On March 10, 2020, I published a blog post on Double Jump titled, “Simulation Games I Want to See.” I had only listed three games and I can’t believe I had the audacity to publish that on Mar10 Day while all three simulation games I wanted were Pokémon related.

Anyway, here’s one of the games I wanted quoted directly from my post.

“Similar to crossing Pokemon Ranch and Stardew Valley, why not throw Pokemon in an Animal Crossing village? Sentret can be the new Tom Nook! Hoothoot can be Blathers. I mean, come on. These ideas are gold here. One of the things I had hoped to see in Animal Crossing New Horizons was different biomes to expand our village. Instead of having one area, have different sections – east, west, north, and south. This has been done before with the town being to the north of the village and a camp being to the east or west. A new area to expand your village can easily be made. The seasons will still be present but you can have randomly generated biomes such as a desert, tundra, rainforest, etc. The types of animals the villagers are based [on] will live in their respective biomes. (See? Learning experience for kids!) Taking that idea and warping it to Pokemon – you can have different areas for different types of Pokemon. I’d live there.”

Pokémon Pokopia, anyone?

Okay, so it’s not exactly the same. But you can’t deny there are many similarities.

Truthfully, I forgot about this little wishlist of mine, and this would have been an excellent idea to talk about on episode twenty-two of our podcast, where we discussed games we’d love to see that don’t exist.

Anyway, I still stand by this idea. If Nintendo ever creates a new Animal Crossing game, they’re going to have to really step it up because Pokopia is just so much better. The capabilities Pokopia has should have already been in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and it just wasn’t. Blame it on the console limitations if you want, but more doors have opened to what Animal Crossing could have been now that Pokopia is in the fray.

I would love to see a new Animal Crossing with the various biomes. It would also be super fun to have that similar style of game but with Pokémon. In the main games, certain Pokémon are only found in specific areas because of the way they need to live. You wouldn’t find an ice-type living in a volcano, would you?

Pokémon Pokopia takes the elements of Animal Crossing and makes it so much better. You can argue the various areas in Pokopia are sort of like different biomes, but not quite. It’s similar enough, though.

I think I can be satisfied with Pokopia being similar enough to the original idea I wanted. My wishlist for a new Animal Crossing game has certainly changed though. Knowing what the Nintendo Switch 2 can do and what the developers are capable of creating… Please give me a more expansive Animal Crossing!

Also, I find it funny that in my 2020 post, I really mirrored Animal Crossing with Pokémon. Sentret as Tim Nook, Hoothoot as Blathers. I really wanted a hard-core crossover with an Animal Crossing coded Pokémon game. Or I guess it would be a Pokémon coded Animal Crossing game?

I’m pleased with Pokopia and even though it’s not quite what I originally imagined, I’m satisfied. Pokopia itself is something I never imagined and it’s a game I didn’t know I desperately needed.

I know I’ll struggle returning to Animal Crossing after having the experience with Pokopia, but I’ll still patiently wait for a new Animal Crossing title.

Are you satisfied with Pokémon Pokopia and it’s Animal Crossing-like qualities?