There are two things that are awesome in gaming., namely Pokémon and Fighting games from Bandai Namco. Thus a Pokémon Fighting from Bandai Namco is a dream come true to me. I didn’t get to play Pokken Tournament on Wii U, but with the Nintendo Switch getting an enhanced port, I finally got a chance to play it. But was it good in the end?
The first thing I noticed was that despite the name, Pokken isn’t exactly Pokémon with Tekken gameplay due to the dual phases of the battle. The Field Phase plays more akin to a Naruto or the older Dragon Ball Z fighting games. It takes a while to get used to if you are unfamiliar with it, but the game has a great tutorial that helps explain things well. Duel Phase though, does play more akin to Tekken and thus feels a lot more natural to players more used to traditional fighting games. Learning how to switch between the phases and when to do so, is a major part of the gameplay.
Pokken Tournament DX does offer some great additions to the experience, for those unsure about the Switch port. In addition to new Pokémon, there are new modes such as 3 vs 3, similar to the King of Fighters series, and new more refined online modes. I had a great time playing online and experienced no lag or connectivity issues. In addition, there is some great implementation of HD rumble in the game. It feels subtle but it really does help the experience feel more immersive.
In terms of single player, there is 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. There are also daily missions which offer some good variety to the gameplay. It isn’t as much as a game like Mortal Kombat X or Injustice 2, but it is still a good amount of single-player content. This is especially true for someone who just wants a few matches now and then and has no interest in playing online. There may not be a massive amount of single-player content, but what there is, is high quality.
The game actually feels like it takes a bit from Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. Considering both games were made by Bandai Namco this makes sense, and it is perfectly reasonable that a Pokémon fighting game would take influence from another fighting game based on Nintendo characters. As such, this is a game that would also appeal very much to Smash Bros players, and those waiting for a Smash game on Switch might want to look at this one while they wait.
Pokken Tournament DX is a fun game, and while I never played the Wii U version myself, I did follow its competitive scene and what people said about it. From everything I’ve experienced, this feels not like an enhanced version but like a truly fleshed out version that feels like what the Wii U version should have been. It isn’t a perfect game though, as parts of the combat just feel off. I can’t explain it, but even in Duel Mode, the game just feels different. And in a way that is good, as it fits the nature of Pokémon. I wouldn’t say that this is an ideal game for fighting game fanatics, but it is definitely one worth checking out. For Pokémon fans, Nintendo fans and also Smash Bros fans, this is a must buy. I highly recommend it!
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Disclaimer: A review key was provided by Nintendo.