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Pokemon Shuffle isn’t Evil

Pokemon Shuffle isn’t Evil

Everybody is talking about how egregious Pokemon Shuffle ‘s microtransactions are. They aren’t wrong. Nintendo clearly had Genius Sonority and Game Freak make this eShop exclusive as a cash grab. It only offers a player five hearts at a time for free, there are real-cash items people can buy to make the game easier, and some Pokemon are impossible to catch without splurging on a better Pokeball. Put all that information up front and sure, it sounds bad and makes the $7.99 Pokemon Battle Trozei sound better. However, there are other factors to consider.

The first is that Pokemon Battle Trozei is kind of a mess. There’s no customization to it. It’s all up to luck and speed. You don’t decide what Pokemon populate the game board (you can bring some in with you, but can’t get rid of the original residents), and there’s no strategy to arranging super effective attacks against enemy Pokemon. You get a time limit, match as quick as you can, and don’t have the luxury of plotting out moves. To unlock all levels in an area, you have to catch every Pokemon from the levels you do have access to, and that means replaying multiple times to try and get rare ones to appear. I own it and frankly, it isn’t very fun. It certainly doesn’t do Pokemon Trozei justice.

Pokemon Shuffle , on the other hand, is quite fun. You determine which Pokemon are on the board, which means you control type match-ups, have some idea of special skills that may trigger, and can even have a Mega Evolving Pokemon on your side. There’s no time limit, only a move limit, which means you can think things through. The battles feel more engaging, as the opponent may block up spaces on the board or work against you. Even the element of “capturing” Pokemon makes things more interesting, as replaying becomes more appealing.

Of course, the microtransactions are a knock against it. However, they’re to be expected. Pokemon Shuffle is a free-to-play game. All of them are optional and honestly, I’ve gone through 25 levels (using 25 lives) and haven’t felt pressed to pay for anything. Then again, I’ve reached level 96 in that wretched Peggle Blast game, due to sheer determination to “steal” that free-to-play game. If someone’s patient, they can go far for free.

And yes, it is to Pokemon Shuffle ‘s detriment that some Pokemon seem destined for a more expensive Great Ball. However, this isn’t a traditional Pokemon game. You don’t have to catch ’em all. The ones you are capable of catching are fine for the purposes of the game, with helpful skills and a variety of types. It would be nice if it were easier, but I honestly enjoy having the element of chance in there. It makes it seem more realistic.

Pokemon Shuffle isn’t Evil

As for the heart issue, a half hour to recharge one life isn’t out of the ordinary. In fact, anyone who plays free-to-play games will recognize it as the norm. Is it inconvenient? Absolutely. Especially since this is one of those compulsive, one-more-level kind of games. It’s something you have to learn to deal with and, if it bothers you that much, don’t play it.

I guess what I’m saying is, Pokemon Shuffle isn’t as evil as everyone is making it out to be. It’s a rather enjoyable match-3 game. I think what’s throwing everyone off is that this is a Nintendo game, and people aren’t used to Nintendo pulling a free-to-play thing. We’re in a gaming age where yes, things like this are going to happen. And while Pokemon Shuffle does rely on some of the shadier tricks of the trade, it’s still possible to have fun with it without spending a dime.

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