Fans of the Final Fantasy series may know the confusion that occurs from a company re-numbering a series to cater to their audience. This is highly apparent in the beloved RPG series -- first there was the original Final Fantasy, which was released under the same title in both in Japan and in North America. However, Final Fantasy 2 and Final Fantasy 3 for the original NES were never seen on our shores. So, when Final Fantasy 4 was brought over to North America, it was published under the name Final Fantasy 2. As for Final Fantasy 5, it suffered the same fate as the Japanese second and third incarnations of the series, and never saw a North American release on the SNES. Final Fantasy 6 was released on our side of the world as Final Fantasy 3 a short time later. Confusing, isn't it? Well, Nintendo's numbering of the Pokémon Stadium series also falls under the same consumer-confusing category.

The Japanese Pokémon Stadium was never released on North American soil. However, the Japanese Pokémon Stadium 2 was released here in place of the first incarnation, thus renamed and appearing as the Pokémon Stadium we have all seen sitting in our very own Nintendo 64 systems. Now, the third title in the series will appear in Japan with a few extras in store for you importers out there. The game has just been officially re-titled as Pokémon Stadium Gold/Silver -- a name which should apply to the expected North American version of game as well. This newest Pokémon battle simulator looks to be a near clone of its predecessor, featuring the addition of Pokémon Gold and Silver compatibility, as the new name would imply. Although a very, very likely North American release of the game has yet to be officially announced, eager importers can look for the Japanese version of Pokémon Stadium Gold/Silver late this year at your local importer.