N64 Pokemon Game Turns 27 Years Old and It’s Free With Nintendo Switch Online

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Today marks the 27th anniversary of a Pokémon game that was originally released only for the Nintendo 64. Both this game and its sequel are now available to play for free with a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack membership. Importantly, these games aren’t available to buy on the Switch or Switch 2, so the Expansion Pack is currently the only way to experience them on Nintendo’s modern consoles.

On April 30, 1999, Nintendo released Pokémon Stadium for the Nintendo 64. The game allowed players to battle with the Pokémon originally found in the popular Red, Blue, and Yellow versions, but in a new 3D, turn-based format – a first for the series in the West. A similar game, Pocket Monsters Stadium, had been released in Japan a year earlier, but it wasn’t available outside of Japan. Given the huge popularity of Pokémon, it’s no surprise that Pokémon Stadium was a big success and remains one of the best-selling games for the N64. This was achieved despite receiving a respectable, but not outstanding, score of 78% on GameRankings.

A Classic Pokémon Game

Before 2023, it was hard to play this classic Pokémon game without an original Nintendo 64 console. That’s when it and its sequel became available as part of the Nintendo Classic library. These new releases are exactly like the originals, but you won’t be able to connect them to a Game Boy.

If you’re new to these older games, it’s important to know they don’t focus on story or exploring a world. They’re all about the core gameplay – specifically, turn-based battles. If you don’t enjoy that style of gameplay, you likely won’t enjoy these classics. You could think of them as a simulator for Pokémon battles.

Do Pokémon Stadium and its sequel still play well? Yes, surprisingly so. However, they might not be worth discovering for the first time today – they’re a little basic by modern standards. If you’re feeling nostalgic for the games, or just for that era of Pokémon, though, they’re still a lot of fun.

As mentioned before, a regular Nintendo Switch Online membership doesn’t include free access to this N64 game on either the Switch or the upcoming Switch 2. The basic membership costs $20 annually. To play this game, you’ll need the Expansion Pack, which is $50 per year.

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2026-04-30 19:21