Pokémon Battle Revolution: First Details

TOKYO--At the Wii press event in Tokyo this afternoon, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata unveiled the first details on Pokémon Battle Revolution. The game is slated for release in Japan somewhere during December at the price of 5,800 yen ($49).

A short trailer shown during press time suggested that Pokémon Battle Revolution will play similarly to Pokémon Colosseum, though with upgraded graphics. President Iwata pointed out that Pokémon has been about machine-to-machine connectivity since the first installment in the series, and he went on to confirm that Pokémon Battle Revolution will continue to inherit the tradition.

Using the wireless connection between the DS and Wii, owners of Pokémon Diamond or Pokémon Pearl (both of which will be coming out in two weeks in Japan) will be able to use their handheld as a controller in playing Pokémon Battle Revolution. Players can give orders to their Pokémons using the DS, and then watch the result of the battle on the TV screen.

Having a DS isn't going to be mandatory in playing Pokémon Battle Revolution, although it will broaden the range of strategy when challenging other players. Using the DS will let you set up your Pokémon on the handheld's dual LCD rather than the TV screen, making it somewhat of a guessing game to figure out what the opponent player is up to.

Aside from being the first Wii game to make use of the DS-Wii connectivity, Pokémon Battle Revolution will be the first Wii game to be playable online through Nintendo's Wi-Fi connection service. That means players living far apart from one another will be able to go head-on using their favorite Pokémons. Stay tuned for more on this game in the near future as our Nintendo Wii coverage continues.