Pokemon Legends: Z-A recently came out to a lot of fan praise, mainly because it’s a series that’s given the franchise a breath of fresh air in terms of gameplay. There are new ways to fight and capture Pokemon, a new approach to the story, but sadly, the same sub-standard graphics you’d expect from a modern Game Freak title. But if unique gameplay is one of the ways a new Pokemon franchise could be successful, then I think it’s time we took a look back at Pokken Tournament DX, Pokemon’s premiere fighting game made by the developers behind Tekken, hence the name.
While the wordplay in the title needs a lot of work, I think that if Pokken Tournament DX came out today with more polished graphics and gameplay, it would be a hundred times more successful than its first run.
Unique Fighting Gameplay
I am a firm believer that there is no other fighting game like Pokken because of its unique fighting system. It isn’t a 3D fighter, it isn’t an arena fighter, it’s surprisingly a mix of both. Pokken divides each fight into two stages: The Field Phase and the Duel Phase. The Field Phase plays like an arena fighter where you can move and zone your opponent out just like you would in a game like Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash. On the other hand, the Duel Phase plays more like a 3D fighter with movement, assists, and combos.
As confusing as these mechanics can be to other players, I still believe that something good could come of leaning into this gameplay style more. Heck, the game even had a small competitive scene that was determined to make the system work, and the matches were actually really fun to watch. Not to mention the game also has some pretty awesome super animations, and if you’ve seen it and you still don’t want a new Pokken entry, then I don’t trust you.
More Pokemon, More Fighters
Pokken finished its run with a roster of 21 Pokemon and 30 support Pokemon. Contrast that with the current roster of 1,025 Pokemon, excluding mega evolutions, and you have yourself a barrel of characters deep enough to keep the game alive for years. Pokemon even released a new martial arts legendary Pokemon called Urshifu that would fit perfectly into the mold of fighting games (dibs on Urshifu main, calling it). The fun part for Nintendo is that each Pokemon they add to the game not only increases the game’s longevity, but guarantees you sales because every Pokemon will always have a dedicated fandom.
Not only do Nintendo and Bandai Namco now have an unlimited list of characters to pick from, but each character can also play differently because of the unique mechanics of the game. You can have a Pokemon like Hawlucha or Urshifu in one corner that excels at movement, getting in swiftly to enter the duel phase. In the other corner, you could have a Pokemon like Torterra or Zamazenta that excels at keeping itself in the Field Phase, trapping opponents, and pushing them away like the equivalent of Guile. There is so much you could do with each Pokemon, and Bandai Namco being in charge of a long line of arena fighters and probably one of the greatest 3D fighters of all time, you can also have movesets inspired by their previous games.
What I Would Change
One thing I would change from the system moving forward would be increasing movement and defensive options for each Pokemon. This is because Pokken falls into one of the more annoying trends in fighting games: zoning. It slows the game down and puts other Pokemon at a disadvantage, trying to get in and start their offense. Giving players more movement and defensive options could help make the neutral game more entertaining to watch and play.
Another feature that I would love to see added into a Pokken sequel, if there ever is one, is the introduction of a better story mode. Street Fighter 6 proved that you could have an open-world feature in a fighting game, battling your way to the top ranks, and meeting some fan favorite trainers can be just the thing to keep players sticking around for longer. I would have also loved more dedicated fighting game community support; hosting tournaments and events with a larger prize pool could be just what the game needs. I’ve seen what you can do for majors, Nintendo. Don’t let me down!
But then again, fighting games are a hard and high-maintenance genre. Maintaining a dedicated competitive community would be hard if you don’t keep the game balanced, and with so many things to consider, it could be a huge hurdle for the team at Bandai. Not only that, but Nintendo isn’t really known for its tendency to invest heavily in other projects. Only time will tell, but I sure am waiting for Pokken Round 2.
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