Summary
Before the release of the Nintendo Switch, thePokemonfranchise was always a handheld exclusive, at least for the main series. This was mostly due to the fact that Nintendo perceived portability as a key factor inPokemon’s success. Also, Nintendo’s home systems were usually much less successful commercially than handhelds: moving the main series to a console like the Gamecube would have been counterproductive.
However, this does not mean that home systems didn’t get anyPokemongames. ThePokemon Stadiumseries was born on Nintendo 64, and it represented the “main” home consolePokemonseries. While this title would be dropped afterPokemon Stadium 2,Pokemon Colosseum,Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness,andPokemon: Battle Revolutionare considered by many as spiritual successors toPokemon Stadium. Considering this, fans may wonder: which games are the best in this subseries?
Pokemon: Battle Revolutionis the last game released in this subseries chronologically,but it’s easily the worst one of the bunch. This is due to multiple factors: firstly, afterPokemon ColosseumandPokemon XD: Gale of Darknessintroduced a full-fledged RPG story mode, going back to having battles only feels like a huge step down. Secondly, the game doesn’t even include minigames, which were featured in earlier Pokemon Stadium games.
The game did provide some multiplayer action, even allowing for online multiplayer battles, but there were not many options to choose from, and servers are now offline anyway. All this considered,Pokemon: Battle Revolutionfeels like a barebone experience, which gives players very little reason to play unless they want to catch some exclusive Pokemon that will later be transferred to the main DS games.
Pokemon Stadiumis technically the second game in this subseries, as Japan had already seen the release ofPocket Monsters' Stadium,which would never be localized in the West. However, due to the first game’s limited release,Pokemon Stadiumis widely considered the start of the series, as it introduced players all over the world to the gameplay formula that would be brought back in all future entries.
Instead of being a standardPokemonRPG,Pokemon Stadiumonly focuses on battles, which are rendered in 3D.All 151 original Pokemon can be either found in the game or transferred through Gen I games. While this might not seem much by today’s standards, it was a huge leap in quality at the time, as players had only seenPokemonbattles on Game Boy’s 8-bit screen. The game doesn’t have a real story mode, rather it gives players a set of tournaments to face, which increase in difficulty over time. There are also nine minigames, which can also be played in multiplayer. They’re nothing to write home about but still serve as a nice distraction from the game’s core battle modes.
Pokemon Stadium 2is a very conservative sequel, presenting virtually the same structure and content as its predecessor. Players can face rounds of opponents in the game’s battle modes, which are still the bulk of the game. There are 12 minigames this time around, all of which can be played by up to four players.
The real main difference between the first game andPokemon Stadium 2is that the latter included Pokemon from the second generation, and it is therefore compatible with every related game (namelyPokemon Gold,Pokemon Silver, andPokemon Crystal). The visuals are a little bit better, too. It’s worth noting thatboth titles are now available on the Nintendo Switch Online program, soPokemonfans can easily get a taste of what these games were like.
Pokemon ColosseumandPokemon XD: Gale of Darknessare both successors to previous games and something entirely different at the same time. Which of these two games is better is up to debate, but there’s no doubt that they are the best home consolePokemongames the franchise has ever seen (until the main series shifted to home consoles, that is).Pokemon XD: Gale of Darknessprovides an RPG story mode, set some years after the events ofPokemon Colosseum, where the protagonist is tasked with freeing Shadow Pokemon, which are being used by the evil Team Cipher.
Having an RPG story mode made the gamefeel much more like the main series' games, only on better, modern hardware. The game is also heavily different from main series games though, as it’s much more focused on the narrative rather than on the concept of catching and trading Pokemon (even if the catching mechanic is still here, albeit in a different form). It also provides many improvements overPokemon Colosseum, but it has arguably a weaker plot. Players will need to find out for themselves whether they preferPokemon XD’s updated game design and quality of life improvements orPokemon Colosseum’s better plot and grittier atmosphere.
Pokemon Colosseumis the franchise’s first RPG to ever come out on a home console. Instead of keeping up with thePokemon Stadiumtradition, the game introduces a story mode, where players must explore a new continent (that is still exclusive to these games to this day) and free Shadow Pokemon. This time,Pokemon up to Gen III can be found or transferred in the game. The game is very narrative-focused, and there’s an overall gritty atmosphere that sets this game apart from every other entry in the series.
While the story mode is undoubtedly the main focus of the game,Pokemon Colosseumstill offers a quick battle mode, where players can simply have Pokemon battles in gorgeous Gamecube graphics. While the game hasn’t aged perfectly, many players would still love to see it in action again,whether through a remake or a re-releaseon something like the Nintendo Switch Online program.
