a spin-off. It broughtPokemonbattles to consoles, and acted as a checkpoint of sorts for the series' future. InPokemon Scarlet and Violet, every battle is highly detailed, the Pokemon are rich with personality, and there is plenty for players to do.Pokemon Stadiumwas an important step on the road to that point.
Pokemon Stadium
WHERE TO PLAY
Pokémon Stadium lets you stage Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow battles in a whole new arena – on your Nintendo 64! Pokémon Stadium gives trainers a ringside seat for heated 3-D arena battles. Tons of features, including support for playing your Game Boy Pokémon Red, Blue or Yellow game through your N64, make Stadium a must-have for Pokémon fans! Pokémon Trainers are able to conduct turn-based battles similar to the Game Boy versions of Pokémon, but outrageous animation sequences and flashy special attack effects will make your Pokémon come to life like never before.One of the most exciting aspects of Pokémon Stadium is that you’re able to battle using your most loyal Pokémon from the Red, Blue and Yellow versions of Pokémon (sold separately). Thanks to a Transfer Pak that comes with the Pokémon Stadium Game Pak and plugs into the bottom of your Controller, data can be transferred straight from a Game Boy cartridge to your N64.
