In terms of the gameplay itself, Pokémon Tower Defense 2 feels relatively similar to its predecessor, since battles are still fought in the classic tower-defense style with Pokémon as the towers. You enter into both wild and trainer battles against multiple and single Pokémon equipped with a team of six active Pokémon that can be chosen from a potentially infinite number of Pokémon that you have captured beforehand.

Battles involve placing your Pokémon in various pre-determined positions on the screen and attempting to overcome the enemy by making them faint before your team is defeated. The strategy of the game comes not only in the placement of your Pokémon but in the training and strengthening of your team by levelling them up as experience points are gained. The elemental type of your Pokémon is also an extremely important factor in determining the strength of your team.

Pokémon fans will relish the game’s loyalty to the rules and traditions of classic Pokémon games: the levelling up of Pokémon through gaining experience points in battle, the capturing and training of Pokémon, the learning of moves as they grow, and the constant references from the developer to classic Pokémon events and past times are just a few of the ways that the game is true to its Pokémon roots. Perhaps most importantly, the game follows the battle mechanics of Pokémon as closely as possible, placing emphasis on the types of your Pokémon when decided its effectiveness against its opponents. The many types (including Water, Fire, Psychic, Steel, Rock, and Fighting) all have their own efficacy or weaknesses against each other, and the battle mechanics are based on these strengths and weaknesses. This means that the strategy in the game comes from forming a well-rounded team composed of a variety of carefully-chosen types.

Pokémon Tower Defense 2 has a story mode that in contrast with its predecessor is free-roaming, allowing you to explore the fictional Johto region of Pokémon at your own discretion instead of sticking to a set of predetermined levels that must be played through. The game itself is updated on a weekly basis with new story mode updates and regular mystery gift giveaways that allow you to receive a powerful shiny Pokémon for free. The game also has 1 vs 1 mode which allows you to go up against a series of trainers on a one-to-one basis, which is a format that is more akin to the traditional gym battles in the main series of Pokémon games.

Pokemon Tower Defense: https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/566150 is an essential title for any Pokémon fan to experience, not only to alleviate the stressful wait for Pokémon X and Y, but simply because the game is an experience in itself. The game is being constantly updated and allows you to assemble your very own Pokémon team with the same aesthetic as the original GameBoy games. It will be nostalgic for some, and for others, it will be a refreshing take on the tower defense genre.