You're definitely going to need a well-rounded group of Pokémon to win the game (or compete in online versus mode), so it's a good thing you really can catch all 151 of the original critters through gameplay. Suddenly, all those defensive powers make a lot more sense, and moves that lower enemy accuracy or boost your own defense are much more valuable. Click on a Pokémon's icon to send them down the line, and hope they make it through alive. Chapter Three, however, turns the tables by having enemy Pokemon act as towers and your team be the invaders. (Though they'll only get experience for being close to an enemy when it's defeated.) Leveling up requires money, oddly enough, and if you've got a bunch of it burning a hole in your pocket you can even pay to have your favourite team member learn new, more powerful moves, or relearn old ones you may have had it forget.įor the first two chapters, your Pokemon's life bar won't come into play at all. Just like in the handheld version, Pokémon will level up and even evolve when certain conditions are met, learning new moves as they go. Fighting is automatic, but you do need to keep an eye on things Pokémon will only use one attack over and over, but you can select which one whenever you like by clicking on their icon at the bottom of the screen. Important, since different types do more or less damage against each other, with psychic prevailing over fighting types, and grass beating the tar out of water, for example. You can also adjust your Pokémon placement on the fly, grabbing and dragging them around to any other open spot on the map if you need to make a change to your strategy. You set your lineup before each stage, and then drag and place them to squares on the battlefield where they'll attack anything in range. Your "towers" in this case are the Pokémon on your team. Originally featured in a Link Dump Friday article in 2011, it's a surprisingly fun, addictive, and even strategic little game that fans of the series will want to sink their teeth into.Įach stage in Story Mode has different requirements for victory. The game, by Sam and Dan, is exactly what it sounds like the popular gotta-catch-em-all experience turned into a fan-made tower defense RPG hybrid complete with goofy story, evolution, trading, Mystery Gifts, badges, and more. Pokémon Tower Defense is one of those things you look at both with apprehension and a sort of guilty longing.