The Pokémon Fighting Game That Should Have Popped Off - Pokken

Pokkén Tournament is a fighting game developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment released for Japanese arcades in July 2015, and worldwide for the Wii U in March 2016.
As a fighting game, this title truly had the potential to pop off given its strong IP and universal appeal, but its development as an esport has seen its fair share of ups and downs.
This is the story of Pokkén
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#Pokken #Pokemon #esports

[@Akshonesports]

Hey everyone, this was a video that many requested a while back and we're happy to finally have this published after going through weeks of writing, research, and editing to put it all together. Have you played Pokkén Tournament before?

[@thetallone5637]

A long time ago. I loved it.

[@kaiser1001]

Yes! I recently got into it and I love it more and more as I get better at it.

[@SegaDisneyUniverse]

I've been playing this game since late 2016 and have been a Braixen main for a while, then switched to Suicune. Pokken Tournament DX was the first game I bought when the Nintendo Switch launched since I'm big into fighting games. I wish there was more single player content and a deeper story that was put into it, felt bland to me. These days, I barely play it anymore mostly due to the online being dead and no dlc.

[@legendgaming128]

I played at a friend house and it was so FUN

[@leeeroyjenkins555]

Tried it on the free trial and had a blast, bought it after and been loving playing as Blastoise

[@victorycry8849]

Weird to see a Pokémon game being an underdog. Coincidentally, it also looks like the best Pokémon game in years.

[@wintersong2266]

Not that weird, For some reason most of Pokemon spinoffs are underrated. Even Mystery Dungeon, which is probably the most known Pokemon spinoff, had a really hard time on the 3DS.

[@TungstenArm]

@@wintersong2266 you could put Pokémon Conquest in that group too. Incredible game.

[@Jay9966]

​@@wintersong2266Pokemon spinoffs have too little pokemons 90% of the reason I buy Pokemon games is to see many pokemons and catching them.

[@Jimblemimble]

Rangers is great too

[@JayceCH.]

Because the actual game balance was ass. But ik, dumb ass gamers just care about graphics.

[@BingBangPoe]

When you start seeing all the references Pokken has to Tekken, downright to mimicking character animations, poses and personality traits, it shows how much care and thought was put into this game. A real shame it never became mainstream.

[@Rothgarrr]

Pokken Tournament really should have become mainstream for real. I am baffled by how this game didn't blow up in popularity. Its unique with mechanics that are fun, and looks so good on the big screen. Not to mention its a Pokemon fighting game, its what im sure most of us dreamed of as kids.

[@Rothgarrr]

@@KKHell Uh... Not sure where that came from... Also your wrong about Tekken. The last Evo we had before Covid hit, Tekken 7 twitch viewership peaked over 248,000 viewers. Its engaging, challenging, feels polished, mechanically well designed, and most importantly fun from my experience with the game.

[@Rothgarrr]

@@KKHell I wouldn't call 248k peak viewership "struggling to remain relevant". It was the second highest viewership that Evo, even above SFV and fairly close to the highest. Akuma was the only crossover character until Negan got added as dlc later which brought the crossover character count to 2... Also you should be respectful when expressing your dislike of Tekken. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean its bad. Its like if you don't like a chef's dish because it was built around spinach which you happen to not like. Do you be disrespectful to the chef and call their food "sh*t"? Video game developers work hard to produce games wanting others to enjoy it. I took a couple semesters of Simulation game development, its a long and tedious process of artistic expression and iteration. Speaking of which have you even played Tekken 7 or even spectated it? Edit: total crossover count is 4. forgot about noctis and Geese howard which were also added later and I wouldnt say effected the game's popularity by that much.

[@Rothgarrr]

@@KKHell Dude, I had corrected my comment before I even saw this reply you just sent

[@Rothgarrr]

@@KKHell I feel bad for your parents... Well, I'm out. Have fun with life.

[@Rothgarrr]

@@KKHell I'm in my mid 20s and I am an Arcsys fanboy, not a Tekken fanboy. I am bored so I decided to respond even though you have been trolling. :P. Also you don't even know how to insult someone properly.

[@dlvarcade9729]

Doesn’t help that this game never goes on sale for people who are mildly interested

[@pizza619]

It was on sale twice not on sale at the moment though 😞

[@ryansmelly]

Yeah I went to look for this game at Walmart and saw the sticker under it said 40 bucks.. so I was ready to get it. Until I saw that it was wrongly labeled. And it was still at full price.

[@pizza619]

@@ryansmelly I purchased it full price it is fun but get it on sale if you can.

[@wudly9195]

And fighting games, (not counting Smash), really need to be on multiple platforms to be successful these days.

[@wobblecrash]

@@wudly9195 Pokken is on multiple platforms though? It’s on Switch and WiiU

[@unknownaura]

They should have launched this globally from the start. They lost hype by keeping it in Japan for a year

[@ssjgara]

Exactly!

[@naejimba]

Plus actually advertise it (it's just recently I'm finding out about it wtf Nintendo?), and do the basic things every other fighting game franchise does like allowing other controllers in tournaments and releasing it for more than just Nintendo consoles (no one is buying a Wii U or Switch to play fighting games on). Like everything else Nintendo does, they are their own worst enemy and actively hamstrung this series... such a shame.

