Game Freak has been the studio behind the mainline Pokémon games for decades, but they’ve proven to be more than just that. They also have a new game that just launched outside Japan, Pandoland, but nobody seems to be talking about it.
The game has been available in Japan for a year, and now that it’s come out globally, I think that players should give this one a look if they’re into colorful worlds that invite you to explore them.
Pandoland: A Casual Adventure RPG
A new promo has just dropped to commemorate the global launch of Pandoland, and it looks like Minecraft if it had the gameplay options of Pokemon. Check this out:
The game description reads, “By expanding the cloud-covered world with their own hands, players will encounter more than 500 kinds of unique friends and legendary treasures as they embark on an adventure to discover hidden wonders throughout the world.”
Though the characters are presented in the blocky aesthetic that’s very reminiscent of Minecraft, they all represent characters who are all designed as if they were rejects on the Pokemon concept art board.
Why Isn’t Anybody Talking about It?
It is kind of odd that the launch for Pandoland isn’t as big as it is. After all, this is the studio behind the Pokemon games, and Pandoland seems to fall right into the aesthetic from the colorful characters to the unique creatures.
Maybe the devs are waiting for the game to grow organically rather than having one huge marketing push. It’s possible that creating a lot of buzz would invite the Minecraft x Pokemon criticisms—especially now that the Minecraft movie was such a big hit.
Apparently, some Pokemon fans had already found the game and are posting their early reactions:
Maybe we can expect more buzz following the weekend, but for now, it is pretty odd that a game that looks this big and marketable is barely getting the online marketing push.
Launch Promotion
It is worth noting, If you log into Pandoland during this promotion period, you’ll be able to gain 15,000 diamonds, 500 coins, as well as a rare character and a rare item. Inviting other players will also grant you an ‘SR-guaranteed ticket’ for another rare character.
Pandoland is now available for iOS and Android and is free-to-play.