Pokémon Pokopia Bubbly Basin DLC Review – Comfort & Continuity Under the Sea

Pokémon Pokopia Bubbly Basin DLC on Nintendo Switch 2

After finding success earlier this year with Pokémon Pokopia, Nintendo and Game Freak announced a substantial three-part Expansion Pass that has kicked off this month with the Bubbly Basin DLC, a new underwater location full of Water-type Pokémon not found in the base game, alongside plenty of new items.

Arriving alongside the game’s first paid DLC is a free update that has delivered a number of substantial fixes, quality-of-life improvements, and long-awaited additions such as shared storage across all maps. Better yet, the ability to dive underwater and build beneath the surface is available to everyone, so there are plenty of reasons to return to Pokopia even if you’re not paying for more content yet.

Since all three planned DLC packs are bundled together rather than sold separately, curious players might wonder whether paying US$34.99 now is a smart move. Part 2 is set to add more Pokémon, furniture, and accessories later in 2026 without introducing another town, while Part 3 will bring a new town sometime in 2027.

While Game Freak and Omega Force’s work on Bubbly Basin is as pleasing as ever, the fact that many of Pokopia’s best new features are part of the free update makes that purchasing decision slightly more complicated.

Below the Waves

Whether you’re picking up the Expansion Pass or not, Pokopia’s underwater adventures begin in Bleak Beach, provided that you’ve already restored the environment up to level 5 and have the Surf skill. A new island has popped up, and Professor Tangrowth wants to know what’s there. After a short swim, you find a Manaphy who’s seen better days.

Helping Manaphy, which won’t take long, rewards Ditto with the Dive skill, and it’s easy to use. Jumping into deep water will trigger it automatically, and there are no limits to the time you can spend underwater. Swimming up and down, or jumping and falling slowly like an astronaut on the Moon, is also an option. Overall, you can do many of the same things underwater, but having access to full 3D movement without relying on the Magnemite form is freeing.

Even if you don’t get to the Bubbly Basin map, which is also accessible from Bleak Beach, this game-changing update opens up large chunks of at least two existing maps. Being able to create underwater towns without requiring DLC-specific items will no doubt make players re-evaluate their plans for Bleak Beach and Withered Wasteland, especially when it comes to Water-type citizens.

More important is the new Portal Pod. Although Bubbly Basin introduces you to it directly, all players can access the feature through the free update after purchasing an expensive recipe from the PC shop in Palette Town. You’ll still have to place one in each map, but having access to shared storage is easily one of the biggest quality-of-life improvements Pokopia has received so far.

A New Place Full of Secrets

At first glance, Bubbly Basin seems smaller, with a central plaza and a few ruined buildings, giving the impression that Game Freak and Omega Force may have gone small with this first DLC. The truth is that the new area is one of the densest in the game. After a quick chat with Popplio, who’s sad that the sunken Cerulean City is joyless these days, exploration unveils hidden caves, a familiar Pokémon Gym, dark depths full of valuable items, and even ruins on the surface worth restoring.

Of course, your enjoyment of Bubbly Basin will depend on how much you like the water theming throughout the location and the constant up-and-down motion. I personally found it freeing and refreshing, but players who struggle with constant vertical movement or judging depth while building may have a harder time with its core gimmick. On a more basic level, however, Pokopia doesn’t feel too different underwater. By and large, you’ll still be running errands and helping other Pokémon find their place in a new world that’s also the perfect sandbox for creative types.

I will also say Bubbly Basin feels aimed at veteran players first and foremost. While it can be accessed past a certain point without finishing the central journey, it feels more like an endgame content drop. Most of the new pre-designed builds require late-game resources and large amounts of pals willing to help. Its verticality and layout also ask players to be comfortable with 3D movement and substantial terraforming. As for new additions like buoyant blocks, only the more creative types will make the most of them.

Familiar Tricks and More Tools

Meeting familiar Water-type favourites like Sharpedo, Mudkip, or Feraligatr will bring joy to many Pokémon fans, and that alone may make Bubbly Basin an enticing first part of the Expansion Pass. However, Pokopia isn’t suddenly turning into something different with this first DLC. Instead, Bubbly Basin clearly prioritises the part of its community that enjoys player creativity and freeform expression, giving that crowd even more tools and space to experiment.

This means anyone who’s already poured tens, if not hundreds, of hours into Pokémon Pokopia will find lots to like here, but those who’d prefer more direction or an entirely different gameplay loop should sit this one out.

As a Water-type enjoyer and someone who thinks Pokémon Pokopia’s sense of wonder often comes from the aimless exploration that happens before getting to work, Bubbly Basin has been a delightful time full of new opportunities, environmental surprises, and cool little nods to the larger franchise. On the creative side, the toolset is richer, more playful, and more frictionless following the adjustments in the accompanying update.

That is also the biggest caveat hanging over the Expansion Pass right now. Bubbly Basin itself is a cute, dense sandbox that confidently gives committed players more of what they already love, but some of the most transformative reasons to return to Pokopia don’t actually require buying it.

Pokémon Pokopia – Expansion Pass Part 1: Bubbly Basin is available now on Nintendo Switch 2.