‘Pokémon' Goes Real-Time: ‘Legends Z-A' Majorly Upgrades ‘Arceus' Combat, Mega Evolutions and Graphics on the Switch 2
In a 20-minute hands-on demo, 'Pokémon Legends: Z-A' showed off its exciting real-time combat, a first for a mainline 'Pokémon' game. 'Z-A' departs in several ways from its predecessor 'Arceus': there's a brand new city, time period and battle system. Trainers are no longer stuck in ancient times in the Hissui region; instead, 'Z-A' takes place entirely in the modern-day Lumiose City from 'X and Y's' Kalos region. It's a great change of pace from the typically varied environments that most 'Pokémon' games are known for. Instead of running around plains, mountains and tundras, the Paris-inspired Lumiose City is constantly bustling with trainers to battle, Pokémon to capture and secrets to explore in its dark alleyways and sprawling metropolis.
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The Switch 2 graphics make the system's debut 'Pokémon' game look more vibrant than ever before. Every Pokémon is bursting with character, and attacks jump off the screen with dust particles from a tackle, oozing goo from a poison sting or electric jolts from a thundershock. The draw distance in the massive Lumiose City is also impressive, and there aren't any more open, empty environments with Pokémon randomly popping into frame like in 'Arceus.'
The most major change in 'Z-A' is the real-time combat system: You no longer have the luxury of time to methodically strategize your best plan of attack. When you lock eyes with an enemy, the battle is on! Depending on who engages with whom first, you'll either get a surprise attack off or start on the back-foot with your opponent's Pokémon landing the first blow. For once, time is of the essence. You can order your Pokémon to attack freely, but their moves are on a cooldown. In one battle, my Mareep was facing a Weedle, so I ordered it to start off with a thundershock, then followed that up with a tackle while it took damage from one hit. While its other moves were unavailable, Mareep used growl, then proceeded to use thundershock again after it cooled down to win the fight. You can also still switch out Pokémon mid-battle to maximize your type advantages, but if you're not paying attention, the other trainer can rattle off a string of attacks and knock out your Pokémon.
The other portion of the demo featured a dramatic battle against an Absol that used a rogue mega evolution to grow bigger and stronger. I had a single Lucario to battle against the giant beast, but I could collect energy to fuel Lucario's own mega evolution and temporarily power-up its attacks. As the Mega Absol launched area-of-effect blasts, I had to protect my trainer by dodging to make sure he didn't faint — another first for a 'Pokémon' game. Once it mega evolved (and I gave it a few potions), Lucario blasted the Mega Absol with aura sphere, rock smash and bullet punch to win the battle. Afterwards, I got to add Absol to my team as a reward.
Though it wasn't shown in the demo, the latest 'Z-A' trailer revealed that you primarily catch wild Pokémon during the day throughout Lumiose City and battle trainers at night as part of the Z-A Royale tournament. As your team grows stronger, you'll rise the ranks from Z to A to battle tougher trainers. There's also brand new mega evolutions to discover — which are returning for the first time since 'Pokémon X and Y' — like Mega Dragonite and more.
'Pokémon Legends: Z-A' releases on the Switch and Switch 2 on Oct. 16.
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How A Pokemon Parody Musical Is Cleverly Skewering Our Childhood
Brandon Zelman and Harrison Bryan are grabbing life by the balls! Maybe I should back up for a second. Like most millennials, the creative partners grew up on a steady diet of Pokémon. From the video games, to the collectable trading cards, to the anime TV series, the wonderful world of Pocket Monsters was — and continues to be — a cornerstone of their respective identities. "I'm a lifelong fan,' Zelman, who hosts a Pokémon-centric podcast, declares over Zoom. 'And now we're coming up on the 30th year. It's so crazy to have been a fan of something for that long and for it to have been engaging the whole time.' Meanwhile, Bryan (creator of A Hanukkah Carol) recently attempted to beat the original Pokémon Blue with nothing but a roster of Meowths. Pretty hardcore. Given the duo's undying affection for the franchise, it only made sense for them to write — what else? — an immersive Pokémon parody musical! 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