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Rest assured that Pokkén Tournament is a unique experience, and not just Tekken with a Pocket Monsters skin. The new fighting game is launching today in Japanese arcades, and producer Katsuhiro Harada recently spoke to Famitsu to explain what players should expect. He clarified that Pokkén Tournament is mainly geared towards Pokémon fans, not fighting fans. “People might think that because we’ve worked on games like Tekken and Soul Calibur or because of the name ‘Pokkén,’ that this game is made for established fighting game players, but I’d like to come straight out and say ‘no, it isn’t.'” said Harada. “The tech to make the game and the know-how behind the massive amount of animations comes from our experience working on the games we’ve made before, but with the gameplay, we’ve set our sights on Pokémon fans.”
The producer specifically mentioned the layout of the battle screen as being more similar to a Pokémon game than your typical fighting game, where stamina is displayed only at the top of the screen. He even offered some tips on how to succeed in the game. “Newcomers should especially focus on blocking.” Combos and attacks are important, but blocking is what can set apart novices and advanced players.
In other Pokkén Tournament news, Blaziken has been confirmed as a fighter in the game. Although, this comes as no surprise as Blaziken was teased in the first footage of the game that was ever revealed. You can catch a trailer below:
The developers have taken to Twitter for a campaign to allow fans to vote on what Pokémon will appear next as support characters (not fighters). Send out a tweet with the hashtag “#ポッ拳” along with the Japanese name of whatever Pokémon you would like to see appear on the sidelines to support the main fighters.
Pokkén Tournament is currently playable only in the arcade in Japan. Confirmation of a Wii U version or international release has yet to be made by the Pokémon Company.
Source: Siliconera & Famitsu via Kotaku
