Pokken Tournament roster suggestions

Pokken Tournament is coming to the Wii U sometime this year. It's a fighting game that mixes "the play style of Tekken" with Pokémon characters, although apparently it's more the development team than "the play style", as it's said not to play like an actual Tekken game. It also, understandably, discounts the established type advantages of Pokémon. It received an arcade release in Japan last year and failed to take the country by storm. Which is maybe a little surprising considering the general popularity of Pokémon.

I'm not really one for fighting games but I do have a proclivity for Pokémon. I thought I'd suggest some characters to round out the roster. There are currently twelve announced¹, with a thirteenth to be revealed on January 15. Realistically, we'll probably end up having around fifteen or sixteen characters when the game launches, with more added later via DLC. But I'm going to suggest eight more characters. Because twenty sounds like a good number of fighters for a launch roster. Plus it barely makes a dent in the 721-strong list of every Pokémon ever (until Gen VII). Slightly excessive for a debut fighting title but still not enough to please Pokéfans, basically.

I didn't have any particular criteria when I drew up this list of suggestions. It was all about the Pokémon I  thought looked the part and who could have a unique play style because those are the things that make the best sense and the things that the design team have said they're actually taking into account. I definitely didn't go out of my way to cram in fighting type Pokémon because there aren't that many that look like they could inspire a play style all their own. Arguing in favour of adding lots of fighting types to Pokken is to suggest limiting the game and I want no part of it.

My suggestions are given in list form with pictures. Because who doesn't love a list and pictures? 

Blastoise

There are very few slow but powerful Pokémon confirmed for the game so far. Blastoise would fill the role nicely and would have something to offer that few other bulky 'mon do: ranged attacks. The water-spurting cannons would make Blastoise an interesting fighter, slow and powerful, not something you'd want to get too close to, but also capable of attacking from a distance.

On top of that Blastoise has always struck me as a counterpart to Charizard in a way the Venusaur (the other generation I starter) doesn't. It would be nice to see the pair of them in the game together.

Scizor

Although Scizor looks like a Pokémon that would be pretty nippy it's speed in the main series games is actually pretty average. It's not really powerful enough to be a heavy-hitter either. What Scizor has going for it is the wings and pincers combo. It adds another flying Pokémon to the roster and the pincers (full-on clamps in its mega evolution form) would make it play like no other Pokémon. Plus it's one of the few Pokémon that can learn Bullet Punch, and Bullet Punch would be a hell of a signature move for a fighting game.

Hariyama

I think Hariyama is one of the few fighting types to stand out enough to warrant inclusion in this game. It's a sumo wrestler. Make him the slowest fighter, give him an E Honda² move set and you've got a powerful fighter who can do massive damage if he gets in close. He'd probably make a really good expert option.

I'm sure a lot of people would feel the Hitmon family deserve to be added instead of Hariyama. The thing is that while each member of the Hitmon family has their own gimmick that could be fleshed out into a Pokken fighting style it would feel odd including one without the others. Putting in all three when you're working with (presumably) a relatively slender roster doesn't feel terribly efficient or diverse. They're DLC or sequel material.

Excadrill

 

The obvious thing to point out is that, being a ground type and, more importantly, a giant mole, Excadrill would make sense as a fighter who dives under the arena floor and pops up somewhere else. Its large, presumably part-steel, claws create options for jabbing and swiping attacks that deal large amounts of damage. I think it would work as a fighter that closes ground with its underground movement and does some damage before retreating. That's a play style only Weavile seems to offer from the current confirmed line-up, and there are no underground dash larks to be had there.

Darmanitan

Although Darmanitan's burly arms are ideal for a fighting game they're not the reason I'm suggesting its inclusion. There are lots of burly Pokémon. Burliness is not what makes Darmanitan special. What makes it special is its Zen Mode ability, in which it becomes a blue statue and gets a secondary psychic typing.

Granted, becoming a static object in a fighting game isn't exactly ideal but it's one of the best options for a unique fighting style available for the game. In its regular form Darmanitan could be all fire punches and bursts of speed. In Zen Mode it could be throwing out telekinetic jabs and throws and absorbing damage. There is no better option in terms of unique play style than Darmanitan.

Aegislash

This is another Pokémon with different forms, although they're not quite as diverse as those of Darmanitan. One is Shield Forme, the other is Blade Forme. Obviously these are defence and attack based respectively. In the RPGs each Forme provides a stat boost and a stat drop, as you'd expect. Switching between the two Formes could make Aegislash an interesting fighter here, unleashing a combo in Blade Forme before switching to Shield Forme and backing off. Alternatively players could select a Forme before the fight and only use that throughout, although that would seem a bit limited and not actually in line with how the Pokémon actually works.

Staraptor

Satraptor is strong, quick, has intimidate for its ability, and is blessed with probably the best design of all early game flying type's final evolution. In the main games it learns powerful fighting type moves Close Combat and Final Gambit by levelling up, both of which would look good in Pokken. So, for that matter, would Brave Bird. It would give the game another flying type option, something I think is a good thing considering this is meant to be a Pokémon fighting game and the number of flying types that are out there.

I'm sure a lot of people would favour Pigeot over Staraptor. I don't think it would be as good a fit. Real talk, the most sensible bird Pokémon from Gen I would be Fearow because it looks mean. But Staraptor is better.

Goodra

Finally, there's Goodra. In the RPGs of the main series it's a defensive tank with pretty high attack stats and average speed. That sounds like  good basis for a character in a fighting game. On top of that there's the goo. Its hidden ability is Gooey, something which slows down other Pokémon whenever they make physical contact. Sounds like a good gimmick for Pokken to me.

The game also needs a dragon type, because it's so popular, and Goodra would provide that. It's not one of the more iconic or popular dragon types like Dragonite, Salamence or Garchomp but that's not necessarily a bad thing. They could be saved for DLC or a sequel.

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This isn't intended as a definitive or extensive list of Pokémon that have to be added to Pokken Tournament. They're my top suggestions. I could have made more. I could have argued in favour of Primeape, Alakazam, Breloom, Slaking, Toxicroak, Dusknoir, Scrafty, Golurk, Hawlucha and a bunch of others too. But that's the point really. Not everything's going to get in and expectations need to be limited. If just one of these fighters gets added I'll be happy.

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¹ These are Lucario, Machamp, Charizard , Pikachu, Pikachu Libra³, Gardevoir, Suicine, Gengar, Blaziken, Weavile, Shadow Mewtwo, and Sceptile.

² On the off chance that you're reading this and aren't overly familiar with the video gaming world, E Honda is a sumo wrestler from Street Fighter. He has a signature move referred to as the Hundred Hand Slap in which his hand becomes a blur.

³ This is a Pikachu in a luchador outfit. Apparently it will play differently to regular Pikachu. Presumably less electric attacks and more suplexes and power bombs...