Review for Pokkén Tournament DX. Game for Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 22/09/2017
The series of Pokémon continues to entertain millions of players. Although the role-playing formula is a cornerstone that still continues to work great, among the various spin-offs there was a lack of a fighting. After exchanging the first blows in real time in the various Super Smash Bros., in the summer of 2015 the Japanese arcades welcomed the cabinets of Pokkén Tournament (primeval version of Pokkén Tournament DX, as you can imagine), the first real fighting game dedicated entirely to Nintendo monsters.
The title was made in collaboration with Bandai Namco and the Harada team, responsible for Tekken. The developers listened to feedback from Japanese players, and in 2016 the game landed on the Wii U, surprisingly proving more than solid, even if it left something to be desired from the point of view of single player content, also because the home version was orphaned of four pokémon released for the arcade version.
The sales numbers of the title were slow to arrive, and Nintendo was already starting to focus on its new console. With the arrival in the market of switch, the Kyoto house seems willing to relaunch some of the titles of the past generation; after Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, here it comes Pokkén Tournament DX.
Gotta beat 'em all!
You are surely wondering what are the differences between the original version and this new “DX”. First of all, to the roster of the previous 16 characters (including Mewtwo and its dark version, which had to be unlocked) the pokémon remained so far the prerogative of the arcade version: Croagunka, Empoleona, Darkraia e Scizor; in addition to these, an unpublished fighter has been added, Decidueye, Rowlet's final evolution directly from Pokémon Sun and Moon. They also come from the same title Litten e Popplio as a new support pair.
With these additions the total number of fighters therefore reaches 21, a number that is not mind-boggling but that manages to raise the lack of choice that had not convinced us in the original on Wii U. It should be noted, then, that all fighters, as well as the support pairs, are immediately selectable, without needing to be unlocked. Of course, it wouldn't have been bad to see a few more new entries, but the newcomers provide a fair amount of novelty with their own peculiar styles, managing to discretely enrich the gaming experience.
Team that wins ... you can see better
The structure of the game remains fundamentally unchanged, with the Ferrum League to be conquered by scaling the various sub-leagues, and the story of Black Mewtwo to be completed along the way. The gameplay remained identical, but at the time it had already proved its originality and solidity, balancing a good depth with the need to be accessible to the vast target to which it is addressed. It is clear that, like its original version, Pokkén Tournament DX is not aimed at lovers of technical fighting games, offering a milder and more balanced experience, also suitable for newbies. Although not particularly punitive, its playability still offers a good balance between immediacy and depth; it is not a game that at higher levels can be played by pressing random keys, and it will still be pleasant even for veterans who want to exchange some blows without having to worry about frames, juggles and combo breakers.
Where instead some improvements have been brought is the technical sector of the game, which now enjoys the best performance of the Switch. While on the Wii U the title displayed a resolution of 960x720p with a frame rate occasionally dropping below 60fps, the DX version features a native resolution of 1280x720p on dock and a rock solid 60fps frame rate. Oddly, there is a slight lack of anti-aliasing on the Switch, but we could appreciate better texture filtering.
"Pokéfanatico wants to fight!"
One of the downsides of the original title was a certain lack and repetition of the single player campaign. Nintendo unfortunately hasn't added any new content, but focused on expanding multiplayer, an essential compartment for any fighting game, especially in view of the scope of Switch. Thanks to the portability of the new Nintendo console it is now possible to play with other players in local wireless. If, on the other hand, your friends do not have their own Switch, it is possible to play each with a Joy-Con with the same console in a single view or using an appropriate split screen. Although this possibility is certainly advantageous, it must be said that the small controllers are badly suited to a hectic game like Pokkén Tournament DX: it will take a lot of practice to juggle it, especially with the backbones, not exactly comfortable to press. reflection.
Welcome novelty are the 3 Vs 3 clashes, in which the opponent will not know which are the other two pokémon you have chosen (provided of course you use two different consoles). For online matches, both ranked match and friend-only matches will be available.
After Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, it seems clear that even this enhanced port is a way for Nintendo to give good reasons to those who have snubbed Wii U to buy Switch and recover its pearls. For Pokémon lovers who haven't played the original version Pokkén Tournament DX is a practically obligatory purchase (unless you categorically hate fighting games). If, on the other hand, you have already gutted the original, the five new fighters and the improved graphics may not be enough reasons to buy the new version; but if you have particularly loved it and are able to play often with friends, you cannot ignore the new portable dimension that Nintendo Switch offers.
► Pokkén Tournament DX is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 22/09/2017
