The popular Pokémon franchise just released the newest installment in the Nintendo handheld gaming series and my family got the chance to try it out!

When I was younger, I wasn’t really into Pokémon, but my brother would play it on his Game Boy for hours on end. The basic story behind Pokémon is pretty simple: There are lots of these Pokémon creatures, each one with its own abilities,strengths and weaknesses. 

But unlike most of its predecessors, Pokémon Rumble Blast for Nintendo 3DS is a non-RPG (that stands for Role Playing Game, Moms!) and instead does what my brother called “a live-action play style” which is a bit simpler and better suited for younger players. 

Another thing I really liked about this game is that it doesn’t star the real Pokémon, but rather wind-up toy Pokémons, which takes the violence of the “battles” down a huge notch while still keeping all the fun!

Here’s the concept of the game: as various toy Pokémons, you travel from town to town engaging in different battles with other toys. The game starts with an old familiar friend Pikachu and after talking to a few Pokemon around Toy Town, my son discovered that there was some type of Battle Royale that he needed to win. Why? Well, I’m not sure exactly… I think just to prove that you are the best. 

I was watching my son play and I was pleasantly surprised to find that after the first battle, we moved into a town where little Pokémon need help because the Krookodile has stolen their “glowdrops” (which seemed to be their life energy). I thought it was nice the focus turned from simply fighting for the sake of fighting, to helping Pokemon in need. 

My two sons (who are nine and twelve) both loved this game. They were thrilled by the prospect of a new game, especially one with one of their favorite interests – Pokémon. And even though I try to limit the time they’re allowed to spend playing video games, I liked that with the multi-player option (available when the two devices are networked over WiFi) the boys could play together. And I like that there is some reading involved in the game and some minor math as well.

I think this is a great game for kids and I’d happily recommend it to my friends who are looking for holiday gifts for their sons. It’s simple enough for my younger boy, but has enough complexity for my 12-year-old. And it’s entertaining without being super violent or graphic.  

As the characters always say, “I choose you, Pokémon Rumble Blast!”

A copy of this game was provided by Nintendo for review purposes only. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.