While Pokkén Tournament’s single player mode has a lot to offer, it’s easy to imagine some casual fighting fans will find themselves burnt out on the game’s single player campaign. Most players likely won’t need an explanation for Pokémon fighting one another, but the effort to make the game fit in with established Pokémon lore is certainly appreciated. The game’s story mode explains that Synergy Stones, found only in the Ferrum region, allow trainers and their Pokémon to fight in sync with one another, explaining why the player is actually controlling their Pokémon partners in Pokkén Tournament. Levels take place in a new area known as the Ferrum region each one features familiar Pokémon in the background, with tournament and promotional battles taking place in arenas reminiscent of Pokémon Stadium. Bandai Namco did a fantastic job of making the title feel like a part of the existing Pokémon world. Some franchise spin-offs simply slap familiar characters into different genres, but Pokkén Tournament feels like a natural extension of the brand.
Fortunately, downloadable content seems only inevitable. With more than 700 Pokémon, it’s impossible to make everyone happy, but there are plenty of other characters that would have been a strong fit. The support Pokémon are a nice strategic addition, but long-time fans will undoubtedly wish there were more playable characters.
The game also features 30 support Pokémon, which are selected in pairs. While some fans may question the addition of Pokémon such as Chandelure over more popular options, it helps the roster feel much more unique and diverse. The developers picked a strong set of fighters for the game, with each Pokémon generation getting at least one representative. Pokkén Tournament features 16 Pokémon fighters from the history of the franchise. Filling the latter gauge will allow the player to call in one of the game’s support Pokémon, which perform a special move before quickly departing. During this time, players can perform a special Burst attack, dealing heavy damage. The Synergy Gauge allows certain fighters to Mega Evolve, and others to simply become stronger. As the fight goes on, a pair of gauges fill up.
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Controls are easy to learn and fairly intuitive, with attacks directly influenced by the main series games (though the game contains no type-matching).
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Battles start in Field Phase mode, where players are free to move throughout the field of battle using long-range attacks, then shift to Duel Phase mode, where the battles get up close in a more traditional fighting game format. The 3D fighting game has players directly controlling the pocket monsters themselves in a standard, best of three match-up.
Fortunately, Pokkén Tournament is another strong one, providing something different for Pokémon fans, while staying true to the heart of the franchise.Īt its core, Pokkén Tournament is a mash-up of Pokémon and Tekken. Since then, even though the main series has remained strong, the spin-offs have become a bit of a mixed bag. Both titles were embraced by fans and critics alike, setting a strong precedent for quality very early on. Pokémon Red and Blue saw North American release in late 1998, and 1999 quickly gave fans a pair of spin-offs: Pokémon Pinball and Pokémon Snap. In the early days of the franchise, Pokémon spin-offs had a pretty strong reputation.
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