7 mini-games from Pokémon Stadium N64 you forgot were awesome

You’ve seen just about every nostalgia-riddled article that lists the best Nintendo 64 games of all time. We’ve all dusted off our consoles (and blown into the cartridges once or twice to get of in-game glitches) and fired up Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros recently.

The one game that never gets old for me – no matter how many years go by – is Pokemon Stadium. And honestly, it isn’t because of the entire game itself; it’s because of the minigames.

Minigames are perhaps one of the greatest parts of actual videogames. I first experienced these in Pokemon Stadium, and my love for them was further cemented in Mario Party 2. But no matter how many games I’ve played with minigames, none compare to Pokemon Stadium. Maybe nostalgia is at play here (miss you, late 90s), but they were truly top-notch.

Here are seven of the best that I really, really miss. These are presented in no particular over.

“Run, Rattata, Run!”

I’m sure you remember this one – a raised platform that looked like a grassy treadmill with four lanes.

You had to keep your Rattata running, but also jump over hurdles that popped up. I never, EVER beat my older brother. But it was still fun.

“Pichu’s Power Plant”

First of all, the Pichus jumping up and down with their ears flopping as you read the game’s instructions are so adorable.

So this game rocked, but it also required a good bit of attention. Surrounded by four glowing, red spheres, you had to hit the direction of the control pad that the lit up sphere was. You also had to tap A or B, depending on which one was lit up. It required quick reaction, cautious finger movement, and a strong heart; because at the end, the three Pichus that lost get electrocuted. It’s quite the tragic scene.

“Sushi-Go-Round”

Not only was this my favorite of all the minigames, but this is genuinely a life dream of mine.

Go into a sushi restaurant and try to rack up the highest bill you possibly can? Incredible.

If only the Pokemon universe always footed the bill.

It was really fun that Lickitung was used in this game. I also always liked that the spicy sushi slowed him down, because I really relate to that. Hopefully Lickitung’s palette has improved since 1998.

“Tumbling Togepi”

In this game, you can choose to be Togepi or Omanyte. Togepi is clearly far superior, being one of the most adorable Pokemon of all time. Sort of similar to the running Rattata game, it was a race to the finish. You had to avoid obstacles, and could use arrows to speed up.

It was slightly maddening because Togepi was really slow, but it was still a great one.

“Egg Emergency”

I have a big soft spot for Chansey. I’m not sure what it was about this game I loved, but leaning one way and another to catch falling eggs was pretty fun… until a Voltorb fell.

The game starts off so slowly and nicely, but by the end it is quite literally raining eggs. I still remember half screaming and half laughing with my brothers as we maniacally tried to catch any of them at the end.

“Delibird’s Delivery”

I don’t know who thought of this game, but I thank them.

As Delibird, you have to put a gift in your bag, and run to the other side of the game stage, avoiding obstacles in the way. As a little kid, it was wild to be playing a Nintendo 64 and have your character pick up a GameBoy. This game felt very Santa Claus-esque, and was always a fun mad dash.

“Dig! Dig! Dig!”

For as simple as this game was – just alternating pressing buttons – it felt SO high pressured. As Sandshrew, you have to dig until you hit the mark underground. That’s all it was. But ahh, the rapid button pressing and screaming that ensued…

About the Author: Kelcey McClung is a freelance reporter who has been featured in a variety of publications. She loves Star Wars, Animal Crossing, and almost every PlayStation game ever made. If you think you’ve completed all the park objectives in Roller Coaster Tycoon more times than she has, she’ll take you up on that bet.