SUPER POKEMON RUMBLE Coming to European 3DS

Now, this news may in fact be filler between any announcement of the next Pokemon RPG or console release, but American and European fans who had a chance to play the addictive WiiWare game Pokemon Rumble will be beaming to know that its sequel, Super Pokemon Rumble (the European title of what is known as Pokemon Rumble Blast in other countries) is due to hit English-speaking countries later this year. For those unfamiliar with the premise, Pokemon Rumble works to a different battle formula than its 'main series' counterparts, with players controlling an entire legion of 'wind-up' Pokemon toys. As the player progresses, he/she will be able to unlock and recruit new plastic beasties to their terrifying micro-scale ranks. Yes, it's exactly the kind of lunacy that only the brilliant minds in Japan could concoct, but with all 646 currently known Pokemon up for grabs there's potentially a whole lifetime of madcap mayhem to be had. The sequel focuses primarily on the newly released 'Black and White' generation of Pokemon and includes a two-player local multiplayer as well as a 'Street Pass' mode to obtain new Pokemon. Obviously, being on the 3DS, it'll also give Pokemon fans the closest thing yet to '3D Pokemon battling' (oh, how we long for those days of three-dimensional RPGs). The US release date is currently set at 24th October this year, with 'Super Pokemon Rumble' hitting European shores in December. Just in time for Christmas, if you've been good, and maybe the kind of spin-off that'll keep you happily chuckling to yourself (like something demented) until the next 'big game'.