Ways Pokemon Legends: Z-A Will Shape The Future Of The Franchise

Similar to the ever-changing creatures within the games, the Pokemon franchise is always growing. Each new game in this long-running series adds fresh and creative ideas that often appear in future titles. Despite what some people think, Pokemon Legends: Arceus and the recently announced Pokemon Legends: Z-A are considered core Pokemon games, meaning they’ll likely influence how future games are made.

Despite initial uncertainty, Pokemon Legends: Z-A has been a hit with both players and reviewers. This is largely thanks to the many substantial gameplay improvements that make it feel new, engaging, and inventive. It’s likely that some of these changes will appear in future Pokemon games, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A could significantly influence where the series goes next.

The Real-Time Combat System

Going Back To Turn-Based Battles Would Be Very Strange

The most significant improvement in Pokemon Legends: Z-A is its new, dynamic battle system. Unlike previous Pokemon games with their traditional turn-based combat, this game lets you and your Pokemon move freely around the battlefield. This allows you to dodge attacks and strategically position yourselves for the best attacks.

Fans have been asking for this change for years, and it’s made Pokemon Legends: Z-A gameplay much more engaging, fast-paced, and thoughtful than previous games. While many players still enjoy the traditional turn-based battles, it would be a real letdown – and quite strange – if the next Pokemon game abandoned this new, real-time combat system and went back to the older style.

The Return Of Mega Evolution

Any Old Battle Mechanic Can Return Now

After a seven-year wait, Pokemon Legends: Z-A has reintroduced Mega Evolution to the main series games. And it doesn’t just bring back old favorites—the game also features completely new Mega Evolutions for Pokemon like Dragonite and Hawlucha, along with several others.

Temporary battle features in Pokémon—like Z-Moves and Dynamax/Gigantamax—usually only appear in the games where they’re first introduced and aren’t seen much afterward (Mega Evolution did return in one later generation, but wasn’t a major part of those games and no new forms were added). However, the new game Legends: Z-A suggests a change: if Pokémon revisits older regions in future games, it will likely bring back those unique battle styles with new Z-Moves and Gigantamax forms. This is exciting news for fans who enjoy these features!

It’s The Spiritual Successor To Pokemon Legends: Arceus

The Legends Formula Wasn’t One-And-Done; It’s A Fully-Fledged Subseries Now

Pokémon Legends: Arceus was a groundbreaking Pokémon game that both fans and critics loved, as it introduced many fresh and exciting changes to the series. However, when the next games, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, returned to the traditional gameplay style, many fans feared that the innovative approach of ‘Legends’ would only be used once. This concern was understandable, as the 2018 games Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee haven’t had any sequels announced, leading players to believe the ‘Legends’ formula might suffer the same fate.

The reveal of Pokemon Legends: Z-A was a welcome surprise for many fans, confirming that the Legends series will continue with future installments. These games offer a distinctly different experience from typical Pokemon titles, prioritizing immersive single-player stories, innovative battles, and challenging real-time boss encounters. Unlike most Pokemon games, Legends titles aren’t released in paired versions.

A Sequel That Isn’t A Sequel

Players Can Now Look Forward To Reuniting With Beloved Characters From Older Games

It’s unusual for core Pokémon games to have direct sequels. The only ones with a “2” in the title are Black 2 and White 2, which continue the story of Black and White two years later. However, Pokémon Legends: Z-A recently broke this pattern. Unlike Legends: Arceus, which was set long ago, Z-A is set five years after the events of X and Y.

Going back to the Kalos region after so long feels wonderfully nostalgic, and it’s especially rewarding considering Kalos was only explored in Pokemon X and Y over twelve years ago. We’ll see familiar and cherished characters from those games – like Emma and AZ – return in Legends: Z-A, and they’ve visibly changed. What’s even more captivating is that the story of Legends: Z-A is directly influenced by the choices made in the previous game. This is a huge step forward, suggesting that any future Pokemon game could potentially have a direct sequel, even if it isn’t presented as one.

Game Freak Can Skip Generations

Generation Five Didn’t Recieve A New Game

Since the third generation of Pokemon games, Game Freak has followed a consistent pattern: they release a new game and then immediately remake an older one. They’ve also followed a clear order, remaking the first generation with FireRed and LeafGreen, the second with HeartGold and SoulSilver, the third with Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, and the fourth with Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl.

Many Pokémon fans were expecting remakes of the Black and White games, but Game Freak surprised everyone by announcing Pokémon Legends: Z-A. This new game is connected to the X and Y games from a previous generation. This move breaks the pattern many fans thought existed for remakes, making it harder to predict what Game Freak will do next. It’s now possible the next Legends game could be set in regions like Galar or Paldea, rather than Alola.

It’s The First Pokemon Game On Nintendo Switch 2

Generation Ten Will Definitely Be 100% Exclusive To Nintendo’s Newest Console

For the past few years, The Pokemon Company and Game Freak have released two new generations of Pokemon games for each Nintendo console. The original Switch followed this pattern, with generations Eight (Sword and Shield) and Nine (Scarlet and Violet) both appearing on the system. However, the release of Pokemon Legends: Z-A, despite being part of the ninth generation, was handled in a unique way.

Originally announced for the standard Nintendo Switch, Legends: Z-A is also available on the new Nintendo Switch 2 with improved graphics and performance. This marks the first time a major Pokémon game has launched simultaneously on two different Nintendo consoles without relying on older console compatibility. The release of a Switch 2 version suggests the next Pokémon game – likely the beginning of Generation Ten – will be exclusive to Nintendo’s latest console.

Downloadable Content Will Continue Playing An Important Role

DLC Is Here To Stay (Whether Fans Like It Or Not)

Many newer Pokémon players might not realize that, for a long time, each generation of Pokémon games had a third version. Games like Pokémon Crystal, Emerald, and Platinum were significant upgrades to the original games, offering new features and making the game world more interesting to explore. However, buying a separate game that was very similar to what you already had, just for a little extra content, wasn’t a popular practice with most players.

For years, Pokémon games have traditionally had three versions, but Sword and Shield replaced the third with downloadable content (DLC), and Scarlet and Violet followed suit. Now, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is breaking new ground – it’s the first game where DLC was announced before the game even launched, with the Mega Dimension expansion revealed a month early. While fans have raised some concerns, this clearly shows Game Freak is putting more effort into DLC, and it’s likely that all future Pokémon games will include downloadable expansions.

2025-10-21 19:05