Pokémon Rumble Rush Guide – Quick Start & Event Info

pokemon rumble rush guide

Pokemon Rumble Rush is out now! It’s a continuation of the Pokemon Rumble series, and is on Android and iOS. This is a very early work in progress guide I’ll be updating as I play, so check back often! There will be much more info soon. I’m also working on a Search Spreadsheet that you can contribute to!

As always, post in the comments if you have any questions, info to share, or just comments about the game! We’ll also likely be playing the game in our Discord Server.

Updates

Pokemon Rumble Rush Game Info

Title: Pokemon Rumble Rush
(Pokemon Scramble SP in Japanese)
Official Site: Japanese
Platform: Android & iOS
Language: Japanese, English, German, French, Korean, Chinese, Spanish
Release date: 2019-05-15
Developer: The Pokemon Company
Price: Free to Play™ with IAP. No ads.
Genre: Beat ’em up
Filesize: 400 MB installed and updated
Cloud Save: Yes (must link to Nintendo Account)
Always Online: Yes, strictly
Gambling Element: ?
Battery Drain: High, with power save options

Pokemon Rumble Rush Quickstart Guide

Quick Facts Video Guide
Pokemon Rumble Rush | 10 Quick Facts You Need To Know!
Is it Kanto Pokemon only?

Long term, no, there are Johto and Alola pokemon shown in the official site. However, the first area of the game is Kanto only and it will likely be a bit of time before later generation pokemon appear. There aren’t even all 151 Kanto pokemon yet it appears.

What’s It Play Like?

It should be familiar if you’ve played a Pokemon Rumble series game before. In basic combat your pokemon automatically moves towards pokemon, and you can tap to attack or long press to charge a stronger attack.

You catch pokemon through a special Search feature, each search stage has specific pokemon to catch, and strength of Pokemon is determined by a Pokemon GO-esque system with the single CP stat for pokemon strength. Pokemon each have a single move, randomly selected from a list of possible moves when the pokemon is caught.

Does it have Nintendo Account features?

Yes, you can use your Mii (huzzah) and Cloud Save features by linking your Nintendo Account. Linking your Nintendo Account with Pokemon Rumble Rush is permanent. For most people, this isn’t a problem, but if you have more than one account, share accounts, etc, be mindful of it.

How Can I play it?

It’s currently regionally restricted for a region-test launch. It will likely release globally soon, between a week and a month. Despite being limited for the launch, the app includes multiple languages and will auto select one based on your devices country. You can’t manually pick a language.

Android

If you’re in Australia, simply use the Google Play Store to download it. Outside of Australia, you’d have to either spoof your location (Google Play no longer allows changing Country without your IP address indicating you’ve moved countries).

There are Pokemon Rumble Rush APK links out there, but I can’t vouch for the validity of any and won’t link any here.

iOS

Oddly, it’s not out for iOS quite yet. It just launched in a test market, so the iOS version will likely be out soon, likely with the same temporary regional restriction.

It uses too much battery!

Go to the Menu, Options, Game Settings, and set the Graphics option to Power Saving. If that’s not enough, also reduce the Resolution (clarity of image) and Imaging Speed (framerate) in the More menu.

Gameplay

Basic gameplay is simple; tap to attack or change targets. Your pokemon automatically moves towards the nearest enemy. Hold a tap to charge a more powerful attack, and slide your finger to dash in that direction to dodge attacks.

In early levels all you need to do is bring your highest CP pokemon, assuming they have no type disadvantage. Pokemon do not evolve or grow in stats in any way once caught; the only way to improve in the game is to keep catching new pokemon, beating Super Bosses to raise the CP cap, and grinding for Ore/Gears to improve your Pokemon.

Loot

Ore

Aside from catching pokemon, Ore is the main grind in the game. Ore is basically a treasure chest, and each one contains some Pokedollars and at least one Gear.

Each area will have only one piece of Ore, once you get Ore from a stage, you’ll have to use a Guide Feather to (re)discover a new stage to get more Ore. Tap the Ore button before entering a stage to see if it’s been collected yet, and what special properties Ore from that stage has.

There are three types of Ore. Always upgrade the highest rank ore you have, as it will have the best and most items. If you have to trash anything, normal 30 minute ore is best to toss.

  • Ore
    • 30 minute time, 2 items, lower quality gears
  • Unusual Ore
    • 3 Hour time, 12 Power Gears, 0-1 Summon Gears
  • Rare Ore
    • 10 Hour time, ? items, includes the best items
Gears

Gears are your…gear, or equipment in Pokemon Rumble Rush, and they can be freely switched between Pokemon without consequence. They can also be upgraded with duplicates from Ore.

You can see the most likely Gears from an Ore by tapping the Ore button before entering a stage. Each Event has certain featured Gears, and Fire Type bosses for example will likely hold Fire Move Plus gears, etc.

Rewards

Daily Login

Every day you get 3 Refining Coupons to speed up Ore refining by 60 minutes, and on every 7th day you get 6.