[@robocu4]

@@naejimba Ik plenty of people who bought a Switch solely for Smash, so I disagree on that point. Nintendo has so many Pokemon IP that to me it's somewhat understandable that there's not always the most effective marketing, I mean, if you're not an avid Pokemon fan, it feels like they've over-saturated the market with the amount of content they put out cuz I can't even keep up with it

[@naejimba]

@@robocu4 , well Smash is a platform fighter and is a different core audience than most other fighting games. The core audience for the latter are on PC and Playstation... meaning they are unlikely to buy the system simply to try a single game. There is no evidence to suggest that making the game a console exclusive led to increased sales of consoles, and it is common sense that limiting it to the Switch lowered the sales they would have gotten. This is similar to Killer Instinct; it did nothing to push XBox One sales (the whole point of making console exclusives) while at the same time it hurt the sales of the game. Also, even assuming they believed that making it a console exclusive would push sales of the console, then wouldn't it make sense to advertise the game? How are people supposed to be aware of it otherwise? In fact, why bother to make any product if you are not willing to maximize its sales (and profits) by advertising? The fact is, they had the people from tekken (a respected company that consumers would trust to make a quality fighting game) using the highest grossing franchise in history.. it is a winning combination. I'm sorry, but I can't see this as anything but poor business decisions on the part of Nintendo.

[@robocu4]

@@naejimba you're not wrong, feels like Nintendo will get in their own way when producing fighting games. They keep making Smash games, that get progressively more balanced, yet they don't want anyone to take the game seriously. Imo the Switch could be Nintendo's last major console generation, I get the feeling they'll go multiplatform eventually. It was unthinkable that they'd be dropping mario shit on the app store, but maybe they'll chase the bag. It could be a lot more profitable to release on diff consoles. They'll probably keep making new consoles cuz they're really intent on protecting their first party titles, but if the Switch is any indication, their hardware quality assurance is not what it used to be. I'll never buy a Nintendo product w/o having the many joycons I wasted money on in mind lol

[@MikeDaddyMCS]

The Pokémon Company needs to get their shit together and put some money into this series, they are sitting on a goldmine but are just not doing anything with it

[@jamesayewale5695]

I mean, Pokken has actually gotten a LOT of dlc over it's lifetime (remember, this game came out in like, 2012 or 2013?). They've done a great job despite how little people actually play Pokken.

[@MikeDaddyMCS]

@@jamesayewale5695 More people would have played if they advertised better, I never got into Pokken too much since I mostly play Smash but it’s obviously wasted potential

[@manligi9701]

@@jamesayewale5695 The initial first glimpse was shown in 2013, then trailer in 2014 and then arcade release in 2015. It's had a decent string of dlc and one more is possibly coming out, but it's all good ig

[@samkelly5045]

@CinderaceLucario46 gen 5 usually doesn’t get much representation, it’s really disappointing.

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

Is it really a goldmine though? Fighting games are extremely niche with the exception being Smash (and it is a party game first, fighting second.)

[@potato_shard]

This game is super underrated. Although small, the competitive scene is still livin. Unfortunately due to the lack of players I only ever see the same competitive ppl online. It’s rare to see a fighting game roster this balanced as well. Hope this game gets back up to EVO again.

[@animezilla4486]

Seriously don't I hope this gets a sequel because the Pokemon company could make a huge ton of money with this game think about all the DLCs they can add to it and all the Pokemon you can play as

[@Bluebatstar]

I know this comment is from months ago, but I got into the game somewhat recently and I'm seeing a lot more newer player online as well as the experienced ones, which is very nice.

[@mikkaelmansbridge5154]

@@Bluebatstar Don't worry bud, your comment just convinced me to pick it up for Switch.

[@naejimba]

@@Bluebatstar , I just found out about this game recently and I'm having a blast! It is a crime this wasn't advertised well. Imagine if Nintendo also wasn't Nintendo and they released it onto other platforms that people who play fighting games are actually on, and allowed other controllers in tournaments like every other fighting game. This franchise is a gem and it's like Nintendo is purposely hampering it.

[@joshpark7827]

Is the scene still alive right now?

[@owneyw4374]

All I know about this game is that it has Chandelure in it, so I approve

[@peshomighty5051]

Yeah ghost types, i wish 30% chance to dodge

[@sambews5679]

Oh God Chandelure is awful (in Pokken).

[@grotto185]

I mained Chandelure in Pokken

[@someguynamedtom2111]

I main charizard and Scizor

[@samsungrefrigeratorcondens4354]

I mained Braixen and everyone hated me. I don't blame them.

[@justinrandy5132]

This is like the game I thought pokemon stadium was gonna be when I was a kid.

[@dayyton3163]

@@KKHell I feel personally attacked by this comment 💀

[@dayyton3163]

@@KKHell I disagree, I personally believe that the n64 was a great console. Although, I do agree that the Wii-U is quite ass

[@charleyrodijk1675]

@@dayyton3163 At least the games were good, like Super Mario 3d World, Super Mario Maker, Pokken Tournament, The Wonderful 101, which is underrated btw, Splatoon and Hyrule Warriors to name a few good games.

[@dayyton3163]

@@charleyrodijk1675 Oh yeah for sure, but it would've helped so much more if they had better launch titles. Not to mention they called it the "Wii-U" which confused a lot of people. They made it seem like it was just an upgraded wii like how the xbox one s is to the xb1 or how the ps4 pro is to the ps4

[@dayyton3163]

@@charleyrodijk1675 And most of those games are on the switch anyway. Also, never heard of wonderful 101, might have to look into it seeing as I have a black wii-u just collecting dust. But yeah the Wii-U wasn't terrible bc games like Nintendo land and 3d world were so much couch multiplayer fun, but overall i don't think it was that good of a console

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

Pokémon is such a good fit for a fighting game, given its wide array of uniquely designed, popular characters. You could have a big roster without it feeling stretched thin. Was surprised it took so long to make one, but the gameplay in Pokken was definitely not for everyone. I’d love to see a 3v3 2D Pokémon fighting game. I think the team format would work well thematically with the series, given the importance team building in the regular games. Team fighters are also pretty popular right now.

[@captainmalice]

Reminder that some of the attacks in Pokken are based on the ones from Tekken

[@analyticalj8687]

I thought for the longest time that pokken was made by the same guys as tekken lmao

[@TheGhostgodzilla]

@@analyticalj8687 I mean....it is actually lol.

