Battle Revolution is Not Very Effective…on non-Pokémon gamers
Pokémon: Battle Revolution reverts back to the days of Pokémon Stadium as the game is really nothing more than a bunch of subsequent challenges where you must fight series of Pokémon trainers to progress through the game. Unlike the two GameCube titles Pokémon: Coliseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness, this game along with Stadium 1 & 2 really don’t have a story. Instead, the game is a Poké-Paradise for any avid Pokémon fan who wants to constantly battle preset matches to ultimately earn rewards for his troubles. This works perfectly for Pokémon fans but leaves little enjoyment for anyone else.
Don’t get me wrong, me being the Pokémon fan that I am, I actually love this format due to my personal hatred towards the console Pokémon adventures and their extensively boring story modes, brought about by the lengthiness of the battles as well as load times, which are not present on handhelds. However, like is the case with Dragon Ball Z games as well as Mega Man Battle Network, the most avid fans see more of the same as a further extension of the games they love while others see these repetitions as monotonous. Thus, I and many other fans will probably play through Pokémon: Battle Revolution to the very end (when time permits) but anyone else will (and should) shy away from the title.
I find it a shame that this game lacks any substance other than hardcore battles. The only other true features in this game include the ability to link with your DS, the ability to fight against your friends, the ability to fight people online, and the ability to do other battle related exercises. The only gameplay element other than battle involves customizing your character (the ability to buy outfits and change his/her battle slogan). Even Pokémon Stadium games had more features, minigames, and content to draw non-Pokémon players in. Ultimately, the repetitious nature of the game will make any non-fan bored after only a few battles.
Connectivity? Wynaut?!
Though Pokémon: Battle Revolution lacks any features other than battling, it does shine in a number of areas related to battling. For one, the connectivity between the Wii and DS is wonderful. If you want to bring your Pokémon from Diamond & Pearl to Battle Revolution, you simply press the “copy Pokémon” button (that’s right you get to copy them on this game, not take them permanently from your DS!), turn on your DS, click “connect with Wii” and in less than a minute, all of your Pokémon boxes are transferred over to your Wii. Also, if you wish to battle your friends, you can use a DS as a controller so as to be able to choose your moves without anyone seeing.
The game features 11 different coliseums, each with different themes and each is unlocked as you finish the previous ones. As was the case with Stadium, the battles get progressively more difficult throughout the game. Players don’t have to have Diamond & Pearl to play the game (there are several rented Pokémon that can be used) but it’s more enjoyable if you do and if you have a party of Pokémon at around the same relative levels.
Online features are also a nice plus as this is the first console Pokémon game to feature online multiplayer. However, the online features very barebones with only two online game modes, “battle with a friend” & “battle with anyone”. I am glad that you can battle with a friend if you have their friend code but my problem with the “battle with anyone” mode is that there is no ladder or hierarchy. Thus, there is no way to tell if a player is a beginner or an expert and thus the mode is not enjoyable for either party (beginners may get thwomped by experts while experts may be bored with little competition if they aren’t paired with anyone at their level). Ultimately, the online multiplayer is not what I or many gamers hoped for.
Friend codes are a nice feature that was existent in all of the previous console Pokémon titles and remains in this game. These allow you to buy items and bring them back to your DS game cartridge. Also, this game gives you the ability to save a party to your Wii-mote, giving you a means of bringing your party to a friend’s house without having to bring your entire Wii or use external media (such as an SD card).