Earlier this week saw the unveiling of the first near-field communication (NFC) game for Nintendo's Wii U. Surprise, it's a Pokemon game entitled "Pokemon Rumble U," but as of right now it's only announced for Japanese markets. The first set includes Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Piplup, Lucario, Victini, Torchic and a special, secret one yet to be revealed, reports Kotaku. My money's on Mew. Seems like that little fella would fit nicely into the ultra-cute style they're using to develop these figurines.
Players will be able to place the figurines on the NFC-enabled Wii U gamepad and see them emerge into the stage as their virtual selves. For a better idea, check out the trailer at the end of the article.
Activision made a big splash with their NFC-enabled "Skylanders" franchise in the past couple years, which, according to Activision, has already accrued over $1 billion at retail. Disney is getting in on the game with their new "Infinity" platform, though it was delayed two months to push its release closer to the holiday season.
"Pokemon Rumble U" is coming to the Japanese eShop April 24 for 1200 yen (about $12.50), while each figurine will cost 200 yen (about $2) apiece.
