Many Pokemon - gamebastion.com

has grown from being a singular franchise to inspiring an entire genre of role-playing and this early-access indie game is the latest title to put a unique spin on the formula. When it comes to monster-catching games that exist outside of the Nintendo environment, players have some decent options, even if none of them have managed to capture hearts and minds like. Whether it be the musical notes of or the MMO stylings of , the one thing most of them lack is the competitive spirit of sport.

Over on Steam, developer Wishes Ultd. just released into early access and it's already shaping up to be an exciting addition to the monster-taming canon.

The general structure will be familiar to fans as players explore the world and collect and train unique beasts to compete with opponents. The core difference is that battle is a turn-based sports game that requires Beasties to use special moves to launch a ball over a net and keep it in the air, much like volleyball.

Battles aren't only determined by how players use their Beasties' resources and special moves as the critters' relationships with each other will also impact their performance. Beasties in a team can become «Besties, Partners, Rivals, or Sweethearts,» with each one providing a powerful combo move that's different for every pair. That kind of variety should provide plenty of diversity when it comes to putting together a squad, encouraging players to mix and match between the various available Beasties.

also incorporates a fun structural change that allows players to take on the game's bosses in any order they wish. This not only encourages replayability but also allows for fun challenge runs and emergent gameplay that can result in two players taking very different routes through the game. On one's journey, they'll encounter more than enemy coaches as players can meet new friends, make deals with corporate sponsors, and perhaps even track down the elusive Sports King.

Many Pokémon fans find themselves stuck on what

Many Pokemon