Pokkén Tournament

Pokkén Tournament
Developer(s)	Bandai Namco Entertainment
Publisher(s)	The Pokémon Company
Producer(s)	Katsuhiro Harada Masaaki Hoshino
Series	Pokémon
Platform(s)	Arcade Wii U
Release date(s)	Arcade JP July 16, 2015[1] Wii U WW March 18, 2016[2]
Genre(s)	Fighting

Pokkén Tournament (ポッ拳 POKKÉN TOURNAMENT) is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment.^[3] The game combines gameplay elements from Bandai Namco's Tekken series with characters from the Pokémon franchise.^[4] It was released for Japanese arcades on July 16, 2015, with a worldwide release for the Wii U on March 18, 2016.^[5]

Overview

Pokkén Tournament is a fighting game in which two fighters battle against each other using various Pokémon, with gameplay similar to Bandai Namco's Tekken series. Unlike most arcade fighting games, which use a traditional joystick and buttons, the arcade version is played using console-style controllers, which are designed so that players who are not used to arcade sticks can get into the game more easily.^[6] The game is planned to focus more on action, as opposed to the more technical gameplay of Tekken, allowing both hardcore and casual fans to enjoy it. As such, players can perform various techniques taken from the Pokémon series, such as special moves and Mega Evolutions (which can be built up from attacks using a "Resonance Gauge").^[7] Players can also use Support Pokemon to give them special benefits such as buffs in attack or defense. On October 30, 2015, footage surfaced of a boss fight with a new form of Mewtwo, known as "Shadow Mewtwo"; the character was teased in an official trailer a few days later.^[8] First-print Wii U copies of the game will be packaged with a Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card, which will immediately unlock the character for use.^[9]

Development

Pokkén Tournament was first teased during a Pokémon Game Show event held in Japan in August 2013, with trademarks for the game filed the same month.^[10] It was officially announced at an event held by Famitsu on August 26, 2014.^[11] The Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada, and Soulcalibur producer Masaaki Hoshino attended the event, which was broadcast on NicoNico, stating the collaboration came about from brainstorming ideas of new ways to play Pokémon. At the 2015 Pokémon World Championships, it was announced that the game would be coming to the Wii U. A demo of the game was available for attendees to play at the tournament. On December 16, 2015, Hori and Nintendo announced that a dedicated arcade controller will be released alongside the game in Japan.^[12]

Characters

The game currently features 16 playable Pokémon, with other characters planned to be added over time. The playable cast is as follows:

^a Post-release addition (arcade)
^b Wii U exclusive character
^c Boss character

Assist characters

The game also features 26 non-playable assist Pokémon that can be summoned in battle to aid the player. These characters also come in a group of two Pokemon. The groups of assist Pokémon are:

Reception

Amusement Fantasista, a video arcade in Kurashiki, Japan, planned to remove Pokkén Tournament machines in November due to lack of profitability.^[13] Chris Carter of Destructoid noted that one game credit could last a player 45 minutes, yielding low profits for each machine.^[14][15]

References

External links

• Official website