Pokémon Shuffle is Heading to Android and iOS, to the Surprise of No-One

....I blame the consumers for getting sucked into the 3DS one. Ugh...

@teejay Well, Nintendo did say they are going to make games for smartphones, so this is not a surprise..

Oh no I have a Windows phone!!! Oh wait.......

Well I might play it for longer if it was on my phone. The version on the 3DS was fun for a little while, but I hated having to keep coming back to play in short spurts. If it's free I'll definitely download it.

This makes a lot of sense tbh, why they didn't do this in the first place is pretty odd if you ask me. As for me playing it? Nope, I got pretty bored with the 3DS version pretty quick so a mobile version wouldn't change my mind.

Makes perfect sense to me. They will make 20x more money off Android with this then Nintendo fans from 3ds. I'll admit I spent 1$ but have 140 hours on it so.....I think I may have a problem!

So much about "we're going to create new IP's for smart devices". This is just pathetic.

The game made 4.5 million downloads on 3DS alone. One of the Sonic mobile free to pay games had over 100 million.

Perfect sense to me.

My big fingers will make timed stages a nightmare on the ios version, so i'll just stick with the 3DS version, because that's the version i'd rather play the game on I guess. Also, 3DS version is a perfect excsuse to make Miiverse drawings and doodles, like this one =w=

And also, the game(I MEAN APP, WHOOPS!) will probably lag on my Ipod Touch 4th gen, actually, it might not be compatible with my device at all, if it uses ios 7 or later TwT

Still haven't gotten this on my 3DS but I will get it for my phone. It makes more sense there.

Who cares, just don't download it if you don't like it.

@Spoony_Tech 140 hours? Yes Tech...you DO have a problem!

I really enjoy the 3DS version. I'm still playing it. I wonder if I download the android app, will the app and 3DS game sync up? That would be really cool if you could play either version right where you left off.

I would honestly rather have this on my phone than my 3DS. Just being honest. Same with Mario Bros puzzle and dragons.

@MERG The first step is admiting it right?! At least that's only about half of my Monster Hunter 4 time.

A bit late to the mobile party but a step in the right direction, surely. Developers get rich from app stores due to crazy market penetration so why shouldn't Nintendo? Playing Pokemon on a Sony Xperia? I need to change my knickers!

@DarthNocturnal There's no pay walls in this game. Yes there is some very difficult stages but all you need is provided. Plus you can level up to 10 and makes it quite easy after that. I've done all the stages offered up till now and I'm just going back and S ranking everything.

@Spoony_Tech LOL! That's 1/10 of my Animal Crossing: New Leaf time.

How Nintendo and TPC publish the games (who does what etc.) will always remain a mystery to me lol. I gues you can say they co-publish?

I will admit...I found shuffle fairly fun for a f2p game. The mechanics were solid and they give out free gifts every 2 minutes in my case.

@Spoony_Tech - Just wondering if you played Rumble? That 1 really felt pay walled to me as those high diamond balloons seemed like they would always be out of reach, free-to-start. I had no problem w/ Shuffle except I don't like the heart per level rule. I'm about 967 in Candy Crush and I'm used to going on a roll once in a hill and playing 8 or 9 levels for 5 hearts. And some of those Shuffle levels are really short. But I never felt like I had to pay for it.

I don't think this is Nintendo on smart devices, as the article said this will likely be the Pokemon Company if you want to search for it. Nintendo will be listed somewhere but probably not the best way to find it.

Edit: Pokémon Rumble World will probably be next, all those diamond balloons will make them a lot of money. I imagine this one is more of an easy advertisement for that one as I don't see how they make a lot of money on this.

@rjejr Haven't touched it yet. I can only play one of these types of games at a time. Till I get bored of it I doubt I'll start rumble. Plus I'm also playing Puzzles and Dragons fairly regularly. I'm almost to the last section there as well so the puzzle gaming is just to simple and easy for me to pick up and play atm.

Well, I don't have a phone or any mobile device, so this doesn't really concern me.

I've been playing it as a 'waiting for kettle/printer/microwave' game.

Not spent any money on it though.

i hope you can link to your 3ds game as i have gotten so far in the game as such as got a few safari pokemon and a few event megas etc.

I've been saying since the beginning that it should have been on Android/iOS. This game should be able to live up it's sales potential now.

I didn't bother with this because I already had Trozei but I'll totally download it now for my Droid.

@Spoony_Tech Are you still playing MH4?

Good for them if this is profitable. I never bothered to download it on 3DS.

