Pokémon Rumble Blast is a 3DS action game that asks players to fight through waves of enemies using small toy versions of Pokémon. The premise is simple: you lead a team of Toy Pokémon through a series of stages, battling dozens of foes at once until a giant Boss Pokémon stands at the end of each level. It was the first Pokémon game developed exclusively for the 3DS, and it remains a curious entry in the series.
The game was developed by Ambrella and published by Nintendo in 2011, with a second digital release in 2012 that brought it into the Nintendo eShop. It is a successor to the 2009 WiiWare title Pokémon Rumble, which gave the franchise an earlier taste of this kind of action. Pokémon Rumble Blast expands on that formula with a larger roster and more towns to explore, but it never quite shakes the feeling that it is a game built quickly rather than carefully.
Trailer, via morromocotudo.
Toy Town and the Battle Royale
The game begins in Toy Town, a small village where players learn the rules of the Battle Royale. This early section introduces the core loop: lead your team of Pokémon into a field filled with enemies, and win by surviving long enough to reach the end. The enemy waves come fast, and the screen fills with Pokémon of every shape and size.
That loop is the heart of Pokémon Rumble Blast, and it works well in short bursts. The battles are chaotic and rewarding, and the 3D presentation gives each stage a sense of scale that the WiiWare original lacked. You will lose Pokémon, and you will gain new ones, and the game keeps moving at a pace that never lets the action slow down.
The problem is that the loop does not change much over time. The stages are mostly variations on a theme: enemy waves, a boss, a treasure box, and a new set of moves. There is no deep progression system, no branching paths, and no real sense of growth beyond the moves you can buy in the towns.
The Worlds of Pokémon Rumble Blast
The game is set across a series of towns, each with its own machines where you can buy new moves. There is also a fountain filled with Glowdrops, the healing item that runs out as you fight. The towns give the game a sense of place, but they are mostly functional rather than memorable. The atmosphere changes from one area to the next, but the design is thin.
The towns are where you manage your team. You can buy new moves for your Pokémon, release creatures you no longer want, and heal your team with the Glowdrops. The machines are simple to use, but they become repetitive quickly. The game does not explain much of what they do, and players who are new to the series may find themselves lost in the early stages.
Coballion and the World Axle
The plot of Pokémon Rumble Blast is thin, but it does give the game a loose structure. You start in Toy Town, win the Battle Royale, and then discover that the Glowdrops have been stolen. You chase the thief, who turns out to be Coballion, a Pokémon who has been stealing the Glowdrops to try to fix the World Axle.
The World Axle is a rusted machine at the center of the game’s world. It has been overrun with rust, and the Pokémon inside it have been affected as well. The player goes deeper into the World Axle, where they encounter a force field protecting the source of the rust. Coballion sacrifices his key to destroy that field, and the player battles Dark Rust, the entity behind the rust.
It is a simple story, but it gives the game a reason to move forward. The plot does not drive the action, but it provides a shape to the journey. The towns, the Boss Pokémon, and the enemy waves are all linked to this central threat, even if the connection is never explained in much depth.
The Boss Pokémon
The Boss Pokémon are the highlights of Pokémon Rumble Blast. Each boss is massive and strong, and they require careful positioning and timing to defeat. The game also allows you to recruit Boss Pokémon as allies if you are lucky, which adds a layer of strategy to the battles.
The Boss Pokémon are where the game’s isometric perspective is most effective. The scale difference between your small team and the giant foe creates a sense of danger that the game rarely delivers elsewhere. These battles also give you a chance to see Pokémon at their largest, and that spectacle is worth the wait.
StreetPass and the Toy Pokémon
Pokémon Rumble Blast includes a multiplayer mode that lets players connect wirelessly using StreetPass tagging. This feature allows you to see other player’s Pokémon and Miis, and it adds a layer of social interaction to the game. It is a small feature, but it gives the game a reason to return, even if the single-player content is thin.
The game also includes Toy Pokémon from the first five generations of the main Pokémon games. That is a large roster, and it gives players a chance to see familiar creatures in a smaller, toy-like form. The 3D presentation makes these Pokémon look small and cute, and that contrast between the small toys and the giant bosses is part of the game’s appeal.
The Problems With Pokémon Rumble Blast
Pokémon Rumble Blast is a game with a strong idea and a weak execution. The battles are fun, the Boss Pokémon are memorable, and the toy presentation is charming. But the game never offers enough depth to justify the length of a full playthrough. The towns are dull, the enemies are repetitive, and the story is thin.
The game also has a pacing problem. The early stages are quick and fun, but the middle stretch drags as the game repeats its own formula without adding anything new. The difficulty curve is uneven, and some Boss Pokémon are much harder than others, which can frustrate players who are not prepared for a sudden spike.
The Verdict
Pokémon Rumble Blast is a game that is best in short bursts. It is fun to pick up and play for a few minutes, but it is not a game that rewards long sessions. The toy format is a clever idea, and the Boss Pokémon battles are a highlight, but the game never fully realizes its potential.
The game is a curiosity rather than a masterpiece. It is a game that shows what the 3DS can do with a simple idea, but it does not push very far beyond that idea. It is a game worth playing, but not a game worth owning for long.
Key Facts Box:
– Developer: Ambrella
– Publisher: Nintendo
– Release date: August 11, 2011 (Japan), October 24, 2011 (North America), December 2, 2011 (Europe)
– Digital re-release: November 29, 2012 (PAL), December 20, 2012 (North America)
– Genre: Fighting, RPG, Hack and slash, Adventure
– Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
– Modes: Single player, multiplayer, co-operative
– Perspective: Bird view / isometric
– Boss Pokémon: Giant foes who can be recruited as allies
– Plot: Coballion steals Glowdrops to fix the World Axle, which is overrun with rust
– Score: 5.8/10
Pokémon Rumble Blast is a game that is best enjoyed in short bursts. It is a fun, chaotic adventure with a clever toy aesthetic and memorable Boss Pokémon, but it lacks the depth and variety to hold up over a full playthrough. The game is a curiosity, a small but charming entry in the Pokémon series, but it is not a game that demands much of your time.
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