Pokemon is a great thing. Rick and Morty is a great thing. I never thought they could ever combine. In fact, when news came out about the game, I thought it was a fan-made fantasy that wouldn’t ever get made. Yet here I am, pouring countless hours into it! Adult Swim and Big Pixel Studio surprised us with an early release of Pocket Mortys, a Pokemon style Rick and Morty RPG game. Originally set to release on January 14th, it was released a day early for Apple and Android users. I’m relatively new to the mobile gaming scene, and this is an amazing way to get introduced! This is a great way to get your fix of Pokemon in a unique way.
This game is a fantastic mix of an older game that brings on the nostalgia and a refreshingly hilarious newer show. You start out in Rick’s garage with Rick talking some crazy Rick-like nonsense about other dimensions with more Ricks and more Mortys when a portal opens up and another Rick emerges. The Mysterious Rick approaches Morty and talks about needing to catch him. Before the Mysterious Rick can do anything, normal Rick steps in and says Morty is his, so Mysterious Rick insists that you battle your respective Mortys. Thus begins your journey into Pocket Mortys!
Once you defeat him, Mysterious Rick goes back through his portal. Of course, Rick has to follow him, so he takes a reluctant Morty through the portal where they end up in another dimension with different Ricks and different Mortys. You happen across a Morty Manipulator Chip right away, and the game walks you through how to capture your very on Morty. Basically, you weaken the wild Morty until the health bar is in the red then you shoot him with the Morty Manipulator Chip. The lower the health, the more likely the chip will stick to catch your Morty.
You defeat Mysterious Rick once again, and hop through a portal supposedly to take you home. Oops, never mind ”“ you’re tricked into going before the Council of Ricks! Your task is simple ”“ the Council of Ricks has taken Rick’s portal gun, and Rick and Morty have to find a way home. You need to travel through many dimensions and prove you’re worthy to return with your Morty to your proper dimension. In these different places, you can catch multiple types of Mortys. You then battle other Ricks and their Mortys for badges to move through to another dimension. So, very much like Pokemon, you have to catch Mortys, battle for badges, and progress through the story! Once you reach a certain number of badges, you can fight one of the six Council of Ricks members.
The main hub of the game is called the Citadel which is ruled by the Council of Ricks, and they keep the other Ricks in line. Within the Citadel, there are healing centers and shops where you can heal your Mortys and buy supplies to help in battles. You will also find a daycare center to send your spare Mortys, since you can only hold five at a time. After you’ve defeated all six members of the Council of Ricks, you will be able to speak with NPC’s in the area for side quests.
You can also do crafting make different items including Morty Manipulator Chips. However, the game doesn’t tell you any crafting recipes which results in frustration and a lot of trial and error. The game is a bit forgiving, though. Once you find a recipe, the game stores it so you can make more at any time.
I still have so much to do in this game and am excited to see where it goes and how they integrate more similarities to Pokemon. I’ve loved every second of playtime! It feels nostalgic but new at the same time. Many, many more hours will definitely go into this game. Once the Council of Ricks has been defeated, the task of catching all the Mortys begins. After all, ya gotta be *urp* the very best, Morty.
