Pokken Tournament is a break from tradition in terms of the Pokemon series. While we have seen the odd Pokemon game hit a Nintendo console, they have never taken the form of allowing you to actually control a Pokemon in a traditional battle. Nintendo has teamed up with Bandai Namco (Tekken) to give us a fighting game that lets us do the battling as our favorite Pokemon in fast and frantic battles. The partnership and game idea could not have turned out any better as Pokken Tournament is not only a great fighting game on the Wii U, it’s one of the best fighting games around on any platform.
I may be starting at the end here, but there are a few things I need to point out about a few things about what really makes Pokken Tournament great. These don’t have anything to do with the gameplay, instead they focus on the layout of the game itself. Right of the bat every character will be available to you, with only one needed to be unlocked by beating the game. This is great as you can play/practice with any of the 16 Pokemon against your friends in multiplayer modes or in basic CPU games. It’s also great that there are a ton of things to unlock for your player avatar, without Nintendo trying to nickel-and-dime you. In fact, Pokken Tournament has no DLC of anything at this point, not for characters, skins, of clothes. Also, and here’s the kicker, the online multiplayer works amazingly well right off the bat. Early reviews of multiplayer heavy games are dangerous because the net-code can suffer when hundreds/thousands of players finally jump in to play. The first weekend of Pokken Tournament was as smooth as one could hope. Games were connected usually in less than five-seconds and I suffered no lag, even on my shaky home network.
Pokken Tournament allows ones imagination run wild with the sort of in character dream matches that we envisioned as kids. Nothing is more satisfying (for me at least) than controlling a pint-sized Pikachu and kicking a Charizard right in the Poke-Balls. Still, while I don’t know most Pokemon of the games franchise past generation 1, other than some popular ones, the ones included here are pretty diverse and fun to explore. Sixteen characters may not seem a like a ton, but it’s a solid number for a brand-new fighting series. Each has a unique visual style that push the Wii U to produce something special. You can’t please everyone, especially when there are hundreds and hundreds of Pokemon, each with their own fanbase, but the game does a good job of keeping ehat cast it has varied.
Bandai Namco have crafted a game that does something that is rare in the fighting game world. The studio has made something that is incredibly easy to pick up and enjoy by fighting game newbies, but also a game with the depth that many other fighting games can’t quite match. I had so much fun kicking butt early on in the games Tournament Mode learning my character, and then getting decimated in Online Mode by players really taking advantage of the games nuances. It really shows the sort of enjoyment both casual and hardcore fans can get from a Pokemon game.
The thing that makes Pokken Tournament unique among its peers is the phase mechanics it employs. The game is broken up into two distinct phases (Field Phase and Dual Phase) that require players to always be on their toes. This system also allows serious fighting game fans to be able to dive into what could essentially be considered two complete fighting games. The Field phase is where the match begins and allows both players to almost freely move around in a 3D environment. Ranged attacks are the name of the game here and the Pokemon chosen for the game are well suited for this. You can move about attacking and evading while snatching up powerups to help buff up your super ability.
The K.I.S.S. system (keep it simple stupid) is on display in this phase. The Field Phase is simple enough understand regardless of your ability as a player. Position is key to success as you try to maneuver about until you can find the perfect opening to unleash an attack. Each player will be sticking and jabbing back and forth in a way that is really rewarding to all players. Once you do land a solid strike in close range the game then moves into the Duel Phase.
This Duel Phase is where Pokken Tournament turns into a more traditional fighting game. You get locked into a 2D plane and your move set slightly adjusts to take advantage of this. You’ll be able to use combos and push opponents into corners as you would in something like the Tekken series. This mode becomes far more technical and will be something hardcore fighting game fans can sink their teeth into, but still allows new players to quickly pick up on the basics. You’ll also have access to new moves including throws and grapple maneuvers.
Heavy attacks are slower and can be countered with sweeps or crouch maneuvers, while light attacks are fast, but do minor chip damage. The fun is in mixing these up to create combos, especially when you integrate cancels into the mix to help string things together. There is also a parry system that allows countering through an enemies attack if done at the right time. Everything in the game is based around a triangle system that works much like rock paper scissors. Normal Attacks always beat Grabs, who in turn beat Counters, that in turn negate Normal Attacks. It’s a basic system that works very well and is easy for anyone to understand, but takes practice to actually implement with really success. I don’t normally get all that deep into fighting game, more so using them as fun party games, but Pokken Tournament really makes you want to explore deeper into the mechanics.
There are only sixteen characters on display with no DLC being announced, but there are still a lot of other Pokemon that play a role in the game. This is where support characters come into play that compare a lot to those in Marvel vs Capcom 2. You select a pair of Pokemon that you unlock as you play to serve as your support during a match. As you play, their support gauge builds until you can unleash them on your opponent at the most opportune time. Each of these support Pokemon are unique so not everyone of them will simply attack your enemy. Some will offer buffs, while other may negate an enemies ability in some way and add to the strategic element of the game. It’s great to see these diverse support Pokemon in battle, even if I’d wish more were playable in the game.
Pokken Tournament has it’s own version of the basic “super” system employed by fighting games. The game calls this Synergy and bills it as your connection with your Pokemon. This Synergy builds and once unleashed will give you a power buff while it lasts that can quickly turn the tide of a battle. You’ll also then be able to pull off your special Mega Evolution and if you land the hit the game goes into a cinematic special move. These are simply stunning to behold on the opposite end of the spectrum that the X-Ray maneuvers in Mortal Kombat. I have yet to get sick of seeing Gengar go mega and swallow up the opponent, or see Lucha Pikachu go flying off the top rope.
Pokken Tournament is a fantastic experience from top to bottom. It’s not only a great fighting game for the Wii U, but can truly hold its own against any other fighting game franchise that has come out in the past generation. While there is no DLC announced for the game, I’d really love to see support for the game continue down the road like done with Splatton. Unfortunately, as the Wii U is on its last legs that probably won’t be the case, but at the very least if the game sells well (and it should) we can see another installment on the upcoming NX.
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