I doubt progress will transfer (the check-in feature is not the same as uploading your save, as far as I know).. I was thinking that would be a cool feature, but It may be impractical. As for the game, it's a big hit in my family, and these rumors of paywall are greatly exaggerated, you really don't have to ever spend any real money in the game. Yes you need to spend the gold coins or jewels every once in a while, but we have multiple systems that are caught up on everything (except a few S ranks) that have never purchased any additional jewels from the eshop. The game in no way forces you to spend any money, ever. With that said, I recently bought a few bucks of jewels just to support the game, because I think it's great.

ok but what about people who have a windows phone or a amazon phone?

Wait wait wait.....Didn't Nintendo say that they aren't going to port console games to the phone?

Also how is Nintendo allowing this since its published by them?

@MERG Haven't played it in about a month. Had to send my 3ds in for repair and got it back 3 weeks ago today. Haven't touched it since getting it back.

@DarthNocturnal Stage 131 is the best for leveling. You can get any pokemon to level 5 in about 8 to 10 tries.

@Artwark the pokemon company operates independently from nintendo even though they're the majority owner of the company it's complicated.it was gamefreaks decision to put the pokedex on mobile devices so it's likely this was a non nintendo decision too.

Hope this works better than the music app

4.5 million downloaded, sure - but I've always wondered how many people have actually played vs how many people have the app on their 3ds because spotpass? I've never opened mine...

This is a good little revenue builder for Nintendo. Smart move. Even if it's not a shocker. I may actually download it so I'll have something to do when I need to kill time.

just need cross save and to sign into nnid and carry on playing where you left off. This can be a good step as in, you can leave your 3ds at home if it were dead or so and you can carry on playing on your phone, then when you get back to play on your 3ds, you can carry on from phone.

@Spoony_Tech You had top send it in for repair?!?!?! How did you survive?

Good, put it where people are used to being bludgeoned right in the wallet for trying to actually have fun with their games. At the very least they can't complain - no one else gives them a better choice.

Never interested me. I have Link Battle, I liked it but only have a few hours in. And this game to me played worse than Link Battle due to limiting you in your moves. Besides, my phone is from the Wii-era, so I can't play it anyway

@DarthNocturnal I gotta check it again, but I'm pretty sure Nintendo explicitly stated that they wanted to keep console and mobile development separate.

@BLPs Maybe so, but that doesn't make it any better.

What's next? I would say Pokemon Humble and Puzzle&Dragons Super Mario Edition - this one paid.

@Kaze_Memaryu Indeed they did, but the Pokémon Company operates separately from Nintendo hence this.

Ever since I saw that they weren't even trying to include some token 3D visuals for this game on 3DS I suspected it would go mobile. I think it'll be a good thing, and since I got stuck on my 3DS version, I'd be more than happy to start again on the Android version. Since I have the Google Opinion Rewards thing, I may even be able to get some in-app purchases for free (only bought apps with it, never purchases within a game), which would make stages like the one I got stuck on a lot easier inevitably without actually costing me any of my own money.

@MERG Thankfully Splatoon came out 3 days later.

@Sir_JBizzle I'm pretty sure SpotPass doesn't count in their numbers, especially since it actually don't download the game, only the icon.

All you have in your menu (which has one of the best themes in my opinion ) is an empty icon. Just try open it, a simple click on "no" and the game won't download while the icon will be deleted.

The mobile version looks better tbh. Never found the time to play it on 3DS, but mobile is a whole different story! Will prob end up getting it

Tbh, I'm not surprised about this development.
It does make me a bit aprehensive about future Nity games on mobile though. Regardless of whatever others say defending whether Nintendo has broken a promise or not. Those promises are pointless. And they can change any time Nintendo pleases, so what's the point of holding them to them?
This time last year some were saying "Nintendo will never make mobile games, Iwata said so!"
Now we hear "Nintendo will never do straight ports, Iwata said so!"
What's the point of arguing whether this counts as a broken promise or not? And who exactly do Nintendo need to make promises to, and for what reason?

@justastone @Tsurii Ack, that's actually a different deal! Sorry about the outrage there, @BLPs and @DarthNocturnal ....

Not a surprising move and it may rekindle a passion for Pokemon for those who have stepped away from Nintendo consoles - maybe even encourage some new interest. I personally don't like this kind of game because of the micro(macro)transactions or the idea of matching 3 pictures the same - I remember that being a challenge..oo, actually I don't remember that ever providing much of a challenge. I prefer more depth, but on a phone seems like a perfect time-waster.

This is Nintendo finally playing their cards right. Until they can build up an established and sizable base again that can support them long-term in the home console business, this is the perfect way for them to stay in the black. If all goes well this can bring more exposure for Nintendo and hopefully more potential console buyers in the future. A Nintendo in the black is a Nintendo that can afford to make the games I love on home consoles and handhelds. Whatever they have to do to keep that money rolling is ok with me, just so long as they're able to keep cranking out games.

