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How has a Pokémon fighting game never happened? Nintendo’s violent little critters have been battling since 1998, and yet we’ve never been given a game where you can take full control of the melee. Well, until now. Pokkén Tournament, developed by Tekken creators Bandai Namco, may seem like a surefire thing, but transforming a relatively low-key RPG like Pokémon into a fighting game isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
Does Pokkén Tournament deliver the more hands-on Pokémon experience fans have always wanted? Does it have the goods to face off against fighting game stalwarts like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat? Let’s find out if this game has the fighting spirit…
Pokkén Tournament (Wii U)
Artistic Achievement
Pokkén Tournament is a surprisingly detailed, impressive-looking game. This is the first time Nintendo’s pocket monsters have been rendered in HD, and Bandai Namco have really brought them to life with personality-packed animation and a lot of nice little touches, like the sleek fur texture that covers Pikachu or Charizard’s subtly scaly hide. The game’s arenas are also stuffed with visual Easter eggs and references to both the Pokémon and Tekken franchises.
In terms of story, well, you’re a Pokémon trainer who wants to be the very best, like no one ever was. What else were you expecting? There’s also some stuff going on with a mysterious hooded trainer and shadowy version of Mewtwo, but it doesn’t amount to much. Really, if you’re picking up a Pokémon game for its storyline, well, I’m not really sure what to tell you.
Audio-wise, Pokkén Tournament gets the job done. The music gets you properly pumped for battle, and all the Pokémon do the usual shrieking of their own names. The one blemish is the game’s very perky in-game advisor, Nia. She’s likable enough, but her various quips and “helpful” comments get very repetitive, very quickly. Thankfully her commentary can be mostly shut off.
Innovation
Given the game’s title, you’d expect Pokkén Tournament to just be a kid-friendly version of Tekken with Pokémon subbed in, but that isn’t the case, as the game actually goes to some length to craft an interesting fighting system which meshes 2-D and 3-D fighting styles and RPG mechanics.
Pokkén Tournament battles are divided into two parts, Field Phase and Duel Phase. All matches start in Field Phase, during which you can move around freely in 3-D space, but certain powerful attacks or combos will automatically switch you to Duel Phase, which more resembles 2-D fighting games like Street Fighter. As mentioned, Pokkén Tournament also brings some RPG elements to the fight, including a rock-paper-scissors attack triangle and the ability to call in support Pokémon to help you. Outside of battle Pokkén Tournament is a fairly standard fighting game, offering up story, training, local and online multiplayer modes, but once you’re in the arena, it’s refreshingly unique.
Execution
Pokkén Tournament can be intimidating with its multiple phases and other quirky mechanics, but thankfully the game comes with a very well-designed tutorial that will get you up to speed within half-an-hour or less. It helps that Pokkén Tournament takes the Super Smash Bros. approach to special moves – rather than every maneuver requiring unique, tough-to-execute commands, every Pokémon’s moves are done the same way. If you play as Pikachu you can just as easily play as Gengar or Mewtwo. The challenge isn’t in pulling off complex button combinations, it’s in knowing how and when to use moves most effectively.
Switching between 2-D and 3-D can be a bit baffling at first, particularly since your Pokémon has a different move set depending on which phase you’re in, but it becomes second nature before long. You quickly learn that the Field Phase is about positioning and feeling your opponent out, while Duel Phase is about pushing your advantage with combos and trying to exact as much damage as possible. You’ll also quickly master the Pokkén Tournament‘s attack triangle – basically, counters beat basic attacks, grabs beat counters and basic attacks beat grabs. It’s essentially a very simple version of Pokémon‘s traditional system of elemental strengths and weaknesses.
But that’s not all! Absorbing and dealing out damage fills up your Synergy Gauge, which allows you to enter into a powered-up Burst Mode when full. Once in Burst Mode, you can also unleash a badass, cinematic Burst Attack which may knock off up to half of your opponent’s life bar. Oh, and as mentioned, you can choose a support Pokémon to help you before every round and even decide how you want assistant Nia to cheer for you between rounds. There’s a lot going on with this game, but somehow gameplay never starts to feel laden-down. Fights are exhilarating, and can turn on a dime – you can be down to a single hit point, but still come back to win the fight with smart use of blocks, grabs and counters. Pokkén Tournament is accessible to new players, while packing enough depth and RPG nods to satisfy fighting fanatics and Poké-fans alike.
Some of the Burst Attacks get…intense.
Pokkén Tournament‘s single-player more is solid, if somewhat lacking in personality. It’s exactly what you’d expect – you enter into various Pokémon leagues, climb the rankings then enter into tournaments to become champion, but sometimes expected is fine.
Moving onto multiplayer, I’m surprised to report Pokkén Tournament delivers an excellent online mode that, frankly, puts some competitors to shame. I never had to wait longer than two seconds to connect to an online match. That’s right Street Fighter V players, two seconds. Unfortunately the top-notch online multiplayer is balanced by somewhat compromised local multiplayer. Because the camera focuses specifically on your character during Field Phase, you can’t really have two people play on the same screen at the same time – you would have to do a splitscreen thing or have one person play on the TV, and the other use the Wii U GamePad screen. Pokkén Tournament opts for the later. It’s not ideal, but it’s kind of an unavoidable compromise given the way the game is set up.
Staying Power
Compared to, say, Street Fighter V‘s barely-there story mode, Pokkén Tournament‘s substantial main single-player mode should take a solid five to 10 hours to complete. There’s also plenty of other things to keep you occupied, like tinkering with our in-game avatar, increasing your online rank or leveling-up individual Pokémon. Not to pick on Street Fighter V, but Pokkén Tournament really feels like a complete game, although it’s also a game that’s not going to grow in the future. Nintendo has said there’s no DLC coming for Pokkén Tournament, the current 16-character roster and lineup of modes is all you get, so in the end it may not have the legs of other fighters that promise to be evolving, DLC-supported platforms.
Bullsh*t Factor
Hard to find much fault here. Pokkén Tournament is a rock solid, polished experience, with a fantastic free online mode. Like all modern Nintendo games, Pokkén Tournament is Amiibo compatible, but they only unlock minor extras, so you won’t miss out on much if you happen to be an adult person without the time or inclination to collect plastic toys.
This picture of Luchadore Pikachu probably could have been my whole review.
Final Thoughts
Did I expect a game featuring Pikachu to be the best fighter I play in the same year a new Street Fighter comes along? I did not, but here we are. Pokkén Tournament is a polished, smartly-designed piece of software that should meet or exceed the expectations of fans who have been dreaming of hands-on Poké battles for years. The game is accessible to people who aren’t fighting game masters, but possesses hidden depth and is woven full of Pokémon DNA in clever ways.
Pokémon fans, this is the best spin-off since the halcyon days of Pokémon Snap and Stadium. Fighting fanatics, this game is a breath of fresh air that’s worth your time. I choose you, Pokkén Tournament, and I recommend you do too.
Verdict: Clear Your Calendar
This review was based on a copy of Pokkén Tournament provided by Nintendo.