Nintendo has finally ventured into the foray of free-to-pay games, something that has long been a staple of mobile gaming. Also known as ‘freemium’ games, the titles are free to download and play, but your playtime can be limited and getting further in the game can sometimes actually cost you money. That free game may not be so free after all.
Thankfully though Nintendo seems to be leaning towards the better side of freemium gaming. By that I mean that you can certainly use real money to add to your enjoyment of the game, but you’re in no way required or even compelled to do so.
So what is this game? Pokémon Shuffle is a puzzle game, in the same style as Candy Crush. In Pokémon Shuffle your goal is to clear various stages by lining up the same Pokémon and clearing these matches from the puzzle area. All of that lining up and matching has a greater purpose, and that is to deal damage to the wild Pokémon you face on the upper screen by lining up three of the same Pokémon to clear them. You will need to do battle and then try to catch that Pokémon before you run out of moves.
In each stage you’ll have a limited number of moves to defeat the wild Pokémon. Though with no time limit to make your moves, you’ll have as much time as you need to plot your decision and make your move. To clear each stage, you’ll need to reduce the HP of the wild Pokémon you face to zero, but you’ll have to do it before you run out of moves. Though some wild Pokémon have a few tricks up their sleeve and will fight back, making clearing the stage a challenge.
Now this is Pokémon, and each Pokémon have their own type, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. That means that choosing a group of Pokémon that is right for each level is important. If you’re trying to take down a fire Pokémon, using water type Pokémon will work do your advantage and so more damage when you attack. You’ll notice little yellow arrows on the icons when this is the case. If you happen to choose a Pokémon that is weak against your opponent, you’ll see little blue down arrows.
Don’t worry if you don’t want to go rooting through your list of available Pokémon though as there’s a handy little ‘optimize’ button to set it up for you. You’ll also level up your Pokémon as you play, with higher level Pokémon doing more damage.
The game also features Mega-Evolving Pokémon. The Pokémon in the first spot, and for whom you have a mega evolve stone, will be shown in a meter on the left side of the screen. As you match up its icons, the bar will fill and once it does that Pokémon will mega evolve. When one of your Pokémon Mega Evolves, it can clear out a large number of Pokémon at once or cause other special effects! It’s a handy move that can really help in a pinch.
Nintendo also seems to be getting into the swing of things and is adding special event challenges, which can be unlocked after you progress enough through the game and “check in” online. The first two thus far are Celebrate Launch with Mew, where you can try and capture Mew and add him to your team, and Meowth’s Coin Mania. Meowth’s Coin Mania lets you challence the cat Pokémon with a chance to collect more coins.
So the game is free-to-play. But what about the elements that could cost you money?
You have a limited number of plays in the game, and a timer which recharges until you can play again. You start with five hearts, and it costs one heart for one play. Once you use up all five hearts you’ll have to wait 30 minutes to recharge one heart. The money aspect comes if you’re impatient and want to play more NOW.
To refill your hearts you need to spend jewels, which are the ‘premium’ currency for the game. You can pick up jewels occasionally through the game as a prize, but they are few and far between. You can use your eShop balance to purchase jewels, which can then be used to purchase hearts so you can get back to playing right now. You can also purchase more coins with jewels.
You don’t NEED to purchase them in the eShop, but you do have the opportunity.
It makes me wonder how successful the venture will be. Certainly Pokémon is popular enough that people will undoubtedly use real world money to buy jewels. And the game, as every other “like item matching game” is highly addicting and fun to play. Let’s face it, I’ve played a bunch of these games and they’re all fun. Even moreso when there is something to collect, like Pokémon.
One small note about the game though is that it doesn’t support 3D at all. Not that the game really has anything to show off in 3D, but just thought I’d point that out.
Pokémon Shuffle is a fun game to play. Though I’m a little annoyed by the heart system, the game is free. And let’s face it, free plus fun equals a great time.
