College basketball isn’t the only kind of March Madness tournament going on right ow. Even crazier than what the NCAA has to offer is Pokken Tournament, a bizarre yet strangely brilliant mash-up that ties the Pokemon franchise to Tekken-style fighting sensibilities. The cutesy pocket monsters are all grown up and ready to throw down in real time over three dimensions, both online and off.
Game: Pokken Tournament
Consoles: Wii U (reviewed)
Publisher: The Pokemon Company
Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Release Date: March 18
At first, the idea may seem like the result of a coke and booze binge at Nintendo’s corporate HQ, but going hands-on with the game relieves any doubts that this odd couple was meant to be together. Battles play out on a 3D plane, with creatures going vertical to release special moves — Pikachu’s Thunder or Lucario’s Aura Sphere — make their appearances — and summoning sidekicks to provide in-round pick-me-ups.
Characters such as Pikachu and Charizard are natural fits because of their inclusion in Smash Bros. games. The strategic, turn-based thinking of standard Pokemon games dovetails nicely into real-time battles. You’ll need to keep mentally agile to shift your attacks to exploit the vulnerabilities and defenses your enemy is throwing down.
Online play is strong, and admirably deep and easy to manage for a Wii U game. While you’re waiting for matchmaking to hook you up with a battle, you grind against a CPU opponent. The second a real-life opponent is ready, you’re warped into that matchup. Offline play is equally well thought out, with one player taking the GamePad while the other uses a Wii U pro controller and watching the action unfold onscreen.
Pokemon purists may not be hooked by the fighting game motif, but this is a no-brainer for Smash Bros. and Tekken fans. Pokken Tournament looks like the start of a promising new franchise that could thrive on either of Nintendo’s platforms. “Gotta catch ’em all has been replaced by “Gotta smack ’em all.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EF92j3g1pE
ORDER: Pokken Tournament here
Pokken Tournament Reviews Around The Web:
“There’s plenty of depth to be found in every characters’ movesets especially with their range-shifting mechanics, but it still feels like a bare-bones experience.” –Nerd Rage
“It offers ease of use through the friendly Pokémon veneer for a combination of unabashedly fun, familiar gameplay.” –Polygon
“I feel like I have just scratched the surface of this enjoyable little fighter.” –The Outer Haven
Pokken Tournament Screenshots
The publisher provided a review copy.
