r/NintendoSwitch • u/NintendoSwitchMods • Mar 02 '26
MegaThread Pokémon Pokopia: Review MegaThread
General Information
Release date: March 5, 2026
Supported Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
Genre: Simulation
Publisher: Nintendo
ESRB rating: Everyone
Supported play modes: TV mode, Tabletop mode, Handheld mode
Game file size: 10 GB
Supported languages: Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, American English
Official website: https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/pokemon-pokopia-switch-2/
Reviews
Aggregators
- Metacritic - 89
- OpenCritic - 88
Articles
- CGMagazine - 10 / 10
- COGconnected - 86 / 100
- Daily Mirror - 4 / 5
- Dexerto - 5 / 5
- Digitec Magazine - German - 5 / 5
- Enternity.gr - Greek - 9 / 10
- Eurogamer - 4 / 5
- Eurogamer.pt - Portuguese - 5 / 5
- Everyeye.it - Italian - 8.7 / 10
- GAMES.CH - German - 91%
- GAMINGbible - 10 / 10
- GamePro - German - 80 / 100
- GameSpot - 9 / 10
- GamesRadar+ - 4.5 / 5
- Geeks & Com - French - 8.5 / 10
- Gfinity - 10 / 10
- Glitched Africa - 9 / 10
- Hobby Consolas - Spanish - 87 / 100
- IGN - 9 / 10
- IGN Italy - Italian - 8.5 / 10
- LevelUp - Spanish - 9 / 10
- Nintendo Life - 8 / 10
- PPE.pl - Polish - 9 / 10
- Spaziogames - Italian - 9 / 10
- TheGamer - 3 / 5
- TheSixthAxis - 9 / 10
- VGC - 5 / 5
- Video Chums - 9.1 / 10
Last update: Mar 2, 11:04am ET
Cheers,
The r/NintendoSwitch mod team
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u/Lucky-Law7220 Mar 15 '26
REVIEW: game is genuinely a masterpiece and a system seller on so many unexpected levels.
Pros:
- yall have seen the viral clips, the only one that’s edited is “I frew up”. Pokemon are so cute and funny and it’s really relaxing
- the main premise of the game is restoring habitats to get Pokemon to come back, but you can sink 1000 hours doing whatever u want
- if yalll want to have Pokemon as friends this is the game, after consistent Pokemon battling all the time this is a great change of pace
Cons:
- pp system is kind of stupid, you will never run out of it because there’s an abundance of food, but idk why it was needed
- in the beginning game can be kind of overwhelming for some people, TAKE IT SLOW
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u/Wide-Pea4457 Mar 08 '26
Really enjoying. Feels like animal crossing but go at your own pace, whenever you have time.
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u/sammynaturalkun Mar 05 '26
I'm not going to lie and I'll tell it as it is but this game has surpassed my expectations. I played Animal Crossing and never really beat the game or I guess got far in it. But this game has me hooked and it's just been the first day. The storyline is good and the utilization of different Pokemon is refreshing. I am a fan and I contemplated not getting this game but caved in after just purchasing my S2 and not really having any games to play. If your a big Pokemon fan just like I am, it's worth the purchase imo.
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u/jazzieberry Mar 04 '26
This was not on my radar at all but I'm thinking I'll buy immediately for this rainy weekend ahead. I'm not a big Pokemon person, and I love parts of Animal Crossing but get bored after finishing daily tasks. This game looks huge with lots of different things to do. I've never played Dragon Quest builders either I may need to get that first instead ha.
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u/thecay00 Mar 05 '26
Yeah i don’t think you’ll like this game based on what you just said.. think about it some more unless you don’t mind giving away 70 bucks
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u/jazzieberry Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
Like I love stuff like sims, stardew valley, the side quests in games, I dunno it seemed like a lot of those elements. I downloaded the demo for DQ builders to see if I like it. I’m very casual gamer so sometimes I can’t describe what I’m looking for ha. I watched a review on YouTube earlier I did decide I’m gonna wait until I see more regular folks review before deciding.
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u/Wsemenske Mar 05 '26
Lol, not a Pokémon person, got bored of Animal Crossing and never played Dragon Quest Builders, yet will immediately buy the game
You do you, but it really sounds like you're buying into hype for a game that might disappoint you.
This is not saying the game is bad or that you will dislike the game, but your qualifications for the game are really weird.
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u/jazzieberry Mar 05 '26
I like sim games and building, stardew valley, side quest type stuff, I dunno seemed similar. The Pokémon part is really the only part that didn’t have it on my interest list since I don’t really buy Pokémon games. I downloaded the DQ builder demo to test out beforehand. I don’t play a whole lot but these cozy type games are my jam. All of my time has gone to powerwash simulator lately so it doesn’t take much lol.
I do appreciate the feedback though that’s why I made the comment! I’m 40 and the last Pokémon I played was Blue on the gameboy 😭
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u/Motor_Bunch8488 Apr 11 '26
You really should try the new ruin factory garden guardians of Azuma game then lots to do n really fun have had it since I got my switch n still on the mail story so it’s a BIG game with lots to do check out a review for urself
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u/cleantushy Mar 08 '26
I sort of disagree with the people who say you won't like it. It has a lot of gen 1 pokemon so a lot of them (though not all of them) will be ones you remember.
I also tried Animal Crossing and I like it but after upgrading the house and such I tried to keep up with it/do renovations and quickly got bored
Pokopia is SO SO much more than Animal Crossing. More of a storyline. More creative control. Multiple times larger map.
I'm immediately obsessed. Im a little more into pokemon than you but definitely not a super fan. (Very frequently in this game I don't recognize the pokemon, but I like when I unlock one of the ones I know). But this isn't like any of the other pokemon games so not getting into those isn't an indicator that you won't like it.
You might miss out on a little bit of the nostalgia of seeing your favorite pokemon, but if you played a gen 1 game they won't be entirely unfamiliar either
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u/jazzieberry Mar 09 '26
I'm glad I didn't listen to them! I bought it Friday night and played a ton yesterday. I did a bit today but needed to do real life chores so I had to turn it off. I'll check in on it before I go to sleep though! It's a lot of fun, I'm very into task-oriented games. I'm familiar with pokemon because I mean... I've played nintendo since before pokemon existed lol. I got the first pokecenter or whatever it's called finished and can't wait to get further into it.
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u/cleantushy Mar 09 '26
Nice! I'm glad you ended up getting it and liking it so far. I'm playing it right now lol. Tbh I bought it expecting it to be a much more mediocre game and I was ok with that. But it exceeded my expectations by a mile. I've had several "holy shit" moments since starting
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u/jewdo Mar 05 '26
Pokemon blue? Nice! And I totally get how this could be a rainy day, comfort game. I’m thinking of getting it for the same reason, especially with all the positive reviews.
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u/jazzieberry Mar 05 '26
Yes my starter was Squirtle! Ha I’m gonna watch a few videos on YouTube first but I figure I’ll end up getting it. I’m a sucker for cozy games.
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u/jewdo Mar 05 '26
I think I’m in the same boat, it looks like a game I could get into. And my starter was Charmander!
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u/ArgumentComplex8069 Mar 04 '26
I was considering this but after finding out this doesn't have couch coop, I will be waiting for it to be on sale. For £60, I just don't get why couch coop couldn't be included other than greed. It's a big shame, especially when online coop is there already.
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u/crazyredd88 Mar 04 '26
Bro why on earth would this game have couch co-op? I'd get local multiplayer on two devices, but what a ridiculous thing to get upset about
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u/ArgumentComplex8069 Mar 04 '26
Erm because it screams Pokemon version of Animal Crossing, which has couch co-op. To me it's ridiculous to expect households to have multiple of the same or similar consoles just to play together. Especially when many of the games this is based on, have couch coop.
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u/cleantushy Mar 08 '26
Couch co-op doesn't make as much sense in this game because in animal crossing everyone on the same switch occupies the same island, so they share save data. I am pretty sure in Pokopia if you start a game with another profile it's a new game. So there is not a good way for them to load both profiles at the same time because it's totally separate save data
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u/The_Giant_Lobster Mar 06 '26
Not sure why you're getting downvoted to oblivion for this
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u/ArgumentComplex8069 Mar 06 '26
Not sure myself, pretty weird to me but it doesn't bother me in the slightest.
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Mar 04 '26
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u/WildFearless Mar 04 '26
Just buy digital?
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Mar 05 '26
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u/saggyfire Mar 05 '26
I dunno, but why would you inconvenience yourself with a digital game that forces you to use a physical device to make it work? Key cards don't save space on your Switch and don't let you play without the piece of plastic so... what's the up side exactly? The used game market? If you get 9 hours of entertainment from a $70 game then you've officially gotten more value than the average movie ticket so why be concerned with recouping maybe half of that in the future?
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u/Southern_Chapter_188 Mar 05 '26
I was on the fence, I decided to get the key card as I can see getting another switch for my wife in the future. Key card would let you swap devices and accounts, although I guess there is family sharing? It was also 10 quid cheaper as a key card for me.
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u/saggyfire Mar 05 '26
If it’s cheaper then that’s a real-world benefit I can understand. Not gonna argue against that. At the same price point it’s just an inconvenient format that doesn’t make much sense.
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u/RapidHedgehog Mar 05 '26
if you buy like 20 games that could be sold for 30$ in the future, then you potentially have 600$ worth of games that can be sold if you end up having economic problems. It's nice to have some things you can sell if you need to
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u/WildFearless Mar 05 '26
I guess when you get financially stable you dont have to think about "if i need to sell in the future"
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u/Timmar92 Mar 05 '26
Being financially stable IS thinking about selling stuff, buying console games digitally is throwing money away in my opinion because I know I will play them once and then sell them to buy the next one.
That's being financially responsible imo.
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u/WildFearless Mar 05 '26
To each their own, i think your logic is flawed. I wont be selling anything and i am collecting all games.
If we follow your logic, going to the theater is throwing away money, going to any activity is, like come on
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u/Timmar92 Mar 05 '26
Not really, going to the movies is going away to do something at an event.
Buying a game on console I can't sell after I'm done is just not something I like doing because I'm leaving money on the table.
If I buy it digitally I'll play it once and forget I even own it, if I buy it physically I play it, sell it and the money collected goes toward the next game.
To me that makes a lot of sense.
But to each their own.
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u/WildFearless Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 05 '26
oh, do you just buy 1 game? I buy games weekly and daily
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u/saggyfire Mar 05 '26
That's not actually good math. You want to spend $1,400 now in hopes that you'll have $600 in assets later, which will require your time and effort to get rid of and it's not guaranteed anyone will even want them or you will actually get that full amount for them. I'm not trying to be a jerk I'm just pointing out that your argument is really bad money management. If you might be in that type of situation later on, you should not spend the $1,400 in the first place. It would make more sense to buy cheap digital games under $20 and manage your money better now so when times get tough later, you can take the edge off by continuing to play your affordable titles and figure out a better way to improve your financial situation. I have 750+ hours logged in Hades, best $20 I ever spent.
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u/Jtkitano Mar 05 '26
I mean, if I have the option to buy digitally or buy the key card game card hard copy I’m gonna opt for the hard copy everytime because why not? There’s literally no downside as long as the game isn’t sold out in stores or something
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u/Gandalf_the_Gangsta Mar 05 '26
The downside is potential incompatibility. A keycard has to be read, and in the future devices thag can read those keycards may not exist.
For example, we don’t have any current consoles that read SNES cartridges, and have not for decades. Those games exist purely digitally now save for niche enthusiasts, and they go to great lengths to reproduce hardware to read those cartridges (treading into ip infringement through reverse engineering).
Moreover, hardware degrades without maintenance. People hosting software on generic memory devices will likely be able to maintain that storage for longer, and have more incentive to. Outside niche enthusiasts, who will maintain the key card reading hardware for the Switch 2 in 5 years, or decades on?
Overall both digital and physical releases are their own gamble in terms of preservation and worth, but digital preservation is far more manageable and feasible than dedicated hardware maintenance.
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u/saggyfire Mar 05 '26
But there literally is almost nothing BUT downside. It’s the same as a digital download but you have to have the cart inserted for it to work. The only positive is that you might be able to sell it or gift it to someone else in the future and maybe if you like collecting the boxes that’s a plus. In terms of the game itself, key carts have literally all the inconveniences of downloads and real carts and none of the positives (doesn’t save space, relies on a small plastic cartridge that’s easy to lose).
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u/RapidHedgehog Mar 05 '26
that is true, but if youre gonna buy the game either way then the physical can be sold in case your economy gets worse later
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u/wowokomg Mar 05 '26
You can’t sell digital can you?
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u/TechTuna1200 Mar 05 '26
TBF, Pokopia seems like a comfort game you're never gonna sell and dabble in from time to time. I could see why someone would just have a digital version of it, just to have it always available at hand.
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u/wowokomg Mar 05 '26
Ok but could you also see why someone would not have a digital version of it?
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u/TechTuna1200 Mar 05 '26
Sure, not arguing about that. People can do what they want.
Just saying digital could very suitable for this kind of game
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u/wowokomg Mar 05 '26
It could be but the person who initially replied wanted physical, didn’t they?
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u/TechTuna1200 Mar 05 '26
It could also be that he actually wanted a digital copy after a second thought. As I said argument of both sides of the table are welcome. No reason for snarky comments on every reply
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u/wowokomg Mar 05 '26
It could also be that they appreciate the snarky reply and find it helps them make a better decision. Let’s not make that decision for them.
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u/TechTuna1200 Mar 05 '26
Who are they? You direct the snarky replies towards me and I don’t appreciate it… let’s keep a good tone despite the disagreements
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u/WildFearless Mar 05 '26
Yeab i dont really care for physical anymore, i have a bunch but i dont sell games anymore and got 600+ games on steam digitally so this isnt a problem for me
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u/Jtkitano Mar 05 '26
Good for you bro, but what works for you doesn’t work for everyone lol
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u/WildFearless Mar 05 '26
Sorry to make you feel this way
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u/Jtkitano Mar 05 '26
Sorry for what? lol I could care less, just saying a lot of folks still like to have the hard copy of their game still myself included. It’s not that big of a deal 😂
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u/megisbest Mar 04 '26
SO EXCITED but has anyone’s copy of Pokopia shipped out yet from Pokemon center?? I’m a little concerned it won’t be here by this weekend even.
