Pokemon Shuffle Coming To 3DS In February

During today’s Nintendo Direct stream, a new spinoff in the long-running Pokemon series was announced. Titled Pokemon Shuffle, the game will be a download-only 3DS game. The core gameplay looks to be along the lines of such puzzlers as Bejeweled and Candy Crush Saga, with players aiming to match three of the same Pokemon via touch controls.

The main difference between those titles and Shuffle, however, seems to be that players will be able to use specific Pokemon in each stage, which can be leveled up and even given the Mega Evolution ability introduced in Pokemon X & Y. Another interesting feature is that, similar to many smartphone games, the title will be free to download and play, with the ability to do five play sessions and the options to wait for those sessions to reload or buy more with actual money.

We will continue to update you on the Pokemon series as more news about Shuffle drops. For now, however, tell us, does the free-to-play payment method seem enticing to you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.