This article was originally published in Italian on Thegamesmachine.it in 2016.
After several weeks of getting to know all the characters in Pokkén Tournament, I can finally say it: the Wii U has a new delicious exclusive. Thanks to the synergy already seen in the latest Super Smash Bros. episode, Bandai Namco and Nintendo have once again joined forces to bring a fast, colorful, and technically sound fighting game to consoles around the world, one that’s sure to excite the competitive scene.
Pokkén Tournament satisfies the often-shouted desire among fans of the J-RPG series to see the incredible adventures of the animated adaptations translated into polygons and shaders. While even the action in the Pokémon Stadium franchise couldn’t fully convey the adrenaline of a real fiery move, the creators of Tekken, led by the ever-charismatic Katsuhiro Harada, have succeeded in the difficult task of shaping some of these fantasies, rooted in players’ minds for years while waiting for a game that could finally break the stagnation of the RPG matrix from which Game Freak’s creatures emerged 20 years ago.
The static nature of Pokémon Stadium battles is now just a memory because in the fighting game crafted by the creators of Tekken, the Nintendo creatures brawl like new Heihachi Mishimas, no holds barred. Sure, the typical RPG mechanics are practically non-existent, but at least the real-time battles give Pikachu and the others a renewed fierceness, only partially softened by the charm with which their movements and victory poses are portrayed. Some of them, in fact, are inspired by the Tekken series: seeing Pikachu act like a cocky Kazuya Mishima would bring a smile to anyone.
The typical moves of the Pokémon protagonists (at the start, there are 16 playable ones, including the mysterious Mewtwo, who plays a role in the subtle narrative background of the single-player campaign) have been translated into a fighting game moveset, properly differentiated and avoiding the laziness of typical license tie-ins. Each fighter has a decent range of moves to choose from, and these can be executed by simply combining the Wii U GamePad buttons with a direction from the D-pad. No half-circles or acrobatic moves reminiscent of King of Fighters, but rather a carefully thought-out control system that, while accessible, doesn’t diminish the gameplay’s depth. Between counterattacks, grabs, support Pokémon, projectile attacks, and special moves, each battle becomes a real challenge for strategists, where the typical RPG planning meets action and timing—key traits in aiming to win in recent 3D fighting games.
The gameplay mode called “Ferrum League” is essentially a single-player campaign where the subtle narrative background occasionally interrupts a lot of chaotic brawling with cute and, at times, more formidable creatures. With a large number of unlockable objectives and customizations for the avatar, the first ten hours I spent practicing (first in “training mode”, then in “single battle”) gave me a nice sense of progression, rewarding my efforts to get to know each Pokémon’s abilities and moves with precious coins for customizing my player profile, as well as experience to improve my favorite fighters’ stats. Because if you’re not “grinding” in a Pokémon title… well, then it doesn’t feel like home!
Jokes aside, the battle system has several features that, in a sense, bring it closer to both the Naruto series by Cyberconnect2 and classic Tekken with 3D arenas. Fights happen in circular spaces of varying sizes, using a camera angle focused on the opponent, but behind the player (this is why local multiplayer uses the GamePad as a second screen, but I’ll talk more about that in the review). These moments, called “panoramic phases,” are entirely 3D and allow free movement. Landing a series of hits draws attention to the enemy creature: the camera then shifts to the side, transforming Pokkén Tournament into a 2.5D fighter, with a change in the moveset. This situation, called “duel phases,” seems complex at first, but after practicing (which I strongly recommend using the comprehensive dedicated mode), it works very well. Of course, after just under ten hours spent leveling up my Gengar in the Ferrum Leagues and in single battles, I can’t yet dive into an in-depth critique of this system, but the little I’ve experienced so far is very well done.
I’m a bit perplexed, however, by the graphics quality, which currently suffers from a noticeable sub-HD resolution and technical limitations likely due to a rushed port from the arcade version, which looks much more polished and fresh. It’s not that Pokkén Tournament looks bad, but the creature models and sparse arenas could have been better optimized to respect the original work.
