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Nintendo’s own take on the Skylanders toy/game model will be released next month – but the toys might miss the launch.
Announced earlier this year, Pokmon Rumble U is a download-only action games that sees Wii U owners brawl their way through waves of cartoony creatures, following the formula laid down by the Wii and 3DS versions.
The game has already been released in Japan, alongside toy figures that users can collect and scan in using the Wii U GamePad’s built-in NFC technology. Characters scanned will then appear in the game.
Pokmon Rumble U will be released in Europe on August 15th. It will be available to buy via the Nintendo eShop on Wii U, but there’s no confirmation that the toys will be appearing at retail.
The official Nintendo statement given to MCV is: "We’re still working through the plans for the small number of figurines we plan to release, and will update people in due course."
If they were to arrive on Pokmon Rumble U’s launch day, they would hit shelves one week ahead of multi-format rival Disney Infinity, which debuts on August 23rd.
And this week, Rovio announced its own entry into the toys/game crossover market with Angry Birds Star Wars II, arriving on September 19th.
Activision, meanwhile, continues to move forward with the series that started it all. Skylanders: Swap Force is due for release later this year, along with a new range of customisable figurines.
