Pokkén Tournament DX Review

Fans of Pokémon rejoice! Pokkén Tournament DX is finally available on the Nintendo Switch. With the initial release of Pokkén Tournament on the Wii U last year many people have been Garchomping at the bit for the enhanced Switch version, and it has been well worth the wait. Bandai Namco Studios and the Pokémon Company have come together to produce a well-balanced fighting game that will capture the hearts and minds of Pokémon fan boys and girls around the world.

Are you ready to rumble?

For those who are new to the title, Pokkén Tournament steps away from your traditional turn-based Pokémon battles and adopts a more traditional arcade fighting style (think Tekken except with Pikachu and co.). The gameplay consists of single Pokémon fighting in a best of three rounds battle to secure the victory. Sounds pretty simple, right? Having never played Pokkén on the WII U or the arcade version, I was not really sure what to expect. My initial thoughts were of an OP Charizard fire blasting the crap out of its opponent until the match was over, boy was I wrong. Pokkén has the ability to be both the simple button mashing fighter as well as a surprisingly tactical and strategic fighter.

The introduction to the game is very welcoming to first time players. The tutorial options and control are quite easy to get the hang of early and is complimented with in-depth instruction on how the game mechanics work. You are first introduced to the Farrum Region, the hub of your future Pokkén adventures. You are provided with a number of different options to explore from single, multiplayer and online battles, to character customisation, Pokémon selection and practice. The game will initially prompt you to conduct practice in order to understand how the battles work, and take my word for it, this is highly recommended. There are quite a few moving parts to the flow of battle, and knowing exactly what’s going on will give you the edge.

Home sweet home

Battles take place in a number of arenas differing in shape and size which may become either an advantage or disadvantage dependent on your Pokémon selection. Throughout the fight you will shift between ‘Field’ and ‘Duel’ phases, and this is one of Pokkén’s major mechanic that sets it apart from other fighters. Matches always begin in Field phase, where you have 3D movement and more ranged attacks are available. Landing specific combos or moves on the enemy causes a switch into Duel phase, which features strictly 2D movement and is more close quarters, playing closer to a more traditional fighter. Knowing your movesets within each phase and the moves which initiate the shifts is what will set skilled players apart from filthy casuals.

There’s an impressive roster of 21 different Pokémon to battle with, as well as 32 non-playable support Pokémon that roll in pairs and can give you certain boons during battle in the form of direct attacks or status buffs/debuffs. For instance, choosing Cubone and Diglett will give you access to special attacks which draw opponents closer or open them up for combos, whereas Rotom and Togekiss will perform special moves which can either increase your speed or decrease your opponent’s. The choice of your support Pokémon is crucial to success, as you must take into account the abilities of your Pokémon and how it suits your fighting style. While it makes sense for a fighting game to have a realistic limit on fighter choice, considering the game draws from a library of over 802 Pokémon, there’s a chance that you’ll miss out on playing a few of your more obscure favourites I still dream of fighting as a pile of garbage (Daddy loves you Trubbish, even if no one else does), but I’m sure the roster will be increased over time.

Bring some backup

The major single-player campaign mode introduces you to the Farrum League, where you start as a new entrant trying to prove you have what it takes to be the Pokkén Master. As you progress through the league battles your ranking will increase and you’ll unlock the option to challenge an opponent for entry into the next grade of the league. The lower leagues are a suitable difficulty for new players where an experienced player may tire quickly in the attempt to get to more challenging battles. As you move your way up the league you are exposed to cutscenes and exposed to a developing storyline, however this seems to have been a bit of an afterthought with character development and the depth of story being very light on.

One of my favourite features is the game’s levelling and progression system in place for your Pokémon. As you complete battles you are rated on your offence and defence performance as well as your technique. The better you perform, the greater the XP and currency rewards are, and if you manage to claim victory you’ll get a nice bonus on top of that, which can be used to upgrade your Pokémon and customise your avatar.  When levelling your Pokémon, you have the choice of adding points to a number of attributes such as attack and defense to enhance your playing style. This only applies to single-player, so there’s an even playing field when you take your Pokémon online and do battle with the denizens of the Internet.

Scizor looking sharp!

Pokkén Tournament delivers a crisp and clean audio and visual package that is as good on the big screen as it is on the handheld. Battle sequences are easy to follow without being overwhelmed by the fast-paced action. However, the background music on the hub screen can be a little repetitive and does remind me of the calming lobby tunes experienced in Gran Turismo 3.

Final Thoughts

The phase shift and support Pokémon mechanics are the key features that make this fighter stand out from the rest. The lack of single-player story line is more than compensated for with a well packaged multiplayer platform catering to both the local and online play. This game is a must-have for any hardcore Pokémon fan or even gamers looking for something new. Pokkén Tournament is one of the biggest titles Nintendo Switch to date and is a welcomed addition in a growing library.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch