Pokemon Shuffle ReviewOn February 18, 2015, a new game was released for the 3DS Eshop, and that game was Pokemon Shuffle, which is a puzzle game that's similar to Pokemon Battle Trozei, which was also released on the 3DS Eshop. Pokemon Battle Trozei is a pretty fun puzzle game and a good entry into the Pokemon series, but would Pokemon Shuffle be better? I'll tell you by making this review.
Graphics: 6/10 There are many other 3DS games that have way better graphics than Pokemon Shuffle, including some Eshop titles such as Dillon's Rolling Western and Pushmo. However, the Pokemon themselves look like they should, though only their faces show up here. The background for each puzzle also looks decent as well. While it's certainly not the best looking 3DS game, it's still looks decent. For these reasons, I'm giving the graphics a 6.
Sound: 7/10 Normally when I play a Pokemon game, I look forward to hearing an incredible soundtrack that will blow me away! While Pokemon Shuffle's soundtrack isn't one of the better ones you'll hear in the series, it's still pretty enjoyable to listen to. The Legendary theme in particular is one of the best themes I've ever heard in an eshop exclusive game. While the soundtrack won't blow you away like OR/AS and X/Y would, it's pleasant enough to listen to for me to give the sound a 7.
Addictiveness: 5/10 This is the category where Pokemon Shuffle falters the most. The gameplay is very similar to Pokemon Battle Trozei where you have to match 3 or more Pokemon to clear them from the puzzle, once you complete a stage you can try to catch the Pokemon. The problem with Pokemon Shuffle is that in order to attempt stages in the game, you have to have hearts. Run out of hearts, and you either have to wait a certain amount of time before they get replenished, or you have to pay actual money to get more hearts and thus continue playing the game. This is the what keeps Pokemon Shuffle from being a great Pokemon game. These microtransactions will gobble up your money fast if you're not skilled at the game, and thus ruin your experience with the game. The puzzles themselves are very addicting to play however, but since those microtransactions ruin the flow of the game, I'm giving the addictiveness a 5.
Story: N/A Pokemon Shuffle doesn't have a story, therefore I'm leaving this category blank.
Depth: 6/10 For being a freemium game, Pokemon Shuffle provides a good amount of levels to play and pokemon to capture. It won't keep you playing for hours on end, but it will still provide a pretty lengthy experience. While there are plenty of games out there that have a lot more to do than Pokemon Shuffle, it's one of the more lengthy Eshop titles you can play. Overall, I'm giving the depth a 6.
Difficulty: 7/10 Pokemon Shuffle offers a good challenge to anyone, even those skilled at puzzles. Some of the later Pokemon such as the legendaries can be a pain to try and catch, because they have such low catch rates. The puzzles themselves also become much more challenging as well. If you're looking for a puzzle game that will give you a challenge, then Pokemon Shuffle is the game for you. There are tougher games out there though, so I'm giving the difficulty a 7.
Overall Score: 6/10 Pokemon Shuffle starts out as a fun puzzle game that can be enjoyed for free, then the microtransactions start popping up, and it ruins what otherwise would've been a really fun puzzle game. It has a decent soundtrack and a good amount of levels and Pokemon to catch, but the microtransactions really hurt Pokemon Shuffle. Overall, I'm giving this game a 6 out of 10.
Graphics
6 Sound
7 Addictive
5 Depth
6 Difficulty
7
User Notice 
