Last week, Pokémon Rumble Rush was released in Australia as part of a limited beta test. The game isn’t to be confused with the other all-new exciting Pokemon mobile game coming out sometime before March next year though.
Pokémon Rumble Rush is a charming mobile title developed by Ambrella, the same people who were behind the other titles in the franchise for the 3DS and Wii.
The game is pretty simple to grasp, it is playable with one hand, in portrait mode and you tap to attack. You go through maps – different islands, battling bosses and also collecting more Toy Pokemon.
Yesterday the game went worldwide alongside a new update, which came with a number of fixes for bugs and glitchers. But is Pokémon Rumble Rush actually any good?
Pokémon Rumble Rush’s presentation isn’t much different than the 3DS and Wii counterparts. They re-use the same models as the previous games, albeit higher resolution. It’s cute and colourful.
The sound effects and animations for movement and attacks are good enough, and the music is upbeat and catchy. Nothing to really complain about, they’re all solid.
My only real gripe with Pokémon Rumble Rush is that it’s causalizing gameplay from a series that was already super easy and accessible.
The game isn’t super challenging, it’s mindless fun. I spent my fair share of time playing during the limited Australian release. For a free-to-play title, it isn’t too bad but I can’t see myself spending much more time in it.
Keep in mind, like any usual free-to-play title, there is microtransactions. In Pokémon Rumble Rush this comes in the form of Poké Diamonds.
Just like Pokemon Quest, whilst you can play Rumble Rush without dropping money, you might find it a bit frustrating. Eventually you hit progress walls requiring grind, and you’ll struggle in later parts of the game.
Whilst the game isn’t perfect, it’s a much better title than Pokemon Quest. Pokemon Rumble Rush sets out to provide the Rumble series gameplay on mobile, and they do it in a charming fashion.
I can see the game being popular with children, and any long-time fans of the Rumble series, itching for a new game. If you’re a fan of Pokemon, there really isn’t any harm in trying out the game either – it’s free!
The game is already available for Android on the Google Play Store, however there hasn’t been any news about an iOS release just yet.