Pokemon Battle Revolution Takes Wii Online

The Nintendo Wii has gained its first online-capable title in North America: Pokemon Battle Revolution.

The Nintendo Wii has gained its first online-capable title in North America in the form of Pokémon Battle Revolution, the latest installment in the Pokémon franchise and the first Pokémon title available for the Wii.

“Already more than 2 million copies of Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl have sold in the United States alone,” says Nintendo America’s senior VP of marketing, George Harrison. “The arrival of Pokémon Battle Revolution brings those players a whole new set of challenges and, for the first time on Wii, online battles.”

The game’s online capabilities rely on Nintendo’s wireless gaming service, the Wi-Fi Connection, which enables players to challenge other players around the world of comparable skill level, or with friends after exchanging friend codes. The game streamlines online setup so players should be able to get online very quickly; the game also automatically seeks out other online players.

The game features a Colosseum battle mode in which players compete against each other in 10 cinematic colosseums, while a Nintendo DS battle mode enables players to use Pokémon they have developed on their Nintendo DS Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games. Up to four players can compete using Nintendo DS systems as controllers, using the same battle interface found in the DS games.

Pokémon Battle Revolution enables players to customized Trainers, selecting from one of three male or female trainers and outfitting them with custom clothing, glasses, hats, and other items after earning points in battles. Trainers can also get personalized in-game text they can use when they win or lose a battle.

Pokémon Battle Revolution is rated E for “Everyone” by the ESRB; it is available today for the Nintendo Wii from a number of online and traditional retailers for a suggested price of $49.99.