There are three main variants of the game we call Pokémon Stadium: the first Japanese Stadium of 1998, never translated, the Japanese “Pokémon Stadium 2” of 1999, and its Western version, released in 2000 in North America and then in Europe. The last two are the same game, but the translation came with many changes. Here they are.
Who’s who?
| Japanese title | Release | Western title |
|---|---|---|
| Pocket Monsters Stadium | August 1st, 1998 | Never released outside Japan (see our guide) |
| Pokémon Stadium 2 | April 30, 1999 | Pokémon Stadium (2000) |
| Pokémon Stadium Kin Gin (Gold and Silver) | December 14, 2000 | Pokémon Stadium 2 (2001) |
From the first Japanese Stadium to the game we know
| Pocket Monsters Stadium (1998) | Pokémon Stadium (2000) | |
|---|---|---|
| Playable Pokémon | About forty (the others can be seen, but not used in battle) | All 151 |
| Gym Leader Castle | No | Yes |
| Mini-games | None | Nine, at the Kids Club |
| Multiplayer battles | Two players | Up to four, in teams |
| Trades between cartridges | No | Yes, at the Lab |
| Storage Boxes on the Nintendo 64 | 4 Boxes of 30 (120 slots) | 12 Boxes of 20 (240 slots) |
| Pokédex | Only with a game saved in a Pokémon Center | No condition on the save location |
| Battle rules | Close to Red and Green | Many bugs fixed (see the battle rules) |
The Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow says its name in battle, with the voice of Ikue Ōtani (the voice of the anime’s Pikachu), whereas other Pikachu let out the usual electronic cry. Illegal moves are now displayed in purple, instead of the trainer’s name.
From the Japanese Pokémon Stadium 2 to the Western version
The cups
The Japanese version offers six cups: the Pika Cup, the Petit Cup, the Prime Cup and three cups modeled on Japan’s official tournaments, the Nintendo Cups 97, 98 and 99. The Western version replaces these three tournaments with a single Poké Cup, taken from the Stadium of Pokémon Yellow. That is why the Stadium we know has four cups.
The Surfing Pikachu
Only the Western versions let you teach Surf to Pikachu, by winning the Master Ball division of the Prime Cup in Round 2. In Japan, it was the first Stadium of 1998 that offered it. See Surfing Pikachu.
Rental Pokémon
Several Rental Pokémon had their moves changed in translation. That is why lists published online sometimes contradict each other: some use the Japanese moves.
Other changes
- The number of teams you can save per cup goes from 12 to 10.
- In Clefairy Says, the Clefairy sing instead of repeating the same sound effect.
- The type icons in the move preview change from a gradient to a solid color.
- Trainer names are limited to seven letters: several classes and characters are abbreviated.
- The announcer is dubbed in each language: Jean-Claude Donda in the French version.
Differences between Europe and North America
- The Gallery exists only in the American version. It let you photograph rental Pokémon or those from your cartridges in the game’s arenas, then print the photos as stickers at Pokémon Snap kiosks. In the Japanese and European versions, the Options button takes its place at the center of the main menu.
- Cartridge compatibility follows the language: the French version recognizes French Red, Blue and Yellow cartridges.
- Jynx: between versions 1.0 and 1.1 of the English version, Jynx‘s skin changes from black to purple, following the controversy over its appearance.
And the Nintendo Switch Online version?
Since 2023, the game has been available on Nintendo Switch Online. It works like the original cartridge, but without the Transfer Pak: no Pokémon from your cartridges, no GB Tower, no Lab. See Pokémon Stadium on Nintendo Switch Online.
