Pokémon Stadium 2
 |
| Pokémon Stadium 2 | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | HAL Laboratories |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 64 |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
Pokémon Stadium 2, known as Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin (ポケモンスタジアム金銀, Pokemon Sutajiamu Kin Gin, lit. "Pokémon Stadium Gold Silver") in Japan, is a video game for the Nintendo 64. It features all 251 Pokémon from the first and second generations. It was released in North America as simply Pokémon Stadium 2, as it was the second Stadium game to be released there. In Japan, Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin was the third game of the Pokémon Stadium series. The Japanese edition also featured the capability to use the Pokémon Mobile System from Pokémon Crystal.
This game featured support for all three original Game Boy Pokémon games (Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow) and the three Game Boy Color games (Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal). As in the previous Stadium games, Pikachu from Yellow was a hidden character if the game cartridge was connected. The majority of the game takes place inside White City, where various facilities for battling, organizing, researching, and playing with Pokémon are located.
Game goals
While Pokémon Stadium 2 does not have a storyline, progress in the game can only be made by winning Cups in the Stadium and completing the Gym Leader Castle. When all Cups have been won and the Gym Leader Castle completed, the player's Rival will appear. Defeating the Rival will unlock Round 2, in which the player must re-challenge the Stadium, Gym Leader Castle, and the Rival in order to complete the game.
Stadium
Pokémon tournaments take place in the Stadium. There are four Cups to participate in. Each round consists of eight battles, and every Cup except the Little and PrimeCup consists of four rounds, named after Poké Balls, that must be cleared to win that Cup.
- Challenge Cup: Battle using a team of random pre-generated Pokémon.
- Little Cup: Battle using level 5 Pokémon at their first evolutionary stage. This includes only Pokémon with two or three evolutionary stages. (Even though they have to be LV5, some Pokémon can evolve at that level, making it low-level but powerful.)
- Poké Cup: Battle using Pokémon from levels 50 to 55.
- Prime Cup: Battle using Pokémon of any level. All opponents' Pokémon are at level 100.
In each cup except the Challenge Cup, players may use any combination of rental Pokémon and Pokémon imported from a Game Boy cartridge.
Gym Leader Castle
The player can challenge the Johto Gym leaders, along with the Elite Four, Kanto gym leaders, and Red.
Optional features
Pokémon Stadium 2 has many features aside from the main battling sequence, such as mini-games, a Game Boy player on the N64 cartridge, and more.
Mini-Game Park
Twelve Pokémon-themed minigames and quizzes can be played here, either as stand-alone games or as part of a tournament. These are:
| English title | Japanese title | Translation | Written | Abnormal Playable Pokemon (see below) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gutsy Golbat | ゴルバットのどうくつたんけん | Golbat's Cavern Exploration | Gorubatto No Dou Kutsu Tan Ken | Crobat | |
| Topsy-Turvy | カポエラーのベーゴマ | Kapoerer's Spinning Top | Kapoeraa No Beegoma | ||
| Clear Cut Challenge | いあいぎりがっせん | Iai Cutting Battle | I Ai Girigassen | Scizor, Pinsir | |
| Furret's Frolic | オオタチのピョンピョンボール | Ootachi's Frolic Ball | Ootachi No Pyonpyonbooru | Girafarig | |
| Barrier Ball | バリヤードのバリアーテニス | Barrierd's Barrier Tennis | Bari Yaado No Bariaatenisu | ||
| Pichu's Power Plant | ピチューのはつでんきょうそう | (literal) | Pichuu No Hatsu Den Kyousou | Pikachu (if Pokémon Yellow is in the Transfer Pak) | |
| Rampage Rollout | ドンファンのぐるぐるレース | Donfan's Spinning Race | Donfan No Guruguru Reesu | ||
| Streaming Stampede | ピィとププリンのカウントゲーム | Py and Pupurin's Count Game | Pi To Pupurin No Kaunto Geemu | ||
| Tumbling Togepi | コロコロトゲピー | Rolling Togepy | Korokorotogepii | Omanyte | |
| Delibird's Delivery | はこんでデリバード | Delibird Carrying | Hakon De Deribaado | ||
| Egg Emergency | ラッキーのタマゴだいさくせん | Lucky's Great Egg Strategy | Rakkii No Tamago Da Isa Kuse N | ||
| Eager Eevee | イーブイのフルーツダッシュ | Eievui's Fruit Dash | Iibui No Furuutsu Dasshu |
- If a Game Boy cartridge is connected via Transfer Pak, Pokémon Stadium 2 uploads the player's Pokémon into the minigame (when appropriate).
If a player with a Transfer Pak connected wins a tournament match, the coins collected are added to his/her coin case in the Game Boy game.
Other features
Earl's Pokémon Academy is a Pokémon school in which the player can attend classes and read detailed information about Pokémon in the library. Classes consist of short texts about game mechanics, a quiz which tests knowledge of the material, and battles in which the player must select the correct pre-generated Pokémon to beat an opponent with a certain strategy. Once the player earns the Elite Class medal, more information will be available at the library, including a list of all items available in all of the Game Boy Pokémon games. Inserting a Pokémon Crystal cartridge into the Transfer Pak permanently expands available information in the library to include moves taught by the Move Tutor, which are displayed as egg moves.
In Free Battle mode, players may conduct practice battles. Players can select rules from any of the tournament cups, or use modified rules. Up to four players may participate, using any combination of rental Pokémon and those imported from cartridges plugged into a Transfer Pak.
At the Game Boy Tower, the player can play Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal on the Nintendo 64. Winning tournament cups in the Stadium and completing the Gym Leader Castle will eventually unlock Doduo Mode (double speed) and Dodrio Mode (triple speed).
Link Battle is located outside of White City. Two to four players with Transfer Paks plugged in can use Pokémon from their Game Boy games and battle with custom rules.
A Mystery Gift can be received once per day by a player with a Gold, Silver, or Crystal cartridge plugged into the Transfer Pak. The Gift is sent to the Lab, where it can be picked up and stored in the player's PC or inventory.
The Pokémon Lab is only accessible if a Game Boy cartridge is plugged into the Transfer Pak. If the game is saved in a Pokémon Center, the player may access the PC and can arrange boxed Pokémon and items. The Lab also features an interactive Pokédex and a machine for trading between two cartridges connected by Transfer Pak.
Quick Battle is a single battle located outside of White City. One player and the CPU or two players battle with pre-selected Pokémon.
Your Room is accessible only with a Gold, Silver, or Crystal game cartridge. The player can decorate his/her bedroom and view it in 3D. Several Nintendo game systems and consoles, including the Virtual Boy, can be seen in the room.
Pokémon colors are also varied. Each pokémon uploaded via the transfer pak has it's color slightly modified, based on the pokémon's OT Number & it's nickname. This makes each pokémon unique within the game.