Pokken Tournament: How to Play Local Multiplayer Without FPS Drops

When Pokken Tournament was announced, it immediately piqued the interest of Pokemon fans. An intriguing collaboration between Nintendo, The Pokemon Company, and Namco Bandai, the title looked set to combine the fighting gameplay of the Tekken series with the beloved characters of Pokemon. All this led to the game being one of the most anticipated titles of 2016.

However, the game's eventual form has proved to be a little bit underwhelming. In particular, fans have taken umbrage with the fact that the Pokken Tournament playable character roster is disappointingly low, with only sixteen Pokemon to choose from out of the over 700 that currently exist. All in all, this made the title feel a little more like a barebones project than a finished product.

That said, Pokken Tournament has also gained plenty of plaudits, with praise for some of the more refreshing parts of the title's gameplay alongside some impressive visuals. However, the title's graphical quality can take a hit when playing local multiplayer, as the game's 60 FPS will drop down to 30 FPS. Thankfully, there is a workaround that will allow players to keep the game at its original quality, while dreaming of the most wanted Pokemon that didn't make the final game.

If players wish to stay at 60 FPS whilst playing local multiplayer, however, they will need a different setup entirely. Local Battles in Pokken Tournament allow one player to use the Wii U GamePad, and the other to use a controller and the actual TV screen, as seen in other titles such as Hyrule Warriors. This is actually the cause of the decreased locked 30 FPS frame rate, since there is an increase in game rendering to accommodate for the separate perspectives. Instead, players can play the hidden LAN Battle mode, which requires two Wii U consoles and two separate copies of the game.

This secret mode, however, is not found in the standard gameplay menu options. The user can find it by going to the title screen, and holding down L, R, and Down on the D-Pad before pressing Start. Both of the players accessing the LAN Battle mode will need to choose the same game options, although a positive is that all playable characters are available to play, even if the players have not unlocked them yet.

There are three different ways to actually connect for the LAN Battle mode, with their own requirements for both hardware and software configurations. The first two require access to networks, whilst the final - and perhaps most stable - mode is a direct Wii U to Wii U connection. Here are the different requirements for each configuration.

Home Networking

This network is a normal wired network, with both Wii U consoles connected via LAN cable through the network. There can be some issues, however, if there are other devices using bandwidth that may affect the connection. The following hardware is required:

2 Wii U Consoles

2 Copies of Pokken Tournament

2 Televisions or Monitors

2 Wii U LAN Adapters

2 LAN Cables

1 Router

Both users can set up this connection by going to Settings > Internet > Connect to the Internet and finally choosing Wired Connection as the default option.

Wireless Networking

The next network option is another that connects over a standard network. However, this uses the console's wireless capabilities. This can once more result in some interference. Below is the hardware needed:

2 Wii U Consoles

2 Copies of Pokken Tournament

2 Televisions or Monitors

1 Wireless Router

Both users can set up this connection by going to Settings > Internet > Connect to the Internet and finally selecting the Wireless option. However, both users should make sure they are connected to the same access point.

Wii U Direct Connection

Finally, players can choose the direct connection option between the two Wii U consoles. This method is actually chosen for tournament play, since the direct connection between the two consoles removes much of the risk of latency issues. Here is the hardware that players will require:

2 Wii U Consoles

2 Copies of Pokken Tournament

2 Televisions or Monitors

2 Wii U LAN Adapters

1 Crossover LAN Cable

The setup of this method is the most complex of the lot, however. Users should follow System Settings > Internet > Connect to the Internet, then press Y and select Wired Connection. They should then connect the LAN Adapter to the Wii U consoles and press OK. A communication test will start, but will then fail. Players should not worry, and instead select OK to see the error results.

Next, users should press X, which loads up the Internet Connection Setup screen, and follow on to the details of the connection. Tabbing right, the correct IP address can then be selected. Players should choose Do Not Auto-Obtain, and then enter these values:

IP Address: 192.168.000.001 or 192.168.000.002 (depending on the console)

Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.000

Gateway: 192.168.000.050

The Wii U will then ask the users to set up DNS servers, at which point Do Not Auto-Obtain should be chosen again. Instead, the Primary DNS value should be 001.000.000.000. Users can then press B to save the settings, making sure to not run a connection test. Finally, the game can be loaded and a LAN Battle can commence.

Hopefully, this guide will have assisted in allowing a smoother Pokken Tournament local multiplayer experience. With Nintendo currently holding no plans for any DLC for the title, this may prove a useful way to get the most out of the game from the limited content available at launch. It could also be a great way to hone skills against other hardened Pokemon fans at the highest FPS available.

Source: Serebii