Developer: Bandai NAMCO Entertainment, Inc.
Publisher: Nintendo
Category: Fighting, Action
Format Played: Nintendo Switch
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Arcade
Released: September 22, 2017
Copy supplied by publisher
At their core, Pokemon games are fun because of the challenge of actually raising Pokemon and the thrill of seeing how they stack up in battle. It’s for these reasons that I find myself so impressed with Pokken Tournament DX, the new and improved version of the Wii U game released back in 2016. This time around, Nintendo tacked on a “DX” at the end of the title, added 5 new characters (Croagunk, Darkrai, Decidueye, Empoleon and Scizor), a 3-vs-3 mode, a daily challenge mode, ranked online battles, and split-screen co-op play. That’s a decent amount of new content but is it enough to consider a double dip if you’ve already played Pokken Tournament on the Wii U?
Of the new Pokemon, for whatever reason, I gravitated to Empoieon. He may be slower than most, but his attacks are strong and his special is pretty awesome. Having said that, I will admit that Scizor is probably the best ‘new’ addition to the game. He’s fast, strong and hard to hit – the perfect combo. That said, no one compares to Charizard, who is by far my favorite. His combos and specials are incredibly powerful and they chain together effortlessly; not to mention, for a big guy, he’s actually pretty quick on his feet! But, if you’re not one for a flying dragon that breathes fire, there are 20 other Pokemon to choose from and much like we saw in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe — another expanded Switch port released earlier this year — all characters are playable from the get-go. In my opinion, this was a smart decision on Bandai NAMCO’s part, as I’d rather get to leveling up Pokemon I see myself using for battles, rather than wasting time raising scrubs. Sorry, Chandelure!
Pokken Tournament DX – Nintendo