Pokémon Stadium joins Nintendo Switch Online in just a week
Nintendo 64 Pokémon battle game Pokémon Stadium will be available to play through Nintendo Switch online starting April 12, 2023. This video game was first released in 2000 and enabled players to create teams from the original 151 Pokémon featured in Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow with which they could battle the AI or other players on local splitscreen.
Stadium came with an assortment of fun minigames as well to mix things up between battles. You had to win an eating contest as Lickitung, cut wood as Pinsir and Scyther, or splash as high as possible as Magikarp, among other fun little challenges.
Here’s what Nintendo says about the features Pokémon Stadium will contain on Nintendo Switch Online:
"In Pokémon Stadium, you can battle it out solo with your chosen team of six Pokémon across four tournaments in Stadium mode or run it back against Kanto’s elite Trainers in Gym Leader Castle. Winning in either of these modes will secure a spot for your champion team in Victory Palace, but completing both modes will unlock a final battle to challenge even the ultimate Trainer.
Looking for some multiplayer free-form fun? Compete in no-holds-barred battles with friends in the 1-4 player Free Battle mode, or party it up with a collection of nine minigames in the Kids Club. It might be called the Kids Club, but even seasoned Trainers may feel the heat in the Sushi-Go-Round kitchen, or after reaching new heights in Magikarp’s Splash!"
Players should also note that they can’t transfer their Pokémon from the Game Boy titles to this modern version of Pokémon Stadium.
Once Pokémon Stadium has become available on April 12, only four more games remain in the current Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack: Pokémon Stadium 2, Mario Party 3, 1080 Snowboarding, and Excitebike 64. Players in Japan will get access to Harvest Moon 64 as well.
Nintendo has released a short trailer announcing the release date, though has since made that video private once again on YouTube, so perhaps this was a premature announcement.
