Pokemon Staduim 2 adds a coat of Gold and Silver paint to the original Stadium game to create a more varied package
There are quite a few modes to choose from in the game. The main attraction is the Stadium mode which offers four cups to choose from. The standard Poke Cup, Prime Cup, Little Cup and Challenge Cup. They each have their own set of rules. You select six pokemon from the current 251 and for each round, you select three from your six and issue commands for your Pokemon and see if you have the strength and strategy to come out ontop. The game tries to balance itself so you can't just obliterate everything with fully evolved Pokemon or legandaries. Weaker Pokemon have much better movesets and stronger Pokemon have weaker attacks or attacks with lower accuracy. For example, Pikachu has Thunderbolt, but Raichu has Thunder, which is only 75% accurate. If you have a transfre pack you can select Pokemon from your Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver or Cystal games. Which is nice, but due to level restricments, you will end up relying on rentals too.
Each cup has it's own rules. Poke Cup is the standard cup for level 50-55 pokemon. Prime Cup is for Pokemon of any level, but the COM will always have level 100 pokemon. Little cup is for level 5 unevolved Pokemon. Challenge cup is unique, you are given a pre selected team and have to do your best with the Pokemon you are given.
There is also the Gym Leader challenges, where you assemble a team and fight a few standard trainers before facing the Gym Leaders of the Johto region, which is nice.
There is also a free battle mode where you can play with or without any rules and assemble your own team and just get some practice in. This is also used for multiplayer so you can take on your friends, either using rental Pokemon, or Pokemon from your GBC games in glorious 3D.
The game also provides tutorials of sorts in the Pokemon academy, but I haven't really been on it, so can't really comment
Aside from battling there are also a number of mini games to select from. You can select a single game or compete across several games to earn coins until a winner is decided.
One mini game involves flying Golbat through a cave collecting hearts and evading hazards.
Another has you playing as Hitmontop in a beyblade like scenario - you have to push A to power your spin attack and try and knock your oponents out of the ring.
The Clear Cut Challenge has you playing either Pinsir or Scyther and you have to cut falling logs as close to the line marked on them as possible.
One has you playing as Furret and you have to try and knock Poke balls into your goal.
One has you playing a four way laser hockey like game with Mr Mime - you have to knock the puck into your opponents goals whilst protecting your own.
Pichu's Power Plant requires you to mash either A or B whilst pushing the control stick in a certain direction to zap orbs.
One has you running laps with Donphan, you can create tornadoes and which put your foes in a spin on contact, you have to avoid your foes too.
One is a counting game where Pokemon will run past on screen and you will be required to count a certain Pokemon in the stampede by pushing A to tally up a score
One has you racing as Togepi on a track and you have to use boost pads to speed up and avoid logs and stones which slow you down.
Another has you playing as Delibird and you have to fill your sack up with presents and take them to the other side of the screen whilst avoiding Swinub, if they hit you, you trip and drop all your presents.
One has you playing as Chansey and you have to use the shoulder buttons to lean left or right to catch falling eggs.
And finally there is one with Eevee where Aimpon covers soem fruit and when he removes the lid you have to have the fastest reactions and puch A to get the fruit first.
You can also play through your GB games in the Gameboy tower, which is a great extra and very handy when you don't have any batteries for your Gameboy. Sadly working copies of Gold, Silver and Crystal are hard to come by these days, but you can replace their internal batteries. But you can play through Red Blue and Yellow in this mode too!
The graphics are pretty good and the animations are nice to watch, For some reason (it may just be because I have the PAL version) there is alot of lag in this game, even on the menus. The music is okay, I didn't think much of it either way.
Pokemon Stadium 2 is a pretty fun addition to the series and I really hoep they make games like this in the future (Battle Revolution doesn't count! You couldn't assmeble your own teams with rentals and this killed virtually all the fun) It offers a fair amount to do and lots of battling. This is a deeper and more varied package than the original Stadium game. I really hope to see something like this for the current Black and White games. This game is fun to play either alone or with friends. A must have for all Poke maniacs, for others, it is pretty decent and you should have fun with it
Milesprower2K9 original reviews