[@analyticalj8687]

@@TheGhostgodzilla bruh this guys wording really just tricked me like that

[@captainmalice]

@@coo4203 Pikachu's standing light attack is EWGF

[@TheGhostgodzilla]

@@coo4203 Machamo has Paul's Death fist Pikachu borrows a lot of Heiachi's kicks and hooks Croagunk has Miguel's taunt punch One charizard's grabs is Devil Jin's laser attack. And as a bonus: Mokujin makes a cameo in one of the stages.

[@aubreyholdinggun]

You RARELY hear this, a perfectly balanced fighting game. I love love love LOVED how they were always balanced; from a Sceptile player to a goddamn arcade spam Braixen Boredom. I think this was the final kick to make me buy the game.

[@water-111]

You'll never hear it because its not really a positive thing to have a perfectly balanced fighting game. On top of the fact that such a perfectly balanced game can usually be an indication of either a homogenous roster, lack of options etc.

[@marcustussuzian2987]

I’m really sad this didn’t pop off, it was such a amazing idea and it made so much sense but it failed to grow😔

[@SissypheanCatboy]

@breadstickzzzzzzz How much crack are you on that you compare this to Pokemon Stadium.

[@dmfyre]

I was just wondering if you’d ever cover this game! It’s insanely underrated, and it’s great to see a high-quality look at it

[@doorframe2315]

I like to play it sometimes I’m in the middle of a arrokuda shiny hunt in swsh also I’m happy garchomp is in poken because it’s my favorite pocket monster

[@da45r]

@@KKHell it DEFINITELY is

[@da45r]

@@KKHell to each their own i guess 🤷‍♀️

[@rocny1008]

i was on a school trip to florida with a few of my friends a few years back and we played this on our friend destros switch in the airport we were yelling and cheering in 1v1s it is one of my favorite video game moments of all time i will never forget this game because of it.

[@Diwasho]

_"I want to win not for money, not for honor, BUT FOR MORE BRAIXEN HENTAI!"_ - Tonosama, 2016. And he actually won too. What an absolute legend and a man of culture.

[@patrickduffin7912]

Respect. That's all I have to say.

[@ryanh1013]

Yeah, maybe it’s a good thing this game died

[@bluekeldeo7515]

@@ryanh1013 get a load of this uncultured swine.

[@elmaionesosexo]

where did that happen?

[@Diwasho]

@@elmaionesosexo It was from his post on Twitter, just before the finals.

[@karotees]

if only they made a pokemon adventure game with combat similar to this.

[@lorettabes4553]

I agree

[@renn4381]

Mistery dungeon with this combat :0

[@Bogglemanify]

@@renn4381 A mystery dungeon hack n slash would be amazing.

[@dialena4418]

An action combat remake of explorers of sky

[@Mqstodon]

No? It wouldn't fit at all

[@splashysyrup4393]

yay, thanks for covering pokken! our community is pretty small but we're really dedicated! if anyone is interested there's an active pokken community discord server filled with all the prominent community members! this game has taken up so much of my life that sometimes I forget how rocky its record is, so this video was really interesting to watch, especially since I wasn't around in the community at the very start

[@stormbreak7003]

How does one find the discord?

[@splashysyrup4393]

@@stormbreak7003 discord . gg / pokken without the spaces obviously

[@grotn_]

@@stormbreak7003 or just a Google search and you'll find a Reddit thread where the link to the discord is posted.

[@xthe_nojx5820]

I'm not even a Pokemon fan and I was hyped for this game. You're right, the move to a more traditional fighting game made perfect sense. I understand that the shift from turn-based probably had a lot of purists foaming at the mouth, but it works brilliantly. Here's hoping they don't completely abandon this idea, it has tremendous potential: a long-standing preestablished fan base, brand recognition, and nearly 1,000 potential playable characters. Shit, man, I can't believe this didn't take off. On paper, this looks like a license to print money.

[@weebsquit347]

A thing i like about Pokken is how well it translates pokemon into a fighting game. It feels so natural. Mega Evolution and Decidueye's Z move feels so natural.

[@harrylane4]

Pokémon has had about a dozen games that should have become esports, including the main series, and it just never pops off. The mainline franchise at least has official tournaments, but I feel like it could and should be bigger if properly advertised. Sure, it’s turn based, but the game is accessible, deep, and has crowd appeal in the fact that, well, it’s POKÉMON.

[@mds_main]

You'd be surprised on how much big competitive mainline pokemon actually is.

[@ankydarkness]

I dunno. Obviously my take, but VGC is not particularly fun to watch as a spectator. Especially compared to other esports.

[@harrylane4]

@@ankydarkness VGC is hype as hell when it pops off, and Pokémon as a whole is leagues more fun to watch than StarCraft or hearthstone. Sure, it’s not gonna reach overwatch or fighting game levels, but let’s not pretend its boring

[@harrylane4]

@@mds_main it’s not as big as you’d think. I was a comp player for a long time and it was often tough to find players outside of weird cheese teams on showdown. Maybe it’s better now, this was the ORAS era

[@mds_main]

@@harrylane4 From gen 7 onwards actually it became much more popular, at least here in Europe, but I guess overseas as well.

[@yellowpie]

I was never a real Pokken player, but I’m glad the game exists. In 2019, I wanted to go to worlds, but I waited too long and tickets were sold out. However, there was a Pokken tournament last chance qualifier going on, where for only $10 more, I got my ticket to spectate at worlds, which was a great event. Unfortunately, I think I somehow missed my round in the qualifier and got dq’d, so you’re welcome to whoever got a free win.

