Honorable Mention: Pokken Tournament
Pokken Tournament took the Pokemon series in a direction we haven’t ever seen, pitting two Pokemon against each other in combat styled more like a fighting game. Although the title is quite a bit different, the closest comparison for its gameplay would be the Tekken series. This is due in no small part to the fact that it’s co-developed by Nintendo and Bandai Namco, the makers of Tekken. The title originally debuted in arcades in Japan, and finally made its way to Wii U back during spring.
Pokken has a smaller, more focused roster of Pokemon like Pikachu, Lucario, Garchomp, and Charizard that all duke it out in 3D battles. Even with a smaller cast each Pokemon is incredibly well developed, with unique movesets, animations, and tactics. They all play very differently, so finding the one you’re most comfortable with is key.
The frantic fighter lets you attack with a combination of close range and ranged strikes, as well as special moves and assist Pokemon. There’s a short story mode that introduces Shadow Mewtwo, but the main draw of Pokken Tournament is the combat and multiplayer. There is, of course, local competitive play as well as online, which runs pretty seamlessly. Matches are quick and hectic, just as a real Pokemon battle would be.
Pokemon has never been a fighting game quite like Pokken, one that requires careful timing and planning of attacks, as well as knowing when to block and dodge. Fighting arenas and the Pokemon themselves are all gorgeously rendered in HD, even to the point where you can see some of their fur, and the game runs at a brisk pace all the time.
Pokken Tournament may have been a bit light on content, but it was a welcome addition and change for the Pokemon series.
