Pokopia is going to be the first big system seller for the Switch 2. On paper, it seems obvious now. Animal Crossing + Minecraft + Pokémon, how can it miss? But when you look at it through the lens of what the Switch 2 currently offers, I think it fills a lot of gaps in the Switch 2’s lineup.
Before Pokopia, you had Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. For whatever reason, Mario Kart World didn’t set the world on fire. Maybe it was the high cost of entry, maybe it was the perceived lack of improvement from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the still very active fan base on 8, the woefully underdeveloped open map, or the everything else happening in the world at the time. Bananza came in with some unexpected fanfare and I think it’s rightfully esteemed, but still not the magnet of something like Smash Bros. Melee, Breath of the Wild, or Halo on their respective platforms.
I'm not very far in the game, so I can't really get any compelling screenshots at this time.
Pokopia has that mix of something we know but something different that I think is key. It’s a big tent game where it caters to gamers young and old of all different persuasions. If the town building aspect doesn’t get you, or the pretty interesting intrigue of the game’s central question don’t get you, at the very least it has “but there’s Pokémon!” to fall back on. When you look at the Switch 2’s existing catalog it looks like it caters to two sections of the same audience: Nintendo diehards that are going to buy the new Nintendo console say less (hello, nice to meet you,) or techies that gotta have the new gadget. The library shows it too. Beyond the two notable exclusives I mentioned, there’s Pokémon ZA, Switch 2 upgrades of Switch 1 games, Cyberpunk 2077, Silksong, Skyrim (again ?!) Titles playable on other platforms — all fine, but none have the infinite playability, versatility, bang-for-the-buck that other gamers require.
Not only does Pokopia offer gameplay not otherwise available on the Switch 2 but also gameplay that hasn’t had a notable twist since Animal Crossing New Horizons stopped being updated. ACNH, coming off the axis-tilting success of Stardew Valley, spurred a gold rush in the cozy game market. Countless games took inspiration from these two, and while plenty have their charm, none captured the zeitgeist in the same way. It’s a tall order! Early returns look like Pokopia is poised to do so. Critical reception shows Pokopia is reaching the heights set by the games in its lineage. Release weekend on twitch shows people diving in feet first with the same fervor as its three key ancestors.
In Pokopia, you can construct your wildest dreams!
You already see posts from people pining for a Switch 2 to play. There’s also an insidious taste-test feature with game share mode. One player can game share and open their island for other players to play in without requiring a second cartridge or even a second Switch 2. Someone with a Switch 1 can get a taste. And just like when New Horizons dropped, the American President is cooking up a new reason for us to hide in our bunkers and play a cozy game to dissociate to. The setting is prime for this to be the Switch 2’s coming out party.