The Wii U GamePad is the primary controller across all Wii U games and the many functions of it are brought into full use within this game. Firstly, and most notably, the entire game can be played on the GamePad alone, without the need for the TV to be on, should you so wish.

However, even with this feature, the GamePad provides several alternatives for control. Using the touch screen on the controller, you have the ability to manipulate various aspects of the game. If you touch any enemy on the screen, it will temporarily pause them. You can also pick up coins and destroy traps in this manner. You also have the ability to do minor damage to various antagonistical obstacles such as rockets and cannons by tapping them

Finally, as you defeat various Pokémon and rack up combos, you will collect various gems. Once you have collected 10 of them, you'll be able to use the Touch Bomb move. This move will allow you to touch anywhere on the touch screen and make it send out small bombs in a massive radius whichremoves half a Pokémon's max hit points. You can do this for around 5 seconds, allowing you to completely remove the area of Pokémon. However, you will not receive coins, gems or even Pokémon from doing this.

Pokémon Rumble U is the first Pokémon game on the Wii U, and as such, has access to some of the Wii U's special features. Specifically, the NFC chip in the GamePad. Using this chip, you can scan various Pokémon figures released and have them appear within your game. You have the ability to raise these figures.

These Pokémon are not exclusive to the figures, being able to be obtained within the game, but the figures will provide a stronger form of the Pokémon, but with an extra boost in strength

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In addition to the NFC figures, the game also has got a feature that allows you to scan in any NFC technology while you play. This ranges from transit cards to bank cards. When you scan these, a random Pokémon will appear and you may receive a random effect such as being increased in size or a stat boost

In addition to using those features as helpers, you can also scan in a figure in the middle of play and that Pokémon will appear and help, as well.

One of the things that has been scaled back somewhat are Special Abilities and Customisation of Pokémon. In Pokémon Rumble and Pokémon Rumble Blast, any Pokémon could have the special abilities. However, in Pokémon Rumble U, the special abilities have been restricted to Pokémon which are obtained using Figures or through Passwords

With the Figure Pokémon, you have the ability to purchase different abilities for each of your individual figures, upgrading them if necessary.

Similarly with attacks, most Pokémon captured will have the same attacks from a pool of the moves the Pokémon can learn. If you capture the Pokémon and it's in a Gold Capsule, it will have different moves to normal, as well. Like with Special Abilities, Figure Pokémon can also change their moves by purchasing new ones

One feature missing from Pokémon Rumble Blast was the inclusion of Shiny Pokémon. In Pokémon Rumble, you could get shiny Pokémon randomly in various levels, while Rumble Blast lacked this completely. Pokémon Rumble U, however, has brought Shiny Pokémon back into the fold. This time, the Shiny Pokémon can only be obtained through Passwords or Figure Pokémon. In the Figure sets, there's always a special secret figure and, as seen in the first set, it is a Shiny Pokémon.

Shiny Pokémon don't really add anything special to the gameplay, but merely add a special Pokémon to your collection.

A new feature in the game is the inclusion of items. From time to time, when you take out a Pokémon, it will drop an item. In addition to this, a Magnemite will often fly in and drop an item down onto the course. These items can be both beneficial and hindering to your attempts to complete the level. They range from healing items, ones that boost your attacks, ones that prevent you from moving to items that can guarantee the capture of any Pokémon once it has been defeated.

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