Pokemon Rumble World

 3DS
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 101 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 101
  2. Mixed: 44 out of 101
  3. Negative: 21 out of 101
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. SuperWooper
    Apr 11, 2015
    6
    With the announcement of Nintendo going towards developing mobile games, it makes sense for them to start releasing free-to-play mobile-like games. The problem with these kinds of games are that, yes, they are free to download and play, it's almost impossible to complete the game without having to fork out money for certain in-game currency, waiting for a long period of time to pass orWith the announcement of Nintendo going towards developing mobile games, it makes sense for them to start releasing free-to-play mobile-like games. The problem with these kinds of games are that, yes, they are free to download and play, it's almost impossible to complete the game without having to fork out money for certain in-game currency, waiting for a long period of time to pass or getting friends to play also.

    They utilize this in Pokemon Rumble World just as much as any other app-game you might see similar to it, which is a complete turn-off for me. The game itself all around is fairly addicting and could transfer very well to mobile devices and apps.

    Overall, not the best Pokemon spin-off game, but definitely not the worst. Any casual mobile gamer could pick up on this game and enjoy it, while those opposed to mobile and app games will see right through it.    … Expand
  2. Bgakaze
    May 12, 2015
    9
    The game is fun, but to play for free you have to be really patient. Because it takes a long time for you to acquire the last balloons. I didn't want to wait so i bought around 1750 gems ($15.99), after playing for a week. Well, there's around 720 pokemons, so if you buy gems and start playing all levels you take around 1 month to finish. If you don't, you'll take a year.

    I think this    The game is fun, but to play for free you have to be really patient. Because it takes a long time for you to acquire the last balloons. I didn't want to wait so i bought around 1750 gems ($15.99), after playing for a week. Well, there's around 720 pokemons, so if you buy gems and start playing all levels you take around 1 month to finish. If you don't, you'll take a year.

    I think this game is worth a try, if you have a 3DS you should download and see for yourself.    … Expand
  3. JinxazuMarai
    Apr 9, 2015
    10
    Nintendo has slowly been introducing Free to Play games for a while now. And the first two being this and Pokemon: Shuffle. Now while I could go into detail about Pokemon: Shuffle, I am providing a review of this game and countering any hateful reviews beforehand. Now, Those upon going into the e-shop will see the words "Free-to-start" As iwata has already stated that he hates the term,Nintendo has slowly been introducing Free to Play games for a while now. And the first two being this and Pokemon: Shuffle. Now while I could go into detail about Pokemon: Shuffle, I am providing a review of this game and countering any hateful reviews beforehand. Now, Those upon going into the e-shop will see the words "Free-to-start" As iwata has already stated that he hates the term, "Free-to-play" This will come into play later and explain how nintendo has done micro-transactions right. You start out fine, Playing with a pikachu as part of a tutorial and the story is rather simple yet cute. The game features air balloons, that allow you to go to different worlds seperated by three-four lands. Each land features a total of 16 pokemon. You rely on a roulette system to make your choice, although alternatively you can still get the land you want if you know how you do it as the roation goes one way and the lands goes the other.

