Pokémon Duel (iOS) Review

Pokémon Duel has one of the more unique methods of battling, while sticking to some series basics: trainers choose six Pokémon to take with them into battle against each other. However, where most Pokémon games see the tactical selection of moves and usage of items as the focal point, the main goal of Pokémon Duel is simply to get one figure onto the opponent's goal space. Figures have a certain number of spaces they can move, and should opposing critters come into contact with each other, a battle will ensue.

Battles consist of both players spinning their respective creature's wheel. This is a disc with several slices representing attacks, abilities, or the dreaded "miss." Different attacks or abilities outrank each other, and Pokémon can find themselves knocked out, passed over, or simply unaffected depending on the spin. Players can level up their Pokémon, increasing and decreasing the sizes of various slices of their wheels, increasing the odds of good spins. Abilities (for example, some ghost Pokémon being able to simply pass others on the game board) add a layer of strategy to the mix, and the Pokémon models, often depicted in mid-attack, are quite fun to look at and collect.

Where Pokémon Duel falls short is in balance. A few overarching strategies are objectively better than simply choosing one's favourite monsters and sending them into the field, and more often than not a battle is all but decided from the gate; keen-eyed players will know exactly what strategy their opponent is employing by just looking at their Pokémon, and whether or not it works will often come down to nothing more than who gets a luckier spin.