Pokemon Pokopia Is Becoming the Animal Crossing Game Switch 2 Doesn’t Have Yet

Cozy games have become all the rage in recent times, spearheaded by a strange indoor period during 2020, which has meant that a lot of players have been on the lookout for more ways to satiate that need for calm and comfort. One of the best platforms for these comfy games has always been the Switch and now the Switch 2, with Nintendo giving people plenty of exclusives to love, the most recent of which being Pokemon Pokopia. The praise for the game has been universal, but it does raise some questions regarding one of Nintendo’s other long-running franchises.

From the moment it was shown and announced, it was obvious that people would draw comparisons between Pokopia and Animal Crossing, as they both occupy a very similar market within the same ecosystem. However, while New Horizons recently received a full port for the Switch 2, we have yet to see a standalone release for Nintendo’s newest console, and it seems as though they are more than happy to have Ditto fill the void for now. Pokopia also has even more paid content planned down the line, so despite there being no news or rumors of another Animal Crossing for the Switch 2, there is still more than enough cozy gaming to be had.

Pokemon Pokopia Is Keeping Animal Crossing’s Cozy Seat Warm

In the middle of all the doom and gloom surrounding PC gaming, console wars, and the constant stream of studio closures, it is nice to see Nintendo continuing its dominance and remaining one of the most respected and consistent companies in the business. Nearly 10 years ago, we got our hands on the first Switch, and over 100 million sales later, it was finally time for a revision with the Switch 2, a bigger and better version of the fan-favorite console. Alongside the obvious performance jumps, the Switch 2 also came with a handful of exclusive titles like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Pokemon Pokopia, each leveling up their respective franchises in almost every way.

All the usual suspects have shown their faces, alongside some very surprising newcomers like The Duskbloods, but the reason Pokopia is so interesting is due to how well it slots into a gap that Nintendo was otherwise missing in their next generation. You are always going to see a few new Mario spin-offs and sequels, a couple of Zeldas, and usually a mainline Pokemon game drop with the latest Nintendo console, yet without Animal Crossing, it felt as though the Switch 2 was lacking that warm and cozy handheld experience that many consider their reason for owning the console in the first place.

So when Pokopia entered the picture, suddenly, all those hungry players didn’t have to cross their fingers that the next Animal Crossing game would arrive soon, nor would they have to load up their 100th farm in Stardew Valley or another non-exclusive comfy game. Additionally, many players who would normally stay away from these more laid-back building games suddenly had a reason to play one, as the game wasn’t just Animal Crossing with creature collecting, but actually used the Pokemon universe as a jumping-off point to create a familiar yet still distinctive game.​​​​​​

To make things better, Pokopia has a concrete DLC plan in place, with the expansion pass having three additional parts, the first of which is already in the game and the second is launching later on in the year. That means that even with all the content within the base game, there is still a lot more coming for people to get excited for, and if I had to guess, given how popular Pokopia has been so far, there will probably be more expansion packs down the line, especially given how easy it would be to slowly add the remaining 700 or so Pokemon over the course of several DLCs.

Is Pokopia Stealing The Spotlight From Animal Crossing?

It is pretty hard to deny how popular Animal Crossing: New Horizons is. Since launching back in 2020, the game has sold over 50 million copies, and that excludes the Happy Home Paradise DLC and sales for the Switch 2. When you are only beaten by Mario Kart, it is safe to say your game has been nothing short of a monumental success, so it seems logical that Nintendo would want to continue that success and to please all these new fans by releasing another game in the franchise.

But when you take a look back at the other games in the series, the gaps between releases are far from short. The shortest jump to the next mainline entry was from Wild World to City Folk, and that was going from the DS to the Wii. Then from New Leaf to New Horizons, it took a whopping eight years, and we are now about to enter our seventh following that. For most companies, this would seem strange, but Nintendo has always prided itself on quality over quantity. You can make fun of the endless sequels, re-releases, and follow-ups, but the fact remains that they consistently make great games, and the wait is almost always worth it.

Now it would have made sense to drop a sequel with the release of the Switch 2, but Pokopia has done a really nice job of capturing that player base, whilst also introducing plenty of new people to the cozy world. There was a gap in the market from Nintendo’s exclusive lineup, and they have found the ideal candidate to plug the hole, one that still feels very close to a lot of people’s hearts due to the connection to Pokemon.

With that said, I do think we can draw some assumptions about where the next Animal Crossing will fit into this new generation, based on Nintendo’s current catalog and the list of upcoming titles. In the past, they have been careful to not have too many overlaps with their content, and even slight crossovers like Mario Tennis Fever and Switch Sports Resort have been separated by at least half a year. So, given how it is unlikely that Nintendo will want to jeopardize the success of the upcoming Pokopia DLCs, I would say we are still more than 18 months away from seeing Tom Nook again. Normally, that would be a tricky pill to swallow for diehard Animal Crossing fans, but when you have an equally exceptional cozy game like Pokopia right now, it is hard to be too upset about the wait.