Pop Goes the Culture!

The Pokemon craze is basically over, which is kind of a relief. After all, now I don't have the Barbarian and Chatterbox running around on the floor pretending to be different kinds of Pokemon in the House Habitat. On the other hand, the days of my chanting, "Office Coordinator, Office Coordinator" are also done. Now I have to stick to "Pervert," which probably evolves to "DirtyOldManoman." Or something of the sort.

We rented the Pokemon Battle Stadium (2) because it allowed four players, and we were getting tired of Smash Bros. We didn't have any expansion packs or memory, so I don't know how any evolving or special expansion-only abilities work. On the other hand, even if you can't battle your own Pokemon to a ridiculously high level, you can "rent" basic Pokemon for battles.

The major attraction, of course, are the battles. There are a variety of types, different because of choices of creature levels, players, style of tournament, and stadium choices. You can play against friends or the computer. There's also a battle collection where you play a number of preprepared battles against the computer, attempting to win to the "next level."

You also have a variety of "mini-games" involving various Pokemon at their everyday tasks.

See, you remember the old AD&D world, where you actually had a creature evolve to look like an executioner's hood in order to feed on people? Not to mention the whole dungeon ecology question? The Pokemon world is that taken to a serious level.

Big bug creatures with razor-sharp claws and horns cut trees. Birds with powers deriving from the element of fire can help in the forges. Of course, most people only have one Pokemon (the advantage to trying to become a "Master" being access to your own menagerie.)

There is a wonderful set of "lessons" on Pokemon strategy included, which teaches a great deal about the Pokemon world as well as how to work the choosing of Pokemon in your fights to your advantage. You have to use the lessons in battles, but after having done so, I won more battles against my better-informed little sister opponents.

We easily wasted the better part of a week on the game. That's a recommendation. While you can defeat the preplanned theme battles and minigames fairly easily, great fun can be had afterwards just fighting your friends. (We liked to make our own themes. "Tiny creatures" versus "huge creatures." "Creatures beginning with the letter 'S'." "Only psychic Pokemon.")

When I can find it for sale, it's a definite buy.