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Magikarp Jump is yet another mobile game published by Nintendo. It embraces the free-to-play model so going into it I was a bit skeptical. Although I really wanted to play it! I’ve been following it since it came out in Italy and I was eager for a worldwide release. The game finally released globally today and I downloaded it as fast I could. But is this game worth it? Or was it a mistake to download? I have played the game for roughly 2 hours and I have a formulated opinion on it. So let us find if it is worth your time!
GAMEPLAY
This game’s premise is hilarious. It is a Pokemon game where the only Pokemon you can catch is Magikarp, and it can’t even evolve. After you catch one you have to raise it by training it and giving it food. But why do you need to raise it? To beat all the Leagues and be the best Magikarp trainer in the world of course!
There are 8 Leagues that you need to beat. Each has a certain number of trainers that you to battle if you win you can advance in the League. After you defeat the last trainer you will be rewarded with several items and access to the next League. But how do Magikarps fight? They only know Splash! In this game, you battle by making your Magikarp jump as high as possible. After you win the battle you’ll earn coins to buy items in the shop such as food and new training modes. You’ll also gain experience points to level up.
However, don’t get attached to your Magikarp too much. You can only catch one at a time and each Magikarp has a set Jump Power when it is maxed all you can do with it is go into league battles until he loses. After he loses he will go into retirement and you need to catch another one. Every time a Magikarp retires you’ll get experience points to level up, this way you’re sure to get a Magikarp with a higher Jump Power potential. Also, it is important to know that each generation of Magikarp grows even faster!
MICROTRANSACTIONS
As I said before this game is free-to-play so it has some microtransactions. You can purchase Diamonds with real cash and with them you can unlock certain items that will make your playthrough faster. For example, the best way to increase your Magikarps JP is by training it but to do it you need Training Points and each takes 30 minutes to refill. With Diamonds, you can go to the shop and buy Training Soda to replenish the points instantly. You can also buy other things such as decorations that give you boosts in JP, coins, and experience gained. In-game you can acquire Diamonds by completing Missions and plowing through the League and so far I have not had the urge to go buy more, I have not spent a single one in fact.
MY EXPERIENCE
My experience has been quite positive although I’m noticing that my progression in the game is starting to slow down. But this is normal in any mobile game with microtransactions. Don’t let this get you from trying this game. It’s very fun believe me! The only thing that’s bothering me is the fact that you can’t keep your Magikarp… I just caught a shiny one and soon he’ll have to retire! One other thing that I like about this game is the Events that appear once in a while after a training session or a battle. One time I ordered my Magikarp to fetch me a Pokéball that had appear but it turned out that the Pokeball was actually a Voltorb and it used Selfdestruct! He had to retire immediately after that, poor thing… If you play this don’t make the same mistake that I did!
From my point of view, this wasn’t a mistake to get and I’m happy that I did. If you like fun games to kill some time this one is great for you. You do ‘nt need to be a Pokemon fan to enjoy this game! So, go to the app store and download it, you’ll love it. Just remember to keep your Magikarp safe and have fun!
Also if you’re playing on Android you might have some issues finding the app like I did so here is the link: Magikarp Jump
