Survival Mode in Pokémon Shuffle

For players that are still engrossed in Pokémon Shuffle, like me, there might be one challenge that is still viable to take on. That challenge would be Survival Mode, a mode designed to test one's puzzle mettle and skills. On the 3DS version, this is accessed by tapping the Survival Mode button on the Main Stage screen, which will bring up a standard Pokémon selection prompt and item selection prompt before starting a stage. Yet with that, it becomes clear that this isn't just a standard stage.

The reason is that Survival Mode isn't just one stage; it's a series of stages. The catch is that one cannot change Pokémon after starting the mode, unlike with regular Main Stages. One can still use items from a limited selection and exchange Coins for them before starting the next stage in sequence, which might help when facing a tough Pokémon. The cost for starting Survival Mode is also a little more significant - 3 Hearts - but no more than that is needed for all the stages it offers, which are plenty.

The gameplay is like a Main Stage with moves, and what really helps is that one gets 5 moves after clearing each stage, so it helps to use the most powerful Pokémon and to be economical in making moves, saving them when they are to be needed the most. Item rewards can also be earned for clearing certain milestone stages, which should be very useful. The challenge of Survival Mode ends when there are no more moves, one decides to quit, or all stages are cleared, though it is possible to pause the challenge (using the "Take a Break" feature) before starting the next stage to play other games.

It becomes clear that the challenge of this mode is for those who have leveled up and powered up their Pokémon in the game, as without doing so, one is not likely to make it out of even the first few stages, though one can certainly try - Mewtwo awaits at the tenth stage, so that alone indicates how much of a challenge this becomes as one proceeds through the stages. The requirement of 3 Hearts also means that Survival Mode is best conducted when one has a few Hearts to spare and hopefully some time to spare as well, as even though the challenge can be paused, Hearts are still replenished during it.

Personally, I've been able to get quite far into Survival Mode thanks to a bevy of leveled up and powered up Pokémon, though not close to its completion due to some shortcomings. Because of the variety of Pokémon encountered, it is impossible to get through everything with just one or two types, and the best four of everything should be used along with the best Mega Evolution that can deal with just about anything the Pokémon can throw. This is something that I'll work on next time.

The challenge of Survival Mode lies in selecting the best of the best Pokémon, then taking them to deal with as many Pokémon as possible, or even all that are faced. It may sound simple, but it certainly is not, as it can demand everything that one has at one's disposal. It's an ultimate challenge that is also likely to be the ultimate way of showing that one has indeed mastered the game, one that is definitely worth pursuing while still being able to do what one can within the game.

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