When Namco Bandai, developer of the Tekken franchise, teamed up with Nintendo and Gamefreak for a Pokémon crossover, many fans were beyond excited. The good often comes with the bad, however, and word spread quickly that the game was to be found only in Japanese arcades. Optimists turned out to be right, though, because Nintendo has finally revealed the intention to craft a Wii U version of the game.
Today, at the Pokemon World Championships in Boston, The Pokemon Company announced that Pokkén Tournament would be coming to the west via a Wii U port set for release sometime in Spring 2016. The game features one-on-one fighting between individual Pokémon with a game feel similar to the one Tekken fans are familiar with. Because of the involvement of Namco Bandai, it’s no surprise the game is reminiscent of their Tekken games.
While the roster is far from the size necessary to fit all of the 718 Pokémon currently in existence, there are quite a few fan favorites. Fans can expect to see Lucario, Pikachu, Charizard, Gengar, Machamp, Suicune, Blaziken, among others, and more to come if the current trend of relatively frequent character additions continues. For a more in depth look at the roster, check out our previous piece covering Blaziken’s introduction.
Pokémon Company International executive J.C. Smith had the following to say regarding the game:
Pokkén Tournament combines the best elements of a traditional fighting game with an authentic Pokémon experience…Fans will be thrilled to see their favourite Pokémon battle in a whole new way.
Again, there is no specific release date yet, but the intention is for a Spring 2016 release, so look forward to battling!