Challenges

Like basically all Mobile games, complete the listed tasks to get small amounts of premium currency. These are unlocked sequentially, and are listed clearly in game so I won’t elaborate too much on them. If you don’t know what to do, they’re a good hint toward your next gameplay goals.

My Nintendo Missions & Rewards

This game is set up to support My Nintendo Platinum coins and rewards, but does not currently offer them. It likely will when the game launches globally.

Tournament

A simple boss rush returning large amounts of coins. You can use pokemon from any region

Stats

Pokemon don’t level, instead, they have a set move, Gear slots, and CP,the all-around strength stat. Thus you should always use your best pokemon You can just tap the “recommended” button when starting an adventure to auto-select the strongest pokemon of a relevant type for that adventure.

Pokemon

Pokemon in this game have a single CP stat much like in Pokemon Go, but they can’t level or evolve. Instead, to keep getting better Pokemon you must keep catching Pokemon after raising the CP cap in a region by beating a Super Boss. Pokemon can usually only be taken to the region they originated from to battle, other than Tournaments.

When catching Pokemon, they come in Red, Blue, or Yellow Pokeballs:

Red Pokeball Normal Pokemon, 1-3* moves
Blue Pokeball Pokemon has a combo of 3* move and higher CP
Yellow Pokeball 4* Moves

It’s possible for a Red pokemon to have a higher CP than a Blue one, since it might have a lower quality Move.

Storing Pokemon

You start with 100 pokemon slots. If you run out of space, you can “Send Pokemon to the Adventurer’s club”, effectively selling them. You get a small amount of Pokedollars in return and the pokemon cannot return to your game (you can still catch a new one).

You gain 10 slots for Ranking Up, and you get Rank Up experience by catching pokemon. Early on in the game, storage shouldn’t be a huge problem, but you’ll also be getting a large number of redundant duplicates you can easily sell.

Search & Catching Pokemon

Publicly contributable Spreadsheet for listing search locations.

Search is how you catch new pokemon, and you’re limited in which pokemon you can find until you beat Super Bosses. We’re still working out if everyone has the same exact search locations and which pokemon require which super boss.

You need a Guide Feather to search for a new location, but you can revisit existing locations without one. Bosses and Super Bosses drop Guide Feathers, and the tutorial will give you the ones you need to start out.

Note only the last 3 visited locations can be visited freely, after you search a fourth, you’ll need to search for the removed location with another feather. Be sure to catch all pokemon in an area before searching for new ones if you care for your Pokedex.

Catching Bosses

A simple trick to catch a pokemon that’s also a Super Boss is to, after defeating them, place a Guide Feather right near where the boss icon was, this almost always reveals that boss character! Easy way to get Charizard/Venusaur/etc.

Visiting Adventurers

Tap other people’s balloons while on the region map to visit a special map from them. This map will let you explore with a “buddy” pokemon from that other player, and you can catch pokemon as normal. It lets you try out some different stages without using up a Guiding Feather, but you can only visit it once and the balloons seem to take about an hour to reappear.

Pokedex

An oddity of the Pokedex in Pokemon Rumble Rush is that some “rare” pokemon (pokemon without evolutions, second stage evolutions, or just rare ones like Abra) require 3 catches instead of 1 to be registered as “caught” in the pokedex.

Catch Bonuses

Each 10 pokemon you get gives a catch bonus of a paltry +1 CP for that pokemon. After 10 of these boosts, the requirement raises to 100 pokemon per boost, which is still just 1 CP each. The bonus is basically worthless, given the extremely high CP counts required late game.

Sparkling Pokemon

Rarely, some pokemon emity shiny sparkles (but are not “Shiny Pokemon”). These pokemon generally have very high CP values and are a guaranteed catch if defeated. If you see them, catch them right away!

Pokemon Rumble Rush does not have shinies at present.

Boss Grinding

Note that if you only want to grind stage clears or catch the boss of a stage, you can simply dodge forward through the whole stage until hitting the boss, not fighting anything along the way if you don’t want!

Walkthrough

The game is a bit odd in that you can’t pick which region you go to. At first you’ll progress through a fairly railroaded, straight-forward Tutorial region with 23 pokemon to catch.

Tap a Super Boss to see what pokemon they unlock (listed below).

Tutorial Region

You basically can’t make mistakes in this region and you’ll always be suggested where to place your guide feathers.

Super Bosses

Note that you cannot catch pokemon in Super Boss stages. In the tutorial, you’ll always be required to catch a pokemon that can beat the Super Boss easily before you can even face it.

