Pokémon Battle Revolution

Infobox VG
title=Pokémon Battle Revolution


developer=Genius Sonority
publisher=Nintendo
designer=
engine=
released=vgrelease|Japan|JP|December 14 2006
vgrelease|North America|NA|June 25 2007cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/lXtLHZS0Kb_sJy4T9vuBgUfKUibop045|title=Pokemon Battle Revolution at Nintendo|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2008-09-25]
vgrelease|Australia|AU|November 22 2007cite web|date=2007-09-19|url= http://www.nintendo.com.au/nintendo/news/index.php|title=BIG GAMES AND BIG SALES FOR NINTENDO DS AND Wii|publisher=Nintendo|accessdate=2007-09-19]
vgrelease|Europe|EU|December 7 2007http://www.nintendo-europe.com/NOE/en/GB/news/article.do?elementId=89jrftS1pVrPRFHXwoueNuR9T4bKCNx_]
genre=RPG-RPG-Fighting
series="Pokémon" series
modes=Single player, Multiplayer, Multiplayer online
ratings=CERO: A (All ages)
ESRB: E (Everyone)
OFLC: G
PEGI: 7+
platforms=Wii
media=Wii Optical Disc
requirements=
input=Wii Remote, Nintendo DS (option to use "Pokémon Diamond" or "Pearl" card in the game)

nihongo|"Pokémon Battle Revolution"|ポケモンバトルレボリューション|Pokemon Batoru Reboryūshon is the first Wii incarnation of the "Pokémon" video game franchise. It is also the first Wii game to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in North America and Japan and the first Wii game to wirelessly interact with the Nintendo DS handheld.

"Pokémon Battle Revolution" features eleven different colosseums in a new land, a Pokémon-themed theme park called Pokétopia.cite web|date=2006-11-18|url=http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/wii/pbr_sp/colosseum.html|title= コロシアム|ポケモンバトルレボリューション|Wii|ゲーム|ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト|publisher=Pokémon Pocket Monsters Official Site|language=Japanese|accessdate=2006-11-18] [The name "Pokétopia" is a portmanteau of "Pokémon" and "utopia".] Other features include stadiums that have their own special effects, such as randomizing the order of one's Pokémon. Some other effects are choosing the order of an opponent's Pokémon and setting level limitations.

This was the first Pokémon game to be rated 7+ by the PEGI: all other Pokémon games rated by them were rated 3+.

Gameplay

The game features 12 different colosseums, each with special changes to normal play or prerequisites and a Colosseum Leader (Except the Lagoon Colloseum that is only used in DS Battle Mode and Online Battle Mode). The Crystal Colosseum can hold up to 16 players, the battles are done in a 16-person tournament mode. The Gateway Colosseum is only open to a rental pass holder, and Neon Colosseum uses a wheel to choose between yours and your opponent's Pokémon, which is sometimes referred to as "The Evil Wheel". As the player progresses, the Pokémon available to rent become more powerful. The player also earns Poké-Coupons, which is the form of currency this game. The player can then further customize his/her character.

Pokémon attacks are also much more diverse, with each Pokémon acquiring their own animations for most moves in the game. Some animations feature both the attacking and defending Pokémon on screen at the same time. In previous console titles, the game only showed one Pokémon attacking and then cutting away to the second getting hit by the attack.

Along with the connectivity to the Nintendo DS games, a player can win Pokémon from this game and transfer them back to their DS games through Mystery Gift. This feature allows players to obtain Pokémon that are either hard or impossible to get without using a cheat device. To unlock the Pokémon, players must achieve certain goals or enter a special code. So far, Electivire and Magmortar are the only Pokémon that can be obtained through the latter method. A Pikachu (that knows the moves Surf and Volt Tackle) can be obtained by beating each Colosseum once. In addition to the Pokémon download, players can purchase items like certain Technical Machines and evolution items.

Players can create and customize trainers to use in battle. A trainer's apparel, accessories, hair color and, in non-Japanese versions, skin color can be changed.

Online functionality

"Battle Revolution" is the first "Pokémon" home console title to go online in the United States as well as the first online game for the Wii console. It features two online modes; "Battle with a Friend", which allows a player to battle a friend using its own 12-digit friend code, separate from the Wii console number,cite web|date=2006-12-14| url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/750/750994p1.html|title=IGN: Pokémon Battle Revolution Preview|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2007-02-19] and "Battle with Someone", which lets the player face off against a random opponent.cite web|date=2007-05-25|url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/791/791848p1.html|title=IGN: Pokémon Battle Revolution Preview|publisher= IGN]

Nintendo DS controls cannot be used in online multiplayer. When playing random online battles, the player's trainer's custom greetings and Pokémon nicknames are all changed to its native nation's defaults; for example, a Japanese nihongo|Magikarp |コイキング|Koiking will show its Japanese name instead of its English one.

The game uses a separate friend code than the one introduced in "Diamond" and "Pearl". Each save file has its own friend code in order to keep the friend rosters of players within the same household separate. After each random battle, players are given the chance to exchange trainer passes. The exchange must be mutual; it will not work if one of the two trainers refuses.

