Traumatic pre-order flashbacks
Nintendo has announced that the legendary N64 release Pokemon Stadium will be the next classic title joining the Nintendo Switch Online library — Subscribers to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service will be available to download the 2000-released adventure from Wednesday, April 12.
Released for the N64 at the height of the original Pokemon mania, Pokemon Stadium saw the cutesy critters from Game Boy releases Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, and Pokemon Yellow come together to battle it out in trainer-on-trainer action. A single-player campaign saw players battle throughout a range of stadiums set within the Pokeverse, while multiplayer action allowed up to four trainers to compete in head-to-head throwdown — all clamoring to be the very best, like no one ever was.
And, when the dust has settled, then players can chill out with a series of fun and silly mini-games — such as Sushi-Go-Round and Magikarp’s Splash — located in the oddly titled “Kid’s Club”. The Nintendo Switch Online version will feature all of the modes from the original release. Unfortunately, the implementation of the Game Boy releases is not a part of this version, though hopefully this can be rectified down the line.
I’ve bored y’all with this story before, but I was working in games retail when Pokemon Stadium dropped, and there is no other title that I remember being so fervently sought after more. We had people offering to pay double if we could promise a copy, pre-orders that weren’t being fulfilled for weeks, and a situation where we had to keep all stock off the showfloor as people would rabidly attempt to bargain us to sell people’s reserves to them.
“Can you call me when it comes back in?”
“No, we cannot.”
Pokemon Stadium joins Nintendo Switch Online on April 12.
Chris Moyse
Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s and writing about them since the 1880s. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse
