Since 1996, Game Freak has largely focused on developing new games in the Pokemon franchise, but every once in a while, the studio decides to tackle something a little bit different. The company’s newest game is Pand Land, a free-to-play mobile game that was released this week in Japan from publisher WonderPlanet. Pand Land is an RPG where players travel across the ocean, discovering new islands and dungeons as they seek out treasure. The game’s challenges can be tackled solo, or with multiple people, offering players a bit of freedom in how they approach the gameplay. Pand Land launched June 24th on iOS and Android devices.ย
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Unfortunately, fans in North America shouldn’t get too excited just yet, as the game has not been announced for other regions. We also don’t know yet if Pand Land will come to other platforms, such as Nintendo Switch. It’s possible that could happen at some point;ย Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!ย got a release on Apple Arcade back in 2023, and was brought over to Switch earlier this year. It’s also possible we could see Pand Land on PlayStation or Xbox, as we saw with Game Freak games like Giga Wrecker Alt. and Little Town Hero. The Japanese trailer for Pand Land can be found below.ย
In a 2019 interview with Video Games Chronicle, Game Freak’s Masayuki Onoue talked about the company’s non-Pokemon initiatives, and how the studio is “always trying to create something that is equally exciting, or more exciting than Pokemon.” None of Game Freak’s other projects have even come close to the same level of popularity, and that would be an extremely difficult bar to clear. Still, projects like Pand Land have helped the studio continue doing fresh and different things, while still keeping the Pokemon franchise as its main priority.ย
In addition to Pand Land, Game Freak is also currently working on Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the next entry in the Pokemon franchise. Announced on Pokemon Day, little is known about the game at this time, other than the fact that it will be set in the Kalos region from Pokemon X and Y, and it will see the return of Mega Evolutions.ย
Are you hoping to see Pand Land released in North America? Have you enjoyed any of Game Freak’s non-Pokemon games? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter atย @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
[H/T: SiliconEra]
