Pokémon Wii U Game Follows in Skylanders' Footsteps

UPDATE: The first photos of Nintendo's NFC Pokémon toys have surfaced online.

It reveals that the first set of 'mon you'll be able to get your hands on will consist of Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Torchic, Piplup, Lucario, Victini and one secret character, according to Kotaku. As this is specifically referred to as the first set, expect more to follow in the future.

A carry case for your crew has also been revealed, looking suspiciously like a lunch box. It'll set you back ¥780 (£5.40/$8.00) while the toys will cost ¥200 each (£1.40/$2.00).

There's one other bit of news too: the toys will be sold in blind capsules, meaning you won't actually know which toy you're buying. It's not too surprising giving the onus the series places on trading with friends to catch 'em all, but it certainly doesn't bode well for your wallet. Who knows though, maybe this will be changed if the game gets a Western release?

Original story follows.

ORIGINAL STORY: Thanks to leaked scans from Japan's CoroCoro magazine, we already knew that Pokémon Rumble was heading to Wii U's eShop. What we didn't know was that Pikachu's first HD adventure will be taking a page out of the Skylanders book - and will also be the first game to make use of the system's NFC features.

Called Pokémon Rumble U, this downloadable title will feature all 649 pocket monsters battling it out, probably in a similar fashion to the last two games. As many gamers speculated when the Wii U's NFC tech was first announced, you'll be able to purchase Pokémon figurines, then place them on the NFC pad and have them appear in the game. It's similar to how the popular Skylanders series works, except you won't need a special accessory to link your figures with the game. You'll also be able to level up your characters and record battle information on the toys themselves.

Audino is enjoying the violence a little too much.

So far six standard figures and a special one have already been announced. The first to be revealed is (huge shocker!) that yellow mouse of electricity called Pikachu. Could the other six be the original starters and the starters from the forthcoming Pokémon X and Y games? We really have no way of knowing yet, but it's a definite possibility.

Pokémon Rumble U is coming to Japan's Wii U eShop on April 24 for 1800 Yen (which is around $19). The toys will go for 200 Yen each (roughly $2). No news yet on North American or European release dates or pricing, but given the popularity of the Pokémon franchise, it will almost assuredly be heading our way soon.

What do you think? Are you excited to get your hands on these figures, or angered at the idea of Pokémon Rumble going the Skylanders route? Or do you not care because the toys are optional? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: Eurogamer

Audrey Drake is a Nintendo Editor at IGN. She is also a lifelong gamer, a frequent banisher of evil and a wielder of various legendary blades. You can keep track of Audrey's wild adventures by following Aminka on IGN or @GameOnAminka on Twitter. Game on!

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