Pokémon Rumble Rush was the fifth entry in the Rumble series, and the first on smartphones. Released on May 22, 2019 in France on Android and iOS, this free game brought back the series’ toy Pokémon, adapted to the touch screen. It lasted only a little over a year: its servers closed on July 22, 2020. A look back at a game that no longer exists.
A simplified Rumble for mobile
The toy Pokémon moved forward on its own along a single path and headed for the first enemy in range. The player simply tapped an enemy to attack it, or swiped sideways to dodge. Defeated Pokémon sometimes dropped to the ground and could be caught; if defeated while stunned or shiny, catching them was guaranteed. Each stage ended with a boss.
Rotating islands
The game’s originality lay in its islands, replaced by a new one every two or three weeks. With each change, progress started again from zero: you could no longer use your old Pokémon in the adventure, only your gears. This system kept the content fresh, but discouraged players who liked to collect. Our July 2019 article found it “horribly complicated” for anyone who wanted to climb high in the rankings.
Gears and the free-to-play model
The power of Pokémon depended on gears, obtained by refining ores. Refining took time, which could be sped up with Poké Diamonds, the game’s paid currency. As is often the case, you could play for free, but slowly.
The verdict
Despite the richness of its seven generations of Pokémon, Rumble Rush never found its audience. Announced in April 2020, the shutdown took place on July 22, 2020. The game is no longer playable.
Our verdict
An overly simplified mobile adaptation of the Rumble series, whose rotating island system discouraged players. It has not been playable since summer 2020.
What we like
- All Pokémon generations up to the seventh
- Immediate pick-up-and-play
- Regularly renewed islands
What we like less
- Progress reset with every island
- Slow gear refining
- Very passive battles
- Closed since July 2020