[@danugore8493]

I got DQd sitting right behind the person calling the games. Idk how it happened lol

[@milesleonhardt8240]

We need to support this game and keep it’s sales going so we can get a Pokken 2 with more Pokémon, and better LAN and online support

[@HistoryandReviews]

Dude this game stopped being sold 7 years ago MOVE ON

[@nitinanku]

@@HistoryandReviewsthat’s not exactly true, it was rereleased on switch and is still available

[@chimuoma390]

@@nitinanku Digimon Battle Spirit 1.5 And 2.0 CHRONO DESTROY POKKEN!These Games Can Be Played Forever And Never Be Boring!

[@dougtheghoul2845]

Pokemon still holds official tournaments for pokken dx, so hopefully it gets a sequel one day! Braixen main!

[@djroscurro9859]

Oh yeah I remember a tournament earlier this year where everyone came in and was like "What's this game it looks cool"

[@dolphinbanana3053]

YASS SAME

[@ThaddeusSilva]

Im a pikachu main, getting regularly destroyed every match

[@raiseanothermanskidsforlov4920]

@@ThaddeusSilva cause pikachu garbage you have to use libre instead

[@metareaper8008]

@@KKHell holy shit dude calm down

[@karl729]

This game was really slept on and is still one of my favorite fighters. Even from the move from Wii-U to Switch, trying to get a proper set-up locally still requires too many resources in comparison to just about every other fighter that can just use one monitor, as reverse controls in field phase really sucked on a shared-system. Then you had the generally mixed reception of it as a competitive fighter with most of the casual audience not really understanding the more intricate mechanics of the game like the phase shifting/low and high stancing (along with projectile spam just being seen as cheap).

[@LukeSnywalkersOldChannel]

9:21 Ayy it’s Madluk! I actually was his housemate in college last year and he showed up to a bunch of our Smash tournaments from 2016 to 2017.

[@discipleofluigi]

That's awesome! He was a massive part of optimizing gengar combos for synergy. It was great fun working with him and helping him understand how the synergy bar worked. I think I went by Dount in the community at the time on discord. Been a while since I've been in touch.

[@Aidenkun64]

I'm so glad you covered this game. I love Pokken but I haven't been playing as much as I did when I first got it because playing any Nintendo game online is hell combined with how none of my friends are quite interested in it so I haven't really gotten good at it. My current main is Lucario as he's my favorite Pokemon and also happens to be the easiest to use though I'm hoping to change my main to Braixen when I improve as a tribute to how the game turned a Pokemon I previously never cared about into one of my absolute favorites. Seriously, they gave her so much personality in this one, it's one of the things I appreciate most in this game. It truly is sad how this game never kicked off though. DX should've revived it but I feel like Blastoise and Aegislash should've come with the game on launch to justify the game for many people and not doing that was sort of the nail in the coffin. But Pokken 2 is a possibility and my second most wanted Pokemon spin-off game, the one I want most being a Pokepark 3, but as much as I want both, both are still slim in their chances of ever happening.

[@sharkryro]

@@KKHell you okay bud?

[@sharkryro]

@@KKHell go take a nap or something. This hostility goes away come high school.

[@Aidenkun64]

@@KKHell I remember seeing this months ago and laughing.

[@christophersadri6464]

All fans have always wanted was a more classic 2-d fighter for pokemon, or even a completely 3rd person style game almost like W.O.W. where you battle as the pokemon against others. Instead they gave us this with the both sides, cutting the markets from both sides. The games cool to some, but literally hard to even visually grasp let alone have fun with it to most.

[@C4_Shaf]

The biggest lie about this video is the FGC tie-in. Pokkén had none. Most of the tournaments were ran by local Smash scenes during the Wii U days, and on massive Switch Fests that were ran by Smash TO teams and associations. There is way less overlap between Pokkén and Tekken, than there is between Pokkén and Smash. Akshon is very good in its writing, but in every single fighting-game-related videos, he does the same mistakes, over and over again. He uses "FGC" and "Fighting Game" interchangeably, while being 2 different things, and he constantly pushes the narrative that every single game has its own community. The latter is the most damaging part of this, because this narrative just completely erase how the FGC started, back in the early 1990's. Not as a "Street Fighter Community", but as many local Arcade scenes on their own, playing tons of different games from different series and publishers. And they are interchangeable as main event games, because the community played all of those, since they all shared the same meta base and the same platform. This is what Pokkén lacked. The platform. Several Japanese Pokkén top players, like Tomosama, also were top players in other Arcade games, because Pokkén shared the same room as games like Tekken, Guilty Gear, Koihime Enbu, and so on. Two different communties handled different fighting games, that has close to no overlap between each other. I think nobody cares about what I'm saying, because the FGC on its own is too niche to be properly defended, even by the people playing fighting games. But I had to say it, for my own personal mental health.

[@adamneylan23]

Thanks for taking enough of an interest in our work to write this out. If you’d like to discuss further what mistakes you think we are making, feel free to reach out to me at @akshonadam on Twitter. I’m always trying to improve, and my goal has always been to give the best representation possible to the various competitive scenes I cover. So I’m open to any input that will help me further that goal.

[@MajoraZ]

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment, speaking as somebody in the Pokken community. There's obviously some Smash and Pokken overlap due to the platform being shared, but in my expirence as a Pokken player, there's more crossover with the traditional FGC community then there is with Smash in terms of what other games our top players play.

[@C4_Shaf]

@@MajoraZ I'm not talking about the game mechanics. I'm talking about the overlap of players, and the presence of Pokkén in the FGC. I was the first to be disappointed by the situation, because Pokkén is a very solid game that needs more attention. But thinking that they're an integral part of the FGC is just false. They made their own scene out of the FGC, just like other fighting games like Gundam Versus, Naruto Storm, For Honor, and Smash.