    Upon completing the level, The balloon must refill. In the meanwhile, you can complete challenges to gain more pokediamonds to unlock more balloons or clothing. There is a ranking system that increases by one for every pokemon you capture that is different, So if you catch a pidgey, You get one exp, Catch it again, It won't happen. But getting another pokemon that's different gets another exp. Every rank unlocks more features. There is also a password feature, allowing for furture special pokemon. Currently there are two, Smeargle and Pancham which give "Gift" traits identified by blue text. I won't spoil what they do, that's for you to find out. The biggest enjoyment is the collection. As you slowly fill up you collection, You have a limit but can purchase more and the amount and the cost is fair. Starting out by 2 gems and then 4 by then you would have around 340 and it's noticed. If you send off any unwanted pokemon, don't feel bad, they leave a gift behind of ten coinds each which helps get trees which act as passive abilites. Now, As I mentioned before, The game is free to start but there is a pay out option. When you purchase the 3000 gem pack, which is about 30 or dollars, you have infinite gems. You receive 20 gems per day to save up for future events or retries or anything. That's what anyone else will not tell you. You can purchase yourself out of the free to play model. Still have fun and really that's all to it.    … Expand
  4. bazimon
    Apr 8, 2015
    0
    This game is, in its entirety, a cheaply made money making scam published by The Pokemon Company. It contains little to no 'entertaining' gameplay, which is riddled with microtransactions, and instead of rewarding players who wish to play more then 10 minutes of the game, they force you to sit back and wait for 40 odd minutes to three hours for a measly 3 minutes of actual gameplay.
    There    This game is, in its entirety, a cheaply made money making scam published by The Pokemon Company. It contains little to no 'entertaining' gameplay, which is riddled with microtransactions, and instead of rewarding players who wish to play more then 10 minutes of the game, they force you to sit back and wait for 40 odd minutes to three hours for a measly 3 minutes of actual gameplay.
    There is no strategy in the game besides mashing the A button and hoping the RNG is on your side, the player has little impact on what stages to select and Pokemon they wish to capture and the games visuals are entirely lackluster and bland.
    This game lacks the minimal amount of charm, reminiscent of 'Pokemon Trozei' found in The Pokemon Company's earlier 'freemium game', Pokemon Shuffle that made that game somewhat playable, and causes 'Rumble World' to flop as a whole.
    Even less entertaining then the 'Rumble U' game, 'Rumble World' slips face first into a pile of shredded glass and Pokemon droppings, only further reflecing the decline of quality in the Eshop's Free-to-Play market as a whole.
    Not worth the 110MB it takes up on the 3DS, rather get a 3DS theme... it will entertain you far more then this load of money-making garbage.    … Expand
  5. rubin
    Apr 15, 2015
    0
    Almost a complete copy-paste of 2009 game but with added annoying microtransations. Music, stage structure, character models - everything was copied 1 to 1 from the old Wii game. Oh sorry, there was one new addition - now you don't even have to press any buttons to attack, the game does it for you! Pathetic. So glad I didn't have to pay money for this garbage.
  6. SirKirbyThe4th
    Apr 10, 2015
    9
    Better than Blast! Every attack is faster, more Pokemon, & no pointless story! & of course, it is free to play. The main drawback from that is you have to wait anywhere from 30 minuets to several hours to play a certain level, depending on what balloon you bought. Balloons can take you to many different locations. 2 for each generation. You can get balloons by using Diamonds, which you getBetter than Blast! Every attack is faster, more Pokemon, & no pointless story! & of course, it is free to play. The main drawback from that is you have to wait anywhere from 30 minuets to several hours to play a certain level, depending on what balloon you bought. Balloons can take you to many different locations. 2 for each generation. You can get balloons by using Diamonds, which you get by playing the game. Or, you can be a stupid & buy some with real money. You can also use Diamonds to play a level w/out having to wait, which you should never do. But based on the core game-play, it's pretty legit.… Expand
  7. Ernste
    Apr 11, 2015
    7
    This free to play games is really doing a better job than the pokemon shuffle , you don't have to keep smashing the A button by using the automatic attack system while it is actually fun to play and is free to try it out , the diamond is cheap actually with a limited time offer which under 200d : 1.79usd , this is a very simple game with the simplest control with minimum amount ofThis free to play games is really doing a better job than the pokemon shuffle , you don't have to keep smashing the A button by using the automatic attack system while it is actually fun to play and is free to try it out , the diamond is cheap actually with a limited time offer which under 200d : 1.79usd , this is a very simple game with the simplest control with minimum amount of techniques required which is great to kill your boredom by obtaining new item/pokemon , i would recommend you to try it out 1st since it is free to play… Expand
  8. kintoki125
    Apr 11, 2015
    10
    This game is really fun. You control a toy Pokemon running around and beating other Pokemon. This game might be free to play but it really stops taking your money after you buy 3,000 jewels which is about $40 and gives you items that make it more like a full game you bought.
  9. Aozz101x
    Sep 27, 2015
    7
    Pokemon Rumble World is one of the free to play titles that's better then Pokemon Shuffle, it's not bad but not good ether,
    Pros:
    - the battle system returns to the wii version
    - the game has thousands of pokemon to catch
    - the game isnt bad F2P game,

    Cons:
    - annoying AI
    - the story is meh.
    - waiting time on the balloonsn to catch pokemon

