Skyler Orton
It’s no secret that many Nintendo fans are upset with the company’s output on the Switch 2 so far. While sales are high, expectations are higher and even excellent titles like Donkey Kong Bananza haven’t changed public perception on the system. However, things might be changing for the console and it’s all thanks to one game, Pokemon Pokopia.
The Ultimate Cozy Game
The more you think about it, it’s surprising that a game like Pokopia hasn’t happened sooner. It fuses the highest-selling media franchise of all time Pokemon with the charming lifestyle gameplay of Animal Crossing which is a global phenomenon in itself. Despite this obvious pairing, when the game was first announced at last September’s Nintendo Direct I was not sold at all.
In Pokopia you play as a Ditto who takes human form and has to assume the abilities of Pokemon to transform the world. Honestly, when it was first announced I found the concept deeply weird and wrote it off on the spot as something that wasn’t for me. After all I was never a huge Animal Crossing fan so the idea of playing those games but with a freaky looking Ditto instead of the adorable Villagers wasn’t appealing to me.
However, since it was released last week the positive buzz had only grown and I knew I had to give it a shot. I’m very glad I did because the game doesn’t just have me hooked but it’s sold me on the broader cozy game genre.
Every Pokemon has an environment that they like and specific needs to be met. For example, to get a water-type Pokemon to move into your town it might want a lakeside environment with lush grass or something similar. Other Pokemon like rock-types might prefer it dry and want a home that reflects that.
I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of how much depth these environments have. The more I play the game keeps throwing in new mechanics and habitats for these Pokemon. Considering there’s over 300 Pokemon in the game with the possibility of more to be added later through events I don’t expect to be finished with this game any time soon.
Just like your villagers in Animal Crossing each Pokemon has likes, dislikes, and skills to consider. The bulk of the gameplay is creating items and habitats to improve their comfort level and in return be able to gain a new skill from them or improve the overall environment. This is satisfying because of the impressive amount of personality each Pokemon has. Despite the enormous number in the game, they’re all distinct so dedicating time to helping them feels consistently engaging.
It’s also impossible to avoid talking about Minecraft when talking about Pokopia since the games have a surprising amount of shared DNA. Not only is it a mix of Animal Crossing and Pokemon, the cube building system that Minecraft perfected is there as well. The closest comparison is the previous game by the Pokopia team at Koei Tecmo Dragon Quest Builders 2. The block building gameplay isn’t as important to the game as in Dragon Quest Builders for example, but it does let you customize every single inch of the map which you can’t do in most other cozy games.
I also have to briefly mention the plot of the game. Without many spoilers the game balances the inherent comfort of restoring a society of Pokemon with some particularly dark lore. After all, you play in a world where every human has disappeared and your player character is the only one who can remember them. This means there’s an at times hilarious juxtaposition between finding remnants and text logs detailing a crumbling civilization which is immediately followed up by watching heartwarming scenes like watching all your Pokemon play a big game of tag with each other. It was honestly kind of shocking at first but the more I play the game it feels like the perfect vibe. After all, when the series is at its best it involves ten-year-olds going on light and heartwarming adventures until they suddenly fight God so why not bring that same tension to a spinoff.
What Does This Mean For Nintendo
This is probably the biggest success story for the Switch 2 so far and it’s not even close. The game sold 2.2 million copies worldwide across the first four days of its release. That might not sound huge, but considering that the highest selling Pokemon spinoff was Pokemon Stadium at around 5 million total copies this is ridiculously good sales. Not only that, the game isn’t showing any signs of stopping. It’s taken the internet by storm in the past week and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon.
Overall Pokopia is a nice success story for Nintendo since it’s had a fair share of controversy so far in the Switch 2 era. Its success isn’t exactly a surprise since it’s a title that appeals to an enormous audience but most importantly the game is great. It feels like a breath of fresh air for both the cozy game genre and the entire Pokemon franchise that I couldn’t recommend enough.