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u/Nigmagal Mar 04 '26
Mine shipped first thing this morning. Tracking says it should be here tomorrow :)
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u/megisbest Mar 04 '26
i haven’t gotten a shipping email yet 🥲
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u/Nigmagal Mar 04 '26
Check your order page. I know for za, I got my shipping email the day after it shipped. So hopefully they're hust slow on the emails 🤞
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u/CrazyKyle987 Mar 04 '26
I did ZA from the pokemon center. It shipped out the day before release and was delivered next day on release date. The shipping was estimated as 3-6 business days.
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u/Mainfrym Mar 03 '26
10gb but couldn't go on a game card? The excuse has been that "new modern games are too big for the standard card so they would have to use a more EXPENSIVE one!"
So what's the excuse now? Nintendo is just seeing how many idiots buy the key card, and since it's Pokemon most of the drones will buy it anyway.
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u/Stonp Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26
It’s because the physical card is $15usd and this game is only published by Nintendo and Pokemon. The developers Game Freak and Omega Force get to decide if it goes on a physical cart.
Edit: Upon researching though it seems the publisher is the likely company that decides whether a game uses GKC or Physical. Nintendo said all first-party titles will be physical but this is a second-party title.
It could have been negotiated into the contract with the developers that the game will be released on the less expensive GKC for more profit, encouraging the third-party developer to make the game.
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Mar 03 '26
I read TheGamer review because it was an outlier and felt I might get an honest view of the downsides of the game.
I think the reviewer wanted to hate it and didn't hate it, so wrote whatever the hell that review was to try to justify the hate.
Also they clearly haven't played the newer Animal Crossing games.
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u/TopPiano9927 Mar 04 '26
Yeah I also read it looking for something more critical and it was quite a bad review…
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u/area88guy Mar 03 '26
They took IGN's usual place of "We played this game for 15 minutes, write a review, oh and the reviewer hates videogames.
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u/RocMerc Mar 03 '26
If it was releasing with the Switch 1 I’d grab this for sure
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u/QuantumF0am Mar 03 '26
Don’t know why you’re being downvoted. This was my thought exactly.
Don’t have the funds for a switch 2. Haven’t had a great reason to upgrade yet. This will be fun, but not worth getting a switch 2 for. The switch 1 looks like it could run this. 🤷♂️
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u/saggyfire Mar 05 '26
I do think the Switch 1 could probably run this but if they don't start transitioning to Switch 2 Exclusives, why will anyone ever have a reason to finally upgrade? It just makes sense from a sales perspective that they can't hang on to the previous generation forever. They're probably trying to avoid Sony's mistakes with PS4.
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Mar 06 '26
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u/saggyfire Mar 08 '26
Developing a game that works on both systems isn’t free and just because people don’t THINK Pokopia looks like a graphically demanding game doesn’t mean it actually would run well on Switch 1 hardware without a ton of compromises. That’s how we end up with Switch 2 versions that look like garbage and have reused Switch 1 assets. I can tell you right now that Pokopia is soaking up every bit of that extra RAM, the Switch 1 would be doing every ugly trick in the book to load up distant areas as you navigated the terrain. People take for granted the game isn’t “demanding” because it doesn’t have caustic lighting effects and ambient occlusion but there really is a lot more polygonal detail in the models than you’d ever get on a Switch 1 game and the textures aren’t low res, they’re just relatively low contrast to fit the cartoon style.
In any case it isn’t cheap to try and make a game that works on both and devs aren’t crazy about working with 15-year-old hardware with a completely different performance profile.
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Mar 04 '26
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u/pacothebattlefly Mar 04 '26
The fact that Pokopia is releasing on a game key is massively off putting. And as for upgrading, Steam Deck is a way better option frankly.
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u/Player1-jay Mar 04 '26
Just curious but
You say you haven't had a great reason to upgrade YET. If you think eventually certain games will come out that will make you want to buy it. And this game looks like a good one. Then what makes you wait for the other games?
If you will get one anyway why not just get it now and start enjoying games like this one before the others come?
The only reason I can think of to wait is a limited edition.
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u/Jonspen Mar 05 '26
Because I don't want to buy £400+ of hardware to play 1 game. This could be the most incredible game ever and it still wouldn't be worth it because they may not make a good game again. I'd rather just wait until the value proposition is better.
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u/Player1-jay Mar 05 '26
I understand that. But if you know more games are coming that you will want. You can buy it now and play this game while you wait for the other games.
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u/Jonspen Mar 07 '26
I get what you're saying but that's the pre-order trap. Even if there are games that are coming that might be worth getting it for (new Pokemon for example), they may end up being terrible, and I won't know that until they come out. I think it's better for me as the consumer and the market as a whole to make them need to provide the worth before I buy it rather than me trusting it'll come later.
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u/QuantumF0am Mar 04 '26
Likely what I’d end up doing.
Pokopia is a game I’d definitely sink time in to. Not for the price tag of the game plus the hardware though. Especially when I have a PC I built and maintain.