Raticate

Requirements: Catch a pokemon with 100+ CP
Unlocks: Raticate, Butterfree, Raise CP cap to 130

Ivysaur

Requirements: Catch a pokemon with 130+ CP
Catch 1 or more Butterfree
Unlocks: Ivysaur, Gloom, CP cap to 180

Wartortle

Requirements: Catch a pokemon with 180 CP
Catch 8 kinds of pokemon
Catch a Gloom
Unlocks: Wartortle, Poliwhirl, CP cap to 230

Charmeleon

Requirements: Reach 230 CP on a pokemon with an upgraded Power Gear
Catch 11 kinds of Pokemon
Catch a Poliwhirl
Unlocks: Charmeleon, Graveler, 300 CP cap

Raichu

Requirements: Use an upgraded power gear to reach 300+ CP
Catch 14 kinds of Pokemon
Catch a Graveler
Unlocks: Leave the Tutorial region permanently

By the time you’re ready to challenge the Raichu stage, you should have caught 23 different species of Pokemon if you’ve caught them in every area in the tutorial zone. Note you cannot return so if you’re missing anything, don’t fight Raichu yet.

After beating Raichu, you’ll be forced to do a round of the Tournament (Boss Rush that gives lots of coins), then you’ll be released into the main game. From now on, your pokemon will be able to auto-attack without your input.

Events

Check Menu > Notices to see active events, where you can catch specific pokemon and get unique Gears. Oddly, what would be considered “events” in most mobile games are the main non-tutorial map of this game. It appears catchable pokemon will rotate every few weeks unless permanent maps are added.

Instead as of now, you immediately go to the current Event map upon completing the tutorial and there is no option to visit anywhere else.

Spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vlDJ–iiIVetwtSHEUqzdQQqZTjqQPmD12GAgovBn-s/edit#gid=1914664062

Charizard Sea

The launch event, complete with a randing system and special pokemon to catch. The featured pokemon are the classics Charizard and Blastoise (sorry, Venusaur).

Like Adventure mode, you must beat Super Bosses within Charizard Sea to progress and unlock new pokemon to catch.

Super Bosses
  • Ponyta
  • Metapod
  • Charmeleon
  • Scyther
  • Mr. Mime
  • Pikachu
  • Slowbro
  • Kadabra
  • Flareon
  • Ivysaur
  • Wartortle
  • Vileplume
  • Poliwhirl
  • Butterfree
  • Eggxecutor
  • Blastoise
  • Alakazam
  • Venusaur
  • Gyarados
  • Charizard 
Spreadsheet

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vlDJ–iiIVetwtSHEUqzdQQqZTjqQPmD12GAgovBn-s/edit#gid=811852411

In App Purchases

Buyer beware, as is often the case, a lot of the In App Purchases (IAP) in the game aren’t as good as they seem, and critically, the “points per dollar” feature is completely deceptive! Beyond this bug, the IAPs mostly focus around temporary buffs and refining items slightly faster. That’s the main IAP drive in this game; waiting to open treasure.

The IAP “Points per dollar” button is extremely bugged out and drastically misrepresents  the purchasing power! For example, the Poke Diamonds packs are all extremely close in value at just about 1  diamond per cent. However, according to their numbers, the most expensive option is almost 30x more efficient than the $1 option which is blatantly false.

This is probably an error but it’s incredibly inaccurate and I would recommend avoiding buying anything from the store until the extremely deceptive numbers are corrected.

Starter Set $4

Prices listed are in USD and are subject to change at the app’s discretion. Note all timers decrease even when the app isn’t in use, or even during maintenance.

This item gives 400 Poke Diamonds, a special Summon Gear, and a single day of one more refining slot. The slot is not permanent. So much for Pokemon Quest’s awesome IAP set up.

“Convenient Features” Sets

All of these are temporary buffs, unlike Pokemon Quest sets.

  • Plenty of Pokemon $4
    • 400 Diamonds instantly
    • For only 3 days, catch up to 2 extra pokemon per stage
      • Does not actually guarantee that you get 2 or more pokemon, it simply raises the potential cap
  • Really Refining Set $6
    • 600 diamonds instantly
      • For only 3 days get one more refinery slot for ore, letting you open 33% more ore
  • Poke Diamond Deal Set $8
    • 800 Diamonds instantly
    • 80 Diamonds per day for 30 days
    • 20% Pokemon movement speed boost for the 30 days
      • Your daily diamonds are forfeit if you don’t claim your regular login bonus for a day!
      • 3200 Diamonds total, though it takes 30 days of daily logins
      • Probably the most “worth it” item, if you consider any of them to be worth it
Poke Diamonds

This section simply sells 100 Diamonds for each $1 spent with no efficiency improvement for buying larger amounts. Repeat, there is no reason to prefer higher quantities at the presently listed prices.

Addendum

My Patreon – Check it out if my guides help you!

You can get Shakedown: Hawaii here

My Discord Server, with a dedicated Pokemon channel!

My YouTube Channel

The Pokemon Videos on my YouTube

My Other Pokemon Guides

Pokecord – a Discord Chatbot Pokemon game!

Pokemon Quest Recipes

Pokemon Sun/Moon Island Scan Guide

Pokemon Rumble Rush guide

Pokemon Masters Guide

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Author: SerTapTap

Gaming guide writer, content creator, streamer, UX designer, web developer, and a bunch of other stuff.

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