Nintendo Direct Showcases A New ‘Pokémon Legends Z-A’ Trailer

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I’m stoked! Pokémon Legends Z-A feels like some wicked hybrid between a traditional Pokémon game and the spirit of Street Fighter. The new game takes place in Lumiose City that really feels — at least if the trailer is able to be believed — like a living breathing city where the ideas of Pokémon can be seen on full display. Humans and Pokémon are living together in harmony with wild zones, spaces where Pokémon dwell, being ripe for skilled trainers to try their luck in “catching them all” and a night life where they engage in a street fight called the Z-A Royal.

The day and night cycle really works for me as it gives you a sense of urgency traveling through the city. The ranking system starts you at “Z” and lets you rise in ranks to “A”, receiving a “wish” if you win. It appears to be locking-in on a larger story that will pin the whole game narrative together.

One of the biggest shifts from the traditional Pokémon games Legends: Z-A offers is the real time battle system. Traditionally, we have sent Pokémon into the wild to clash with other Pokémon in small, turn-based, tussle-like battles where you as the trainer have very little input or control aside from letting it out of its pokeball and watching it smack things occasionally.

Now, not only are you doing the whole thing in real time, but you can sneak around and ambush other trainers doing devastating attacks like some kind of ninja-Pokémon hitman. I adore this concept just for the meta alone. Someone rocking a Greninja, Gengar, Ninjask, or even a Accelgor is going to love that sneak mechanic.

All-in-all, as a fan of the last Pokémon Legends game, I think Z-A is going to scratch all the right itches and get us from here to there with “here” being the current state of things and “there” being what I can only assume is going to be the next twin-line main title, probably slated for the Nintendo Switch 2 console.

Until next time, see you in the tall grass!