I wouldn't call myself the biggest "Pokémon" fan given that I'm not all that into turn-based games, but a lot of times, I find myself getting interested when new entries in the franchise come to consoles. Case in point, the "Pokémon Stadium" games were two titles I played far too much of as a kid. With how much I loved those, I was extremely excited when I heard about "Pokémon Battle Revolution" on the Wii. The gameplay of it hearkened back to the "Stadium" games, and I was so excited to try it myself. And while it's a flawed game, I had my share of fun with it.
"Pokémon Battle Revolution" works for a few of the same reasons that the "Pokémon Stadium" games did, in that it's fun to watch "Pokémon" battles come to life in 3D. That might be something that's taken for granted since it's become commonplace in recent mainline "Pokémon" games, but back in 2007, it was something we looked forward to. And as simple as the battles were, they were way too much fun back in the day, and I enjoyed the presentation of the game as well. Even if the visuals weren't the flashiest ever, I thought the designs of many of the locales were nice, and the commentary was a charming, welcoming presence. Also, it was cool seeing this be the first game to use Nintendo Wi-Fi on the Wii, and the connectivity features between the Nintendo DS were extremely neat back in 2007.
One of the biggest issues I have, though, is the repetition, as unless you're a massive fan who just wants to see your "Pokémon" battles come to life, it can get stale very quickly. And given that the game doesn't have minigames like the "Stadium" games, there isn't as much to do beyond the battling. Furthermore, much like the "Stadium" games, this is the kind of game that feels like it needs you to own a Nintendo DS with a fourth-generation "Pokémon" game in order to have fun with it. I'd also argue that this game is more reliant on the handheld entries than the "Stadium" games, which is a bit disappointing.
Overall, "Pokémon Battle Revolution" is a solid console entry in the "Pokémon" franchise. Much like the "Pokémon Stadium" games, though, it's not nearly as fun if you don't have a handheld with you to transfer Pokémon with, and I'd say this game is more reliant on it than the "Stadium" games. But all in all, it's still a fun time; just don't expect it to blow your mind as much as other "Pokémon" games.
Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"