For those who have played Pokémon Rumble, the WiiWare that is Pokemon Rumble's predecessor, then the mechanics of this game will be wholly familiar. For those that haven't, this is what this page is for. For those looking for the controls, they are listed in a separate page under "Getting Started". Feel free to look there if you need information on controls.
General Information[edit]
Unlike the main game, which is turn-based, Pokémon Rumble Blast is not. Pokémon Rumble Blast involves you playing as a toy Pokémon that goes through various levels, or stages, such as Cave, Treetops, Lake, or Meadow, to name a few. Every now and then in the area, hordes of "wild" Pokémon toys will appear and attempt to attack you. Your goal in each area is to clear all the stages in the area and then defeat a "boss" toy Pokémon that will be a abnormally large compared to the normal size of you, the player.
When facing these wild Pokémon toys, you have two options: Run past them, or defeat them. When toy Pokémon are defeated, they drop money, or Poké. Poké can be used to buy better moves from various Move Vendors or Move-a-ma-jigs (explained later), or you might want to save your Poké for post game for a function known as "World Rank". Besides money, you might also "tip the Pokémon over". That means the toy Pokémon will fall onto the ground and you can pick it up. Congratulations, you've just befriended a Pokémon!
Toy Pokémon also have a set power which can be anywhere from around 20 to around 3,500. Because toy Pokémon can never change their power, befriending more Pokémon for later on is important if you want to progress through the storyline. This is a change from the main Pokémon series where you level your Pokémon up.
Another change is that Pokémon now have only three stats, one of which is a hidden value that you cannot see: Attack, Defense, and Speed. This means that move like Calm Mind raise Attack and Defense, and moves like Bulk Up will also raise Attack and Defense since special stats don't exist. When opening the menu to see your Pokémon, press Y and you can see a Pokémon's Attack and Defense, which is indicated by white dots. More dots means more Attack or Defense. Speed is not indicated by dots, but you will notice that some Pokémon move faster than others. That's their Speed value coming into play.
The final change is that Pokémon can only learn two moves. Moves will also have power and the power will also be indicated in dots. More dots, stronger move. Since this game isn't turn-based, moves will have some different effects, like range, charge time, longevity of the move, quickness, etc. You'll quickly learn which moves you tend to favor and which moves you will mostly ignore.
Wonder Key[edit]
The Wonder Key is what brings a toy Pokémon to life! Over time, you will be able to upgrade your Wonder Key for faster "switching" time when switching to another toy Pokémon. Switching involves simply opening the menu with X and selecting a Pokémon you want with A. Be careful though, because if a foe hits you right as you attempt to switch, the switch will fail.
You have three Wonder Keys to use. If your toy faints before you can switch it out, you will lose a Wonder Key. If you lose all three Wonder Keys (i.e. faint three times), then you will have lost and will be kicked out of the area back to the nearest town. If that happens, simply try again, or befriend stronger Pokémon and try again. You do not lose any money or befriended toys if you lose all your Keys.
Other Things to Keep in Mind[edit]
Remember, Pokémon typing and status all remain the same. Poison and Burn will take off 2 - 3 HP pretty much every half-second, so be wary if you're at low HP. Paralysis means you can't move or attack for some time. Same with Sleep. Confusion is especially bad in this game due to the fact that you move in random directions. You can't attack yourself but because you can't control your movement, you might not be able to aim an attack. As an Action RPG, Pokémon Rumble Blast has still tried its best to keep the tradition. So bear in mind things like Pokémon types because they are still relevant to gameplay.
Yes, you can find legendary Pokémon. Most you unlock either later in the game or via StreetPass, a special feature of the Nintendo 3DS. Look in the Appendix for this. Your big mascot legendaries cannot be found until after you have beat the main story.