Pokken Tournament Supports Local Multiplayer

By Riley Little 26 December 2015

• nintendo
• wii u
• pokemon
• the pokemon company
• namco bandai
• pokken tournament

Nintendo confirms that the upcoming Pokemon fighting game, Pokken Tournament, will support local multiplayer, thanks to the second screen on the Wii U’s GamePad.

Those that have been following Pokken Tournament since its grand unveiling have been on a roller coaster ride of sorts. Originally the title was only confirmed for Japanese arcades with a handful of playable Pocket Monsters to choose from, but it’s grown quite a bit since then. Nintendo and The Pokemon Company eventually came forth to confirm that the fighting game will be arriving for the Wii U internationally, which finally means that gamers wouldn’t have to line up at select Dave & Buster’s to play the imported arcade machine.

While the ability to finally play the game in areas outside of Japan is enticing to loyal Pokemon aficionados, many were wondering if Pokken Tournament would support local multiplayer on the console. According to a recent retailer listing for the title’s previously announced special edition controller, there will be local multiplayer supported in the fighter. That said, there is a bit of a catch – no pun intended.

According to the listing, local multiplayer will only be possible because of the Wii U GamePad’s second-screen functionality. As a result, only one regular, non-GamePad controller can be used at a time during couch-based battles, which may not be ideal for gamers hoping to take the newest Pokemon game as seriously as other titles within the same genre.

After watching gameplay footage of Pokken Tournament in action, it’s easy to see why the perspective-based fighter will only support local play through the GamePad’s screen, but it’s still a blow for anyone that wanted to see if the game had what it takes to become a serious fight title. Based on reports, one user will have full access to the television when using the controller, while the other will be left to utilize the screen on Nintendo’s tablet-like remote.

Despite this news, the game seems to be shaping up quite nicely. The roster continues to grow (with the latest addition being none other than the fully-evolved Hoenn starter Sceptile) and there doesn’t appear to be any sign of a slow down in combatant reveals, which makes the build up to Pokken Tournament‘s release a tantalizing prospect. The game may not end up being as competitive as something like Nintendo’s fight-centric darling Super Smash Bros., which wraps up its DLC campaign in February, but it does look like an enjoyable romp nonetheless.

Pokken Tournament is set to arrive in North America for the Nintendo Wii U in Spring 2016.

Source: Hori (via Serebii)