Pokémon Stadium 2 Review

            I have long awaited this review and although it’s late (as I am writing this); I intend to knock this out right now. First, a little background. “Pokémon Stadium 2” is a 2001 N64 game and an entry in the “Pokémon Stadium” series. Since this series hasn’t been seen since, it is also presumably the last in the series. Personally, I loved this game. Anyhow, onto the review…

            Graphics score a 10 due to them being some of the best on the Nintendo 64. The stadiums themselves are very well done and detailed, albeit a little bit blocky. The Pokémon look very sharp and neat, unlike the blocky models from the previous game. The main HUB looks very nice as well; with even tiny details tended to, such as people walking to the Stadiums. Although the trainers aren’t a physical presence, they are a constant one throughout the game, which is a nice touch.

            Sound gets a 9 due to a huge variety of it. For example, the sound effects of the attacks are very…impactful (in a word). In this game, along with the previous one, has stylized the Pokémon’s’ cries to make them more realistic. I liked this, as well as the announcer, Ted Lewis. He added the air of a sporting event to each match, adding more entertainment value to the game.

            Depth gets a 10 due to the fact that there’s simply a lot to do. The many modes include: Gym Leader Castle, Stadium, Oak’s Lab, GB Tower, Earl’s Pokémon Academy, Mini Games, and a final challenge of which I will not reveal in this review. This stuff will take you days to complete, even if you consider yourself a Pokémon Master. The many things to do in the various modes will take you quite a while longer. For these reasons, Addictiveness gets a 10.

            Note that I cannot rate the difficulty due to the game’s unbalanced nature. I recommend this game wholeheartedly because even if you’re no trainer, there is much fun to be had with this game.