The Nintendo 64 is back in the spotlight after Nintendo announced an Expansion Pack for its Switch Online (NSO) service. This pack will cost an unannounced amount more than the current NSO subscription, but it will include both N64 and Sega Genesis libraries to justify the cost.Pokemon Snapis one game confirmed to be coming to NSO sometime after the Expansion Pack launches, which opens up the possibility for other spin-offs such asPokemon Stadium.
Having one or both of thePokemon Stadiumgames available via NSO would be greatas both nostalgic throwbacks and a source of party entertainment thanks to their multiplayer minigames. However, unlikePokemon Snap- a subseries that received a sequel earlier this year, it’s more difficult to imagine the return ofStadiumgames in the modern era. There are still ways it could be done, and in fact there’s potential for a newPokemon Stadiumto be the franchise’s ultimate multiplayer experience.
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How Pokemon Stadium Could Innovate on New Generations
Pokemon Stadium 2released in 2000, and its selling point was the addition of Generation 2 Pokemon from the Johto region. The most recent releases,Pokemon SwordandShield, are part of Generation 8. In the over two decades sinceStadium 2, Pokemon’s roster of creatures has grown from 251 to 898 and counting.
There was anotherStadium-like game calledPokemon Battle Revolutionin 2006, coinciding withDiamondandPearl. It served largely the same purpose, allowing players to transfer their partners from the 2D sprite-based DS game into fully realized 3D environments on the Wii asStadiumbrought Game Boy Pokemon to life on N64. It was far more limited by not including minigames to bide time with friends, and thus was made even more obsolete byGeneration 6 gamesXandYbringing everything into the third dimension on 3DS.
Despite mainlinePokemongames all being in 3D now, there are still issues with the formula. For years fans have complained about a seeming lack of innovation by Game Freak in terms of updating things like battle animations. Some may like the classic feel thatPokemonmaintains, but it has felt stagnant compared to other Nintendo franchises likeThe Legend of Zelda. WithPokemon Legends: Arceusset to release next yearand shake up what a single-player adventure looks like for the franchise, a newStadiumgame could be its multiplayer counterpart - one with far more budget poured into environments, models, and animations to really appease fans.
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More Pokemon Stadium Minigames
If a modern-dayPokemon Stadiumcenters around the idea of creating a sleek multiplayer hub for battling, it should also lean on its legacy and include minigames. For its charm,Pokemon Battle Revolutionwas a fairly empty game, especially if players had no Pokemon to transfer over and took on Poketopia’s tournaments with rentals.
There are 21 minigames included betweenPokemon Stadium 1and2, but again all of these were based on monsters from the first two Generations. The franchise’s proliferation over the decades means there isno shortage ofPokemongames for any given mood, and there are minigame-centric titles like thePokeParkseries. Even taking that into account,PokePark 2: Wonders Beyondreleased in 2012 during Generation 5, and a lot of spin-offs since then have been niche or focused around a particular gimmick.
Having a newPokemon Stadiumgame that offers a bevy of minigames featuring fan-favorite Pokemon both new and old would surely sell, especially ifonline functionality is included as withMario Party Superstars. The franchise’s single-player experience will evolve dramatically with the open-world capturing and Noble Pokemon boss battles inLegends: Arceus, so returning toPokemon Stadiumthis decade with Generations of new monsters seems like one way to enhance the multiplayer experience as well.
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