Sometimes you see a new video game and all you can do is wonder why it didn’t get made sooner. That’s how I feel about Pokémon Pokopia, coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in March courtesy of The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, and Koei Tecmo.
I got to play roughly an hour of the upcoming Pokémon-themed cozy-core game at a preview event recently, and I’ve never been more sure after one of these events that, like, half a dozen people I know are going to play dozens or hundreds of hours of a game. Put simply, this is Pokémon meets Minecraft, with a delightfully goofy premise and the potential for lots of town-building fun to be had either by yourself or with a group of friends via online play.
Based on that description, you probably already know if you’re in or not.
I got to play the new Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy. It has the same problem it did in 1995.
It’s Ditto’s time to shine
Of course there’s crafting in this game.
Credit: Nintendo
Before digging into how Pokopia actually works, I’d be remiss not to mention the bizarre setup for this Switch 2 title. You play as a random Ditto, a member of the original 151 with the ability to shapeshift into any other Pokémon. This Ditto, however, decides to cosplay as a lightly customizable human on an island where humans have long since vacated the premises, leaving behind some ruins strewn about an environment that is otherwise only inhabited by wild Pokémon. Oh, and the Pokémon in Pokopia can talk. That part is important.
As a sort-of-human with a Ditto face, your job is to rebuild the region to attract new Pokémon and maybe even humans again. Minecraft is the most obvious source of inspiration here, as the world is made up of blocks that can be destroyed or rearranged to the player’s liking. However, there are also elements of other cozy lifestyle simulation games like Stardew Valley at play here. One of your main duties is to build suitable habitats for various Pokémon, who each have their own preferences. Bulbasaur is attracted to grass, Hitmonchan might emerge if you put down a punching bag next to a bench, and so on.
Mashable Top Stories
What’s up, player?
Credit: Nintendo
Attracting a Pokémon isn’t just for aesthetic purposes in Pokopia, as Ditto can copy their abilities to get better at town-building. Bulbasaur gives you the ability to plant grass, and Squirtle gives you the ability to water said grass, for example. Eventually, you’ll be able to use moves like Rock Smash to clear out debris and shape the world to your heart’s content. I even saw abilities that let you transform into Lapras to cross bodies of water, or Dragonite to fly from place to place. Of course, every transformation still has that goofy-ass Ditto face on it, giving Pokopia a distinct visual personality.
Going back to the Pokémon being able to talk for a moment, that matters because each one has its own likes and dislikes, and you can give them gifts to raise your relationship level with them. Have you ever wanted to really be friends with a Squirtle? Of course you have, who hasn’t? Pokémon Pokopia will let you finally do that.
Given that this is not really my kind of game (though I did love Stardew), it’s hard for me to judge just how good it is based on such a short preview session. I will say that the tutorials are pretty effective and there’s enough early-game direction in the form of construction quests with meaningful rewards to give players a solid footing as they start out. Given the family-friendly nature of Pokémon and Nintendo games in general, I was also pleasantly surprised by how quickly Pokopia stops entirely holding your hand. It seems like you have a decent amount of latitude to do what you please within a reasonable timeframe, which is important for a game like this.
Multiplayer might be where Pokopia really gets fun
This is what gaming is all about.
Credit: Nintendo
Our hands-on session started with what seemed like the beginning of a new game, but quickly transitioned to an online multiplayer segment. This seems like it might be where the real juice is for Pokopia, as several friends can join together to craft the Pokémon paradise of their dreams.
For the most part, online play feels like solo play, just with other people running around. You can tackle construction projects on your own, but there are also communal projects that everyone can contribute to at their leisure. The demo island Nintendo set up for us was fairly impressive, with a fully featured town complete with houses for all the Pokémon, a beachside bar, and other fun landmarks.
The player’s ability to express themselves via construction is going to be important here, and from what I can tell, Pokopia will accommodate that to some extent. Most importantly, it really seems like the developers have built an equal parts fun and weird Pokémon delivery system. Even if it’s not entirely for me, I can easily see the appeal of building a town or series of towns for all your favorite Pokémon to live in, free of the burden of having to fight each other on behalf of human trainers.
Pokémon Pokopia launches on March 5 on Nintendo Switch 2.
