Pokken Tournament Arcade Controller Headed For The West

True Pokken Tournament players won’t have to spend much to play the game authentically like its Japanese arcade counterpart.

Like several Bandai Namco fighting games, Pokken Tournament is enjoying a fair first run through Japanese arcade systems before it makes a console debut. However, when it was first revealed that the game would be played with a fairly particular gamepad in Japan, many had feared that the authentic gameplay style the game was intended for wouldn’t make it to consoles, let alone for Western gamers. Thankfully, as noted by Destructoid, North American players of Pokken Tournament will be able to buy a controller that replicates the true Pokemon fighting game experience.

The “HORI Pokken Tournament Pro Pad Limited Edition Controller for Nintendo Wii U” costs only $24.99 (plus related shipping and import fees) and is officially licensed by both Nintendo and Pokemon. Its design is a replication that is based off of the official Pokken Tournament arcade cabinet controller and is a wired USB controller designed for one-game usage. That means it won’t work with other Wii U games, similar to that of the Super Smash Bros. Gamecube controller, but unlike the Melee-nostalgia-based offering Nintendo released last year this controller doesn’t need an adaptor.

More from GameSided

While the Pokken Tournament Pro Pad is scheduled for release on March 18, 2016, that is only in accordance to the Japanese release on Japanese Wii U, which is region-locked to prevent early access in outside markets (thanks, Nintendo). Pokken Tournament has a North American release window of Q2 2016, and is set to contain a number of notable Pokemon fighters, including Luchador Pikachu, Shadow Mewtwo and a host of updated characters.

Home/News