I can’t speak for anyone else, but I for one had absolutely no idea that this was a thing, but a thing it is. At face value Pokémon Duel appears to be a game that is easy to learn and difficult to master, with some nonsense RNG thrown into the mix, of course. Having only played the tutorial and a few duels at the beginner’s ranking I can hardly call myself an expert, but I’d like to believe that I can see where this game is more or less going.
As far as I know, Pokémon Duel is the company’s first expedition into the gacha system of mobile games. The game itself features a board where you can place digital figures of Pokémon against your opponent’s own figures, with the aim being to move one of your figures onto the opponent’s side of the board. Each Pokémon has different offensive and defensive abilities and can evolve in battle to give you an advantage. Players are able to set up their ideal teams and items to hopefully enact a strategy that will help them win. However, it’s possible for all of your plans to be completely derailed due to the random attack wheel that determines which figure wins in a fight.
If you’ve been looking for a game to sink some time into or something to multitask with and Pokémon is literally the only franchise you believe to be worthy of your time, then sure, give Pokémon Duel a go. It’s fun enough. That being said, I can hardly guarantee that you’ll honestly be missing out on the experience of a lifetime if you decide to give it a pass. Though unique, Pokémon Duel is really just another one of those mobile games that you either dedicate your life or money to or else you fall behind very quickly. If you’re keen to give it a try, then download here for iOS and here for Android.
In terms of other Nintendo games coming to mobile devices, keep an eye on Fire Emblem Heroes coming out next week. You can check it out on the Google Play Store here and pre-register if you are so inclined.
