Pokémon on the N64 and GameCube
Hello there. You may have read about my experience with the Pokémon anime series before Kaila came into the world, and also Kamille. Two of my nieces didn’t take any interest in Pokémon since they were Dora the Explorer fans when they were young, and I had to use my PS2 as a DVD player and we only had cable and internet.
Nowadays, we use streaming services since Pokémon has remained Netflix exclusive. I’ve been teaching successors how to succeed me in watching Pokémon before Ash and Pikachu have left. I didn’t have any Pokémon items back in the day, but today, we are becoming more of Pokémon archivists like Mewisme700 (aka Grace), but you’ll know. Today, I’m giving you a selection of Pokémon games on Medium before Ash leaves us. This post pays tribute to Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth (below).
Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2
Pokémon Stadium 2 (ポケモンスタジアム２, Pokemon Sutajiamu 2) and Pokémon Stadium Gold & Silver (ポケモンスタジアム金銀, Pokemon Sutajiamu Kin Gin) in Japan, respectively
The first order of business is Pokemon Stadium for the Nintendo 64. The game was first released in the spring of 1999 in Japan, and later in late winter/early spring of 2000 for Western players. The gameplay revolves around a 3D turn-based battling system using the 151 Pokémon from the Game Boy games Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow. Nine mini-games are included in Pokémon Stadium, located under Kids Club, and each game allows up to four players. If any of the four-player slots are not taken, the CPU takes over the excess slots. I had a friend who owned the game… until there was Pokémon Stadium 2, which was released in late 2000 in Japan, mid-March 2001 in North America, and early October 2001 in Europe. Unlike the first game, it does not have a storyline. The sequel has the Mini-Game Park, which is an area in White City where up to four players can play 12 different Pokémon-themed mini-games as opposed to the first game. The sequel was released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack on August 8, 2023.
Pokémon Snap
ポケモンスナップ, Pokemon Sunappu
The next order of business is Pokémon Snap, which was released in 1999 for the Japanese and North American players and 2000 for the European and Australian players. Back in the day, we only had film cameras (which included Polaroid cameras) to take pictures before the digital age made things easier. Nowadays we use our smartphones to take pictures. We sadly didn’t own the game, but it was rented at Blockbuster. The game was developed by HAL Laboratory, the same developer who developed the Kirby series.
Nintendo and Japanese convenience store Lawson formed a deal where people could bring their copies of Pokémon Snap to Lawson stores in Japan and have pictures from the game printed as stickers. A similar deal was formed with the now-defunct Blockbuster, which exclusively printed stickers from players’ copies of Pokémon Snap in the United States. They hosted a contest called “Take Your Best Shot,” where the player who produced the best picture from Pokémon Snap to Nintendo would win a trip to Australia (which ended in 2000). Nintendo, partnering with LodgeNet (now called SONIFI Solutions, Inc.), included N64s with Pokémon Snap for more than 86,000 hotels with the intent of capitalizing on the Pokémon franchise for the holiday travel season. Nintendo displayed Pokémon Snap at a Pokémon event called “Pokémon League Summer Training Tour”. The game’s protagonist, Todd Snap (Toru in Japan; pictured above), also briefly appeared in the Pokémon anime series shortly before the game’s release.
Pokémon Puzzle League
This N64 game does not have a Japanese release
Pokémon Puzzle League was released in the fall of 2000 in North America and in early March 2001 in Europe and Australia. Its Puzzle League-based gameplay has a focus on puzzle-based strategy in the game’s grid-based format. To advance to new levels, players are required to combat the game’s trainers and gym leaders, similar to the ones featured in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow. One of several games based on the Pokémon anime, it features lead protagonist Ash Ketchum (as he only appears in this game), his Pikachu, his companions Brock and Misty, the Kanto Gym Leaders, and other characters from the original series. Like Pokémon Snap, the game was re-released on the Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
Hey You, Pikachu!
Known as Pikachū Genki Dechū (ピカチュウげんきでちゅう) in Japan
We didn’t own the game, but it was released in late 1998 for the Japanese players and late 2000 for the North American players. The game did not have a European or Australian release. The player is asked to help Professor Oak test the PokéHelper, a device that lets humans communicate with Pokémon. The game is set in the Kanto region between Pewter City and Viridian City, where the player is introduced to a wild Pikachu. The player can communicate with a 256-word database through the Voice Recognition Unit (VRU), a Nintendo 64 hardware accessory that, when paired with a microphone, can comprehend and analyze human speech. In the game, the player can see Ash’s OG hat. Hey You, Pikachu! will not be re-released on the Nintendo Switch via Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.
Pokémon Colosseum
ポケモンコロシアム, Pokemon Koroshiamu
Pokémon Colosseum was released for the GameCube on November 21, 2003, in Japan; March 22, 2004, in North America; and May 14, 2004, in Europe. Unlike previous titles’ random encounters with Pokémon, Colosseum allows the player to steal (“snag”) the Pokémon of other Pokémon Trainers. The game also features single-player and multiplayer battle modes. Unfortunately, we didn’t own the game. Pokémon Colosseum is set in the Orre region. Orre is a mostly desert region in which no wild Pokémon can be found (although the sequel, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, adds wild Pokémon spots to the region). Orre consists of many cities, towns, and Colosseums. Ex-Jaleco employee Tsukasa Tawada (a.k.a. “J.S. Tawada”) is the game’s composer.
Conclusion
You should share your journeys with Ash and Pikachu from the Pokémon anime series when they leave us, as Ash is passing the batons to Liko and Roy (as he will be the second male character to wear sandals all the time, the first being Kaki/Kiawe) will arrive on Netflix as Pokémon Horizons will have a release in early next year. The new antagonist group, the Explorers, will succeed the Team Rocket Trio.
Feeling nostalgic? There’s Pokémon: Indigo League on Netflix, where Ash’s journey began (albeit it still uses 4Kids edit; will leave Netflix in November of next year).
I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey, Ash! Enjoy your thrilling victory of attaining the title of Pokémon Master (and also retirement)!
