A cartoonish ball of dust and debris engulfs my Blaziken as the opposing Primeape puts their gloves on me and I’m quickly thrown across the arena. There’s barely a moment’s respite before the monkey rolls back onto my back, this time lifting my fighter above his head and throwing him further.
This may sound more like a self-inserted story from the anime than a moment from the Pokemon games, but it’s actually my misadventures in a fan-made 2D fighter. Like Pokken Tournament, the game, created by fighting game enthusiast Battle Capacity, draws its roster from the Nintendo franchise, focusing specifically on battle types to give your fight some real weight.
The current roster is relatively small, but I’m already a fan of how big it is and how different each fighter feels. As a lifelong Gen 3 fan, I was immediately drawn to Blaziken, whose kung fu aesthetic combines complex, precise strikes with longer-range fire attacks. The remaining characters currently available include the slightly clumsy moves of Bewear, the direct, stabbing poison attacks of Toxicroak, and the frenzied, sliding moves of Heracross. There’s also Primeape, of course, whose furious, relentless barrage of punches knocks my firestarter to the ground many, many times before I can finally claim a ride from him.
As you may have noticed, while I love my Pokemon games, I’m no fighting game expert. Thankfully, Battle Capacity’s efforts have impressed people who know a little more than me – you can see the game as it’s supposed to be played on TikTok below. later Blood (opens in a new tab), where you can download a current version of the game for free, the creator has highlighted the techniques of impressed fighting game fans who are beginning to break down the intricacies of the game.
@honorable10jin (Opens in a new tab) ♬ It’s Gotta Be (New Wave) – CapzLock & 33col3 & Rosesleeves (Opens in a new tab)
It’s been a busy week for Pokemon fans, with Monday’s Pokemon Presents revealing Scarlet and Violet DLC and the long awaited pokemon dream.