[@manligi9701]

@@MajoraZ I'm also in the Pokken community and I'd say there's a relatively even split as to who feeds into Pokken. That being said though, it would be an error to say that smash tie in is probably what people associate Pokken with because of the platform it's on

[@kensuke5033]

@CinderaceLucario46 Yea, I wanted to see more come into the roster.

[@grinbrothers]

I don't tend to pay much attention to competitive scenes (though I did watch that fight at 5:46; Weavile managing to wake up amidst Fire Spin and attack was awesome) but I'm glad and surprised to hear Pokkén Tournament still has one that is thriving. I thought it wouldn't have much of one given the lack of DLC support after the sole DLC pack that was released but it's neat to hear that for a fighting game I very much love that it's still going strong and supported. Gosh, a sequel to Pokkén Tournament would be fantastic! Great video by the way with a decent coverage of the overall timeline of both Pokkén Tournament and it's competitive scene. The quotes from others were well added and the coverage of the initial release and marketing was appreciated. I was looking up the game a lot online through sites before release, so I never noticed the lack of marketing myself.

[@BlaizeTheDragon]

With the lack of competitive promotion, post release support, limited playable roster and general extra content i'm not surprised it fell under as much as it did. It is a good game and one of the more enjoyable fighting games out there. Gamefreak and namco should have done more for it.

[@mds_main]

Exactly. I know this video was about the competitive scene, but this game in general is lacking in content and this hurts it a lot. Unfortunately with Play Pokemon dropping it this year and TPC focusing only on mobile cashgrabs I don't see an improved sequel on the horizon.

[@mercyscene]

I love this game and I am so happy you made this video! I was expecting it to be about the sad fate of Pokken Tournament, but thankfully it was about Pokken's ever lasting flame. Great job on the video!

[@m.c.collins6777]

Let's Play Baseball! Strike 1: Not choosing 2D or 3D exclusively. Strike 2: No cross-platform option. Strike 3: Forcing E V E R Y O N E to use the "Pokken Tournament Pro Pad" at tournament level. Pokken Tournament, Y O U ' R E O U T!!! Thanks for playing with me!

[@tforde2143]

I remember seeing the first trailer for this game and I was praying that this game would blow up. Too this day I pray that there is a sequel and they put more pokemon in. Honestly I hope in the future this game gets bigger and bigger. Also I want more Gen 5 Pokemon, gimme Samurott, gimme Bisharp, gimme Greninja I really want more from this game.

[@Zyckro]

Me too, man. Me too.

[@migo1559]

But...there is a sequel on the switch, and greninja isn't gen 5 ._.

[@Zyckro]

@@migo1559 Do you consider Super Mario U Deluxe and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe sequels? If not, what's the difference between them and Pokken Tournament DX?

[@migo1559]

@@Zyckro Because Mario U has a completely different gameplay compared to mario kart, while obviously pokken tournament DX is a sequel to pokken tournament, and they're both fighting games

[@Zyckro]

@@migo1559 Sorry, I meant sequels to their respective games. I personally consider them expansions.

[@RagdollArtwork]

I love Pokken Tournament, it's easily my favorite fighting game and I knew my main the moment Sceptile got confirmed. And while it may not be the biggest game out there, I can always know there's someone out there willing to go a few rounds, even on Bandai Namco's standard delay-based netcode.

[@j.kwonder1669]

I just realized Pokken is almost Tekken and Pokemon combined into one word, because the fighting game combines the rage aspect of the game when you are at low health and the 3D combat aspect that is seen in Tekken.

[@royce536]

Nahhh

[@DjVader112]

...yeah...hence the poKKEN name, both are made by bandai namco

[@whalesequence]

I bought a Wii U when Pokken launched. I was definitely not disappointed. Unfortunately, some guys I knew that were street fighter players wrote the game off in about 5 minutes, so I didn't have a lot of people to play in person

[@SaintMorselGrand]

Pokken: dies Fanbase: “wtf?” Conquest fanbase: “First time?”

[@vikrantsingh6580]

nintendo really hates the Pokemon spinoffs doesn't it?

[@ArabGarou]

They might release a remake, just like mystery dungeon maybe

[@vikrantsingh6580]

@@ArabGarou the chances are slim, real slim, considering there is a huge backlog of other less obscure spinoffs. But koei IS in the game even now so theres a slight hope, huh

[@chrisfalcon_vt]

Snap, Stadium and Colosseum/XD: Oh, that's cute.

[@SaintMorselGrand]

@@chrisfalcon_vt snap is getting sequel, colleseum also got a sequel

[@shreyanshsingh379]

I think this is the first time that Akshon has got one of the top 10(?) player in their video

[@adamneylan23]

Except for windjammers, rivals, arms, all the OW interviews, and I’m sure others I can’t think of off the top of my head lol

[@michaeljacobson2966]

It’s been about 4 years and I just realized that Pokken is meant to be a play on word to the fighting game Tekken. What is wrong with me. Edit: Omg almost 100 likes thx so much

[@Ramsey276one]

You're not JAPANESE Don't worry XD

[@haaxxx9]

Yo, I just noticed that when I first saw Pokken for the first time and it's gameplay. I mean I am slow as well but that was obvious to me, and I am not even a fan of fighting games! "Hey, this look like Tekken!" *Check the box and it said its been made by Namco* "Oh, that's why."

[@protonjones54]

Cringe

[@haaxxx9]

@@protonjones54 ???

[@mechanicalmacbook]

@@protonjones54 this does not make sense but now it made 10% sense since "OMG YES THANKS FOR 100 LIKES" kind of thing

[@grandpagerald1457]

I played this on the WII U all the time it was my first pvp game

[@venti9925]

You're far too young to have the name Grandpa then lmao.

