Release date confirmed for Pokemon Rumble Blast

The first Pokemon title for 3DS has been given an official US release date of October 24th.

The press material describes the upcoming Pokemon Rumble Blast as “An action-packed Pokémon adventure in 3D without the need for special glasses, the game lets players battle against waves of opposing wind-up Toy Pokémon, connect and play with friends, and collect more than 600 Toy Pokémon.”

“As players advance through each stage in  Pokémon Rumble Blast, their Toy Pokémon will face dozens of Toy Pokémon at once, creating fast and furious real-time battles. Players must also face off against giant Boss Pokémon, whose massive size and strength offer special challenges. Certain defeated Toy Pokémon can be added to the player’s team, and players may also collect special Toy Pokémon, each with its own unique stats and abilities. Players can collect more than 600 Toy Pokémon in all, including those from the recently released Pokémon Black Version and  Pokémon White Version games. Players can quickly and easily switch between the various Toy Pokémon they collect throughout the game.”

“Pokémon Rumble Blast  offers two ways for players to wirelessly connect with each other. Using a local wireless connection, they can enjoy a cooperative play mode that allows them to battle through levels together and more easily befriend defeated Toy Pokémon. Using the Nintendo 3DS StreetPass™ feature, they can challenge the Toy Pokémon of players they pass in their daily travels and view other players’ Mii™ characters in the game.”

Sounds a bit too much like a cash-grabbing spin off, but it could offer an interesting new take on the Pokemon franchise.