One of the advantages of having teenage kids is that they often buy video games that you want to play. My youngest recently bought Pokken Tournament, and I’ve had a chance to play around with it myself.

Pokken Tournament is an old school fighting game in the Tekken style. Two opponents square off in a ring, seeking to beat the crap out of the other with complicated moves and combos. You can level your Pokemon up, giving him skill points in various attributes, to better increase your chances against opponents are you get higher and higher in the league.

Your Pokemon can also perform cool burst maneuvers that come with little cut scenes showing your opponent being trounced. In addition you also have a couple of small Pokemon support friends who you can call upon to help you in your battle. Every match is a two out of three scenario, and there are multiple leagues that you can work your way up in to gain more skill levels. This allows you to unlock more goodies, such as avatar customizations and badges.

I haven’t gotten nearly as far as my kids in this game, but I’m really enjoying what I’ve played. It’s a nice mix of skill and brutal button mashing, but I find it more strategic than other fighting games like Smash Bros. I feel like I can actually perform many of the maneuvers that I try, instead of frantically trying to get anything to land.

Overall, a fun Wii U game to pass the time.