The first Pokémon game on Wii U, Pokémon Rumble U was released on August 15, 2013 in Europe, only on the eShop, even before North America. This third entry in the Rumble series keeps the formula of Pokémon toys battling in the dozens, adds the GamePad and NFC figures, and features all 649 Pokémon from the first five generations. A colorful installment, but quickly repetitive.
Toys trying to get back
Pokémon toys, mislaid by accident, are trying to return to the store they came from. The player starts with Pikachu or one of the Unova starters, Snivy, Tepig and Oshawott, and travels through an amusement park, a transport museum and a mystic forest before reaching the store. The story is a pretext, but the varied settings keep the pace up.
Chaos on screen
Up to a hundred Pokémon fight at the same time on screen. Each toy has two attacks and sometimes a special Ability. Defeated Pokémon sometimes drop their toy, and the coins you earn are used to upgrade them, in strength or in attacks. Each stage offers challenges that earn colored Poké Balls. Up to four players can take part, cooperatively or against each other.
NFC figures
Pokémon Rumble U is the first Wii U game to use the GamePad’s NFC reader. Figures sold separately, released before amiibo and incompatible with them, add their Pokémon to the game and let you use it as an overpowered toy. In Europe, their distribution remained very limited, which frustrated many players. See NFC figures.
The drawbacks
Like its predecessors, Rumble U gets tiring quickly in single player: the battles all feel alike, and the appeal lies in collecting. The use of the GamePad remains modest. At €14.99, the price was still reasonable for a downloadable game.
Should you play it today?
The Wii U eShop closed in March 2023: it is no longer possible to buy the game. Those who downloaded it can still play it, and enjoy it with friends.
Our verdict
A colorful and generous installment, best enjoyed with others rather than alone.
What we like
- All 649 Pokémon from the first five generations
- Up to four players and a hundred Pokémon on screen
- Challenges in each stage that extend the game
- Varied settings
What we like less
- Repetitive battles in single player
- NFC figures poorly distributed in Europe
- Limited use of the GamePad
- No longer on sale
