Ok so let me start this thread by saying I don't really have a point to make here, it's just an odd little thing I find interesting.

So, when I first came here to Taiwan, I bought a Japanese N64 and started buying Japanese games. I knew there was an exclusive pokemon stadium game, which was actually the first in the series. What we know as stadium is actually stadium 2 in Japan. What I didn't realise however, was that Japan DIDN'T get one of the pokemon games, namely pokemon puzzle league!

I thought that was really weird, because why wouldn't such a good and popular game, a POKEMON game not get released in Japan when pokemon fever was at its zenith? Anyway, then I realised that due to this NO region got every N64 Pokemon game! Check it:

Japan: Stadium Stadium 2 Stadium Gold/Silver Snap Hey you Pikachu

US: Stadium (2) Stadium 2 (gold/silver) Snap Puzzle League Hey you Pikachu

PAL: Stadium (2) Stadium 2 (gold/silver) Snap Puzzle League

Also interesting that no region got the same line up either... And that PAL gets screwed over the most, as usual!

Anyway, if this topic does have a point, it is probably to ask WHY Japan didn't get puzzle league? Is it something to do with the panel de pon series or something?

This sort of info I find interesting also. Particularly as Pokemon games were so popular in Japan! I'm guessing it's a choice made by Nintendo that the Japanese are more into the collecting or battle elements rather than a puzzle game. Similar analogy perhaps to why a lot of RPGs didn't make it to US/Pal countries, because they were deem too complex or not likely enough interest (for the 90s) to warrant an English translation.

I mean, the first stadium in japan was just an inferior version of stadium two. It didn't even have all the pokemon which is probably why it wasn't release in the US or PAL regions.

Pokemon Puzzle League (even though it's a great game) was just a cash grab on the TV shows popularity. Nintendo of America knew they needed to market the new puzzle game in a way that would make the most appeal, look at the release date. Same thing with Mickey's Tetris whatever it's called.
The Sega Pico had Pokemon games in Japan during a time when Nintendo and Sega were rivals. That makes me think maybe in Japan they were worried about over saturating the market, so they avoided over using the Pokemon name. Think about how many pokemon games are on each console since their release and look how well each sold, gotta spread it out.