[@aureliusxvincent]

Dude i first tried pokken on my friend's switch and it baffled me that i have never heard of it before. Pokken brings new life to th pokemon genre, instead of only watching animatiions on a screen in the original games, you can move, dodge and counterattack to your will. Accompanied with such insane graphics it honestly felt like the evolution of pokemon. Wouldn't be surprised if fighting scenes in the original games moved from turn based to a real time battle. Hopefully Pokken will improve in its popularity and playerbase so that everyone in the world can experience this mind-blowing perfection of a game mode. :)

[@aureliusxvincent]

@@KKHell True but nintendo should really make a dedicated fighting game for pokemon with online matchmaking, would be a blast to see.

[@TeaQuoffee]

I remember walking into Best Buy and playing this on the demo, I wondered how it wasn’t bigger. Fast forward I see this. (I mained Empoleon though I only played for like 5 mins)

[@MoonyTheBat]

I've been in the Pokken discord for like 3 years now but I've just never gotten around to buying the game. It's been one of those things where it looks really cool but I'm not sure if it'd hold my interest. It's cool that the scene is still going though, maybe I'll get into it eventually.

[@agentandersonwick8796]

Can you send me a link to the discord?

[@MoonyTheBat]

@@agentandersonwick8796 Sure, here's the link: discord.gg/pokken

[@jamclone]

I've always had a soft spot for this game ever since I tried its demo on the Wii U as a kid, though I never ended up buying it in the end. I always thought the game deserved more, and I'm glad the game has kept a dedicated fanbase for this long. If it's still going strong, and DX doesn't require Switch Online, I'd even consider giving it a go myself.

[@gankus_aurelius4518]

This would blow up if it could be played on pc and other consoles

[@gengarisnotinsmash...]

I remember playing it. You get three guesses as to who I played, and the first two don't count.

[@justinkim4465]

Mr mime

[@Seeker_of_Truth_and_Beauty]

Decidueye?

[@rmaplayz8272]

Bisharp

[@gadgeteer_blue7813]

Gotta be Mudkip. :D

[@letsgetfluffy3138]

Mario?

[@lanternno8491]

Now we wait for the main series competitve histrory. (Or even Showdown, someone like Blunder as a guest would be insane). Or even a FSG collab.

[@juanrodriguez9971]

That competitive is extremely weird and hard to get in.

[@lanternno8491]

@@juanrodriguez9971 but is interesting none he less.

[@juanrodriguez9971]

@@lanternno8491 I know, that's why despite never playing it I like watching some videos explaining it, half because of a game design perspective, and half because of the creativity Gamefreak has for the moves and abilities.

[@AlloyAmi]

@@lanternno8491 yeah i agree it is fun to play comp on showdown but gen 8 introduced so much broken bullshit its not even funny

[@m_e_nere]

@@AlloyAmi isn't there something broken every new gen though?

[@noblecyborg-savage]

man love the videos jus watched 3 start to finish without blinking subbed

[@tb3411]

I just wish it had Zoroark. Would have been a really great Gen V rep. And there is also Lopunny mainly for its Mega

[@tb3411]

@@KKHell You have no right to tell me that to my face

[@tb3411]

@@KKHell Ok u are really pissing me off now

[@gfamhomevideos8062]

I think it mainly has to do with how small the arcade scene is in America, then when they finally did release it it came out on the Wii U and didn’t have very many fighters to choose from. Then they ported it to the switch and that was that. I think they need to release a proper sequel for there to create a big enough audience for it

[@lingus1382]

When this game was free on switch or a week a month or two back I tried it out and had an absolute blast I am so hoping for a sequel sometime the games so fun

[@Ramsey276one]

WISHLISTED until a sale I'm POOR XD

[@tokiko404]

@@Ramsey276one the game actually went on sale after the free trial about 2-3 months ago for 30% off

[@Ramsey276one]

@@tokiko404 I missed that sale Q_q

[@tevinwow]

Bruh how could they leave me out?! -TeeJay Glad my boys got some love though miss you guys. 🙌🙌🙌

[@ARWINGx1]

IF the game did continue, I wouldn't be surprised if some of my favorite Pokemon's (Greninja) attacks would copy Tekken's Raven.

[@bidoofus7921]

I think at this point literally the only thing that got me to not stick with this game was how painfully difficult local play is, for both the original and the DX versions. Aside from that I think this is a phenomenal game. The problem just became that I wanted to grind this game out with my friends and we all got it hoping to do so like we did with the Smash games, but I think the local experience being so tedious to set up just made it very easy for us to stop considering the game as much and instead just playing Smash like we already were doing. I really want to give this game another serious shot by getting DX, as I now know a few people now who are trying to get a DX scene going around where I am, but I just don’t have the time (math major in college), not to mention we can’t really meet up anymore because of COVID restrictions. Such a shame; at least there’s online stuff tho. Thanks for making this video; very much so deserved for the Pokken community.

[@xxProjectJxx]

I had some fun with Pokken for a bit, but gave it up after a month or so. Nobody I played with was a big fan of the 2D to 3D shifting, or the rock paper scissors mechanics.

[@cheeseboy2251]

Been playing this game casually since Wii U launch. I love the game and it’s DX port. The cast of playable Pokémon is just insane and I love it. I would like if there was a sequel in the works that only had the duel phase. I’d love a 2.5d fighter with the graphics, simple movesets and wacky cast. I feel that could really take off.

[@woombat2484]

The Pokemon Company are sitting in 10 bathtubs of money yet don't use the money to invest on new shit lmao

[@ZzigZaG00NIN]

Amazing how big the community got while being stuck on wii u

[@NamLe-gr6xp]

So I have a question: Are the green, red, and blue stripes in the title a reference to the starter Pokemon types?

[@sithacolol5337]

Yes they are a reference, though they aren't similar to each other.

[@NamLe-gr6xp]

@@sithacolol5337 thanks for clearing that up.

