Pokken Tournament DX for Nintendo Switch release date and details

By Eric Abent/June 6, 2017 10:20 am EST

Nintendo just wrapped up its Pokemon-focused Direct broadcast, and though someone was hyped for a mainline Pokemon game on the Switch (it was me), that's not what we're getting. Instead, we're getting an enhanced port of the much-loved Wii U fighting game Pokken Tournament. Dubbed Pokken Tournament DX, this new game will offer a number of improvements for Switch players, and it'll be out in just a few short months.

Though our look at the game was rather brief, Pokemon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara did give us a good idea of what to expect. It seems that the core Pokken Tournament experience will remain unchanged, though some of the features Ishihara chose to highlight included new 3 vs 3 team battles, online ranked battles, and friend battles, which are unranked.

The Switch version of Pokken Tournament will also add five new fighters to the roster. The new Pokemon joining the previous roster of 16 are Darkrai, Scizor, Empoleon, Croagunk, and Decidueye, who will be the sole representative from Pokemon Sun and Moon. The inclusion of these five characters brings the roster up to a total of 21.

Though it's nice to see a game like Pokken Tournament getting a chance at a second life on the Switch, it is just a tad disappointing that Nintendo still seems hesitant to commit the mainline Pokemon series to its new console. When we consider how old the 3DS is these days, you'd think that it'll have to happen eventually, but apparently Nintendo thinks that the 3DS has enough life left to keep the mainline Pokemon games exclusive to it for now.

We'll just have to wait and see what Nintendo decides to do with the Pokemon series when the 3DS has completely run its course. For now, though, Pokken Tournament DX should be suitable for those looking to play a Pokemon game of any kind on the Switch. Pokken Tournament DX is out on the Nintendo Switch on September 22, so only a few more months left to go. There's more coverage from today's Nintendo Direct coming up, so stay tuned.