@Tasuki
I wouldn't go that far my friend. Even Sony has put their IP on smart phones, and I don't think anyone would argue that they're getting out of the hardware business anytime soon. In fact there's very few companies who aren't putting software on smart phones nowadays. I don't think it's so much a sign of them migrating away from hardware as it is companies realizing there's a sizable market for them to take advantage of and they're doing exactly that.

I mean, if that day comes down the line then so be it. It would be a sad day for me personally because one of the best things about playing Nintendo's great games are playing them in a unique way on their hardware. But if it happens then it happens. But if I had to wager a guess, I really don't see it happening. Nintendo is one of those "try try again" companies and you can believe they will try every possible scenario first before ever contemplating leaving the hardware business. Fortunately for them they have very deep pockets and can afford to pick themselves back up when something doesn't go as planned. And they're pretty good at mitigating losses so that even when they do fail, the setback is minimal. This has most definitely been their toughest generation to date financially- and they STILL turned it around to profit last year. So if this is the worst it gets, and they're still finding ways to profit, it's going to take quite a few failed attempts before they get to the point where they have to make serious overhauls like exiting the hardware arena.

@Tasuki
Well I think it's just a different market that doesn't really interfere with their consoles. Most people they're targeting on smart phones are the type that don't spend hundreds of dollars to play extravagantly complex games. And the games they are going to be releasing aren't the type you would really see is a retail release on consoles either. I guess it would be one thing if phones and tablets had buttons and a means to play full experiences like a real Zelda game, but since they don't they're really limited to games like this Pokemon match 3. And I don't think people are going to sacrifice their full $60 retail experiences for that.

Now, if we start seeing full $40-60 games on smartphones like the next Metroid Prime, or a port of Smash Bros, or Mario Kart 8, then I would be a little concerned.

@Tasuki
It depends what that Mario and Zelda game is. If Nintendo starts developing Super Mario Galaxy 3, Mario Kart 9, Super Smash Bros., a mainline Pokémon title, Animal Crossing, etc. on mobile, then yes, their console and handheld business will enter the sinkhole pretty quickly. Seeing how the game mentioned in this article is a free-to-play match 3 game with Pokémon, that scenario is looking increasingly unlikely.

@Kaze_Memaryu By "pathetic" you mean "likely to make $10,000,000 on day one", right?

This may not have gone the way people wanted, but at least Nintendo's finally branching out. Maybe with the extra income they can buy exclusives like Sony and MS have.

Also, doesn't anyone remember PlayStation Mobile and how it crashed and burned? I'm guessing Nintendo's learned a way to perfect it with DeNA.

@Tasuki I doubt it. Neither of those companies has ever released a handheld, and the Wii outsold the 360 and PS3, combined. If the NX hits even half those numbers, Nintendo is set for life.

Mobile games always get 100 BILLION DOWNLOADS, but rarely break even in terms of profit. A single $10,000 player of a Zynga game (of which they have literally thousands) doesn't actually balance out with the 1,000 100% free players that pop up.
Of course, Flappy Birds made 50 million dollars in its first month, so.....

no idea how this will do. I'm still betting $10 million on the first day or month at the most.

@Tasuki
I actually bought KotOR and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite on iPad. The only problem is the games were built with touch controls in mind so the Mfi controls are just kind of shoehorned in.

But if they were to actually make a game (or port a game) to IOS with Mfi controllers in mind from the start, I think you could have a very console like experience.

So right now the one barrier I see is this: Mfi support is iffy at best and most of the public doesn't even know about it or have any interest in using controllers- we would need to see standard support across the board for all games (and those games would have to be built with controller support in mind, not tacked on to touch controls after the fact), and the public would have to actually support it so that it becomes mainstream.

If and when that barrier is torn down, then the flood gates will be open for companies to start producing console-like experiences on portable platforms as a reliable source of revenue. I'm not sure if the gaming populous will ever favor portable platforms over a separate console (because let's face it that is the market who would be buying those games anyways, not the casual iPhone gamer).

It could definitely happen- but I think it's going to take more than one stalled platform for Nintendo to seriously consider going down that route. They still have a very popular handheld platform, as they always have, and every 5 to 6 years they get another shot at making a home console that rakes in the dough.

I think they're going to exploit IOS/Android with these smaller, $3-5 pick up and play titles. But if they ever do decide to produce AAA titles on portable platforms, I think they would try it with a third pillar approach first. If it catches on improves successful they may make a full transition. If not, they'd probably fall back and refocus all resources on their home console.

Well I don't own any Nintendo console cause there kinda horrible, but I do love pokemon and have a android phone, so this will most likely be a purchase for me

fingers crossed for the cross game save. X_X

@Tasuki
Actually, you already can. All it takes is a Lightning to HDMI cord, $30 on Amazon. I own one, I bought it along with a Hori Mfi controller to play games like KotOR on the TV with a controller. There's also ways to do it wirelessly, but personally I wouldn't want to risk the lag.

