Publishers: Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
Developers: Genius Sonority
Genres: RPG
Platforms: GameCube
Released: 2003-11-21
Pokémon Colosseum
Pokémon Colosseum (ポケモンコロシアム, Pokemon Koroshiamu) is a role-playing video game developed by Genius Sonority, published by The Pokémon Company and distributed by Nintendo as part of the Pokémon series. It was released for the GameCube on November 21, 2003, in Japan; March 22, 2004, in North America; and May 14, 2004, in Europe. Unlike previous titles, the game does not feature random encounters with Pokémon; instead, the player can steal ("snag") the Pokémon of other Pokémon Trainers. The game also features several battle modes for single-player and multiplayer gameplay.
The game is set in the desertous region of Orre. The player protagonist is Wes, a former member of Team Snagem. Throughout the game, the player rescues "Shadow Pokémon"—Pokémon who have had their hearts darkened by Cipher, an antagonistic organization—via snagging. Rui, a non-player character, serves as Wes's sidekick and identifies Shadow Pokémon.
Pokémon Colosseum was exhibited at E3 2003. North American pre-orders were packaged with a bonus disc that allows the player to download the Pokémon Jirachi. Upon release, the game was generally well-received, with praise directed at its graphics and music. It was a commercial success, with 1.15 million copies sold in the United States and 656,270 in Japan.