Pokemon Shuffle Review: Fire-type, Water-type, Microtransaction-type

The shock of seeing Pokémon titles on mobile has officially worn off. We’ve seen Pokémon TV apps, official PokeDex apps, and even a mobile port of the Pokémon trading card game. So when match-three / battle game Pokémon Shuffle hit …

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The shock of seeing Pokémon titles on mobile has officially worn off. We’ve seen Pokémon TV apps, official PokeDex apps, and even a mobile port of the Pokémon trading card game. So when match-three / battle game Pokémon Shuffle hit the Nintendo 3DS last winter, we all suspected it’d only be a matter of time before the game shuffled (HA!) onto mobile.

Sure enough, Pokémon Shuffle recently hit iOS and Android. The news is about as surprising as running into a Zubat in a cave.

Pokémon Shuffle feels right at home on mobile, too. The game joins the endless ream of puzzle / battle games up for grabs right now, including its closest inspiration, GungHo’s Puzzle & Dragons. Luckily for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, Pokémon Shuffle’s thematic content really helps the game stand out from the crowd. Though visually unremarkable, Pokémon Shuffle’s blend of addictive match-three gameplay garnished with Pokémon mechanics and lore makes for an addictive and satisfying puzzle game.

pokemonshuffle_01

So what’s the problem? Some pretty rotten free-to-play practices that stink like Garbodor on a humid August night.

See, smart publishers have altered their games’ free-to-play formulas according to comments and criticism. One of the reasons Candy Crush Saga rose above the other free match-three games on the App Store and Google Play is because you can keep on playing for as long as you like — provided you don’t lose. Losses cause your lives to deplete, but otherwise you’re golden.

In Pokémon Shuffle, you lose one of your five lives every time you play a round.  So in five minutes, ten tops, you’re stuck waiting hours for a refill — unless you spend hard currency (gems) to get topped-off. Morever, modern developments that ease the sting of waiting, like the option to watch a video in exchange for a life or two, are absent.

It’d be really nice if Pokémon Shuffle was at least marginally fair about its lives system, since there’s a pretty cool game here. Like most puzzle / battle games, it revolves around making matches to attack foes — but with a Pokémon twist. The Pokémon you defeat and capture can be used in subsequent battles, which is important since the series’ famous “Types” come into play here. Going up against a Pidgey? Take an Electric-type (or three) into battle so that their attacks do more damage.

The more quickly you defeat a wild Pokémon, the easier it is to catch them and use them for your own ends. Unsurprisingly, the free-to-play formula rears up here like an angry Rapidash. More powerful Pokémon have a lower capture percentage (sometimes ridiculously low), and you can improve your chances by purchasing Great Balls.

pokemonshuffle_02

Though Great Balls can be bought with soft currency (gold),  they have a hefty price tag. Purchasing gold with hard currency winds up being your best bet. But I’m a bit suspicious of the capture percentages you’re offered. While it wasn’t too unusual for me to nab a Pokémon on a 30% chance without using a Great Ball, I repeatedly failed at catching a Pikachu — the series’ mascot, and no doubt a high-demand critter — despite spending enough to supposedly get a 90% capture chance.

Bad luck? Maybe. Problem is, it’s impossible to be sure.

Despite these trappings, I had a genuinely good time shuffling Pokémon to and fro. Fans of Nintendo’s series will definitely get a kick out of moving around eerie floating Pokémon heads, though the monetization schemes undeniably coat the experience with a thin layer of “ick.”

The good

  • Pokemon meshes well with match-three mechanics.
  • Catching 'em all is an addictive endeavor, even in puzzle form.

The bad

  • Free-to-play trappings are harsh, and put a damper on the whole experience.
65 out of 100
In the early aughts, Nadia fell into writing with the grace of a brain-dead bison stumbling into a chasm. Over the years, she's written for Nerve, GamePro, 1UP.com, USGamer, Pocket Gamer, Just Labs Magazine, and many other sites and magazines of fine repute. She's currently About.com's Guide to the Nintendo 3DS at ds.about.com.