Pokémon Stadium 2, known in Japan as 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 in Japan 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 Classics service in 2023.

Gameplay

thumb|upright=1|left|alt=A horizontal rectangular video game screenshot that is a digital representation of a stadium. A coiled purple snake and bipedal rock creature face each other near the center. In the top left corner is a box that reads "1P Graveler" and includes statistics for the rock creature. In the bottom right corner is a similar box that reads "Ekans Cal" with statistics for the snake.|A battle between the player's [[Graveler and the opponent's Ekans. Pokémon statistics are displayed in the boxes in opposing corners.]]

Like prior entries in the series, Pokémon Stadium 2 utilizes turn-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; for example, a Pokémon can be poisoned, which causes it to take small amounts of additional damage each turn. Pokémon can also be affected by elemental "types", which modify damage taken by a species from a given attack. For example, a Grass-type Pokémon takes more damage from a Fire-type attack than it would another move. Players may switch out their active Pokémon for another in their team, though this uses up their turn.

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. Players can also utilize the "Battle Now!" mode to engage in quick battles with random Pokémon,

Additional features

thumb|alt=Front and back view of an electronic game peripheral. The front is made of light gray plastic and has a large protruding plastic plug with electronic connectors. The back is made of translucent dark gray plastic with a receptacle slot for a GameBoy game cartridge to slide in parallel to the back.|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. 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.

Development and release

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. Scheduled for a late 2000 release, the game was demonstrated publicly at the 2000 Nintendo Space World festival. Nintendo announced more information on October 3, including the dates of the Japanese release and official tournaments. On October 25, Nintendo set the game's North American release date for March 26, 2001. The game was released in Japan on December 14, 2000, and later released in 2001 globally. Following its release, the game became the 18th best-selling Nintendo 64 video game, with a reported shipment of 2,540,000 units. It was the tenth highest selling video game of 2001.

Reception

Pokémon Stadium 2 holds a 78% score on the review aggregate website Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". 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.

Legacy

Following the release of Stadium 2, no other games in the Stadium series were released, though games with similar gameplay followed such as Pokémon Colosseum. 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. Stadium 2 was later re-released via the Nintendo Classics service in 2023. The re-release functions identically to the original, though players are unable to use the game's Transfer Pak features.

Notes

References

ja:ポケモンスタジアム#ポケモンスタジアム金銀