I've waited a long time to review this game, so I could be as fair as possible on this game. After all, I liked Pokémon at the time I bought this game but my view of Pokémon has totally changed since I bought Pokémon Gold. But, it wouldn't be fair to make this game's ratings suffer just due to a poor experience with another, so I've waited until I've mostly put the anger and frustration with Pokémon Gold behind me. This is an N64 game mainly for battling Pokémon in 3D. You can import your Pokémon into this game using a Transfer Pak, or just "rent" Pokémon from the game. I think it qualifies as a RPG, though I could be technically wrong there.

This game is reviewed on a scale of 0-4 stars. I don't need to elaborate any further on this scoring topic, so let's move on.

Graphics: **1/2

I'll be honest with you: the graphics in this game are not all people make them out to be. Sure, I'd say they
are above-average, and the Pokémon look all right, but this isn't top-quality stuff here, even for an N64 game. You'll see all the N64 faults of rough, yucky-looking edges of the shell of Blastoise, and remember that circles can't be seen on N64 games, only awful-looking octagons. Yes, the graphics are pretty good, but they aren't awe-inspiring like everyone was saying during this game's little run of popularity.

Sound: ***1/2

Those of you who remember the original game have to love the gym leader music. It's the best music ever
heard in a Pokémon game, and it could very well be on my top ten list of best video game tunes. The remixes heard in this game are fantastic, especially the one heard during gym leader battles in the Gym Leader Castle. Oh, and by the way, the rival battle music is great, too. That's another great remix from this game. Little can be complained about concerning the music, except for maybe the Mewtwo music. That was a real disappointment to me, considering how well the other tunes were made.

Difficulty: ***1/2

Pokémon Stadium is a difficult game, no doubt. You can't rent Pokémon and expect to win the Poké Cup,
Round 1 or 2. The best way to do this is to use the Missingno cheat for infinite Master Balls and Rare
Candy and those other boosts (HP Up, Protein, Calcium, Iron, and Carbos) and build excellent, diversified teams. Always put Starmie on your team if possible, because it's the #1 Pokémon available in this game besides Mewtwo and Mew. If you don't do this stuff, you lose. Simple as that. (I guess I still know a lot about Pokémon, even if I'm really outdated by the new "hold item" stuff...)

Controls: *1/2

Okay, the controls in reality are really easy to use, but I made the score low because of this: you can't use the Control Stick! Except for in the mini-game place, you must use the Control Pad only. What, couldn't this game handle it? That's pathetic. I know it's not as annoying as in Kirby 64 where having the lack of easy control actually hurt my game, but it's annoying enough.

Cup Modes: ***

This is the heart-and-soul of this game, and it makes this game look really good. You've got your Prime Cup
competition, the best of the Cups, Poké Cup, the most challenging, Petit Cup, a really strange one, and Pika Cup, supposedly for beginners but not really. The thing I don't like is the very confusing rules and the fact that certain Pokémon are ineligible for certain Cups. That stinks. Just set the level limits and forget about ineligibility. After all, if the Pokémon's too high of a level, it can't enter the competition anyway. Come on! Oh, I love the battling, and the way that if you beat your opponents' three Pokémon without a single one of your three Pokémon fainting, you get a free continue. Only by six straight continues was I able to win the Poké Cup 2, on the last continue, too! You take in six Pokemon to the entire cup, then use three in each battle (automatically healed between battles). It's a great concept, and I love it.

Gym Leader Castle: ****

Although this is overshadowed by the rest of this game, this is unquestionably my favorite part of this game. Beating the gym leaders is classic Pokémon, the Pokémon I knew and loved. It's great. You know what their main Pokémon will be like, but in Round 2 they'll throw in different types to throw you off (Lt. Surge may have a grass-type to spoil your ground-types).

Multiplayer Battles: **1/2

I've had the closest matches of my life here, and also the biggest blowouts since my level 100 Mewtwo beat a level 2 Pidgey on Route 1. If you have a competitive opponent, this mode is great. Unfortunately, most of
the time I don't, and this mode turns out being a nap mode.

Mini-Games: *

I like some of the mini-games, but they're more or less just "push the right buttons"-types of games. They really aren't anything to get excited about. I played the ones in Pokémon Stadium 2 and I was impressed by the quality of them, but this game doesn't have the mini-game quality.

Mewtwo Battle: 1/2

Okay, this was supposed to be the hardest battle ever. But, if you simply paralyze Mewtwo first thing, then
fight him with your own, built-up Mewtwo, you can blow him right out of this battle. It's way too easy, I say.

Picture-Taking Mode: *

Please, more Pokémon Snap? I guess the sticker-makers didn't make enough money the first time, so they had to make another mode where you can make stickers. It's not that bad, but it's pretty pointless, I think. It
doesn't belong in this game, unless maybe you want to take a picture of a Pokémon you couldn't in Pokémon
Snap. Wow.

Replayability: ***

This is a very replayable game. Even after you beat all the modes, you can try to get all 151 Pokémon into the Hall of Fame, or play other people in multiplayer battles. It's a very big game, much bigger than I've even described.

Fun Factor!: ***1/2

Although this is a very frustrating game, it's a lot of fun, too. I know the whole Pokémon madness has died
down, but it's really exciting when you play a live opponent who is just as good as you at the game, and you get into a tense match, full of strategy. Even a Pokémon-hater (now, not then) can enjoy this game and recall the fun memories.

OVERALL: ***

Wow. Although I don't want anything to do with Pokémon ever again, I still like this game, or at least what I
remember of it (I only play it very rarely, now). And if it's the last N64 game I review (unless I review an older sports game or I buy one), it's a good way to go out, on a positive note. The game was fun, and very addictive, and very large. It's one to be remembered. I don't care what the newer Pokémon Stadium 2 was like, as it probably totally connected to my least-favorite game. This is a classic N64 game, and one that any Pokémon lover must own. If you don't like Pokémon, skip it, and if you get bored with RPGs easily, skip it (which means I wouldn't buy this game today, for both of those reasons). Otherwise, it's worth picking up for a low price, if you can find it. In fact, I'd have to call it the best Pokémon game ever!

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