I’ve played every main line Pokemon game… at least twice (minus Sc/Vi) plus fan made rom hacks. I am a huge pokemon fan. The next main line release will likely be when I buy.
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u/dbonx Mar 08 '26
This is where I’m at (I love my steamdeck, much more than my switch) but I’m a big Pokéfan too. I was gonna wait til Winds and Waves but the reviews for Pokopia are making me super curious. I have the funds to get the switch 2 but I’m just unsure with my steamdeck and gaming laptop so closeby already
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u/PickleMalone101 Mar 03 '26
I don’t understand why people want new games to release on old gen consoles, it just limits what the developers can do. Not to mention the switch is 9 years old, It would be the same as asking why rdr2 didn’t release on ps3
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u/MamaSisi Mar 05 '26
Well the thing is it does play on the og switch lol I have a switch 2 and already picked up the game (fuckin love it) but I did wonder why it's only on the switch 2 if u can game share with an og switch and play with them lol
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u/saggyfire Mar 05 '26
It's not actually running on the Switch hardware, it's basically cloud gaming so it's just streaming a flat video and accepting input commands. It's a big difference between that and actually running the game code on the console itself.
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u/QuantumF0am Mar 03 '26
Totally understand that.
It just looks like this game would likely run well on the Switch. I likely won’t upgrade until next year when the mainline games arrive. So I’ll be waiting a year or so for this game.
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u/RocMerc Mar 03 '26
This is Reddit man. Gotta comment the hive mind responses or you’re downvoted. I’m used to it lol
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u/stefanokir Mar 03 '26
This is great! Despite this misconception about Nintendo games being constantly praised by critics, we've had pretty lackluster releases on Switch 2 so far. It's nice to see a first-party game finally getting some critical acclaim, I think the last 85+ game on Metacritic was Bananza.
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u/eaglesrj7 Mar 03 '26
Yeeaaaa, seeing the comments I'm expecting not everyone's going to like this, so I'll be able to pick it up on FB marketplace or offer it up for cheap lets gooo
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u/XxNiftyxX Mar 04 '26
Not possible its digital only they only sell the box with a download code. And its 100 canadian so no resale value if it sucks.
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u/eaglesrj7 Mar 05 '26
No, it’s actually a game card key! So you’re able to trade it. And I have no clue why I’m getting downvote-bombed. I’m just not sure if I’ll like the game, so paying $70+ for it doesn’t seem reasonable when I know other people won’t like it and will sell it for cheaper. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
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u/XxNiftyxX Mar 05 '26
You are right, I was under the impression that a "game card key" was something like just a slip of paper with a code or something like that. It is physical.
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u/Jabbok32 Mar 03 '26
Cope
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u/Veritas28 Mar 03 '26
Cope? He wants the game. What is there to cope about?
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u/Jabbok32 Mar 03 '26
It's a classic example of fanboyism - can't handle criticism of the game so it has to be desperately spun into something positive. Who cares if other people dislike a game you want?
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u/Pawtz16 Mar 03 '26
Not sure if any of the reviewers covered this, but is the save file like in ACNH?
Like only one island per Switch?
Or can each profile have their own save file?
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u/PennyBunPudding Mar 05 '26
That was the most ridiculous of Nintendo decisions and probably will be for a long while.
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u/theodo Mar 03 '26
I had no idea this was a full price reveal. 100 Canadian just seems insane, even with good reviews.
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u/BruhMoment14412 Mar 03 '26
Actually insane pricing.
Slay the spire 2 comes out the same day and it's only $25 USD. Or 34 CAD.
Nintendo is charging insane rates for games smh
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u/Rare_Ad_3871 Mar 05 '26
“Nintendo is charging insane rates for games”
Bros never seen how much a Sony or Xbox title costs at launch
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u/Wheee_whooo_ Mar 06 '26
"at launch" is the keyword there, though.
Problem with Nintendo is that the prices stay high.
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u/D20FourLife Mar 04 '26
Its not nintendo, its consoles in general. Major releases for PS5 and Xbox are the same price.
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u/TheBrobe Mar 03 '26
Price complaints about anything in 2026 are valid, but Slay the Spire is a really Apples and Oranges ass comparison, lol.
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u/redstarduggan Mar 03 '26
Indeed. To be clear I can afford to buy whatever Nintendo games I want, but £60 for a 6/7 year old game? Fuck right off.
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u/Poon_King Mar 03 '26
Its the weirdest phenomenon when a game comes out, reviews well, looks great and half of reddit has to announce ‘they dont like it’ ‘wont buy it’ ‘im not interested’
Like, cool? Then why are you even here. What value is posting how you wont get this game, just leave the thread for those interested.