[@sithacolol5337]

@@NamLe-gr6xp no problem

[@aerostar1334]

I remember watching the first EVO tournament on tv and was so happy to see Braixen win. I mained her at the time.

[@elturtle4739]

The biggest problem with why it didn’t succeed was for sure it being on the Wii U. If this game got a solid budget with Nintendo’s really good marketing coming to the switch, I think it’d gain the attention it deserves

[@exLightningg]

Blame Nintendo or whoever decides to price their games, I swear anything with Pokémon in the name never goes below full price, it's bullshit.

[@cyberworld9000]

Facts this fighting game was revolutionary

[@water-111]

Chill

[@ianpetrovich9275]

dont remind me of this masterpiece. i cry everytiem

[@david_8916]

@@KKHell I see, so you didn't played it

[@david_8916]

@@KKHell no, I will never forget it because I still play it :)

[@Badgertailwarrior]

I only spent a short time with Pokken but I had loads of fun. It wasn't my first fighting game but it was the first one I played that I got throughly into. I feel as though I might have enjoyed getting into it competitively if real life circumstances didn't force me to sell my copy and my console (and I'm not at a point currently where I can get a switch and a switch copy of the game). I mained Garchomp and it felt so fantastic to nail down the animation lengths and find openings. It's still so cool to hear people talking about Pokken and it makes me wish a little harder to get back into the scene :)

[@captaincz5763]

If this game ever gets a sequel I'd want to establish my wishlist for fighters: • Annihlape • Heracross • Alolan Marowak • Electivire • Magmortar • Reuniclus • Keldeo Especially Keldeo I think he would be very interesting to play as 🔥

[@spyro9728]

Such a fun game 🎮 we NEED a sequel immediately

[@magicpotato2161]

As a guy who has never played pokken, this video is really informative and engaging. I really enjoyed it!

[@teamfoodceo5770]

Imagine a Pokémon game with catching mechanics like Arceus and battle mechanics like this game 🤔

[@naejimba]

So sad that I'm just finding out about this game TODAY!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lobotronix4461]

2:36 "...as well as resource and meter management as extensive as Under Night In-Birth." Bro, have you even played these two games. That statement is so unbelievably triggering... Aside from that nice video though, shoutouts to Wingtide die Maschine

[@MajoraZ]

I play competitively, I agree that statement's a little much. For specific character's it's not entirely untrue, though: Shadow Mewtwo, Mewtwo, Aegislash, Darkrai, and a few others really do have a ton of systems and resources they have to keep track of, and in general the phase shift system and meter adds another set of resources and move-variables to consider over just health and meter and damage/meter gain/frame data.

[@Kuribohdudalala]

You litteraly can’t spend Meter in poKKEn except to burst. I almost disliked the video on that alone. Don’t get me wrong, the game is fun, but saying it’s meter system is even approaching that of Unis is simply wrong

[@1982pokemon]

Well theres also support meters, varying burst guages, and cheer skills. For example, a Gengar who lost round 1 has to make a decision if he wants to burst to prevent the loss, or take his chances to save Mega for round 3.

[@anonymousoff-brand7538]

@@Kuribohdudalala i'm not sure you understood the comparison.

[@seadx6]

I will going to get the DX version, how is the game doing today? Does it have online?

[@somerandomidioticnerd9769]

I played the game trial a couple months ago, considering my trash wifi, it ran pretty well online, so I assume it runs great with better wifi. Dunno how active the playerbase is post game trial though

[@seadx6]

@@somerandomidioticnerd9769 well I have 80 mbps for 8 months and after that 40 mbps so I think I am covered

[@djroscurro9859]

@@somerandomidioticnerd9769 Sadly idk if it's all that active, although I don't think it's dead quite yet

[@Marcusjnmc]

it's got better online than smash does xP though that's not hard, & the community's great if you can catch some of them online, mostly discord based with some twitch overlap

[@SarcasticDuck]

I would love to see Bloody Roar make a comeback with some gameplay ideas from Pokken

[@Emma-xh5lp]

this is an excellent game I have the both the Wii U and switch versión and both play wonderfully. one of my favorites.

[@InbournAnkleBiter]

Funnily enough, the online for Pokken DX is still pretty active and it's easy to get regular ranked matches.

[@supersanex_x]

The battles in the main series game should be like in PT to make it more interesting

[@diegocorvalan5435]

Gonna be honest I find this game a good fighter game with a pokemon skin, type advatage, evolution, capture, team making, gyms or story mode, none of the things that makes pokemon pokemon are there to me, I know adding all of this in a fighting game is there but just 1 or 2 in the mechanics of the game so that I can see a connection to the pokemon world

[@ElJosher]

We need a pokken 2

[@Papersak]

I went to Worlds for Pokken once, the time it was in Nashville. I swear no game had everybody screaming as loud and as often as Pokken. Was a delight to see people of all levels at that event, too. Lots of good memories traveling but hoooo boy competitive play is difficult. I think part of the problem (and I think this happens in many FGCs, not a Pokken problem) was the community couldn't retain or recruit novice players. Someone average like me was often wiped out by pros until it felt like they were all that were left in the grassroots events. It's not the pros' fault for playing correctly; it just feels like another side effect of TPCI not supporting or marketing the game well. When they did actually have it at their large events, their brackets had pretty good participation, at speaking for the US. Yet I kept traveling to smaller events 'cause even though I find little to no joy in finishing last in bracket, Pokken community members are fun to just hang out with afterward. Anyway, thanks for making this neat video. :) Already kinda nostalgic.

[@coderaccoon6061]

I still play this game ranked along with a ton of other pokken players. Many of em way higher rank than me. It's one of my favorite fighters to this day. Feels so good once you get the controls and mechanics down and every pokemon in it feels so unique. Dying for a pokken 2 but doubt it'll happen. The pokemon community is one that hates change...despite wanting change. For those watching, please give this game a try. If you love fighting games, you'll love this I promise.

