Palworld quickly became a massive hit when it launched in early access in 2024. The game garnered a lot of attention before it was released do to its similarities to the Pokémon series. Many even began calling it “Pokémon with guns.” While the basic mechanics of the game aren’t like the traditional Pokémon titles, the creatures bear a striking similarity. Now, Palworld has its own clone, and it is in a rather strange place… the Nintendo eShop.
Nintendo went after PocketPair, the creators of Palworld, in the summer of 2024, due to similarities between the game and the Pokémon franchise. Nintendo left the creative similarities between the creatures out of it and instead decided to go after the game due to some basic mechanics, such as ball throwing and mounts. This makes the appearance of a Palworld clone on the eShop all the more surprising.
Palworld has a Clone on the Nintendo eShop
If you check out the Nintendo eShop, you will notice a game that looks eerily similar to Palworld. Even the name is similar. Introducing Palland, a poor excuse for a Palworld rip-off created by BoggySoft. The developer has three titles on the eShop: Palland, Thief Simulator, and Only Up. Each title seems to be very similar to popular titles, with Only Up being reminiscent of Chained Together, Thief Simulator being a stereotypical stealth game, and Palland being a stand-in for Palworld.
Everything about Palland is reminiscent of Palworld, from the name to the creatures you fight, and even the protagonist shown in the trailers looks similar to the one PocketPair uses for all the Palworld trailers.
Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal, but Nintendo has stood by its lawsuit against PocketPair over similarities to the Pokémon games, making it all the more strange that the company would allow a game like Palland to be on the Nintendo eShop.
