Pokken Tournament Review Roundup

Pokken Tournament may still be a few days away from release, but critics have gotten their hands on the game and have given their verdicts. Is Pikachu vs. Mewtwo a fun novelty, or does it have the chops to be an engrossing fighting game?

We've selected several reviews from outlets around the Internet, and you can find a list of those scores and excerpts below.

For a wider view on the game's critical reception, head on over to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.

• Game: Pokken Tournament
• Developer: Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Platform: Wii U
• Release Date: March 18, 2016
• Price: $60

GameSpot -- 9/10

"Nintendo's Wii U provides a paucity of fighting games, but Pokken Tournament has redeemed that drought by being one of the best on any platform. Frequently magnificent to look at, delicately designed, and rewarding for players across all skill levels, it's the Pokemon fighting game deserving of a 20-year wait." -- Tamoor Hussain [Full review]

IGN -- 8.0/10

"Pokken Tournament takes a lot of what we know from old fighting gaming favorites and sticks them into a blender, delivering a unique take on both Pokemon and on fighting games in general. Sometimes all those ingredients spill over a container that's a little too full - there is a surprising amount to learn beyond the beginner's level, and that may alienate some Pokemon fans without fighting game experience. Pokken Tournament does do a good job, though, at alleviating this bloat of mechanics with single-player modes to help ease into the action." -- Darry Huskey [Full review]

CGMagazine - 8.0/10

"Much like Hyrule Warriors, I still don't understand how a game like Pokken Tournament wasn't made sooner considering the core of Pokemon's gameplay is in its fighting, and Bandai Namco has turned so many popular animes into tournament-fighters. This could've been a hit even back on the N64. While it is a little rough around the edges, it's an interesting fighter and a welcomed addition to Nintendo's collection of one first-party fighting games. Both Pokemon fans and fighting-game fans will find something enjoyable with Pokken Tournament." -- Jordan Biordi [Full review]

Destructoid -- 7.5/10

"Pokken Tournament is more than meets the eye, and it would be foolish to judge it just based on the Pokemon name alone. Bandai Namco has crafted a deep brawler that deserves to be up there with a lot of the competition, but some logistical issues specific to the Wii U hold the game back a bit more than I'd like." -- Chris Carter [Full review]

EGM -- 7.0/10

"When I started reviewing Pokken Tournament, I had no idea how the gameplay of Tekken and the world of Pokemon were going to find a way to reconcile, yet amazingly, they did. In fact, when elements of both fit together, it arguably produced gameplay greater than the sum of its parts. But when those elements didn't mesh, the train wreck it created was doubly worse, and the small roster is disappointing. There were enough successes amongst the failures in this odd marriage though, and because of that, Pokken Tournament has created a solid core to build on for potential future continuations of this spin-off series—even if this game is not quite ready to be declared a champion quite yet." -- Ray Carsillo [Full review]

GameInformer -- 7.0/10

"The core combat is entertaining with a surprising amount of depth, but my interest waned after unlocking all the fighters and playing a few local matches. For Pokemon fans, it's a hard recommendation for its self-imposed separation from the grand Pokemon universe. For the person in the middle of the Pokemon and fighting game Venn diagram, however, enough depth exists to encourage heated, practiced competition to earn it a spot next to Super Smash Bros. on the shelf." -- Kyle Hilliard [Full review]

Attack of the Fanboy -- 3.5/5

"A limited character selection, too-similar map structure, and a somewhat cumbersome and button-mashy combat drags down what would otherwise have been a stellar new entry for the Pokemon franchise. Still, with lowered expectations, shifting away from a totally solid Pokemon or fighting game, to something more akin to fan service, many will find enough to justify a purchase here." -- Kyle Hanson [Full review]