While fans may be familiar with the mainline pokemon games and several of its spin-offs, there have been a ton of releases that some players may not know about. One of these titles recently made headlines when it was confirmed that online services for pokemon shuffle would be discontinued on the 3DS. As a standard entry into the match-3 puzzle genre, pokemon shuffle did well with over two million registered downloads within a month of its release in 2015, marking the start of pokemon venture further into the free-to-play market.
Fans can just learn that though pokemon shuffle was released on both mobile and the 3DS. While the 3DS version will be removed from Nintendo’s 3DS eShop with services such as microtransactions no longer supported, it’s not yet confirmed whether the same will affect its mobile counterpart. pokemon shuffle is not the only lesser-known mobile game in the franchise, as the series has had an extensive relationship with mobile gaming since 2006. While some titles may no longer be available, fans may be interested in learning more about some of them pokemon‘s previous mobile companies.
pokemon shuffle
Released in 2015, pokemon shuffle came during the sixth generation of the series. It works on a basic match-3 premise where players move from stage to stage, fighting other Pokemon and, if possible, catching them to use in later stages. Between mobile games like Pokemon GO and candy crush, shuffle distinguishes itself in the match-3 genre by allowing opposing Pokemon to “disrupt” the gameplay, as the Pokemon of the players have different abilities and also mega evolutions. Although the game has updated the content after the release of Pokemon Sun and Moonit has not kept up with the eighth generation of the series.
Pokemon Rumble Rush
As part of Pokemon Rumble spin-off line, Pokemon Rumble Rush was released in 2019 and signaled a shift from Nintendo’s consoles. Past titles, such as Pokemon Rumble Blast or junk world, was similar to pokemon shuffle and made available on the 3DS, but Rumble Rush was the first to be available exclusively as a mobile title. While previous entries were real-time beat ’em ups, Rumble Rush seemed to scale the gameplay back to the mobile format with tap controls. However, Rumble Rush officially shut down in 2020.
Pokemon: Magikarp Jump
Centered around the titular Pokemon, Magikarp Jump sees players raise Magikarp to compete in “battles” where the Magikarp who jumps the highest wins. The game requires little input other than sending Magikarp to train, eat, and eventually compete in leagues. This is something critics cited, as the silliness of the premise had charm, but the incremental playstyle was uninteresting. However, Pokemon: Magikarp Jump is still available to fans at the time of writing, suggesting the game may have some sort of popularity.
Pokemon Quest
Perhaps the most popular pokemon mobile game that has not reached mainstream fame such as Pokemon Unite or Pokemon GO, Pokemon Quest was a voxel-style game released on Switch and soon after to mobile in 2018. The game instructs players to maintain and expand a base camp, conduct expeditions, and care for the “Pokexels”. Within a week of its release, Pokemon Quest did well with over seven million downloads demonstrating. However, it did receive criticism from fans following The Pokemon Company’s shutdown Pixelmona popular Minecraft mod who shared his voxel design aesthetic.
Pokemon Duel
Originally released to the Japanese public in 2016, Pokemon Duel was released worldwide the following year. It is a strategy board game where players compete against each other with six Pokemon figures with unique moves and abilities. The object of the game is to move from the player’s own bank to the other side of the board, using these moves or extra “plates” that can be attached to provide boosts or extra maneuverability. While the game had a storyline, it was never completed as the game’s service ended in 2019.
camp pokemon
camp pokemon was developed more for a younger audience. The game has taught its users about the basics of pokemon, including mini-games where they learned things like how to catch a Pokemon, how to evolve them, and the different types. Originally released for iOS in 2014, the game was expanded to Android in 2016 and received a further update after the release of Gen 7. The game was eventually discontinued in 2017, perhaps due to its limited appeal as most pokemon games will provide tutorials or help new players anyway.
Pokemon Playhouse
Another pokemon mobile game for a younger audience, Pokemon Playhouse is still available for download. Pokemon Playhouse was aimed at preschool kids, and this is reflected in the art style and gameplay. Players are encouraged to befriend Pokemon through activities such as grooming, completing mini-games or puzzles, and reading stories in full voice. While it is still available, the game has not received any content update since Gen 7 past bug fixes until 2020.
pokemate
This in particular pokemon game is much less known for its exclusivity to Japan as it has never seen a worldwide release despite being shown at E3 in 2006. The game serves as an online messaging service for pokemon fans, but pokemate is also a virtual pet simulation game where players can take care of their Pokemon. New Pokemon were made available to catch and collect with additional bonuses through a monthly subscription. Although it was discontinued in 2008, it has the honor of being the first official pokemon mobile game ever released.
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