What was the first Pokémon video game to show battles in 3D?

Pocket Monsters Stadium was the first Pokémon video game to show battles in 3D. Nintendo released it in Japan for the Nintendo 64 on August 1, 1998.

The game let players battle with three-dimensional models of Pokémon from the original Game Boy games. It supported the Nintendo 64 Transfer Pak, allowing compatible Pokémon from Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow to be used on the television.

Only 40 Pokémon were playable in Pocket Monsters Stadium, although the game included information about all 151 first-generation species. That limited roster is an important difference from the later international Pokémon Stadium release, which expanded the playable selection.

The naming history often causes confusion. The Japanese title Pocket Monsters Stadium is sometimes described in English as Pokémon Stadium. The separate game released internationally as Pokémon Stadium was a larger follow-up, while Pocket Monsters Stadium itself remained Japan-exclusive.