Pokemon Stadium Switch Port Won't Support Transfers
The stadium is filling up nicely, as Nintendo has just unveiled the latest addition to its ever-expanding roster of Nintendo 64 games that have made the leap to the Switch Online catalogue. This time, a duo of Pokefaves is on the way in the form of 1999's Pokemon Stadium and 2000's Pokemon Stadium 2.
It seems like only yesterday that Nintendo announced the first lineup of N64 games that brought classics like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time to the service. While most of the big news from the latest Nintendo Direct was taken up by The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom getting a title reveal or the long-awaited confirmation GoldenEye 007 is coming to Switch, let's remember Pokemon's presence.
What's New With Pokemon Stadium On Switch?
Although the Pokemon Stadium games might not be up there with the mainline appeal of something like Red and Blue, they fit neatly into that bizarre trend of expanding the franchise on the N64, as well as Stadium, you'll remember Hey You, Pikachu! and Pokemon Snap (which recently got a new lease of life as New Pokemon Snap).
During the Direct, we saw a glossy trailer for Pokemon Stadium for NSO, but reading the small print, you might've noticed the following message: "Pokemon cannot be transferred to these games." Back in the day, you could transfer your own team from Red and Blue or Yellow to the OG Pokemon Stadium. With the sequel coming out a year later to cash in on the success of Gold, Silver, and Crystal, the Transfer Pak also lets you add Gen II to the mix.
The Transfer Pak was a clever feature, and if you bested the Elite Four in Pokemon Stadium, you'd be awarded one of eight 'Mon you might not have on your handheld. Sadly, as Nintendo winds down its 3DS digital services and shifts focus to the Pokemon Home service that lets you transfer your Pocket Monsters through modern techniques, the old ways are becoming obsolete.
Why Won't Pokemon Stadium Let You Transfer Pokemon?
Trying to explain what's going on, Serebii's Joe Merrick thinks he's figured out the logic behind Nintendo's apparent madness (via Nintendo Life). Basically, the Game Boy games aren't on Switch, as Merrick adds, "Many argue 'oh just use the 3DS Virtual Console games', but that's not actually feasible. What Stadium does is read and access the save data through the Transfer Pak and has frequent connections with it. The 3DS cannot do this with the Switch. It needs consistent connection."
Although Merrick claims there's a possible workaround, it would take a "massive workload" and likely only come into play when the 3DS eShop has closed. Basically, it's not worth it for Nintendo, while those at the top would probably rather deal with a few groaning gamers than go through the hassle. With rumours of N64 and Game Boy connectivity to Switch with a possible emulator, it's definitely possible - we just wouldn't count on it in time for 2023.