    orther then that it get a 7/10
  10. ZachReview
    May 25, 2015
    5
    This game is mediocre beyond belief. Here's by rundown going from graphics to premise.
    Graphics: Seemed to have improved since Pokemon Rumble U. Now the Pokemon designs look more re-presentable.
    Music: It's awful with unfitting music and random notes. Gameplay: The game defaults auto-attacking, so that's a good start (He lied). There is no satisfaction beating other wild Pokemon    This game is mediocre beyond belief. Here's by rundown going from graphics to premise.
    Graphics: Seemed to have improved since Pokemon Rumble U. Now the Pokemon designs look more re-presentable.
    Music: It's awful with unfitting music and random notes.
    Gameplay: The game defaults auto-attacking, so that's a good start (He lied). There is no satisfaction beating other wild Pokemon since they are so easy to beat, even the bosses. Stages are picked by a roulette system, which is bad because you waste about 25 more seconds getting into the stage. Did I mention this game might be Pay-2-Progress because you need to spend money to get diamonds so that you can get other balloons? Which takes about 20 minutes or so? In my opinion of all the gameplay flaws, the lasting appeal is just as the rating I gave.
    Premise: This game has a good premise revolving around you getting Pokemon for the king's kingdom (redundancy).
    Overall, this game is one of the most tedious and boring games I've ever played in my life. It's playable, but not by a lot. I would not recommend this game at any point, but at least it's free to download.    … Expand
  11. BaganLeleo
    Jun 7, 2015
    7
    This game feels like a full $20 3DS game, the gameplay, while simple, works, the presentation isn't overly complex, and the microtransactions are well hidden, and not necessary, I haven't spent a single penny on this game, and I've had a full experience, and since it's free, you won't have to pay anything to play.
  12. smeargle05
    Jun 7, 2015
    6
    Mindless fun, though shallow gameplay. It's a button mashing fest that comes with the free-to-play tag. The micro-transactions are far better dealt here than in Pokemon Shuffle, however, being a handheld game rather than a mobile game, the waiting times can be frustrating. It seems to have quite a bit of content but for me, it doesn't have a lasting appeal.
  13. asp5rtima
    May 17, 2015
    8
    Honestly, an amazing game I'd play often. The free-mium part of the gameplay dampens the experience a bit, otherwise an amazing game that deserves a play. It's free on 3DS, the gameplay is unique, the music is good, and while the story needs improvement.... ah, who am I kidding? It's Pokémon! It dosen't need a story to be great. Just check it out. You won't regret it!
  14. EpicLadySponge
    Jun 7, 2016
    5
    A simple experience that not only dares to be bland, but also worth playing only once. Don't recommend a second try on it. I only bought it just to fill up the Software Library on my Activity Log.
  15. Daego
    May 14, 2016
    1
    It was fun at first. It really do. But once 3DS has a new New3DS, the game for me just drop to a lower scale. some of these so called critics just simply stated that "this is how free to play transaction to pay should be". It was plainly stupid. Players can buy gems till the caps of 3000 and automatically get the mines that generate gem everyday. It was good... a very good mechanics. ButIt was fun at first. It really do. But once 3DS has a new New3DS, the game for me just drop to a lower scale. some of these so called critics just simply stated that "this is how free to play transaction to pay should be". It was plainly stupid. Players can buy gems till the caps of 3000 and automatically get the mines that generate gem everyday. It was good... a very good mechanics. But the problem lies when you want to upgrade your platform. The so called purchase caps suddenly poof. I know the transaction works like mobile game BUT this is a 3DS game and on top of that, all purchase have receipt data on their user account, they should just give the mine when people who have reach the caps get the mine whenever they start a new game. This is a really really bad move from nintendo.… Expand
  16. GamecubeLover
    Jul 28, 2016
    6
    Well not as good as two rumble games in the past but sure better than U. The game is okay but sure not memorable or entertaining but its still okay to me.
  17. thealexmott
    Mar 26, 2017
    6
    Decently fun for a while, but I ultimately completed it just because I wanted to catch 'em all. Not because it was actually fun enough to play for that long.

    I have a problem.
  18. Toasttt
    Mar 26, 2022
    6
    meh .
  19. Garde_Mystik
    Apr 27, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. (Made this much shorter so this post can go through) This game has a rough start for those who purchase the free version like I did. It's slow-paced early on as there is a timer that prevents you from playing for long periods of time unless you have gems to spend. Despite this, when I got past that groggy part of the game and bought more balloons, progressing felt so rewarding and addictive! This became expanded once I bought the full microtransactions that equaled the full game. The entire world felt much more open once I had the full game perks. Additionally, the variety of special abilities each Pokémon could have gave every Pokémon more of their own chance to shine. Your best Pokémon in this game is more determined by the fate of what special abilities you get. They even all had the chance to get the Epic trait - six whole potentially powerful abilities that truly make your Pokémon feel special and unique. For a casual game this is all great. The combination of this game's ability system, 719 Pokémon and all of their formes being obtainable, boss fights being very rewarding, and the need to come up with a strategy to wobble Pokémon made this the most fun experience I've had in catching Pokémon and one of the best feelings of adventure I've had in a Pokémon game. Your own adventure really feels like yours in this game with this and your options to customize Mii settings really helped.

    The King's Requests weren't anything deep since let's be real all the Pokémon are toys, but they came up with some interesting boss fights I wish mainline games had. All in all for a spinoff game it gets the job done real smoothly but is held back by some drawbacks that make this game not for everyone. I still think this is a top level spinoff however.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

42
#42 Best 3DS Game of 2015
15
#15 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2015
21
#21 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 16
  3. Negative: 2 out of 16
  1. Atomix
    Jun 5, 2016
    60
    Albeit really simple and easy to learn, Pokémon Rumble World is a game that quickly turns in something really monotonous and predictable. We can deny that its charm is something that will captivate many Pokémon fans but, after a few hours of gameplay, we felt that we had seen everything it had to offer.
    Read full review
  2. LevelUp
    May 16, 2016
    65
    Rather than a game for the hardcore Pokémon enthusiast, Pokémon Rumble World feels like it was made for a casual fan that likes the beat'em up elements of the series better than its RPG traits. The other issue with Pokémon Rumble World lies in its graphical presentation, more akin to the first 2009 release than to a modern game. Something should be done about it.
    Read full review
  3. Nintendo Enthusiast
    May 11, 2016
    45
    Pokemon Rumble World isn’t necessarily a bad game, but it’s not of the quality I would expect from Nintendo.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »