Review: Pokémon Stadium 2 (N64)

[NintendoLife]

Second gen magic.

After all the groundbreaking success that Pokémon's first generation had, it would've only been wise for the powers that be to capitalise on the franchise's journey to the top. How was this done? Pokémon launched a new set of games – Pokémon Gold, Silver, and Crystal – in the years of 1999-2001 (depending on the region concerned) and this of course meant a slew of new monsters to catch and train all over again. Yes, this also yielded new sets of trading cards, new series' in the television anime, new merchandise, new manga, and everything in-between. It's the formula that's arguably worked to this day, and it was only logical that Nintendo also followed suit in the console department with a sequel on the Nintendo 64 – Pokémon Stadium 2.

But what was different about Pokémon Stadium 2? To this writer, having the second generation of Pokémon within the game made it a must-have and instant winner altogether (due it being his all-time favourite gen), but to many this alone surely couldn't warrant a purchase. We've covered the ins and outs of Pokémon Stadium in our review of the game, and its successor contained most, if not all of the same features the original had. With that in mind, Pokémon Stadium 2 could be seen as a lazy follow-up to its predecessor right off the bat, due to possessing the same game modes and character models (for the first 151 'mon at least), making it seem like it wasn't a whole new game at all. But if there's one thing games like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask has taught us, it's that a great game doesn't necessarily depend on a squeaky clean, spanking new set of assets, but instead great gameplay to generate a memorable experience. With that said, Pokémon Stadium 2 shines in its intricate detail.

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