Pokémon Legends: Z-A (2025)

[darksnowman]

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Pokémon Legends: Z-A, an ambitious new entry to the Pokémon video game series, will be released simultaneously worldwide on Nintendo Switch in 2025. An exciting new adventure awaits players within Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon.

Announced at todays Pokémon Presents.

Edited February 27, 2024 by darksnowman
additional info

[Dcubed]

Ok Game Freak.  You have my attention.

[Cube]

"Releasing simultaneously worldwide in 2025".

A rather odd choice of words. Are Z and A two different games, or is there something else its releasing simultaneously with?

[Dcubed]

18 minutes ago, Cube said:

"Releasing simultaneously worldwide in 2025".

A rather odd choice of words. Are Z and A two different games, or is there something else its releasing simultaneously with?

It means a worldwide simultaneous release... as has been standard for the series since Pokemon X/Y.

As for the name ZA? It's probably a reference to the character AZ who appeared in the original X/Y...

It's been 3,000 years... bet you forgot my name!

This game will probably cover his backstory and the whole Pokemon War nonsense that they desperately tried to make into an interesting story in X/Y; but fell flat on their face doing so.

It'll be also interesting to see what content that was originally intended for the cancelled Pokemon Z will be showing up here...

Edited February 27, 2024 by Dcubed

[Josh64]

https://www.n-europe.com/news/pokemon-presents-roundup/

 

Roundup, which is a cut-down version of the press release without the jargon and garbage. Weirdly the press release doesn't mention the Pokémon Sleep stuff. I also mentioned how the series making its Netflix debut is already out here in the UK. 

Edited February 27, 2024 by Josh64

[Dcubed]

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/04/flygon_was_once_going_to_receive_a_mega_evolution

HE WILL HAVE HIS REVENGE!!!

[Dcubed]

Set entirely within Lumiose City you say? Does that mean that this isn't a horrible open world game, and that it'll have a reasonable scope with handcrafted world design? Oh Arceus, please be true!

Edited February 27, 2024 by Dcubed

[Julius]

That is an absolutely terrible trailer.

And Z-A is a terrible title (but brings us back around very nicely to Gen VI's focus on endings and beginnings). 

But! Hype? Kind of. 

Of all the games I've played X and Y felt the most barren, and Kalos genuinely deserved a third version rather than just hamfisting Zygarde into Sun & Moon. Lumiose is such a great city in Pokémon and it felt like there should have been so much more to do there, so I'm very intrigued by the idea of a Legends game set entirely in one spot. Shady alleyways? Rooftops? Could see this being the first Pokémon game in a minute with *actual *exploration** based purely on the setting. I also just can't wait to have another Legends game to play around in, seeing as I really enjoyed Arceus. 

On the other hand, though, what is up with Unova being shafted and skipped? Have they just accepted that another trip to Kalos was needed way more than some poor and misguided attempt to return to Unova? In which case: release the games on Switch already you [Pilo]swines!!! 

[bob]

I can't see there being much wild Pokémon battling in a city though, unless it's all Rattata and Pidgeys and nothing else.

[Ashley]

3 hours ago, bob said:

I can't see there being much wild Pokémon battling in a city though, unless it's all Rattata and Pidgeys and nothing else.

Or Vulpix

[MindFreak]

Yeah. That was a minimalistic reveal to say the least! I hope there's at least some nature in the game, otherwise catching Pokémon is going to be ... not so interesting - though I hope there's a live Gyarados in a fountains in the game.

Also.. the title. Z-A like end to beginning, or will there be a Z-B?

Not much to go by but I'm curious and I enjoyed Legends: Arceus very much (though it outstayed its welcome in the end).

[Josh64]

Yeah that trailer is a bit meh. But the biggest visual issue of Scarlet and Violet was the horrible textures so it's nice to see they've fixed that by simply not having any textures at all. 

[Glen-i]

Very cautious about this. On one hand. Legends had a crap world, and a crap battle system.

On the other hand, Mega Evolution's back!? OH HELL YEAH!

Of course, it'll probably be tied to this game, and I bet I'll hate it. Expecting to be thoroughly Monkey Paw'd.

Also, that title means it's obviously looking into that AZ dude. It couldn't be anything else.

Edited February 28, 2024 by Glen-i

[Ashley]

10 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

Also, that title means it's obviously looking into that AZ dude. It couldn't be anything else.

Actually it's short for Zaddy as the main protagonist is this guy:

 

[Julius]

Seems like there's a chance we might get an update on this at the closing ceremony of Worlds:

Not really surprising given that they've seemingly given the typical Pokémon Presents of the last few Augusts a pass, and there's been a precedent for news coming out of the closing ceremony of Worlds in the past. 

Still remember my feverish excitement refreshing serebii.net back in 2009 and seeing they'd finally announced the release windows for the release of HeartGold and SoulSilver outside of Japan 

Here's hoping! 

 

(now watch it be TCG/TCG Pocket-related )

Edited August 18, 2024 by Julius

[Glen-i]

1 hour ago, Julius said:

(now watch it be TCG/TCG Pocket-related )

It will probably be this. TCG Pocket hasn't got a release date yet.

[Glen-i]

Right. I'm watching the closing cermony live, seems there are multiple announcements (That's unexpected), so can't quite get the trailers up now. Even though it's entirely off-topic. I'll edit as it goes.