Will have to see what Nintendo has planned with NX. Every time you think you know what they're going to do next they do the complete opposite...

This could be the end of the 3DS. If Pokemon Shuffle (on Mobile) is hugely successful and generate much more money than it does on the 3DS (and it will, look at Candy Crush), Nintendo will shift more of it resources to mobile...after all, at the end of the day, Nintendo will follow the money trail too...

And this is still without the DENA deal? I don't get it.

@JaxonH - "Even Sony has put their IP on smart phones,"

There have been about 1,000 articles and 1 million comments on here about Nintendo and smart devices but hardly anybody ever brings those games up. A couple do, but it's very rare.

Nintendo may leave the hardware market some day, but this doesn't accelerate that end, it prolongs it as they both make a few bucks and market to the kids growing up on tablets. Money + eyeballs = win. (I'd gather a few kids will move on from this to real Pokémon games. Who knows, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon could reap the rewards.)

@rjejr
Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone, but I think a lot of those responses stating this is a sign Nintendo is going to stop making hardware is more wishful thinking than rational logic. I'm not sure why, but it seems a lot of people would be very happy to see Nintendo fail. And any chance to point the finger in a debate and say "see I told you so- it's gonna happen" is pounced on.

Like I said that's obviously not everyone, but there are a good many I've noticed who seem to take pleasure in the notion of Nintendo failing. Or anything that could be construed as a failure (like leaving the hardware business). The reason I believe those people take pleasure in it is the derogatory manner in which they paint Nintendo- such as "the new Sega" or whatever nonsense people are saying nowadays.

It does trouble me that people who claim to love videogames are so intent on seeing one of the best game developers in the world stop making unique hardware and start cloning what everyone else does (who needs different cell phone when every company can just make an iPhone clone? Then the whole world will have no choice but to buy a phone just like iPhone!). It just makes no sense to me. So many people want Nintendo to make a console just like Sony and Microsoft. But why? We already have that from literally every other competitor. Why forfeit the one platform that can offer something different in favor of a clone the offers the exact same thing?

I for one hope I never live to see the day Nintendo stops surprising me every 5th year with some new piece of kit to play games on. It's the only thing left in gaming that still excites me.

@techdude exactly, that's why most mobile gaming sucks, because of the mini transactions.

Will be interesting to see how a legally licensed Pokémon game will fare against all the imitations on iOS and Android.

Still playing the 3DS version.

I don't mind 1:1 ports to a smartphone. as long as the same game is available in the best quality on one of Nintendo's consoles, because that's where I want to play them.

So in order for Nintendo to not disappoint their fans, they should always have a perfect version of their smartphone games available for WiiU and/or 3DS.

OMG YES! Totally picking that one up.

@rjejr I got most of the bloons available at my level except for 2 or 3 and I play daily for both games.

plus if you buy the max ammount of gems you apparently cannot buy more, but you get some sort of item that gives you 20 gems/day for free..

i don't see how its more of a paywall, if its better than shuffle. It took me forever to take down mega mewtwo only to get stuck 2 or 3 stages later, then find out I don't even have mewtwo just it's stone!

I couldn't figure out how to beat dialga or manaphy (but there's still time on m) if anything shuffles a paywall coz i run out of coins and they often have 2 or more events running at a time and i don't have enough coinage for it. at least on droid it will be easy to cheat so i can have all the coinage i want.

@Uberchu - "plus if you buy the max ammount of gems you apparently cannot buy more"

But if you buy the gems aren't you paying for the game?

This game is actually much better than I expected.. I've put a good amount of hours into it and would love it if it actually came to my phone.. which it won't, because it's a windows phone. -_-

@rjejr yes you are technically, but the max amount is around $40(?) which is the retail price for the original game, although I still got the launch discount and If I can maybe till abuse that i can get the game for as low as $27 or less...

plus I can 100% play without gems just not forever without them. balloon er recharges aren't that fast for some, but if you have a lot of balloon then yes you can play all day I think. If I just use some of my balloons, then next thing IK I got the other ones recharged.

Last one I bought was a black or white one... 70 gem cost. I can get at least 2 gem for free/day but that's about it. I quit doing kings requests tell I have higher level mons. but I don't play as much as I used to maybe just 1 or 2 levels a day, and a check in for the free gem.

BTW if you guys didn't know for 10 play-coins each you can do extra check ins for rumble. each check in is 3 people, ever 5 people is a free gem. so you could maybe net 18 gems(?) or so form 300 play-coins. so farm/abuse 3ds date changing and you can have everything you want for free.

Not surprised, just made too much sense. Wonder if it's that mobile game Nintendo is talking about though, this seems more like TPC's thing

Saw it coming the second I realized the 3DS version didn't use any of the system's buttons...