In 2004, we wrote that Pokémon Colosseum marked “a turning point in the world of pocket monsters”. More than twenty years later, with a Switch 2 re-release announced, how does this first 3D Pokémon role-playing game hold up? This review, written with hindsight, complements our review from back then.
A Pokémon game apart
No professor, no wild Pokémon, no Badges: Colosseum goes against the grain of the Game Boy games. Wes is a former thief, Orre a desert region full of thugs, and Team Cipher turns Pokémon into weapons. For the first time, the series tells a serious story, with villains who are genuinely frightening and stakes that go beyond collecting.
Snagging, a brilliant idea
Catching enemy Trainers’ Pokémon instead of looking for them in tall grass changes everything. Every battle against a Team Cipher Trainer becomes an opportunity not to be missed, and purification creates a concrete bond with your Pokémon: you have to battle with them, calm them down, and bring them along all the way to Agate Village. The downside is the size of the roster: only 48 Shadow Pokémon, almost all from the second generation, and no way to find any others in the adventure.
Double Battles, real depth
Almost all battles are played two against two. This choice, bold at the time, gives the game real strategic richness: spread moves, support between partners, target selection. Team Cipher’s Admins and the Battle Mode tournaments offer far tougher fights than those of the Game Boy games.
Presentation that has aged unevenly
The towns of Orre have real personality, from the oasis of Phenac City to the underground city of Under, and Tsukasa Tawada’s music supports the atmosphere well. Many of the Pokémon reuse the models from Pokémon Stadium, and their stiff animations betray the game’s age. The absence of real areas to explore, replaced by a map where you choose your destination, makes the world narrower than it seems.
Lifespan and content
The main story is rather short for a role-playing game. After that, there are the Shadow Pokémon you missed to catch, Mt. Battle to conquer, the Battle Mode tournaments to win, and all 48 Shadow Pokémon to purify to obtain Ho-Oh. The link with Ruby, Sapphire and the following games gave a real reason to play back then: getting Johto Pokémon that could not be found in Hoenn.
And today?
Pokémon Colosseum remains a unique case: a mature, dark and demanding Pokémon role-playing game. Its flaws (few Pokémon, a narrow world, dated presentation) are real, but its atmosphere and its Double Battles have no equivalent in the series. Its Switch 2 re-release, announced in 2025, should let a new generation discover it; its sequel, Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, is already available there.
Our verdict
A bold first 3D Pokémon role-playing game, whose atmosphere and depth of combat make up for limited content. Worth discovering for anyone interested in the history of the series.
What we like
- A dark, mature story, unprecedented in the series
- Snagging and purification, a strong idea
- Demanding Double Battles
- Tough Admins and a challenging Mt. Battle
- The link with the Game Boy Advance games
What we like less
- Only 48 Shadow Pokémon to catch
- No areas to explore freely
- Stiff animations, dated presentation
- A rather short adventure
Going further
- The spec sheet and the story of the game.
- Getting started and the walkthrough.
- Our 2004 review, written when the game came out.