There are sixteen creatures in this first episode of Pokkén Tournament, a number that, compared to the rosters of any other recent fighting game, might raise some doubts in the mind of seasoned players, but is more than justified by the experimental nature of the title. Moreover, it must be said that each creature is so well-crafted and differentiated from the others that the battlefield experience is far more varied than one might expect from a “simple spin-off.” Bandai Namco clearly approached the project as a new IP with significant commercial potential, not just as a side production based on a license—a feeling vividly conveyed by the care put into the moves and animations that bring the Pokémon protagonists’ polygonal forms to life, drawing heavily from the actual moves that the colorful heroes of the J-RPG series learn.
Special moves and combos are made possible by a very basic and immediate control system, where simple combinations of attack buttons and directional arrows are enough to stage impressive choreographies. This approach is similar to the aforementioned Super Smash Bros., but in Pokkén Tournament, it’s framed within a system of battles halfway between Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm and a 2D fighting game. While the navigation phase sees the camera behind the controlled Pokémon (and in multiplayer, you’re forced to use the GamePad as the second screen), a couple of well-timed hits—either delivered or received—switch to the “duel phase”, where the camera zooms in, and you’ll suddenly be throwing Folie Lame using the 2.5D control system. The Tekken influences are not just aesthetic homages, like victory moves and poses inspired by human characters, but also in a rudimentary juggle system that can be activated near arena walls, using them as bounce points to keep the opponent suspended in the air while you juggle them like a soccer ball.
These mechanics, along with the possibility to call in support Pokémon and use temporary power-ups, are fully explored in a training mode that explains the gameplay fundamentals step by step and suggests some early combos to memorize. However, it’s the experimentation against human opponents that’s the key to mastering a good fighter, and that’s why as soon as I had the chance, I jumped into the online challenge mode, which, in my tests against Italian opponents, convinced me on all fronts, with almost no lag or frame skipping. Of course, this is something that can only be fully evaluated after the global launch, when we can face Pokémon trainers from around the world, but for now, I’ve managed to alleviate my fear that Pokkén Tournament might be unplayable online. This certainty improves the gaming experience, especially since the main single-player mode is nothing more than a series of increasingly difficult fights, marred by an uninspiring AI. At least, there are many unlockable features, such as avatar customization items and titles to decorate your online player profile, but I doubt they’ll keep someone interested for more than a few hours if they limit themselves to the single-player mode.
Technically, Pokkén Tournament shows its nature as a direct port from the arcade version, with all the pros and cons that come with it. On the one hand, the immediacy and freshness of the gameplay are guaranteed, thanks to a thankfully minimal narrative (I was dreading hours of boring dialogues, but thanks to Arceus, nothing like that!). On the other hand, the technical side, while debuting Pokémon in high-definition, is far from impressive. It’s not that Pokkén Tournament looks bad—let me clarify—but the sub-HD resolution, the constantly grainy image, and the sparse arenas don’t always deliver the visual punch you’d expect from a production with such pedigree. At least, everything runs at a stable 60 fps, so it works well enough.
Once the battles get going, it’s hard to be disappointed by Pokkén Tournament, because, like it or not, the game is immediate, fast, and really fun. The animations of the fighters are well done, and the special effects accompanying the final moves are highly spectacular and well-directed. It may not reach the level of a Cyberconnect2 title, but it’s very close, especially when Dark Mewtwo (the only fighter accessible through Amiibo cards) flies through space at Mach 2 and launches his shadow ball at Earth, reducing the opponent to a pile of Poké-ashes.
Pokkén Tournament is a well-executed spin-off that blends the charisma of the Pokémon series with the fun of an immediate fighting game, but not a simplistic one. Unconventional, but crafted with great passion, the latest product of the Nintendo and Bandai Namco partnership can captivate both fans and competitive gamers, convincing even those who thought such a radical hybridization wouldn’t work.
