Pokémon Battrio is played with tokens and an arcade cabinet. Here are the rules and mechanics, based on Poképédia and our articles from the time.
A match
- Each player chooses three tokens and swipes them over the cabinet’s central scanner.
- They then place their tokens on the playing surface: their arrangement sets the team’s formation.
- The HP of the three Pokémon are added together into a shared life bar.
- The Pokémon face off in three-on-three battles; Speed decides the order of actions.
A player can use two Pokémon with the same name, as long as their tokens come from different series.
Attacks
Each Pokémon has just one attack, accompanied by a short animation. It has appeared on the tokens since the Darkrai Raid Chapter, and can be of a different type from the Pokémon since the Arceus Advent Chapter. With Battrio V-03, in December 2011, a second, more powerful attack arrives: the V attack. Tornadus gains Hurricane, Thundurus gains Thunder and Landorus gains Dig.
Special abilities
Since the Giratina Quake Chapter, some Pokémon have a special ability, shown by a symbol on the token, that helps the whole team. It was renamed “Extra” with the Black Lightning – White Flame series.
| Symbol | Effect |
|---|---|
| HP | The team’s HP increases |
| Attack | The team’s Attack increases |
| Defense | The team’s Defense increases |
| Speed | The team’s Speed increases |
| Support | Support between team members improves |
| Berry | The team has a Berry |
The Memory Key and levels
The Black Lightning – White Flame series, in 2011, introduces levels: Pokémon grow stronger, and their improved stats are saved on the player’s Memory Key.