[@MrMarinus18]

0:45 They did make a grand strategy game and a really great dungeon crawler.

[@AlexLoeding]

I booted this game up again recently and man this is so fun. I really wish they continued support and added more DLC. The only thing this game needed was a more tight fighting game design. The dual phase and field phase makes it have more depth. There’s just something off about it. Keep dual phase in 2d but have the field phase in 2.5d instead of 3D or something. This is just short of a masterpiece. Even if it was in 2d it would still be great. I really hope they continue this little fighter!!

[@iswiftyfox8997]

give us a red dead style pokemon game, with fighting like this, instead of turn based. And u got the best game ever.

[@r3n3gad33]

The Virgin Smash Ultimate · Charizard chained with Squrtle and Ivysaur · Pikachu Libre only an alt · Only in 2D · Crappy Online · Doesn't have Braixen The Chad Pokken Tournament · Charizard on it's own and free · Pikachu Libre as a completely fleshed out character · Shifts from 2D AND 3D · Slightly less crappy online · Has Braixen

[@Gigi-zr6hp]

Stfu Furry Smash Ultimate has Steve and Sephiroth

[@r3n3gad33]

@@Gigi-zr6hp i was only making a joke lmao don't be such an asshole.

[@deathkillrt]

I liked the ''Gym Leaders'' having fitting clothes with their main Pokemon. The 3D/2D movement was a fun unique twist, this game should've come out later, it was born in a time not ready for it.

[@lilpimp994]

The roster was definitely the issue for a lot of people.

[@imperiumregalis4193]

Alas. I haven't even gotten this game due to finances. I hope when I do that there will still be an active community. P:S Thanks for covering this Gem of a Game.

[@omegastrike8812]

Ok imagine this, a character based more traps, not combo traps, or frame trap or whatever, but on field traps, maybe a area when you stand in it heals you or buffs you qnd when your opponent is in it either slows or is stunned for a short bit, character would have to be slow to compensate for the utility of the traps

[@aeroblaze4]

Imagine if Nintendo stopped being a stickler and allowed the game to be released on PS4. It would sell like hot cakes.

[@Hensley_Jb]

Oooh thats why. Damn i wont be playing anytime soon

[@jordancosta9242]

Imagine if Sony or Microsoft stopped being sticklers and ended Exclusives all together. Their thought is that they make more because you have to also buy a console to play it if you're from the other side, but all they do it just create a divide in an otherwise huge community. Let gamers play games where and how they want. I understand it's not that simple, but like come on. what's another month gonna do porting a game when it will double or triple your figures?!?!

[@aeroblaze4]

@@jordancosta9242 exclusives can be good at times, because it forces competitors to create high quality stuff to keep competing. But in cases with competitive games, I feel like it should be as widely available as possible, especially a fighting game should be playable on console, and fps on pc.

[@jordancosta9242]

@@aeroblaze4 while I do agree that the competition can improve the quality I also see that just raw sales could drive that anyway. If x company makes a good game and sells 5 mil copies and y company only sells 1 mil then it wouldn't really matter if they were exclusive. In fact, the numbers get weird cause you have additional money generated from people having to buy x's consol cause they only had y's, but you also lose a lot of money from people who just don't care enough. Or people who are satisfied ENOUGH with what y's library is. Opening up all games to everyone would really free the market and make the competition less focused around the brand of machine you're playing on and more on actual game play and story.

[@gonpachiro7293]

Let me be insanely honest, I absolutely love Pokken Tournament DX and I picked it up for my Switch in August. I beat the game within a few weeks of having it, and I had alot of fun! Blaziken Main Here

[@vjoe5389]

Man, I miss playing Pokken. It was a fun game. I think the reason it didn't get as much attention was because most people didn't like the Wii U and by the time the deluxe version came out, the scene was already dying (in terms of it being part of the FGC, the community itself is still going strong). Another thing I wish Game Freak should've done is add in more Pokemon, I don't really understand why they only made 2 DLC characters when they could've made more and still made good money. I think Game Freak should make a sequel and improve upon some features and add in more Pokemon. Pokemon SWSH has got some great new Pokemon that can work as fighters such as the starters final evolutions, Melmetal, Toxtricity, Urshifu, and Obstagoon (just to name a few). One Pokemon I will never understand as to why they didn't add in is Greninja. Greninja just works so perfectly for Pokken, I'm guessing they didn't add Greninja due to it being in Smash...oh well. Hopefully they add it into a potential sequel.

[@PopularNobody]

Nintendo does dumb shit that their fanboys justify and never criticize so they'll occasionally will destroy something great. -Summary

[@obba40]

What has that to do with Nintendo? Its Bandai and Pokémon Companys game

[@kaphizmey6229]

@@obba40 nintendo is part of the pokemon company, they have a hand in the decisions the company makes

[@lotuszen3609]

The reason it didnt is because of the limited characters an the fact that it didnt really explore customizable content

[@yourmom-ju1zh]

I can't believe that the pokemon tournament logo is the same as Tekken tag tournament 2 logo

[@viktorkukov6649]

I always roleplayed while playing Pokemon but I thought yo myself "man I wish there were more moves and more animations on the pokemon" as in the combat to be more expressive and dynamic. I thought I would enjoy this game being the concept that it is, but I don't. I enjoy the naruto fighting games, tekken, street fighter, mortal kombat, the dragon ball fighting games but this is uninteresting to me, even tho it's a rip off of those games. It's somewhat cheap, edgy, and it fails to capture the spirit of the Pokemon franchise.

[@ALV5252]

Pokken is what Pokemon battle is meant to be.

[@AnRKader]

I'm glad you managed to include the incredible track that it Ferrum Dojo

[@rnghaterzz6143]

I never knew the game was originally on the Wii U thanks for the information