For the first time in what feels like ages, Nintendo has added a Pokémon game to the Nintendo Switch Online library. Pokémon Stadium is now available for everyone to play via the Nintendo 64 section of the subscription service, which also enables players to take the game online for the first time on an actual console.
When it was originally released for N64 in 1999, or throughout 2020 outside of Japan, the game featured no online options—since anything beyond local multiplayer or a way to connect consoles was not standard at the time. This still holds true in the traditional sense, but the NSO service offers a way to simulate playing on the couch with friends through its emulation.
As long as you have the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, you can play the game solo or use the following method to play Pokémon Stadium online with friends, in a somewhat limited capacity.
How to play Pokémon Stadium online with friends on Nintendo Switch
For anyone who wants to battle or play minigames with friends online in Pokémon Stadium, all you need is a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription.
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Access to the game, and every other title on NSO, is unlocked with the subscription, and from there you simply need to download the NSO’s N64 app via the software tab in that section of your Switch. Launch the app and select the “Play Online” option on the main menu and look for your friends playing the game you are looking for or set a passcode to share with anyone you want to join your lobby.
You can play the game while you wait, and once another player—or more depending on your plans in Pokémon Stadium—you can access the multiplayer modes together and enjoy yourselves.
