I played the tutorial sections and it seemed like your standard Match 3 game. Maybe I'll go back to it, maybe I won't. Probably would just download one of the many for my phone if I really wanted to play one.

I downloaded this not expecting much but it ended up being pretty fun! I won't be spending any money on it since I generally feel fulfilled for the time being once my hearts have run out.

As for comparisons with Trozei, well, the EXPERT missions in Shuffle that allow you to move your pieces anywhere, but with a timer, play pretty close to Trozei.

I'm on battle 66 and I've caught most of those Pokemon. Meowth is an earlier one I still need. Then I need 54, 55, 57, and 63. I've nabbed Mew as well and enjoyed a few rounds of the Meowth Bonus Game. I've nabbed a new Rotom the past couple days that the Rotom special event (or just daily special event) has been going on.

I have eight expert challenges opened but I haven't attempted more than the first three. I'm trying to level up my team members because despite having the freedom to just make moves constantly, there's so much HP that you need to have stronger guys to have a chance. I did nab Absol though and I beat the next two levels but just didn't capture those Pokemon.

I'm loving this game quite a bit. Then again, I also loved and beat 100% Pokemon Battle Trozei. I really enjoy the more thoughtful nature of this game versus it's Trozei-brethren but I like both styles. I also enjoy that despite the whole lives thing, I have gotten this far without spending a single coin or jewel. It's probably beatable without them and for that I do not judge the game as harshly. I do wish that as in Candy Crush Saga, they wouldn't take a life when you succeed at a level, but I guess that would allow for too much play time in a given timeframe. Ah well... it's still been mostly fitting into my schedule... considering I have Pokemon Omega Ruby in the card slot to play.

I downloaded this and just played my first few tutorial battles. I played Trozei, and as far as I can tell the games are very similar. Trozei seems faster and more frantic to me than Shuffle, but that's about it.

I won't be spending any money on this, but I don't think I'll have any problems. This seems more like a quick 5-10 minute filler game rather than a long playtime game like Majora or Monster Hunter. It's fun, but nothing I'm going to obsess about playing.

I can see this as the beginning of a new market for Nintendo. The Mario series has enough icons to try a match-three type game, as does Zelda. I'd play more "______ Shuffle" games if they were free.

@TeamBrian1020 I would love to see more shuffle gives for other franchises! The only thing is that Nintendo would have to work out the "elemental" types for those franchises. Something they don't have to do for Pokemon.

Has anyone used any coins or jewels yet? I hadn't until I hit Mega Mawile at Level 90. I used one jewel to reclaim 5 moves and luckily that was more than enough. I was given a jewel back anyway! Right now I'm at Level 105 which seems equally hard. It is for another Mega Pokemon so I guess at this point that's the story. I haven't touched Expert any further though more levels unlocked in it. Of the main line, I have caught most of the Pokemon I've encountered. I'm still needing to capture just...

103 - Raichu

and of course,

105 - Mega Ampharos

I'm stuck on Level 90 right now. I may have to cave and use a Jewel to get through it, but until then I'm just going back and trying to catch those I've missed.

I've gotten all of the available Specials, but I've only managed to catch the first Expert (I've unlocked 12 Expert stages and have beaten 4 of them (I think I've only attempted like 6 of them)).

EDIT: Now I've caught all of the Pokemon up to where I'm at in the Main game (still stuck on level 90), but I just caught my second Expert Pokemon, and it's super effective against level 90, so maybe I won't have to use a Jewel to get through that level. Just have to wait for a new life.

@sirmastersephiroth Zelda would be easy - Fighting King Dodongo, you have to match several sets of bombs before anything else deals damage. Match bows with Ghoma, etc. Mario would be more difficult...matching boots (for jumping) hurts everything except spinys and Bowser, matching fire flowers hurts most things, but not beetles, and so on. Metroid could do different weapons for different enemies, like the missles and ice beams.

I would play all of those.

@TeamBrian1020 i'm thinking they would use characters instead of weapons.

I'm stuck on level 120. The Pokémon keeps freezing column after column, it's really annoying.

Tip for easy money: if you can beat Mew pretty much every time, face him once a day for 1000 coins.

@Guillaume thanks for the tip!

So apparently this game is really popular.

POKEMON SHUFFLE REACHES 1 MILLION DOWNLOADS

IGN said:

Since its release less than two weeks ago, Pokemon Shuffle has been downloaded from the Nintendo 3DS eShop over one million times, Nintendo announced today.

The free-to-play puzzle game is celebrating the milestone by offering players a gift that can be downloaded throughout March. The gift, an item called Complexity -1, can be used to simplify a puzzle.

In Pokemon Shuffle, you must match three or more Pokemon on the bottom screen to clear them from the stage and damage wild Pokemon. Matching an opponent's weakness is crucial, as you must defeat them within a certain amount of moves.

Like many free-to-play games, Pokemon shuffle includes microtransactions and cooldown periods. Once your five starting Hearts are used up, you’ll have to either wait for them to replenish, or obtain Jewels through StreetPass or from the eShop for $1 USD.

Nintendo previously announced it will be adding free stages throughout the year.

I must say, I've taken to this game in a way that I didn't expect. I'm not even a Pokemon fan but knowing some of the characters I guess is enough to get me more interested in this than in any of the many other practically identical options. And the fact that you have to wait to play almost makes it more addictive, because every so often I'll think, "oh, hey, it's been 30 minutes" and I know I can play some more. That type of addictiveness doesn't help Nintendo of course, since they're not getting any money from me.

So yea, I'll keep playing for now. I'm at Level 40 I think. Kind of surprised I haven't gotten any Streetpasses yet if it's so popular.

I'm at 114. That one is annoying. But nothing that can't be beat with a disruptor and maybe some extra moves.

Guillaume said:

I'm stuck on level 120. The Pokémon keeps freezing column after column, it's really annoying.

Tip for easy money: if you can beat Mew pretty much every time, face him once a day for 1000 coins.

Yup, I'm stuck here too. Figure anything out or did you just give up?

I've completed level 150. Besides 9 of the (unlocked) Expert challenges, I only have two in the normal levels to complete.

There's Zoroark and... someone else I can't recall.

@Jargon

You'll probably do fine with a Disruption Delay helper and maybe extra moves if you needed them but that Disruption Delay will help a ton.

I'm also stuck at 120. I've started in on the Expert levels in the meantime, and have managed to catch 7 of the 14 available there. I've caught everything in the Main section so far.

I suck at expert. I've beaten 4 of them I think but it seems like luck whenever I manage to do it (and haven't captured any)

@Jargon

I think I ended up paying to delay his attacks, but I'm not sure.

I "beat" the game. There are 150 levels, cultimating with Mega Mewtwo. Used the free "simplicity" power up for that one.

Still got a bunch of EX levels to go through, though. And you need S ranks to unlock them.

Blarggggg. Like a few people here, I'm now stuck on 120.
I even used coins for a disrupt, and used two jewels for 10 extra moves. I am disgusted with the waste!