• Some kind of Pokémon GO teaser. The Pokémon GO account jumped the gun and posted it too early.
• Going by the visuals and the tagline "Something Big is coming" it's probably Dynamax. Also, Morpeko is being added.
• Pokémon Unite updates next, Amarouge, Darkrai, and Psyduck being added over the next three months.
• TCG Pocket trailer, as I expected. Basically, TCG Live with microtransactions. Mobile only. Some cards will be exclusive to it. Comes out October 30th.
• The actual physical Trading Card Game is bringing back "Trainer's Pokémon" cards. 2025.
• Next World Championships will take place in Anaheim, California.
• 2026's will be in San Francisco.

And that's it, sorry to those of you waking up expecting something for this game.

 

Edited August 19, 2024 by Glen-i

[Ashley]

57 minutes ago, Glen-i said:

• Next World Championships will take place in Anaheim, California.
• 2026's will be in San Francisco.

This feels like when American bands do a "world tour". 

[Glen-i]

1 minute ago, Ashley said:

This feels like when American bands do a "world tour". 

Not helped by this year's being at Hawaii.

Spain's getting proper shafted, considering this generation's region is based on it.

Edited August 19, 2024 by Glen-i

[Julius]

4 hours ago, Glen-i said:

The actual physical Trading Card Game is bringing back "Trainer's Pokémon" cards. 2025.

Watched the trailer, and...

GOLD/ETHAN/JIMMY IS FINALLY GETTING A CARD?!?!?! 

That is way more important a Z-A update, now they better hope one of those is a Typhlosion  and that full art N's Reshiram looks amazing 

[Glen-i]

3 hours ago, Julius said:

and that full art N's Reshiram looks amazing 

Oh man, I couldn't give a toss about the TCG, but the art on them have only gotten more amazing as time goes on!

They are legit beautiful at times!

[Julius]

Late 2025, no date...

(which means it's almost certainly November)

Today's new trailers/footage: 

Kind of crazy that they went with two Gen II starters – and that we're seemingly going to get Mega Meganium?! 

Textures look rough but hey, at least it runs better in this first bit of gameplay than Legends: Arceus did. 

Rival being determined by MC gender kind of sucks

Edited 5 hours ago by Julius

[Dcubed]

Going up directly against GTA 6? That's brave.

[Julius]

A lot more images and details courtesy of the official site, including some some lovely art (very much in line with the art we got for X/Y!) with a birds-eye view of Lumiose:

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The story is set in Lumiose City, where an urban redevelopment plan is underway to shape the city into a place that belongs to both people and Pokémon. Compared to Lumiose City as it appeared in the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y games, released in 2013, more greenery now adorns the city, alongside facilities with a cutting-edge feel.

In Lumiose City, spaces frequented by people—such as shopping arcades, cafés, and restaurants—coexist with more natural areas, such as waterfronts and verdant parks. At the center of Lumiose stands Prism Tower, the very symbol of the city.

Looks like the colour of the roofs will be a clear way to tell which part of the city you're in, and the tile colours match up with the colours of the different "balls" in the old Lumiose map:

I also spy some shops with clothes, time to get our customisation game back on 

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The Story Begins with a Sightseeing Trip to Lumiose City...
While visiting Lumiose City during your travels, you’ll come to stay in an old hotel named Hotel Z. This hotel will serve as your base as you and the new friends you’ll meet in Lumiose tackle all sorts of incidents that will occur in the city.

Judging from the blue roof colour and enclosed courtyard, it seems like Hotel Z is located just NNE from Lumiose Tower, if you refer to the map above. Looks like there's also a metro system for getting around the city (well, assuming it's functional, which I imagine it would be), but maybe that's just where you arrive into the city from? 

Speaking of transport, looking at the map again, while there is some art of Skiddo - no Gogoats? Perhaps the Gogoat Shuttle went out of business? We got a shot or two of the taxis at least!

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Wild Zones: Habitats for Wild Pokémon
As part of Lumiose’s urban redevelopment plan, driven by a large corporation called Quasartico Inc., the city has been outfitted with “wild zones” in an effort to help humans and Pokémon share the city. These areas are constructed using cutting-edge technology to give Pokémon places to live. Within wild zones, you can battle Pokémon and catch them by throwing Poké Balls.

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A Pokémon Series First: Pokémon and Trainers Take Action in Real Time During Battle

In previous titles in the Pokémon video game series, Pokémon took action once per turn. In Pokémon Legends: Z‑A, Trainers and their Pokémon will move around in real time during battles, and Pokémon will unleash their moves when their Trainers command them to.

In addition to type matchups, there will be new gameplay mechanics to consider, such as the precise timing for swapping out your Pokémon or using moves, the different lengths of time moves will take to launch, and how big an area the moves will impact. This unprecedented style of Pokémon battling is one of the most thrilling parts of this title.

And now for the character art...which as always looks much better than the in-game models 

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I won't go into everything - they've got character bios, there's some stuff on catching Pokémon, Mega Evolution, etc. - but just wanted to highlight AZ's bio because it made me chuckle...

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AZ

AZ is a man who stands over nine feet tall. He’s the owner of Hotel Z and claims to be three thousand years old. He quietly harbors a strong determination and will.

Just the idea of a hotel owner being like "no, really! I'm 3000 years old!" got a laugh out of me 

Excited to see how this turns out, in any case!

Edited 2 hours ago by Julius

[Ashley]

"There are wild areas for Pokémon to thrive... Go battle them!" made me laugh.