Yeah, I know it's been two weeks since Pokkén's been out and I'm very late on this. What can you do when the real world beckons you? It's crazy -- I remember writing about this two years back when it was first announced. I never would have imagined it ending up like this. Pokkén in a sense is an attempt to create live-action Pokémon battles. Or, that's what I thought at first.
To put it simply, Pokkén's chaotic. The core gameplay switches between two phases: Field and Duel Phase. Field Phase has you fight in a 3rd-person view while Duel pits you in a more traditional fighter like Street Fighter. It's not time or rounds that switch you between the two phases -- it's by hitting your opponent with certain moves. Crazy right? This was the first time I had to sit through the tutorial before I could grasp the gameplay!
Changing between Field and Duel Phase becomes easier over time.
Once you get the hang of things though, the gameplay's pretty simple. Similar to Smash Bros, attacks are usually a button inputted with a direction, so there's no real complex combo system.
This simplicity translates to the overall gameplay. My girl Chandelure pretty much crushed the competition by just barraging the opponent with a flurry of attacks. Early on, you'll realize that the best strategy is to wail on the opponent until you win.
Of course, what's a game without customizable outfits! I look pretty spiffy if I do say so myself.
Back at it again with the white vest!
I enjoy that Pokkén doesn't take itself seriously. Like I mentioned, you mash buttons to win. But the battle animations -- they're absolutely ridiculous! Just witness all the anime flair!
Anime!
ANIME!!
ANIME x 1,000!!!!
Even the assists are crazy. Farfetch'd didn't make it in as I hoped, but he shares the same honor of being an assist like Reshiram and Yveltal. And a clever nod to Sejun Park -- Pachirisu knows Follow Me!
Pokémon legends.
When Pokkén was first announced, I thought of it as a serious game. Instead, we got a goofy, over-the-top fighter, and I couldn't be happier! Many games, especially fighting games, try to take themselves seriously. Pokkén Tournament is a breath of fresh air for those who want to, well, just have fun!
Namco and Pokémon officially announced their marriage of
fighting games and Pokémon, two of my favorite things in video games, and I
couldn’t be more excited! Pokkén Tournament, a mix of Tekken gameplay with
Pokémon, is planned for an arcade release for Japan in 2015. There’s no
confirmation of a console release yet, but judging by Namco’s history of
releasing fighters like Tekken on arcades first, it’s safe to assume a console
release is inevitable. Worried that Pokkén Tournament will remain a
Japan-exclusive? Pokémon Conquest was a cross-over between Pokémon and Nobunaga’s
Ambitions, which is a rarely known series outside of Japan. If that got an
international release, I’m sure Pokkén Tournament will.
The first trailer
show Lucario and Machamp duking it out in the countryside. A flurry of punches
an Aura Spheres are thrown in this otherwise peaceful backdrop. While Pokkén
Tournament’s fighting style is similar to Tekken, there also seems to be a hint
of Dragon Ball Z fighting games like Raging Blast. In one scene, Lucario’s back
is completely turned to the camera as he wales on Machamp. While characters in
Tekken can circle around an opponent, their back never turns completely against
the camera. Taking cues from DBZ fighting games might be a good way to balance
the projectile-based attacks used in Pokémon.
Side-by-side comparison of Pokkén Tournament and DBZ Raging Blast
Ready to bust a move! Credit to Zweilous on Tumblr
Character selection make or break a fighting game, which
Namco in the past has handled well. We already know that Lucario, Machamp, and
Blaziken (teased at the Pokémon Game Show in 2013) are confirmed, so there’s definitely
an emphasis on Fighting-type Pokémon. With that in mind, Hitmontop and
Heracross would be my top choices for contenders. Yes, I’ll admit my choice is
biased due to being my favorite Fighting-types, but they would bring welcome
diversity. Hitmontop just screams Eddy Gordo! Heracross could play a mixed set, utilizing
physical contact moves like Close Combat in his normal form, and then Mega
Evolve to use more projectile attacks like Pin Missile.
If he can fight in Smash Bros, he can fight here
Hopefully, Pokkén Tournament will expand its roster to
include more than Fighting-type Pokémon. It’d be a shame to miss out on
powerhouses like Charizard and Tyranitar. It wouldn’t even take much to imagine
their moveset. They got claws, they got a big tail, Charizard can fly and
breathe fire, Tyranitar can throw rocks and cause earthquakes, they got all
they need to be perfect fighters. Other hopefuls for me include Greninja,
Mewtwo, and Shiftry.
