Pokkén Tournament’s vivid introduction

By William G Chandler Jr.
12/25/2016, 2:00 a.m.
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They made it so Pokémon have Tekken-like fighting skills. Nintendo and Bandai Namco Entertainment, Inc. present Pokkén Tournament. The arcade game in a YouTube video, by XCageGame, blows the mind. The video really introduces scope, a strong fighter’s element, and a fantastic presentation. Pokémon has been around since 1995, as explained by Goku Fievel, at Goku Fievel. I have always been witness to the “catch ‘em all” concept as a strategy-only title. This way looks different. You are in the three-dimensional arena and at the core of the battle.

The game uses special Pokémon techniques, and mixes them with a fighting system in unique arenas. Characters like Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, and Shadow Mewtwo bring the video game fighting to life. When you think about Bandai Namco Entertainment, Inc., you think of Tekken.

You get the feeling this is different. As Damian Seeto explains, from Attack of the Fanboy, Tekken creator Katsuhiro Harada directs the game. However, this title allows players to focus on the “strategic appearance of the game.” It carries depth, as it relates to Pokémon, but is accessible to many players. It differs from Tekken, which uses more “skill and knowledge.”

Pokémon has a great concept. You train monsters. They battle in arenas. They win, or lose, but always get stronger. My issue with the series has always been the perspective. I have always wanted to see the fights, in the game, occur in three-dimensional depth.

It is here. As Aaron Mimitt explains, of Tech Times, at a distance, players’ Pokémon use three-dimensional space, strategy, and projectiles to attack their opponents. As the Pokémon get closer, the game becomes a two-dimensional fighter. The game will have single player, local battle, and online modes. This sounds like a fun combination.

These creatures from a special land deserve this treatment. The desire to be the best Pokémon Master should not be exclusive to a certain kind of strategy. This is a way to get your hands dirty. The idea that you can take Pikachu and Squirtle, unlike other games, and engage in a more active fight speaks volumes. This game makes you earn the title of the best, in a radical way.

The announcement of this game seems organic. However, it reminds me of a game Nintendo wanted to try, Super Mario Spikers. The game, as described by Unseen 64, combines volleyball, with wrestling and a game show element.

In 2006, this was a bad experiment. That is the major point. Nintendo experiments with game content. Pokkén Tournament is an experiment. It is no Pokemon Snap, from Nintendo’s Wii. It is not Pokémon Rumble U, from Nintendo’s Wii U. It is another way to immerse the player, pay homage to the battle aspects of many Pokémon, and use the power of the arcade, and in March, Nintendo’s Wii U.

The game is set to release globally on the Nintendo Wii U March 18, 2016.