The recent Nintendo Direct has revealed a whole batch of news from the gaming granddaddy. The broadcast revealed that Nintendo 64 and DS games will be playable on the Wii U via the virtual console, whilst massively popular racer Mario Kart 8 is set to get the franchise’s first 200cc mode. Meanwhile, the gaming peripheral series amiibo will get a wealth of new content this year, including characters from Super Smash Bros, Yoshi’s Woolly World, and upcoming multiplayer shooter Splatoon.

There was also some big Pokemon news on show, as Nintendo revealed the release of Pokemon Rumble World for the 3DS. The title will be available from the Nintendo 3DS eShop from April 8. Pokemon Rumble World will be “free-to-start” at launch, with players able to purchase additional in-game content.

Pokemon Rumble World is a continuation of the Pokemon Rumble spin-off series. Rumble World allows players to travel the world, adding wild toy Pokemon to their collection by defeating them in battle. The game will feature over 700 Pokemon from all generations to date, including Mega Evolutions. The game was initially rumored due to the discovery of the game on the Australian Ratings Board at the end of March.

Pokemon Rumble World marks the first time that the Rumble spin-off has featured a free-to-play business model. Players can purchase Poke-Diamonds, which the player can then use to travel around the game world in hunt of new toy Pokemon. Poke-Diamonds can also be obtained through in-game actions such as completing stages, or through using the 3DS StreetPass. It remains to be seen just how integral the purchase of Poke-Diamonds is to progress in the game, however, or whether determined gamers will still be able to complete the title for free without significant frustration.

This continues Nintendo’s forward motion towards the free-to-play business model. Nintendo has already released a freemium Pokemon game for its handheld console, with Pokemon Shuffle launching this year for the 3DS. The Pokemon Trozei follow-up, which allows plays to buy Poke-Gems to speed up the wait time between levels, has already proven incredibly popular, amassing over 2 million downloads to date.

Nintendo has made revolutionary changes to the way it sees its gaming business model in recent years. Many popular titles have included DLC, such as Mario Kart 8’s Zelda and Animal Crossing DLC, with Nintendo also revealing Mewtwo and Lucas as downloadable content characters for Super Smash Bros. Wii U in its recent Nintendo Direct broadcast. The gaming giant has also previously spoken about a desire to bring more mobile gaming elements into the 3DS roster, and Pokemon Rumble World’s freemium elements seems to be a continuation of this strategy.

Pokemon Rumble World will release on April 8, exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.