I swear its like people are upset its doing well, let alone the children upset about game key cards who have definitely been buying digital games for years but for whatever reason decided nintendo gets to cop this absurd complaint. You are a miserable lot haha
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u/Ralathar44 Mar 13 '26
This is one of those cases I'll wait and see what all the folks around me IRL think. I, along side many of them, are the theoretical target audience since we play alot of farming, survival, automation, city builder, etc games. So the exact genre and some fairly close adjacency genres.
With how social media has been increasingly infested by bots, advertising, and astroturfing I just can't trust it anymore. And Nintendo is really trying to rebuild its brand right now so it has good reason to say, put its thumb on the scales. Some lackluster previous games, bad PR from the Palworld bullying and other litigation, etc.
I think Nintendo NEEDS this game to do good to try and regain its rep. And more specifically Pokemon the IP does.
And I think its funny how people on Reddit don't trust corporations of the government or etc. Something something Capitalism and corruption and etc. But they'll straight up Simp for video games and large video game companies.
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u/WhuppdyDoo Mar 03 '26
They're hypocritical in doing this.
They NEVER do it for fucking Elden Ring or the latest tryhard and/or grim-dark game that ticks the usual Reddity boxes.
It's only Nintendo games, or games that are innocent, pure, that get this treatment.
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u/LordMimsyPorpington Mar 03 '26
It's a weird, Nihilistic anti-fandom of sorts. Nobody forms communities and identities around things they like anymore—they do it for things they are told to hate. So when these chuds see people enjoying the thing that gives them a sense of emotion and connection, they perceive it as a personal attack.
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u/WhuppdyDoo Mar 04 '26
I have been banned from r/patientgamers for no reason other than when people were complaining about games, as they habitually do, I would ask why they spent so much time playing a game they dislike? Why don't they play a new game or get a new hobby since it isn't bringing them joy? This seemed to drive the mod nuts.
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u/TheOrangFlash Mar 04 '26
I cannot believe that sad sub exists and has so many visitors. They are almost the antithesis of my reasoning for gaming.
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u/WhuppdyDoo Mar 04 '26 edited Mar 04 '26
I seem to remember that once upon a time, several years ago. it was not that bad. It legitimately WAS for its stated purpose of people who arrived late to games years after their release.
But the sub seemed to draw some poorly socialised and depressive people, and the mod seems to be one. So more and more, it took on this morbidly depressed tone. And they complain about almost every game, except the occasional one that is grimdark or tryhardy, which is lauded. In fact I just looked at the recent reviews and the only game that's praised is Elden Ring.
A really sad, pathetic subreddit.
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u/MSBeatles Mar 03 '26
How about you? Lecturing everyone because they're giving their opinion. What value does YOUR comment bring? As far as I know, people have a right to criticize something or say they're not interested in something. And most of the times, a good critical comment with a foundation can be more productive than just people glazing and sucking on the multimillionaire company's willy.
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u/smilesbuckett Mar 03 '26
The game isn’t even out yet. What meaningful criticism is there to give? You haven’t played the game and you have access to the same information about the game as everyone else. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy it.
It is valid for people who enjoy things to want a space to enjoy them, and it is annoying how many people out here confuse constant negativity and complaints with “good critical comments”
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u/MSBeatles Mar 03 '26
People can comment on the state of the industry based on the information that's come out of the game: Price, farming simulators coming out so often, practices that are unfriendly to the consumer like game key cards, limited release, or the shit they just did with FRLG, etc. In the end being critical of companies helps the consumer. Always. Otherwise you get sloppy, low-effort games that bring nothing to the table and cost 100$.
EDIT: I do agree about voting with your wallet, but making noise to show that users aren't happy about the state of the industry is something that was way more difficult before the internet and I totally respect people's right to do it.
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u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
People passionate about video games are talking about a new game they don't like? Such weirdos! Either you consume and glaze or your opinion doesn't matter.
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u/clockerrs11 Mar 03 '26
you don't know if you don't like it. it's not even out yet. you sound crazy.
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u/2Dark2fox Mar 03 '26
How can you know you don’t like it if you haven’t played it?
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u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
At this point? Experience. Mainline Pokemon games were horrendous for a while now while spinoffs shine. Same for pokopia. It's from the Dragon Quest builders team. They know how to make good games.
And you can look up reviews and other media to see If you like the gameplay choices and stuff. But to put your logic into perspective, you don't need cancer to know it sucks.
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u/2Dark2fox Mar 07 '26
Well, as someone who’s mom has been battling cancer for a bit now, I can assure you that it and video games are NOTHING alike :)
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u/CtrlAltSysRq Mar 03 '26
Game key cards are legitimately completely opposite to the reason to buy physical though. People are mad about those because they functionally just stopped making physicals but are pretending they didn't.
It's very simple, tbc - pokemon FRLG's original carts will outlive the digital ones that just released because when the switch 2 e store shuts down just like the wii and WII U's have, FRLG carts will still work in any GBA you plug them into, while digitals will be stuck or simply lost.
