Pokkén Tournament is an
upcoming collaboration between The Pokémon Company and the developers of the
Tekken and
Soulcalibur series at Bandai Namco. The game’s
official website shares a couple of messages from the game’s key producers.
The website says that
Pokkén Tournament came from The Pokémon Company’s desire to expand the possibilities of
Pokémon, and they decided to team up with Bandai Namco, who have the know-how to make a 3D action game. The goal is to “show the world a
Pokémon game that has yet to be seen”.
In
Pokkén Tournament, fans can expect to see Pokémon look more convincing than ever, and pull off attacks the way you’d imagine, as part of a completely new
Pokémon battle experience. The game is being developed so everyone from young children to
Pokémon fans who are now in their 20s can enjoy it.
The Pokémon Company CEO and president Tsunekazu Ishihara shares the following message on the game’s website:
“
Pokémon has challenged all kinds of different game types, but this will be a completely new
Pokémon game that one has yet to experience.
The way I see it, the Pokémon’s movements will correspond directly [to your inputs]. This has been made possible thanks to teaming up with Bandai Namco, who’ve been continually making 3D action games.
I believe that it will be a fresh new experience that just about any
Pokémon fan would want to try out.
Our goal is to make a game that will make people who’ve never even played a fighting or competitive action game say ‘this is amazing!’ just by giving it a try.”
Next,
Tekken series chief producer Katsuhiro Harada shares his own words about
Pokkén Tournament:
“
Tekken is designed to let players use tactics while freely controlling their characters to the fullest, and it’s also the title that has built the foundations of our company’s character action and animation system.
The feeling of unity when moving characters, the excitement of landing an attack, and the pain when taking a hit. Those are the feelings that have been cultivated in the knowhow of what we can call ‘Tekkenism,’ which will be well and alive in the upcoming title’s Pokémon action.
The competitive fighting game genre has acuminated into what many people might see as a hardcore way of playing, but originally, it was a genre that was enjoyed in a wider range.
This time, with
Pokkén Tournament, rather than it being a competitive fighter, it is a competitive action game, as we’re bringing it back to the roots of action and competitive games, by developing it into something that can be ‘enjoyed in a wider range’.
It’s something you can play with ease by thinking ‘it’s
Pokémon, so maybe I’ll give it a try’. It’s something that will provide a very fresh experience. Those are some of the ways of playing that are very important to us.
Please look forward to the new
Pokémon experience.”
Finally,
Soulcalibur producer Masaaki Hoshino also shared a message for the fans:
“Honestly, within our company, I pride myself as the best when it comes to anything
Pokémon. When I heard about this project, I felt that I was the most suitable person for the job, and that it was finally time for me to be able to this.
Of course
Pokkén Tournament runs at 60fps with smooth and dynamic action, as we especially put in efforts into its graphics.
We have seriously been thinking about ‘what would it look like if Pokémon existed in real life?’ while opening up our imaginations and thinking about the Pokémon’s fur, muscles, and even the scenery of the world they live in, as we develop the game.
We’re making [
Pokkén Tournament] into a game that can be enjoyed by all
Pokémon fans, and into something that has more depth the more you play it.
Please look forward to the new world of
Pokémon that has yet to be seen, and made by the most excellent staff using the latest technology available.”
Pokkén Tournament will be released in Japan in 2015 for arcades. You can also check out the game’s trailer
here.
Photographs courtesy The Pokémon Company.
