Pokémon Stadium (EU)

Introduction: Pokémon Stadium is an official Nintendo 64 game developed by Nintendo EAD and HAL Laboratory. It is not a traditional RPG but a battle simulator and companion title for the Game Boy Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow games. The game's setting is the Stadium itself, a 3D colosseum where battles take place, with no overworld region to explore. The visual style was groundbreaking for its time, rendering the original 151 Pokémon in 3D polygonal models with unique battle animations.

Gameplay & Mechanics: The game does not feature starter Pokémon or a story campaign in the traditional sense. Its primary mode, the Stadium Cup, has you rent pre-built teams of Pokémon. The core difficulty comes from strategic 3-on-3 battles under cup rules, making it a pure test of battle skill rather than a progression RPG. It does not include mechanics like the Physical/Special split or Fairy types, as it is strictly a Generation I battle engine. A major mechanical feature is the Transfer Pak, which allows you to insert a Game Boy cartridge and use your own trained Pokémon from Red, Blue, or Yellow in the Stadium battles, bypassing the rental system.

Key Features:

• Game Boy Tower and Transfer Pak: The entire Game Boy Kanto adventure from Red, Blue, or Yellow could be played on the TV through the N64, using your saved team for all Stadium modes.
• Minigame Collection: Featured nine party-style minigames like Clefairy Says and Ekans' Hoop Hurl that utilized the N64 controller's analog stick and buttons for multiplayer fun.
• Gym Leader Castle and Elite Four: A dedicated challenge mode to battle all the Kanto Gym Leaders and the Elite Four with either rental Pokémon or your own transferred team, serving as a significantly more difficult post-game challenge.

The game's primary purpose was to showcase the original Pokémon in 3D and provide a competitive arena for players who had completed their Game Boy journeys.