I sure hope you're into Pokémon. And not just any Pokémon games, but the more niche releases, including one that is almost impossible to play without transferring your Game Boy Color save file. Why? Because that's what we got with this week's Nintendo Switch Online update. That's right, subscribers now have access to Pokémon Trading Card Game, while those who upgraded to the Expansion Pack can play Pokémon Stadium 2. That's cool news, but are either of these games worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Nintendo Power, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. So, go and throw out that N64 transfer cable, because you're not going to need it for this episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


The year is 2000 and the world has a bad case of Pokémania. Red, Blue and Yellow cartridges are flying off of store shelves, the cartoon is a big hit and everybody is into the trading card game. Where do we go from here? If you're Nintendo, you capitalize on the success by turning that popular tabletop card game into a full-fledged Game Boy Color title. And that is exactly what happened, as Pokémon Trading Card Game features the first three sets of the real-world card game, along with exclusive cards you could only get in a video game. It's all so straight-forward that you might not expect very many fireworks when it comes to the reviews, but you should think again.

Believe it or not, this Pokémon Trading Card Game led to one of Electronic Gaming Monthly's biggest disagreements of all time. Chris gave the game a 4.5 out of 10, stating right off the bat that he's not a fan of trading card games: “When I play a game, at least for the first time, I want to be able to quickly understand the rules and put in a decent showing in the very beginning without having to customize my own freakin' deck or read a huge manual of instructions. So, when I started to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game, I became frustrated. No matter what I did or who I went up against, I got royally schooled by virtually every opponent except, of course, the tutorial match.” Jim disagreed, giving the game a 9 out of 10. “This little gem holds very true to its real-world cousin. It's fun, addictive and really makes you consider each move carefully. The only true negatives I found were the inability to back out of an attack, length of the opponent's turn and, as Cyril said, the soft opponent A.I. All in all, if you're a fan of Pokémon, or just like trading card games, this is a must-have.” Jim and Cyril's scores managed to bring Electronic Gaming Monthly's average up to a respectable 7.3 out of 10.

You didn't see nearly the same level of disagreement over at Nintendo Power, who gave Pokémon Trading Card Game a score of 8.2 out of 10. Dan called it “a great way for players to hone their deck-building skills without having to own a ton of cards,” while Kyle raved that “there's enough complex strategy in deck building to keep it interesting for a long time.” That said, Jennifer did have some complaints: “The quest is on the short side and the RPG elements aren't that deep.”

If you want to find the highest score, then we're going to need to go over to the United Kingdom and check in with Game Boy: Official Magazine, which gave the trading card game a 92%. Computer + Video Games wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about the cartridge, but still managed to give it 4 stars out of 5. “It's not for everyone, but Wizards fans will lap it up. The lack of RPG puzzles and adventuring is made up for by a massive world map full of folks itching to trade and battle. You can customize and refine your deck to infinity and, of course, you can battle friends via a link cable. Challenging and rewarding, but not as sparkly as the other Pokémon games.”

Although the game received mostly high scores, I agree with CVG that the Pokémon Trading Card Game is not for everybody. If you're a fan of the deck building, then you'll likely enjoy the nostalgia. Everybody else may feel a little left out. Either way, give it a play on Switch and see if it's your thing.

Released almost exactly one year after the original, Pokémon Stadium 2 is the kind of sequel that can be accused of simply copying and pasting most of the key elements from the first game, but people were still into it at the time because it allowed fans to transfer their Pokédex from the newer Pokémon games – Gold, Silver and Crystal. Unfortunately, that's not an option you can take advantage of when you play it on the Nintendo Switch, which is going to make this famously unbalanced game that much more frustrating. This is definitely one of those times where I question what Nintendo is even doing. Who wants this? While I quietly ponder that question, let's see what the critics said about Pokémon Stadium 2 back in 2001.

If you'll recall, Electronic Gaming Monthly was disappointed in 2000 with the first game, and you better believe they were disappointed one year later with the sequel. Giving it a 6 out of 10, Jeanne put it this way: “If you're still hot for Pokémon, then Stadium 2 will fit right into your bloated collection. With improved graphics, sleeker interfaces, more dynamic and varied animations and, of course, the ability to interact with the Game Boy Color titles, Stadium 2 offers a bit more poke-cud to chew for those who have yet to say their long overdue farewells. But don't expect Stadium 2 to greatly surpass its predecessor, since it doesn't really offer any more than a visual makeover.” Ethan agreed, laying out this warning: “If you don't have any of your own collected Game Boy Pokémon to bring to the party, don't bother with this package – using “rental” Pokémon in battles gets boring fast.” Electronic Gaming Monthly gave Pokémon Stadium 2 an average score of 5.8 out of 10.

Once again, EGM was one of the very few outlets to be disappointed by Pokémon Stadium 2. Sure, they were backed up a little by Game Fan, who gave the sequel a 71% back in issue 80, but everybody else seemed to like it. Nintendo Power gave it an average score of 4 out of 5, with everybody raving about the upgrades. Oliver liked that “the search option in the new Pokédex makes putting a team together much easier,” while Scott notes that “everything has been stepped up a notch in the second Stadium game – better graphics, more options and the inclusion of Gold and Silver Pokémon.” Jenni liked that the game was a bit harder: “If you think that Pokémon games are easy, this will change your mind. Professor Oak himself would have a rough time defeating the talented trainers in Stadium 2.”

The highest score I could find came from GamePro, who argued that “Pokémon fans can't go wrong with Stadium 2” and gave it a 4.5 out of 5. “If your Pokémon safari has led you all the way into the Gold and Silver carts, then Pokémon Stadium 2 is a perfect addition to your N64 library. It's worth it just to be able to play your Game Boy Pokémon games on a large screen, but you'll find plenty of Pokémon-pleasing goodies, too.”

Unfortunately, much like the version of Pokémon Stadium we got back in April, a lot of the cool elements found in this sequel won't be accessible on the Switch. At least you'll still be able to “rent” Pokémon, but will that be enough? Give it a play and find out for yourself.