This time we were live and on location in R-Cade Glasgow! This time, we duke it out on the first entry of the world-famous Pokémon series in 3D. Can R-Cade lift the trophy, or will they be a first-round knockout?
Let's find out!!!
In the mid to late 90s, the world was gripped by a Pokémon craze. During that craze, Nintendo was trying to push that license to print money as far as they could.
There was a TV series and a trading card game created by Wizards of the Coast.
I still remember my classmates queuing up to play a bootleg version of Pokémon Crystal I got from a Bazaar in Turkey on the last day before summer break from Primary school. That's how popular Pokémon was.
In 1999, Pokémon transitioned to the 3rd dimension with this classic.
Developed by Gamefreak and published by Nintendo, the game revolves around the Gen 1 versions, i.e., Red and Blue versions of the game.
You play the part of a Pokémon trainer; it is up to you to advance through the cups and become a Pokémon master.
The accessibility scores are as follows
Visibility 9.5
Although the move types are colour-coded, the text in the centre of the icon should indicate what element each move is. Other than that, there are no colour-coded elements that cause issues for players with visual impairments.
Audibility 10
Now there is spoken dialogue in this game, only commentary over the battle, so it's not too important in the grand scheme of things. So you should be able to play this game.
Mobility 10.5
Due to the turn-based nature of the game, you have all the time in the world to think through your moves before you make them.
Certain mini games can be a bit of an issue, but the main focus is on the battles. In these battles, each move or Pokémon is bound to a button on the controller. You can use the R button on top of the N64 controller to check which button is assigned to which move or Pokémon.
In hindsight, it's an ingenious way of hiding your move when battling the same couch, as you don't navigate a UI to give commands to or change Pokémon.
However, the mini games will give you issues (more on that in a minute).
So, the vast majority of the game is easily playable, due to the turn-based nature of the franchise.
Gameplay 10.5
This game has a more arcade-style feel. Instead of catching Pokémon, the majority of the original 150 are your oyster. When you register for a battle or tournament, you have to register a team of 6 Pokémon. Before the battle begins, you pick 3 to send into battle.
The sheer amount of tournaments to compete in, with their own rule sets, is a lot for N64 standards. The game has various mini games, which are similar to Mario Party, for up to 4 players.
What makes this title truly unique is the ability to use a peripheral to sync the data from your save file stored in your Red/Blue versions, so you can use the Pokemon you previously caught in the game.
You can also use the GBA tower to continue your adventure on your TV screen.
In terms of lifespan, the main game can be completed in 11 hours.
In summary, Pokemon Stadium is a solid addition to the Pokémon series. As I said before, this is the first 3D Pokemon game, alone or with friends on the same couch. If you are interested and would like to try it on native, N64 hardware, check out R-Cade, they are located on Saltmarket Street.
You can hire a console for just 11 pounds an hour. R-Cade also has a plethora of board games to play. Go grab a drink, hire a console for a nostalgic trip down memory lane, or chill and play some board games.
OVERALL SCORE 101.25%
See you guys in the next review!
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