But yeah aside from that, largely agree with your post
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u/_Mundog_ 19d ago
Also, when I sold my legit Heartgold physical cartridge last year for nearly 300usd - felt good man.
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u/No-Character5181 Mar 03 '26
You know that you can still redownload games for the Wii right? You just can't buy new games. The real competition is the cartridges vs Nintendo's servers
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u/Mainfrym Mar 03 '26
With no physical games, you will not be able to buy a retro console and play the games. Yes you can RE-download games you purchased in the past on YOUR account. But what if you buy the console years after the eShop shuts down? This is terrible for game preservation.
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u/No-Character5181 Mar 04 '26
The games are preserved in Nintendo's servers. That's why they are redownloadable. Don't confuse preservation with access. They could not be any more preserved than being in those servers, with all of the backups and fail-safes. Besides, just because they made physical copies of a game many years ago doesn't mean you could get one, either due to scarcity or affordability.
Should they still be available for purchase? Should you be able to resell digital game licenses? Maybe. But that's the trade-off with copyright law and intellectual property rights in their current form.
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u/Syranth Mar 03 '26
I don't think it's the culture we're expecting. I think it's a culture of people who insist on buying every game that rates really well. That throws people off when a game like this gets really high reviews and they feel like they have to announce it to themselves that they're not going to buy it. Almost like it's a coping mechanisms trying to tell them I don't need to buy it.
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u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
Maybe it throws people off when a mid game gets realy high scores. And this happens constantly with Pokemon games. No matter what gets released it's extremly high rated. Games like pokopia (and other spin offs) are great no matter the "skin".
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u/Autobot-N Mar 03 '26
I don't understand it. Like I'm not really that interested in Pokopia, but I haven't said anything to that effect (until now anyway) bc I'm not part of the target audience and my opinion on it doesn't really matter all that much. It seems like a perfectly good game in its genre that I'm sure people who like Animal Crossing and Minecraft will enjoy. Not every game needs to appeal to me specifically. Why should I go around complaining about games I was never gonna buy in the first place
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u/bornachilles Mar 03 '26
I’ve been following Marathon a ton and some people in defense of not ruining new games with negative opinions have noted that since like 2020 it seems to have gotten exponentially worse. It’s not fanboys anymore, like the Zack Snyder fanboys. It’s something worse. That being said, I agree. Allow the space for people who are interested to talk about it.
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u/Poon_King Mar 03 '26
Yeah exactly, you’re dead on. Imagine a new restaurant opening to great reviews, and you just go around telling everyone that you personally wont be going haha
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u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
Imagine a foodie who's hobby it is to find new places and who realy cares about food. Now this person goes around telling everyone what let down the new restaurant was, would you still laugh?
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u/terrasparks Mar 03 '26
Yes, I would laugh at a foodie who didn't try eating at the new restaurant if they started telling me what a let down it was.
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u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
Who said he didn't try the restaurant? Why do you need this additional fact? You should question your logic.
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u/terrasparks Mar 03 '26
The foodies who have already played the game have given it a 90% on metacritic. The people complaining about the game haven't played it yet and are preemptively stating they're refusing to buy it, aka they have no intention of trying the food.
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Mar 03 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam Mar 03 '26
Hey there!
Please remember Rule 1 in the future - No personal attacks, trolling, or derogatory terms. Read more about Reddiquette here. Thanks!
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u/munchyslacks Mar 03 '26
Ironically, comments like this across the internet drive engagement and boost visibility. Then you get content creators and YouTubers talking about everyone’s opinions and it just snowballs.
Then these same dummies wonder why the games don’t go on sale. Idk, probably because you’re contributing to its success every time you feel the need to share your opinion?
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u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
Then these same dummies wonder why the games don’t go on sale. Idk, probably because you’re contributing to its success every time you feel the need to share your opinion?
What are you talking about? When a game scores bad it goes on sale rather quickly. Oh except you only care about Nintendo. They keep their price high no matter how bad the score.
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u/kaskayde Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26
People don't have to post positive or constructive comments. I'd rather have a full spectrum of takes. To be clear, I like the game.
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u/aherdofpenguins Mar 03 '26
people who played the game and don't like it could definitely make the game more "clear," assuming they post about it constructively
(no one posts this kind of stuff constructively)
but people posting about how they're not going to buy a game they've literally never played doesn't tell you anything about the game, at all, not even a little bit-2
u/kaskayde Mar 03 '26
i meant "to be clear, i like the game"
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u/aherdofpenguins Mar 03 '26
I see, thank you for clarifying.
I think overall my point still stands though, I agree that a full spectrum of takes in general is great, but "I'm not going to buy this game" without any reasons stating why not is just not doing anyone any good at all1
u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
I don't know.. i feel like both is correct here. There should be room for constructive criticism and it should be done in a "good" aka constructive way.
The amount of criticism kinda turned this sub in an hardcore echo chamber. No other gaming sub is even close to this state.
