Pokopia for the Switch 2, rated E, really surprised me combining Animal Crossing, Minecraft and Pokemon for a fun adventure for players of all ages.

The visuals look great on the Switch 2 system. All the Pokemon look fantastically detailed with a large roster in the hundreds. The world or environment itself is made of blocks like a Minecraft game.

Let’s talk about the games controls. You play as Ditto which transforms into a human. You start out by picking your character and customizing them with clothes, accessories etc. Players move around the environment with the left thumbstick. You can run by holding the B button or by clicking the thumbstick down. Climbing is done automatically by pressing the left thumbstick forward. You can move the camera around with the right thumbstick to get a better view of the area. Picking up objects to collect is done with the Y button. Talking to characters is done with the A button.

One of the first pokemon you run across is Squirtle. Running across Pokemon lets you learn their ability which will help you along the way through the story. The ZE button lets you use the pokemon ability you currently have equipped. Moving right or left on the D-pad will change to different abilities you have unlocked. Your Pokedex will keep track of the different habitat items you discovered, Pokemon, camera views, requests from characters and much more. Players can also get different Pokemon to follow them by pressing up on the D-pad. You will come across sparkly spots on the ground which will let you know what habitat requirements a Pokemon there needs. Once you fulfill those requirements you find that Pokemon.

Let’s talk about gameplay. The best way to describe the game is that it’s a mix of Animal Crossing, Minecraft, and Pokemon. You will be going around the game’s map to build, bring the environment back to life and complete requests to progress.

The Pokemon PC will also give you challenges to complete which will earn you coins. These coins will make your life and the Pokemon’s lives more enjoyable and easier. All the Pokemon have different habitat requirements and also have different things you can do to raise their comfort level.

You do have to place these items in their environments or they won’t have the effect of raising their comfort levels. You can build and customize houses for you and your Pokemon friends.

The game is massive with different areas to rebuild and explore. I spent over 10 hours on the first part of the area myself, just restoring and customizing everything. You can plant different things like beans, create flower patches and so much more. The Pokemon will help you along your adventure by lending their abilities, etc. I can admit I was extremely surprised by how the game just sucked me in. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the game and almost wrote it off. I can happily say the game was so much fun, I spent hours and hours just keeping my Pokemon happy, exploring and customizing before I really delved into the story. Each day you have different challenges available on the Pokemon Center PC. These challenges will give you coins that can be used to purchase different things. You can buy things to expand your inventory, customize your character, get blueprints and more. With each level in the game you unlock more things. I can’t think of anything negative to say about the game at all. Unlike other games, this game also never seems to suffer from frame rate drops.

If your looking for easily one of the best Pokemon spinoffs that offers Animal Crossing, Minecraft and Pokemon this is a fantastic adventure. You’ll spend hours and hours exploring and just having fun before you even touch the main story. Pokemon Pokopia is only playable on the Switch 2 and gets a 10/10.

 

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Furthermore, Pokemon FireRed and Pokemon LeafGreen have been re-released for the Switch 1 and Switch 2.

Pokemon players can now experience the classic Gameboy Advance games without the several hundred dollar price tag for each. FireRed takes players back to the early 2000s letting you relive those Gameboy Advance games. These 2 Pokemon are a remaster of the original games. The game still has all the charm of the original games with some tweaks and upgrades. The visuals are nicely upgraded without going too far. The game does have black borders on handheld and in dock mode. One missed opportunity is not being able to trade Pokemon with friends online. If you’re looking to experience the glory days of the Game Boy Advance, the $29 price of entry is warranted. Pokemon LeafGreen and FireRed gets an easy recommendation.

Feel free to contact Sascha at sggall@telus.net with gaming questions and more.

On XBox One & PSN: acehardy13

 

 

 

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