Pokemon Colosseum

Nintendo Power

The Story mode, variety of Battle mode options and amazing level of detail give the game an immeasurable amount of fun and replay value. [May 2004, p.119]

Computer and Video Games

Battle side alone is worth the price of admission.

eToychest

A top-notch title and a must buy if you’re a fan of this series. It has everything you love about the series and more, even if it is a bit difficult.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Impressive? Definitely. It's very heavy on the Japanese text though, so only hardcore import fans should bother with it right now. By the time it sees a proper UK release in March though, expect to be blown away. [JPN Import]

netjak

While it is a little rough in the sound department, a few of the visuals are off, and it has slight limitations on how you can obtain your Pokemon, Colosseum is a worthy of a Pokemon fan’s time. This is the full-on console RPG many Pokemon fans have been clamoring for.

GameZone

It's got almost everything I wanted 3D Pokemon game to have – classic, addictive gameplay, good graphics, an excellent soundtrack, and decent length. It also has something you can't find in today's RPGs: replay value.

TotalGames.net

The aforementioned RPG mode is where we’ve found most of our time invested in Colosseum vanish. The darker-than-usual portrayal of the Pokémon world is an interesting and commendable change in style and the gameplay itself offers the player a substantially different experience to the handheld games. [JPN Import]

Weekly Famitsu

8 / 9 / 8 / 8 - 33 gold [Vol 780]

PGNx Media

Battling is only a fraction of what makes the Game Boy games special, and although Colosseum expands on this, it doesn’t do the Game Boy games justice.

Just RPG

Could Pokemom Colosseum have been a much better game? The answer is definitely, "Yes", with the need of a better storyline, graphics and more features. Yet, I was impressed with what did make it into Pokemon Colosseum and that above all else I found myself having fun and enjoying the game.

GameCube Europe

It’s an RPG with battles! What more do you want? But it does have its down points, one of them being a high level of frustration endured in some places and don’t forget there being no mini games.

NintendoWorldReport

Trainer battle is the focus of this game. It would be a shame for Pokémon gamers not to experience this new style of battle, as it's fairly different from the usual Pokémon fare. Who knows, it may even sway older gamers with its decidedly 'older' look.

GMR Magazine

Another slight issues is that while the world seems fully realized, and the interface is standard Pokemon issue, the game isn't nearly as massive or deep as something like "Ruby." [Apr 2004, p.83]

Times Online

More experienced gamers may scoff early on, but will find more rewards once they start to build up a mini-army of Pokémon, which they can trade online with other dedicated players.

Gamer's Hell

Certainly a step in the right direction to a good 3D Pokémon game.

GameBiz

Unfortunately, battling takes up most of the Story mode unlike the Game Boy outings which had a lot of side-missions for you to do rather than continually battling other trainers.

GameSpy

Merely good - hopefully Nintendo will take heed and give us the game we've REALLY been wanting next time around.

Nintendojo

The story mode has no where near the complexities and storyline that the Game Boy games have had, and the Colosseum mode is no where near as customizable as the Stadium titles were for the N64. However, both play modes are enjoyable.

IGN

Even with the lack of gameplay variety in its quest, Pokemon Colosseum is one hugely challenging game, and it has enough originality, not to mention a whole assortment uniquely catchable creatures, in its design to encourage both newbies and veterans alike.

GameSpot

It's definitely a much better-looking game than either of the "Pokémon Stadium" titles, and the new story-driven adventure definitely gives you more context to the fighting (in addition to providing more stuff to do), but otherwise, the game isn't very different from its predecessors.

BonusStage

The Shadow Pokemon system is one of the game’s biggest detractors, but even so, those who are acquainted with the series may want to give this one a shot.

GamerFeed

It's sour grapes of sorts because it's a tease at what we really want: An online version where thousands of players can explore the world and battle each other.

Deeko

The AI is ridiculously simple, which is a crying shame, the battles themselves occupy most of your time and the dialogue is simply poor.

VideoGamesLife

An improvement over its predecessor, though only due to the expunging of the irrelevant mini-games with an entertaining yet shallow adventure.

AceGamez

It's as if the producers stopped halfway through making it, decided to give it a different spin and forgot to bolster the audio department in the process.

Game Informer

Even though none of these elements are so astounding as to bring outsiders into the fold, the franchise's debut on the GameCube ("Pokemon Channel" doesn't count) is a trainer's dream come true. [Mar 2004, p.110]

GamePro

Most fair-weather Pokemon fans will find the Story mode not interesting enough and the Colosseum mode a little too hardcore. [Apr 204, p.98]

WHAM! Gaming

I for one am still waiting for the time when they finally shake up the series and create a nice long epic that makes the GameBoy series wish it could compete... Will it happen? Here's hoping.

Play Magazine

Just like the handheld Pokemon games, the graphics seem to be underdeveloped and the gameplay focus is really on catching, raising, and battling with the assorted critters, overshadowing the characters and story rather than supporting them. [Mar 2004, p.59]

Computer Games Magazine

Pokemon fans will indeed enjoy the game, but there's nothing here for anyone else. [July 2004, p.6]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

The story mode in Colosseum is surprisingly dark (by Pokemon standards), but with its lifeless characters and endless torrent of dialogue windows, it's not quite the full-fledged RPG fans may be hoping for. [Apr 2004, p.130]

Yahoo! Games

Its presentation is well below par, and the battles quickly become repetitive, but there remains an oddly addictive spark beneath its problems.

GameShark

With a higher difficulty level and some presentation quirks, Pokemon Colosseum is a great game for the Pokemon veteran and not such a great choice for someone just now getting into the games.

G4 TV

An announcer might have been nice, but at least we're spared any potentially awful voice performances. You'll get more out of the game if you can get your GBA in on the action, but the mini-RPG isn't a bad addition.

games(TM)

The biggest problem with Colosseum is that you'll find it not only filed under 'mixed bag' but practically stapled to the sign itself... It seems that one man's inter-console collectathon finale is another's last ditch attempt to save the over-flogged horses of connectivity and Pokemon. [May 2004, p.116]

Gaming Age

The story mode is a move in the right direction, but until Nintendo can deliver a GBA-sized Pokemon RPG with depth and length, console Pokemon games will always lag behind their portable counterparts.

Cheat Code Central

Pokemon Colosseum doesn't go overboard with these new features however. It's probably the least amount of innovations and updates that a game can get away with and still call itself a new game.