*UPDATE: Pokkén Tournament producer Katsuhiro Harada
confirmed via Twitter that other types besides Fighting will be
represented. There's hope for Charizard!
Tekken does a great job of including joke characters like
Kuma and Roger Jr. and still making them play well. At first, I couldn’t think
of a Pokémon that would work well in this game while being somewhat of a joke.
Then it hit me, like a stick to the head.
Farfetch'd!
It’s not a farfetched concept to imagine. Farfetch’d could
use his stick to attack, kick up dirt with Sand-Attack, and peck things with
his bill. The hype would be unreal if Farfetch’d won EVO! While the final
decision of characters is up to Pokémon and Namco, a man can dream. But Farfetch’d
would be pretty sweet.
While there isn’t much information, I’d expect in the coming
months to hear more about Pokkén Tournament and what the King of the Pokémon
Fist Tournament will bring. I’m excited about the first Pokémon fighting game,
and know it’ll do well in Namco’s hands.
My doctor warned me about taking in too much info about the next Smash Brothers game. Not one to heed advice from a medical professional, I watched the Smash Bros Direct anyways. A heart attack, trip to the hospital and transplant later, I'm back and fully recovered. While there was a good amount of general information revealed, Pokémon received generous attention and it all started with this cleverly teased picture.
Presents for all the good Pokémon fanboys and girls
In addition to the usual Pokeball item, Master Balls were introduced. Master Balls contain legendary Pokémon such as Arceus, Palkia and Xerneas. They might have a limitation similar to Assist Trophies where only one legendary Pokémon can be out at a time, but there hasn't been any word on
that yet.
Go Gogoat, Go!
Many Pokémon were recently revealed as Pokeball items. Out of the newly revealed ones, Gogoat is my favorite. As the goat that goes, Gogoat lets you ride on it as it rams into opponents. I was the guy who spammed Wario's bike, so this will be quite fun to exploit. Returning Pokémon like Snorlax, Entei and Metagross don't change from past iterations.
Imagine Shadow Lugia as a stage hazard
Besides the already revealed Prism Tower stage for the 3DS, the Wii U is treated to the Kalos Pokémon League as an exclusive stage. While it looks drop-dead gorgeous, I'm disappointed. I know X and Y are the most recent games, but where's the love for 5th gen!? I've always wanted to fight at N's Castle. Or what about Tin Tower from HGSS or Citadark Island from Pokémon XD? In my opinion, too much emphasis is placed on 6th gen in the new Smash.
Now, let's look at what everyone cares about: the characters. First, Lucario's Final Smash was revealed to be Mega Lucario. Makes sense. While Mega Evolved, Lucario's Aura is always at maximum strength. Lucario's Aura abilities also got a significant buff.
Watch the power of Aura!
You got to be quicker than that, Mac.
Character transformations were confirmed not to make an appearance. Zelda/Sheik are now separated as Zelda and Sheik. This means that Pokémon Trainer, one of my mains from Brawl, won't be coming back. It's only fitting that Charizard, the Pokémon I least used, will be returning without a trainer to boss it around. At least he won't have the tire out mechanic. The reveal trailer showcased some new moves including a stronger aerial attack. Mega Charizard X is also confirmed as his Final Smash. It's unknown yet, but hopefully Charizard Y will also be included.
Mega Charizard X is ready to battle!
And now, the biggest surprise and the last shock that triggered my heart attack.
Meowth, that's right! Greninja, the final evolution of Froakie, is a playable character. I'm still in disbelief. A while back, I made a list of likely Pokémon to be included as playable characters like Mewtwo, Zoroark and Blaziken. But never did I imagine that Greninja would be chosen. Greninja is one of my absolute favorite Pokémon and the main reason I picked Froakie, so I obviously welcome Greninja with open arms. It does make it difficult to decide whether I should play as Greninja or Little Mac my first match. Decisions, decisions...
The trailer showcases Greninja using swift water attacks like Water Shuriken and unorthodox moves like Substitute. What Greninja's addition means though is that the chance of Mewtwo returning became slimmer. Pokémon most likely won't overpass the Super Mario series in character representation, so I wouldn't expect more than 5 playable Pokémon. We already have 4 and I suspect Jigglypuff will be taking the 5th slot. Both Jigglypuff and Mewtwo are viable with their new techniques in 6th gen, but Jigglypuff has more history with Smash. I could be wrong, but my hunch says Mewtwo isn't coming back.
The Smash Bros Direct brought a ton of news for Pokémon fans. While I hope more emphasis will be placed on previous generations, the inclusion of new items and Greninja blew me away. Pokémon is going strong in the next Smash Bros!
