The idea of a battle-centric Pokémon game that lets trainers duke it out without all the breeding and badge collecting has been around since the early days with Pokémon Stadium, so it’s exciting that Pokémon Champions looks to continue that legacy 26 years later. This “free-to-start” (Nintendo’s words, not mine) turn-based battler puts its full focus on online PvP using the series’ classic combat system. That being said, while it may look and play like Pokémon, Champions’ lack of substance keeps it from being the very best way to battle with your Pokemon.
If you have played any of the mainline Pokémon games, Champions will feel like slipping back into a slimmer pair of your favorite Running Shoes. You and a single opponent build teams of six Pokémon to pick from for either 3v3 single battles or 4v4 double battles (sorry to anyone hoping for four-player team matches), pick your moves simultaneously, and slug it out until one team is entirely knocked out. It’s turn-based nostalgia fuel, and Pokémon’s mix of reading your opponent, clever strategy, and a bit of luck are a big part of why I have kept coming back with each new entry for nearly 30 years.
Despite occasional bugs – which, to developer The Pokemon Works’ credit, it has been tackling since release – Pokémon Champions’ battles make for a solid foundation (which is good when that’s really all there is to it). I often found myself swearing I would do only one more battle before calling it quits before inevitably staying up for a few more bouts. I really enjoy this combat system even without all the catching and leveling that usually accompanies it, so the fact that this is all there is wouldn’t be an issue… if the content available at its launch wasn’t so – dare I say – Gloom-y?
For being a dedicated battling game, it’s shocking to me just how few options there are to do that. The option to fight with one Pokémon at a time or two is pretty much the only choice you are given. Champions doesn’t even provide an option to bring your full roster of six into the fray. And why no single-player challenges or any single-player offerings, period? Bring back the Gym Leader Castle gauntlet, or let trainers face off against super-powered legendaries, anything that could be played offline, or ways to test your ideas. As is, it’s online PvP, or nothing at all.
