Pokopia Will Teach You to Love Pokémon Again

Pokopia Will Teach You to Love Pokémon Again

From The Besties by Russ Frushtick, Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy

March 13, 2026 · 50 min · Episode 489

About this episode

The episode discusses the game Pokopia and its unique blend of popular gaming elements, along with Nintendo's plans for 2026.

Plenty of companies have torched their fortunes trying to smelt together a collection of hit games and genres, hoping to recreate others’ success. Understandably, many folks (ourselves included) approached Pokopia with a cold skepticism. A Pokémon, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, and Viva Piñata combination? It sounded too good to be true. Friends… they did it. Pokopia isn’t just a collection of great ideas; it’s also a wholly interesting and original thing. We can’t wait to tell you about this wonderful game. Plus, we look at Nintendo’s peculiar plan for the rest of 2026.

People in this episode

Hosts: Russ Frushtick, Chris Plante, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy

Topics covered

  • game development
  • Pokopia
  • Nintendo plans
  • video games
  • game genres
  • Pokémon

Keywords

  • Pokopia
  • Nintendo
  • Pokémon
  • Animal Crossing
  • Minecraft
  • Viva Piñata
  • video games
  • game genres

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Nintendo

Products: Pokopia

Books & works: Pokémon, Animal Crossing, Minecraft, Viva Piñata

More episodes of The Besties

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Besties podcast page.