Adult Swim’s wildly successful, mind bending, and hilarious science fiction series Rick and Morty blew away the competition with its second season run last summer, and its success shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Season two’s premiere drew in over 2 million people last July, earning wild praise from both fans and critics in the process. Its success earned a green light for season three almost immediately, much to the delight of its rabid audience.
Co-created from the brilliantly twisted minds of Dan Harmon (Community) and Justin Roiland (Adventure Time), Rick and Morty follows the adventures of super genius/scientist/psychopath/alcoholic Rick and his bumbling adolescent grandson Morty as they embark on Doctor Who-esque adventures across time, space, and other dimensions. While fans wait with bated breath for any word regarding season 3, Adult Swim’s gaming division made an announcement today that will give fans plenty to get schwifty over in the interim.
As reported by Polygon, Adult Swim Games announced the free to play Pocket Mortys for iOS and Android is set for release next week on January 14. The announcement tweet came complete with a gif, showcasing the game’s inspiration which might seem a bit familiar to fans of Pokemon. And that tweet was followed up by Harmon and Roiland sharing a glimpse at the game with all of their followers.
Pocket Mortys. Mobile. January 14th. pic.twitter.com/tXAU07lzbR— adult swim games (@adultswimgames) January 5, 2016
No need for conflict. It’s REAL, Morty. On January 14th, POCKET MORTYS comes to iOS and Android. pic.twitter.com/UNFM4P4WLH— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) January 5, 2016
Guuuuys! A brand new Rick and Morty game for iOS and android hits on Jan 14th! POCKET MORTYS!! pic.twitter.com/hXN64ilnVF— Justin Roiland (@JustinRoiland) January 5, 2016
While this isn’t Rick and Morty’s first foray into the world of gaming, their previous outing, Rick and Morty: Jerry’s Game left much to be desired. A simple balloon popping simulator, it was kind of cute, but didn’t offer much by way of replay value or content. A tweet from Adult Swim Games senior producer Chris Johnston addressed these concerns directly, promising a legitimate gaming experience.
@TheDutchSlayer this is all game. Real game. The real McCoy. The Real Ghostbusters.— Chris Johnston (@superpac) January 5, 2016
Conceptually, the game looks intriguing. From what we’ve seen from screen shots released so far, the player guides Rick through a world populated by other Ricks and aliens. There, battles are held as opponents pit various Mortys against each other in combat, playing out almost exactly like the Pokemon battles that have held our attention for decades now.
Given that the series has already introduced the idea of there are being infinite Mortys who exist with infinite Ricks, Pocket Mortys doesn’t seem to be straying too far from the kinds of adventures the duo are known for having. As a concept, it provides endless possibilities for madcap Rick and Morty mayhem that fans have come to love about the series.
While it doesn’t seem that the game will directly tie into the animated series, it’s about time that ASG gave fans a proper game from the show. If the wait for season 3 is anything like the wait for season 2, fans might be in a state of anticipation for some time. With any luck, Pocket Mortys will be just as addictive as its inspiration, compelling fans to grind for hours in an effort to squanch them all.
