Pokémon Stadium Series
The Pokémon Stadium games are a series of games released for the Nintendo 64 and Nintendo Wii between 1998 and 2007. These games basically have two purposes: 1) to allow players to connect their handheld Pokémon games and have battles with each other using 3D models and on a TV, and 2) to allow players to use Pokémon from their handheld games to complete difficult battle challenges. The first three games also allowed the player to play the story of their connected Game Boy or Game Boy Color games using the TV, with options allowing the player to speed up their gameplay.
Players that do not have a compatible handheld game can still engage in battles against other players or against computer opponents using a team consisting of rental Pokémon.
In 2023, Pokémon Stadium (Pocket Monsters Stadium 2) and Pokémon Stadium 2 (Pocket Monsters Stadium G&S) were rereleased for the Nintendo Switch as part of the Nintendo Classics program on Nintendo Switch Online. Unlike the original releases, these versions are not capable of communicating with any other Pokémon game. This means that all battle challenges must be completed with only rental Pokémon, and the gift Pokémon obtained as rewards for clearing certain challenges cannot be used for anything.
The following games are part of the series:
- Pokémon Stadium 0: This game, known as Pocket Monsters Stadium in Japan, was released only in Japan in 1998. It was released for the Nintendo 64. Only 40 of the first 151 Pokémon are usable. The original release can connect with Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow.
- Pokémon Stadium 1: This game, known as Pocket Monsters Stadium 2 in Japan, was released in 1999 (Japan) and 2000 (international) for the Nintendo 64 and rereleased for the Switch in 2023. All 151 Pokémon available in Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow are usable in this game. The Japanese and international releases differ in available tournaments, tournament Trainers' team compositions, and many rental Pokémon movesets. The original release can connect with Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow.
- Pokémon Stadium 2: This game, known as Pocket Monsters Stadium G&S (Gold and Silver) in Japan, was released in 2000 (Japan) and 2001 (international) for the Nintendo 64 and rereleased for the Switch in 2023. All 251 Pokémon available in Gold, Silver, and Crystal are usable in this game. The original release can connect with Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal.
- Pokémon Battle Revolution: This game was released in 2006 (Japan) and 2007 (international) for the Nintendo Wii. All 493 Pokémon available in Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver are usable in this game. The original release can connect with Diamond, Pearl, Platinum, HeartGold, and SoulSilver.