On April 8, 2015, a few weeks after Pokémon Shuffle, Nintendo launched a second free Pokémon game on the 3DS Nintendo eShop: Pokémon Rumble World. The fourth installment of the Rumble series, developed by Ambrella, it promised all 719 Pokémon of the time to collect as toys, with your Mii as the hero. How good is this free-to-play game, and its boxed version released in 2016?
The Rumble formula
The Rumble series transposes Pokémon into a world of toys. Your Mii, a subject of a king who owns only a Pikachu, sets off across the Toy Kingdom to befriend as many Pokémon as possible, in order to outdo a wizard who boasts of having far more. On the field, it is a very simple action game: you steer a Pokémon, hit everything that moves with two moves, and defeated Pokémon sometimes join your collection.
The simplicity is deliberate: no finely calculated types, no turn-based battles, just short, snappy stages that play out in a few minutes. The youngest players feel at home right away, and the joy of watching your collection grow works for everyone.
A gigantic collection
This is the game’s great strength: all 719 Pokémon from the first six generations, except Hoopa and Volcanion, with their alternate forms, their Mega Evolutions and the Primal Reversions of Kyogre and Groudon. Each destination, reached by hot-air balloon, gathers Pokémon of one type or region, with legendary bosses in store. Traits, a sort of special power assigned at random on capture, push you to capture again and again to find the best specimen.
An honest free-to-play game
The business model rests on Poké Diamonds: they buy hot-air balloons and speed up their repair, since each balloon bursts after one trip and must be repaired, which takes from thirty minutes to several hours. The game caps purchases at 3,000 Poké Diamonds: once that total is reached, buying is disabled and the Poké Diamond Drill hands out 40 diamonds per day. This cap, rare among free-to-play games, is reassuring. You can finish the game without paying, by being patient and making the most of the diamonds from missions and StreetPass.
The thread of the special battles
The king’s missions, at the castle, give the adventure a structure: a royal tournament in several rounds, showdowns against the Wizard, the Conqueror, the Ninja and the Shadow Emperor, up to the ultimate world tournament. Each mission offers secondary objectives that earn diamonds, and a hard mode. It is a shame that the one-day wait between two missions slows down progress, unless your rank is already high.
The limits
The game is repetitive: the stages look alike, and strategy often boils down to picking the most powerful Pokémon. The wait imposed by balloon repairs breaks the rhythm if you don’t pay. Finally, the presentation is modest, even if the toy style has its charm.
The boxed version
Released in Europe on January 22, 2016 at €34.99, the boxed version gives you the 3,000 Poké Diamonds and the Poké Diamond Drill right away. It is a real comfort: you travel without waiting and can fully enjoy the collection. It is also, since the 3DS eShop closed in March 2023, the only way to discover the game.
Our verdict
Pokémon Rumble World is a simple, generous collecting game, ideal for the youngest players and for collectors. Repetitive, it is best enjoyed in short sessions; its boxed version, with no waiting, is the most pleasant way to play.
What we like
- 719 Pokémon to collect, with Mega Evolutions and Primal Reversions
- Instant pick-up-and-play
- An honest, capped free-to-play model
- The boxed version, with no waiting
What we like less
- A very repetitive action game
- Waiting on hot-air balloons in the free version
- Modest presentation
- No longer downloadable since the eShop closed
