'Pokken Tournament' Review: New Bandai Namco Title Finds Favor Among New And Old 'Pokemon' Fans Alike
'Poken Tournament,' the latest fighting game title developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment will soon be released for the Wii U on Mar. 18, 2016. The game, which has already been opened for Japanese arcades, is a combination of fighting gameplay elements from the "Tekken" series and with the characters from Nintendo's "Pokemon" franchise.
Websites like Gamespot.com, Kotaku.com, and IGN.com offer an early look as well as their opinion on the new game.
For Gamespot, "Pokken" is "laced with smart ideas and design feats" which at the same time "offers depth without overwhelming new players." The gameplay, according to the website, has the elements that it need for high "replayability." The characters themselves, the Pokemons, "are just full of life."
"Pokken Tournament's presentation is lovingly crafted, with a slick broadcast style for its battles and each of its 19 stages filled with eye-candy and fan-service," the site wrote.
Kotaku, meanwhile, pointed out the "superb" quantity of options that one could have from the game. There's the online tournament where players are pitted against their friends. Relax players can also try the offline battle mode where fans get to face off with AI opponents and unlock exciting surprises.
There's also the Action and Combo Dojos where players can train and see first-hand the actions and combinations of each of the fighting Pokemons. This aspect, among others, makes the game "accessible to players new to the fighting game genre."
IGN, on their part, gives emphasis on the "notable innovation" in the shifting field of battle. There's the Field Phase – a free-roaming 3D perspective giving an in-depth view on positioning, and the Duel Phase – the traditional fighting game-style.
The site went on to point out the game's art style which "feels right at home in the Pokemon universe, while also lending an edge to the visuals to make the action a good fit for a brawler." On the audio and visual aspect, IGN praised Bandai Namco for seamlessly combining the classics as well as the new.
Check out a gameplay video from Gamespot featuring Mewtwo and Blaziken.
