Wii U Critic Reviews

It may not be what you are expecting if you are a hardcore Pokémon fan, or a hardcore fighting game fan … but Pokkén Tournament is a fun and unique experience that almost anyone can enjoy.

Frequently magnificent to look at, delicately designed, and rewarding for players across all skill levels, it’s the Pokemon fighting game deserving of a 20-year wait.

I find it amazing that everything turned out so right on the first try; true, there are a few issues, but that doesn’t change the fact that Pokkén Tournament is pretty much the Pokémon that we always wanted.

Pokkén Tournament has attempted to break into the fighting game genre with a bang, and it has done just that. It brings freshness and new life to a notoriously stale genre that's difficult to develop, whilst stripping out the unnecessarily complex controls that have plagued many games before it.

The very first fighting game with Pokémon, made by Bandai Namco and The Pokémon Company, is finally available on Wii U. After being a hit in Japanese arcades, it's going to raise on the rest of the world.

From the expertly crafted combat mechanics to the wildly different contenders to the stages and customization options to unlock, Pokkén Tournament proves itself to be another excellent addition to the Nintendo Wii U’s library for fighting game fans, Pokémon fans, and everyone in between.

It might not have the depth to match Street Fighter or Tekken, but there is still plenty here for both casual and hardcore fans of the genre to enjoy.

Super Smash Bros. used to have zero competition as the king of fighting games on Nintendo. Pokken is a good contender, even though we would have liked to see more pokémons represented.

For trainers wanting a true one-on-one real time Pokemon experience, Pokken Tournament delivers rather well. There are a few things here and there that could use some improvement, most notably some online features and how ranking up works with the Ferrum League, but overall a rather enjoyable game for Pokemon and fighting game fans alike.

I certainly had my doubts about Pokkén when I booted it up for the first time, but it’s safe to say that it’s thoroughly won me over. The vibrant visuals with some spectacular animations, along with a combat system that’s deceptively deep but simple to grasp makes Pokkén easy to recommend to anyone, whether they be a fan of Pokemon or not.