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| Courtesy: Nintendo/The Pokémon Company |
Publisher: Nintendo/The
Pokémon Company
Developer: Genius Sonority
Platform: 3DS eShop
ESRB Rating: E
My Rating: ***1/2:5
Puzzle-based spinoff games
have always been fun diversions for the Pokémon series.
Notable ones include the
Nintendo 64 game “Pokémon Puzzle League” (based on the classic
“Tetris
Attack, which in turn was
based on the Japanese “Panel de Pon”) and the Nintendo DS
“Pokémon
Trozei” (A “Bejeweled”
clone of sorts where Pokémon heads are swapped instead of jewels).
Now,
they are joined by the 3DS
eShop title “Pokémon Shuffle.”
While the “freemium”
model has been a divisive one for gaming (essentially; it involves
giving you a set number of
time and items for play free, with you paying for more if you
desire); this
game has managed to make it
work by being generous with free items and playtime via the 3DS'
Streetpass and Spotpass
features. When you meet other players via that function; you can
easily gain
more ways to play.
The gameplay echoes the
likes of “Bejeweled;” and also adds that mechanic to a
surprisingly fun method of
battling and capturing Pokémon. The result is a game that's not too
tough
for casual players and also
not too easy for hardcore ones.
While the graphics and
sound are minimalist at best; they are also colorful and bouncy,
as befitting the franchise.
It also has quite possibly the most cheerful “Game Over” music
ever heard
in a video game.
Yet, the main draw of the
game is also arguably its biggest flaw: the freemium model.
Depending on your play
style, it might be difficult to spend actual money to get in-game
currency and
items needed to excel on
later stages. While not everyone minds this; the freemium model in
itself
has been highly divisive
among gamers for being a sort of double-edged sword for the more
well-off.
Be that as it may;
“Pokémon Shuffle” is definitely an entertaining game regardless
of
what you might think of its
business model. It's definitely worth downloading if you own a 3DS.
