Pokémon Colosseum may just be one of the greatest Pokémon games ever made, and yet, it feels like one that is grossly overlooked, not least because Nintendo has barely given it any attention since it and its sequel were released on the GameCube. It is a shame, especially as the changes it made to the core formula were phenomenal and took the series in a refreshing direction that should have been maintained to some extent, if only in a continued spin-off series.
Thankfully, Pokémon Colosseum is now on Switch 2, and one can hope that it means more people are likely playing it than ever before. It’s an exciting prospect and one that could potentially lead to future projects that at least take inspiration from it. Crucially, it will also hopefully push people to finally play its glorious remaster, Pokémon Grand Colosseum, a version of the game that, frankly, too few people actually know about.
Pokémon Colosseum Remains Highly Underrated
Pokémon Colosseum is an incredibly underrated Pokémon spin-off that released exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube back in 2004. It pushed the series in a whole new direction, aiming for an experience closer to the JRPGs that were dominating the market at the time, especially Final Fantasy. While a lot of the core concepts established in the mainline Pokémon games are still present in Colosseum, many of its innovations surpass much of what the series is offering today.
With stronger, more memorable characters, a greater focus on narrative, and a greater difficulty curve, Pokémon Colosseum felt like a Pokémon RPG targeted at a more mature audience. It achieved this without sacrificing what made Pokémon so appealing in the first place, which is a tough feat. It was ostensibly the Pokémon: Legends Arceus of its time, only released almost two decades beforehand. Pokémon Colosseum is ridiculously underrated and absolutely should have continued long after its sequel. Fortunately, it seems like much of the Pokémon community agrees, as its remaster truly highlights its greatest aspects while addressing its minor flaws.
This Fan Project Is Well Worth Your Time
Pokémon Grand Colosseum is a fan-made mod that remasters the original Colosseum experience by making it significantly harder and introducing a suite of new features. It is easily one of the very best Pokémon Colosseum mods, largely due to it opting to tweak the already phenomenal experience, rather than transform it too drastically. The end result is a game that allows one to feel as if they’re playing Pokémon Colosseum for the first time, an achievement that is frankly astounding.
First released in 2021, the mod has been updated over time before eventually settling on the final 3.1 version, which launched in 2024. Since being first opened up to the public, Pokémon Grand Colosseum has aimed to make the base experience significantly harder while adding even more moves, the Fairy Pokémon type, new TMs, a greater level of difficulty, numerous versions that determine which starters you get access to, and so much more.
For those who’ve played Pokémon Colosseum before, the changes will be immediately noticeable. Those who’ve never stepped into Wes’ shoes and experienced the Pokémon adventure of a lifetime will still benefit greatly from playing Pokémon Grand Colosseum first. It’s a great remaster that makes an already incredible video game all the more worthwhile. Frankly, it would have been better had Nintendo simply added this to NSO, although preserving the original experience is obviously also important.
Pokémon Colosseum won’t be for everyone, especially as its greater focus on JRPG tropes and narrative will alienate those who like to grind battles and train their titular ‘mons. However, it is still worth playing, especially with this mod installed, if only to see the potential this great series holds and how much it could benefit from the kind of revamp Pokémon Colosseum offered over two decades ago.
- Released
-
March 22, 2004
- ESRB
-
e
- Engine
-
Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
-
Local Multiplayer