I rarely expect big Pokémon news during Nintendo Directs. Maybe an NSO drop (pffft), perhaps some details on the already-announced game coming out. I certainly did not anticipate my dream of becoming a Ditto who can transform into a human being to come true during the latest showcase.
Okay, that’s obviously not what I’ve spent my many years growing up with Pokémon thinking about, but it is the spark that sets in motion my actual, long-desired Pokémon spin-off, Pokémon Pokopia: a life sim.
I have to ask, how has it taken The Pokémon Company almost 30 years to come up with a Pokémon life sim? In a series all about bonding with creatures, and many entries featuring customisation elements, the ability to build a home (or, well, a Secret Base), grow berries, sometimes even cook – why didn’t this happen a decade ago, when Animal Crossing was blowing up on the 3DS?
*exhale* Now I have that off of my chest, I can succumb to the excitement that, yes, my dream Pokémon game is finally happening. And the possibilities are endless.
While the blocky nature of the island first brought to mind Minecraft, Pokopia’s co-developer actually reveals something more exciting. Koei Tecmo — this being the dev’s second time working with the franchise after Pokémon Conquest — were co-developers on Dragon Quest Builders 2. This blends the sandbox nature of Minecraft and other open-world crafting and building games with RPG elements, narrative, and that distinctive Dragon Quest charm.
This feels like the perfect starting point for Pokopia, and we’re already seeing the weirder side of Pokémon. In case you’ve already forgotten, you’re playing a Ditto that’s masquerading as a human. I was a little unsettled looking at the main character’s face for the first time, but this is actually a genius idea. After all, Pokémon can’t talk, and humans can’t understand Pokémon.
But Ditto can, and that allows the Pokémon to not only have voices, but personalities. I don’t expect anything wild, but merely an acknowledgement of their types, their potential, and their own skills. We’ve already seen that with Bulbasaur and Charmander, with the former telling Ditto what he likes (surprise! It’s grass) and the latter warning Ditto about his fiery tail. It’s simple, but adorable at the same time.
There’s so much potential here. Just looking at the key art, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are relaxing under the waterfall, Scyther and Pinsir are squabbling next to the Pokémon Center, and Sudowoodo is standing in between rows of trees, blocking the path. These things all make sense, either based on the Pokémon’s behaviour in previous games or on their inspirations.
These Pokémon all have individual needs that need catering to; we’ve seen at least one ‘mon from every era (except Sun & Moon) so far, and that just blows open the potential for creativity and needs. Pidgey is probably going to want something a little different from Rookidee, after all; trees will be part of the equation, surely, but Rookidee is described as “brave and reckless” according to its Pokédex entry, while Pidgey is “docile”. You really think they’d be happy with all the same conditions?
That’s what excites me the most about Pokopia – the idea that you’ll need to juggle the wants of many Pokémon while creating your idea of paradise. I already love that you can basically build a miniature Route, complete with a Pokémon Center and ladders to climb up, with other biomes like forests and mountains just sitting on the outskirts, just like a mainline Pokémon game.
My favourite thing about Pokémon has long been the ecology of the ‘mons living in these worlds. It’s why I loved Pokémon Snap as a kid, and adore New Pokémon Snap as an adult. You can see where these creatures flourish, how they interact with the world, and how they live with others of their own kind. This is just another way of seeing these fictional creatures exist in a world – except this time, it’s up to you to understand what they need, rather than simply observe them in their environments.
You may already know I love city builders and making towns that I, and others, will come to call home. And eventually you can do just that here, too – I don’t know if The Pokémon Company is referring to a town as the ‘islands’ we get to create, or if we’ll be able to build more than Centers and cute little leaf cottages. I mean, surely Ampharos wants a lighthouse somewhere. Surely Magnetite and Voltorb need a Power Plant. Some of those Electric-type Pocket Monsters need those cityscapes to flourish in!
Plus, Ditto needs abilities that cover every type, right? Ditto’s building capabilities all come from the different Pokémon you can bring to your island; grass patches don’t just grow on their own, they need a little Leafage action inspired by Bulbasaur. Does this mean all tall grass in Pokémon is grown by Bulbasaur…? Don’t think about that too much.
Along with a little crafting table to build furniture, Ditto’s decorating and terraforming all seems to come from individual Pokémon abilities. Scyther can obviously cut down trees with its huge blades, so Ditto takes cues from the big bug for that. My favourite has to be what appears to be Hitmonlee’s ability; I wasn’t sure how Fighting-types could influence the shape of the world, but physically punching cliffs and raised platforms? Sure, why not?
The idea that this is just a slice of what Pokopia may have to offer has me a little bit giddy. The day/night cycle that’s in sync with real-world time (just like in older Pokémon games) has me hoping for seasonal events, and the tease of “in-game locations with their own unique characteristics” makes me wonder about the types of biomes or interiors we’ll be able to explore.
I need pinching, honestly. I like to keep my expectations in check, and I’ve been burned by Pokémon many times throughout my life. But a Pokémon life sim has long been a no-brainer for me. Now we’re getting one, I simply have to wait and hope for what could be my perfect Pokémon game.
Are you excited for Pokémon Pokopia? Have you been thinking about a Pokémon life sim for a while? Let us know in the comments.
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