Nintendo isn’t really known for fighting games, with Super Smash Bros, being an exception It was only recently that they got serious about the genre with games like Arms and a rather unique crossover title that is sadly underrated as a fighting game.
A Pokémon fighting game was something fans wanted for years and Pokken Tournament, a Pokémon fighting game from Bandai Namco seemed like a dream come true for many. Bandai Namco applied what they know best from other fighting games and created something special. Despite the name evoking Tekken, Pokken is a bit of different beast and feels like two different types of fighting games meshed together. The Field Phase plays more akin to a Naruto or the older Dragon Ball Z fighting games for instance. and may take a little while to get used to if you are unfamiliar with it, which is why you should make full use of the great tutorial that explains things thoroughly . The second part of fights, the Duel Phase section, does play more like Tekken and thus feels a lot more natural to players more used to traditional fighting games. You will need to learn how to switch between the phases by initiating certain attacks and when to do so, in order to master the game. This can throw some people off as it is a major part of the gameplay, but once you play enough to familiarize yourself, it becomes easier to process.
The single player mode consists of the Ferrum League which serves as the story mode, as well as single fights. These are a great way to learn about how to play the game for when you go online, and to be honest, playing some single matches against a CPU is a great way to just have fun. Pokken Tournament DX has a great 3 vs 3 mode similar to the King of Fighters series, and excellent online modes, and this is where it shined. Pokken Tournament felt different, different for both Nintendo and Bandai Namco. It was a new experience but just didn’t catch on it seems. Nintendo and Bandai Namco do not seem to have given up hope for it though, as seen with the recent free trial of the game.
A Pokemon fighting game doesn’t need much and has a lot of potential, and it seems that with more people owning the Switch now than when the game came out, there is more of a potential audience for the game. Giving Pokken Tournament more spotlight such as the aforementioned free trial can only help the game grow, and perhaps Nintendo and Bandai Namco could both work to push the game more at a competitive level. Regardless of what happens, Pokken Tournament, especially Pokken Tournament DX is something special and should be appreciated. I hope Nintendo and Bandai Namco realize what they have here.