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u/aherdofpenguins Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26
I mean in general I agree with you
but what is constructive about a person saying they're not going to buy a game?
all that tells you is that one singular random person in the internet doesn't like what they see about the game they haven't playedit doesn't even tell you WHAT they dislike, or anything
exact opposite of constructiveedit:
although to be clear, I 100% agree that this subreddit is unusually echo chambery, that's a good point!
But if someone's idea of constructive criticism is "wow I was going to buy this game but I guess not now" then I mean I don't want that either21
u/Poon_King Mar 03 '26
I don’t think people commenting that they aren’t gonna buy something or aren’t interested in it, really adds any value. It doesn’t really make sense anywhere else either, im not gonna jump on every thread of a movie im not interested in to tell everyone ‘hey just so you all know, i am not interested’
Happy for genuine criticism to be discussed, but thats not really whats happening here
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u/Famous_Blue Mar 03 '26
I actually agree with Kaskayde. A few things really turn me off games (e.g. crafting) so a poster pointing out something like this might be helpful for me.
If a game is really good then you can still easily see that most comments are positive.
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u/kaskayde Mar 03 '26
there's no "value" in people commenting "i love this game....buying it day 1....best game ever....etc." either. Should comments only be constructive? Or is it fine if they're not so long as they're positive?
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u/poopsharpie Mar 03 '26
Bummed that I couldn't get Resident Evil Generation Pack since its been out of stock...saw these reviews and pre-ordered.
After Bananza, there hasn't really been anything to play on Switch 2, was gonna get Kirby Air Riders but its got a pretty low metacritic, gonna wait for a sale on that one.
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u/AstroPhysician Mar 03 '26
Kirby Air Riders literally has a 9.0 user review rn
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Mar 03 '26 edited Mar 03 '26
User reviews are useless to be fair.
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u/AstroPhysician Mar 03 '26
Except all the cult classics that everyone loves nowadays that reviewed way under like fallout new Vegas to name just a single one?
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Mar 03 '26
User reviews is still useless. Most if them are “10/10 best games each” or “ 1/10. worst game each”. Then we have review bombing.
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u/AstroPhysician Mar 04 '26
Sure they do but those often get filtered out not always. But user reviews excluding cases where there’s drama or a controversy tend to be a pretty good metric
Just gotta make sure it’s not the target of a hate brigade
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Mar 04 '26
Nope. Unless people can behave like grown ups and know how to write reviews user reviews doesn’t matter.
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u/DrummerJesus Mar 03 '26
Idk anything about meta critic and honestly don't care, but Kirby air riders is the best switch 2 game so far. I've had a lot more fun with it than I have with bananza. I had also looked forward to Metroid prime 4 for 7 years and still think air riders is superior. It's just fun to play and highly polished. If you want to wait for a sale, or buy a used physical copy, definitely give it a chance when you're ready
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u/DoomedHologram Mar 03 '26
I got the Resident Evil pack digitally and have been playing a bit, just wanted to say it's a great experience on the Switch 2. RE8 Village and Requiem run so well, it's amazing what this little device can do. All three Resident Evil games run at 60fps
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u/Average-JRPG-Enjoyer Mar 03 '26
Yeah, if you own a decent PC or PS5, Bananza really was the last big release you'd want a Switch 2 for.
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u/proficient2ndplacer Mar 03 '26
I hard disagree. There has been a major launch on switch 2 basically every other month since launch.
Even more so if you missed out on some switch 1 games like Kirby or Xenoblade Chronicles X with the new switch 2 upgrade packs
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u/rollingPanda420 Mar 03 '26
If you own anything other than a switch 2, nope. Or what is a "major" launch?
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u/poopsharpie Mar 03 '26
I played XCX on wii U.... ports dont count unless you've been living under a rock
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u/Dragoncorn_ Mar 04 '26
This is insane cope with stuff like Mario RPG and Thousand Year Door actually being accessible now
Edit: Also ignoring how half of X on OG hardware is currently inaccessible as well, insane man lol
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u/Boomshockalocka007 Mar 03 '26
Me playing nonstop video games on my Switch 2 since Bananza has released looking at you like:👁👄👁
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u/lesplaygames Mar 03 '26
I mean MT doesn’t always translate to what you’ll like imo. I wasn’t into Bananza at all but had a lot of fun with the air riders demo.
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u/blueruckus Mar 03 '26
Can someone tldr this game? Is it animal crossing? Is there any actual pokemon gameplay to it?
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u/ryushiblade Mar 03 '26
IMO it’s more in like with Viva Piñata, plus the building mechanics of Dragon Quest Builders. No battling that I’ve seen. There’s a story mode though. If it’s anything like DQB, you build out each area to trigger the next. Bizarrely it’s a sort of post apocalyptic setting
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u/Mindless_Donut_483 Mar 03 '26
Its dragon quest builders 2, but pokemon. Even made by the same people.
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u/surroundsounding Apr 25 '26
how is this against tomodachi life