Pokemon Rumble U has been slated for an August 29th release in North America, although it will be releasing a little bit earlier in Europe (August 15). This is the Wii U’s first exclusive Pokemon game and follows Pokemon Rumble and Pokemon Rumble Blast. The game will be supplementing the Wii U’s currently paltry eShop collection and will sell for $17.99.

Pokemon Rumble U will feature every known Pokemon so far (that’s up to 649 now, for those who checked out after Red and Blue). The Pokemon are in the game are actually Toy Pokemon trying to get back to the Toy Shop after a shipment gone awry. It’s a fairly strange premise, but all you really need to know is that it lets you fight hordes of Pokemon in a real-time melee style game. In fact, due to increased technical capabilities, the game will feature battles of up to 100 Pokemon at once.

Eevee NFC Figure

The game will support four-player cooperative play, and Pokemon Rumble U also features the Wii U GamePad’s NFC technology. You will be able to buy Pokemon Toy figurines and import them into your game, making them powerful allies.

Read the full release below, or check out the official site here.

Bellevue, WA—July 17, 2013—The Pokémon Company International and Nintendo announced today the upcoming release of Pokémon Rumble U:  a fun-filled action game, with intuitive controls, and wild battles.Pokémon Rumble U, the first Pokémon game exclusively for the Wii U system and the first Wii U title to feature Near Field Communication (NFC) figures, will be available in North America via Nintendo eShop on August 29th, 2013.

Pokémon Rumble U is the tale of a great adventure featuring Toy Pokémon, beginning when a delivery of Toy Pokémon is swept down a river and washes up on a strange riverbank. Our bewildered Pokémon heroes set out to find their way back to the Toy Pokémon Shop. Along the way they discover all is not right. Players will learn why some of the Toy Pokémon are fighting each other, and what the enemy Pokémon are plotting.

Featuring all 649 Pokémon through Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2, and with hundreds of moves to master, Pokémon Rumble U will provide hours of entertainment for new and old Pokémon fans alike.

Pickup and play controls will allow players to jump in and play solo, or with friends, as they accompany your Pokémon heroes on their quest to return to the Pokémon Toy Shop. They will pass through a variety of fun-filled locations, like Sparkly Playland, Mysterious Forest, and Blue Sky Park.

In Pokémon Rumble U, the more Pokémon you defeat, the more Pokémon you can befriend. Different types of Pokémon have different strengths and weaknesses, so players will have to think of which Pokémon would be best in battle.

Other surprises and pickups will crop up along the way—which will help strengthen the team, restore health, or cause damage to the opponents. Pikachu and friends will encounter giant Bosses, and players can even use the Wii U GamePad controller to set off Touch Blasts when faced with many Pokémon in battle at once!

Up to four players can enjoy multiplayer battles featuring cooperative play to defeat the strongest enemies with team work or friendly competitions to see who can defeat and befriend the most Pokémon at one time. One controller needed per player.

Pokémon Rumble U NFC Figures, based on the Toy Pokémon featured in the game, will be available to link up with Pokémon Rumble U via the Wii U GamePad. Sold exclusively at participating GameStop retail stores starting August 29th, the Pokémon that show up in Pokémon Rumble U by using an NFC Figure can grow stronger by using Coins that you receive in game. Players can even change moves or add a Special Trait to their NFC Figure so it can be one of their most dependable allies in the game. The NFC Figure can even save in-game data so you can take it wherever you go. A random assortment of eighteen Pokémon Rumble U NFC Figures, including Pikachu, Victini, Deoxys (Normal Forme), Eevee, and Genesect, will be available at GameStop for a suggested retail price of $3.99 each. Pokémon Rumble U NFC Figures are optional and are sold separately packed in a concealed capsule.

Pokémon Rumble U will be available August 29th for $17.99 in the Nintendo eShop. Visit Pokemon.com for more Pokémon Rumble U news.

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