Gamers such as myself have been patiently waiting for the release of Pokken Tournament since it was first revealed in 2013. While Super Smash Bros. is great and all, the idea of a fighting game dedicated to Pokemon designed by the the team behind the Tekken series seemed like the greatest thing I never knew I wanted. Luckily for us, we didn’t have to wait until the March 11th release date to get our first taste of how our favorite monsters fare in the fighting arena, as we found ourselves at the Pokken Tournament preview event to give the game a spin. Whatever it was that I was expecting, that all went out the window when I picked up the Game Pad and played a couple of rounds, because it was unlike any fighter I’ve played to date.
More specifically, what makes Pokken Tournament so unique is its Shift Change mechanic. Fights start off in a 3D diagonal perspective reminiscent of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games where each fighter will have full range of motion within the circular arena. That’s when some of your favorite Pokemon like Charizard, Lucario, Machamp and Pikachu among others will vie for positioning by confusing opponents with their projectile, homing and quick attacks. However, when specific hits are landed either as a one off or in a combo, the perspective shifts to a 2D plane, changing the way the fight is approached with the change in conditions. Of course, hitting certain attacks in 2D will shift the battle back to 3D, so if you or your character is better in 3D, you’ll want to switch back as fast as possible.
Making matters more interesting are the assist characters that can jump in during a match. By choosing a predetermined pair before the fight, each round asks players to choose which one of the two they want to bring out as their partner. Some like Emolga and Frogadier are straight attackers, while Pokemon like Eevee will give stat boosts for an extra advantage in battle. In Pokken Tournament, it’s not just enough to fight well, because synergy with your support character will be the difference between two evenly matched combatants.
Managing your supports, laying in your standard attacks, knowing when to unleash your Mega Evolution, (and the super move that comes with it), and utilizing guard breaking throws are just some of what you’ll find yourself mastering in the retail version of the game, and that’s on top of the many counter mechanics I’ve yet to fully explore! Feeling much deeper than what you would expect from a Pokemon spinoff while being friendly enough to pick up and play without much trouble, I expect that fans new and old will love their time in the arena when Pokken Tournament is in our hands. Look out for our full review in the coming days, but one thing’s for sure from our short time with the game; it’s nothing like you’ve played before.