All Pokémon are allowed in Random Battles apart from Arceus because it has not officially been released in Japan.

Development

The game was first announced by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata at a Nintendo marketing event in Japan on June 7 2006.cite web|url= http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/2006/06/07/103,1149672727,54492,0,0.html|title =Wiiの発売日、価格の発表は9月。WiiとDSの連動は『ポケモン』から|publisher=Famitsu|language=Japanese|accessdate=2006-06-07] cite web|last=Sullivan| first=Meghan|authorlink=|coauthors=Matt Casamassina|date=2006-06-07|url= http://wii.ign.com/articles/711/711636p1.html|title=New Pokémon Announced|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2006-06-07] At the event, Iwata described Wii-to-DS connectivity using the game as an example, stating that gamers with either "Pokémon Diamond" or "Pearl" can play battles using their "Diamond" or "Pearl" Pokémon in "Pokémon Battle Revolution" using their DS as a controller.cite web|last=Gantayat|first=Anoop|date=2006-06-07|url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/711/711657p1.html|title=Connectivity Returns|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2006-06-07]

The DS linkup feature was accessible at 2006 Nintendo World Tour for the first time. As well as allowing Pokémon from a "Pokémon Diamond" or "Pearl" cartridge to be used in-game, it replaces the on-screen battle menu normally used in conjunction with the Wii Remote. The GameCube controller is not compatible with this game. The battle menu is displayed on the DS touchscreen instead, and it is navigated with the stylus. Up to eight players can play in a 1-on-1 tournament much like the Battle Frontier Battle Dome in "Pokémon Emerald".cite web|date=2006-11-18|url=http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/wii/pbr_sp/mode.html|title=DSバトルモード | ポケモンバトルレボリューション | Wii | ゲーム | ポケットモンスターオフィシャルサイト|publisher=Pokémon Pocket Monsters Official Site|language=Japanese|accessdate=2007-02-19]

In one of this game's first pre-release videos, where a Groudon's Hyper Beam hit a Deoxys, it was revealed that certain attacks would affect the landscape of the colosseums. However, for unknown reasons, this feature was not seen in the final version of the game. It has been unofficially stated that this was because it would make the game lean more towards "realistic violence" and possibly have a higher-aged rating, such as changing from E to T in North America. Unfortunately, this cannot be determined.

Reception

"Pokémon Battle Revolution" has received average to poor reviews from critics. It received a score of 5.0 out of 10 from IGN,cite web|url=http://au.wii.ign.com/articles/799/799944p1.html|title=Pokémon Battle Revolution Review|accessdate=2007-07-29|date=2007-07-27|first=Bozon|publisher=IGN] which cites that the game omits several features demonstrated in previous games like "Pokémon Stadium" and "Pokémon Colosseum", such as a role-playing mode. The multiplayer and online functionality of the game is also criticized for lacking functions such as tournament play. Gamespot gave the game a mediocre 5.5 out of 10 score, criticizing the repetitive gameplay and the barebones online support, as well as the fact that if one didn't have "Pokémon Diamond" or "Pearl" for the DS, there isn't nearly as much to do.cite web|first=Ryan|last=David|date=2007-07-02|url= http://www.gamespot.com/wii/strategy/pokemonbattlerevolution/review.html?sid=6173476&tag=topslot;title;1|publisher=GameSpot|title=Pokémon Battle Revolution for Wii Review] "Game Informer" rated it a 5.75 out of 10 saying the same things as Gamespot, and adding their own comment about a tutorial that taught you how to point the Wii Remote. "Nintendo Power" rated it a 6.5 out of 10, praising the game's multiplayer while criticizing its lack of single player features. "Famitsu" gave a positive review to the game, with a score of 35 out of 40.

The game currently has a 53% average of 23 aggregated reviews on both Game Rankingscite web|url= http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages4/934033.asp|title=Pokémon Battle Revolution reviews|publisher=Game Rankings] and Metacriticcite web|url= http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/wii/pokemonbattlerevolution|title=Metacritic: Pokémon Battle Revolution|publisher=Metacritic] .

References

External links

* [http://ms2.nintendo-europe.com/pokemonbattlerevolution/enGB/index.html Official Pokémon Battle Revolution Webpage] (English - Great Britain)
* [http://pokemon-games.com/pokemonbattlerev/ Official Pokémon Battle Revolution Webpage] (North America)
* [http://www.pokemon.co.jp/game/wii/pbr_sp/ Official Pokémon Battle Revolution Webpage] ja_icon
* [http://wii.ign.com/objects/818/818481.html Pokémon Battle Revolution] at IGN
* [http://www.gamespot.com/wii/strategy/pokemonbattlerevolution/index.html Pokémon Battle Revolution] at GameSpot
* [http://www.pokemon-games.com/portal/mystery/ The Shocking Secret Gift page] at Pokémon-Games.