The game focuses more on the action, as opposed to the more technical gameplay of Tekken, allowing both hardcore and casual fans to enjoy it.
Unlike most arcade fighting games, which use a traditional joystick and buttons, the arcade version is played using console-style controllers, which are designed so that players who are not used to arcade sticks can get into the game more easily. Pokkén Tournament is a fighting game in which two fighters battle against each other using various Pokémon, with gameplay shifting between “Field Phase” where the Pokémon move freely around the arena similar to Power Stone and Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, and “Duel Phase” where they move relative to each other similar to the Tekken games. An enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch, titled Pokkén Tournament DX, was released in September 2017. It was released for Japanese arcades in July 2015, and worldwide for the Wii U in March 2016. The game combines gameplay elements from Bandai Namco’s Tekken series with characters from Nintendo’s Pokémon franchise, inspiring the portmanteau title Pokkén.
