One dedicated Pokemon fan has decided to take it upon themselves to remake the seventeen-year-old spin-off title Pokemon Battle Revolution in the Nintendo Switch games Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, and it's already looking brilliant.
It'd be understandable if you'd forgotten all about Battle Revolution over the years – as far as Pokemon spin-off games go, it's not normally the one that fans think of first. As its name suggests, it was all about battling – it was essentially the Wii's answer to the likes of Pokemon Stadium. Trainers could battle it out on their home console with 3D visuals, detailed battle animations, and voice-acted commentary, using either the rental Pokemon unlockable by playing the game itself, or by copying over the 'mons they'd raised themselves in Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. Even if its reception was pretty mixed, the concepts at play were really cool, especially with the addition of Wi-Fi battles which the original versions of Stadium and its sequel were missing.
After all this time though, Battle Revolution seems set to make a return of sorts thanks to an unofficial remake, which is currently in development by modder Yisuno (@TheYisusOne). Earlier this month, they tweeted that it was "finally" possible to export Battle Revolution's animations, noting that: "I've been wanting this so bad since I started modding you have no idea." Since then, they've clearly been busy because, in a new clip shared yesterday, they've shown off a taster of their Battle Revolution remake project.
"Alright so here it is," Yisuno writes. "The project I've been preparing for. My dream. I will remake Pokemon Battle Revolution in BDSP."
Alright so here it is. The project I've been preparing for.My dream.I will remake Pokemon Battle Revolution in BDSP. pic.twitter.com/dRdH88siSQJune 20, 2024
Already, we can see some of those unique Battle Revolution animations in action, and fans of the original will also recognise the background as being Poketopia, the game's theme park-esque location. For now though, one key feature is missing – a commentator to narrate the battles as they happen.
Yisuno is well aware of the demand for this, however, saying, "If I find a way to add it in any way, I'll do it." They explain: "The main issue is how [to make] it more 'random' and not just 'play X voice in X sequence' to not make it feel repetitive." Already, they've "gotten an absurd amount of requests for voicing the narrator" and have clarified that "if I end up adding it, I won't be using AI."
While it's no hard confirmation that it's definitely been implemented, the developer adds today that they're "planning on using the [original] tracks for testing until I have a decent base," but are considering holding "a contest" to select the best fan commentator in the future. One mock-up clip shared by @CuppaGi proves how well voice acting ties the whole thing together, so here's hoping Yisuno manages to find a way to make it work.
I threw this together in like 5 minutes, enjoy the cringe. pic.twitter.com/nCxmulmmXmJune 21, 2024
For now, Yisuno hasn't given any indication of how long the project might take to complete, so we'll just have to watch this space. In the meantime, it's worth noting that Pokemon Stadium 1 and 2 are both playable via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription service, complete with online play. While they don't feature all the Pokemon that Battle Revolution does, they're still solid alternatives if you fancy something similar.
While you're here, be sure to check out our ranking of the best Pokemon games.
