Though the September 2021 Nintendo Direct was full of exciting trailers for upcoming games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Bayonetta 3, arguably its biggest surprise was the announcement of Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games coming to Nintendo Switch Online (NSO). Granted, these will be available through a more costly "Expansion Pack," and only a handful of titles have been confirmed for the service, but it's still a big addition. One N64 series that should be considered down the line is Pokemon Stadium.
Nine games will be added to NSO from the N64 library in late October, including classics like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, and Star Fox 64. Beyond that launch collection, Nintendo also confirmed seven games to come, ranging from Banjo-Kazooie to Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and F-Zero X. Pokemon Snap is also on the later additions list, which is fitting after the release of New Pokemon Snap earlier this year. However, even in an era of all-3D Pokemon games, there are still reasons why Pokemon Stadium and Pokemon Stadium 2 are experiences worth bringing back.
Pokemon Stadium as Nostalgic Representation
No doubt one of the biggest reasons why it's worth adding the Pokemon Stadium games to NSO is they would be huge draws for diehard fans that played them growing up. This is an argument that could be made for any title being released, including fan-favorites like Mario Kart 64 and Paper Mario, but for Pokemon this is especially poignant given the retro game libraries on Switch.
Thus far only NES and SNES games have been released to Switch Online subscribers, which means the handheld market that Pokemon called its home for decades is currently untapped. It's unlikely Game Boy or Game Boy Advance titles will come to NSO soon, so Pokemon Stadium would be the only opportunity for a "traditional" Pokemon battle experience to appear in the service.
It may seem silly to ask for that kind of experience when the Switch is already packed to the gills with Pokemon games thanks to Let's Go, Pikachu! and Eevee!, Sword and Shield, as well as the upcoming Brilliant Diamond, Shining Pearl, and Legends: Arceus. However, there is something to be said for the game's more simplistic art style and battling, and they are historically important as some of the first titles to try and translate 2D spritework creatures into full 3D models - years prior to Pokemon X and Y. A big facet of the Stadium games' appeal is transferring one's Pokemon from Game Boy titles into 3D, which would be missing here, but there are still battle challenges one could take on using rentals.
Minigames and Online Multiplayer
Unlike their spiritual successor Pokemon Battle Revolution, the two N64 Stadium games are also notable because of minigames included in each package. There are nine minigames in Pokemon Stadium, with popular choices such as Clefairy Says acting like the Pokemon equivalent of Simon Says; and there are 12 minigames in Pokemon Stadium 2, many of which include then-new Johto region monsters.
None of the Stadium minigames are particularly complex, but this is part of what helped them stand out. Like minigames in Mario Party these are easy to pick up for players of any skill level, and appealing because of the characters involved. With Mario Party 1 through 3 also not currently confirmed for NSO's Nintendo 64 library, the two Stadium games could fill a niche.
The NSO libraries are known for giving couch co-op games online functionality - a particular boon considering the service is first-and-foremost Nintendo's way for players to connect games over the Internet. This offers even more potential life for Pokemon Stadium and Stadium 2, as players would likely be able to battle one another and compete in minigames online. With COVID-19 concerns persisting in the United States especially, this would be a huge deal for fans. However, for now only time will tell whether Nintendo adds the Pokemon Stadium series in the near future.