What if Animal Crossing had gameplay elements from Pokémon?

[Suguri]

Very odd, question, I know! I saw a new thread here once which was about the possibility of Animal Crossing having merchandise for every villager like with Pokémon, and the title made me assume it was going to cover the topic of this thread I decided to make hahah. So what if Animal Crossing literally got the Pokémon treatment?

As a person who enjoys Pokémon and Animal Crossing, it might seem like a match made in heaven, at first. But they're both two different genres, one being an RPG and the other a life simulation. I feel like Pokémon-inspired gameplay elements might ruin the whole coziness of Animal Crossing because action isn't as prevalent there and it might turn off other players who just want to chill, decorate and talk to villagers.

But what do you think? Is there potential to this, or no?

 

[Rainy.Nights]

I would totally play a Pokemon-like RPG where you have to go around collecting all the villagers, even if that doesn't make much sense

 

[CoolJhon]

This would be a fun side game, but I really hope if they make it it’s not full priced or presented as a new entry

 

[DarthGohan1]

It could be fun. They'd have to figure out the right gameplay mechanism, since now the focus is on collecting fish/fossils/art/bugs and furniture, but not so much the characters. It is interesting how an average Pokemon fan can probably name or recognize hundreds of Pokemon. But a similar level Animal Crossing fan might only be able to name or recognize a couple dozen Animal Crossing villagers.

 

[Snek]

Very different genres. I think it would be possible to achieve certain elements if the AC setting was in a city. We wouldn't be "collecting" villagers in capsules but maybe collecting their "citizenship" in our city. The villagers already have "types" per se in their personalities (jock, peppy, etc). I think a drawback that AC has is that villagers have a lot of common irl names compared to Pokemon. Its easier to market a unique name like Charizard than a more common name like Marshal so I think a villager-collecting AC game would be a good side game but not a main series one. The goal would be collecting every villager but not on individual villagers.

 

[nightglow]

Very different genres. I think it would be possible to achieve certain elements if the AC setting was in a city. We wouldn't be "collecting" villagers in capsules but maybe collecting their "citizenship" in our city.

I really like this aspect. Maybe you'd have to travel to different towns to find them and have to unlock modes of travel or distance of travel.
Your city would be a huge place, but it would start out as a campground and you'd watch it grow, improve, and expand.
Maybe villagers could fill business roles in your city too.

 

[VernalLapin]

I doubt if it would happen, but I like the idea. Shiny villagers would be fun. Though villager hunting is pretty analogous to shiny hunting imo