Gaming | Nintendo
Pokémon Day Just Confirmed a New Legends Title and Possibly a Switch 2 Release Date
Does Game Freak’s latest project herald the emergence of a new Nintendo console?
The Pokémon Company recently held a presentation for the upcoming projects in its portfolio this past Tuesday. This lineup featured several highlights, including the launch of a new collectible trading card app named Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket. Additionally, updates were announced for popular titles such as Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, Masters EX, GO, and Unite, among others. Of course, it wouldn’t be a typical Pokémon Day celebration without leaving behind a trail of breadcrumbs for the next entry in the series.
It appears that fans have been given a brief glimpse at what’s being called Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which will be part of the ninth generation of Pokémon games. However, the announcement of this new project has also potentially confirmed rumors that we’ve been hearing regarding the Nintendo Switch 2.
What Do We Know About Pokémon Legends: Z-A?
So far, the name of Pokémon Legends: Z-A itself reveals more than anything. For example, we know that the game will follow-up on the 2022 Pokémon Legends: Arceus title. What’s more is that with the success and positive reception to PL:A, we know that Game Freak already has the foundation for a strong successor entry.
One of the major appeals of PL:A, was that its gameplay design mimicked The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is still the benchmark for open-world games seven years later. With the popularity of the Legends spinoff series increasing, we can expect PL: Z-A to improve on the features that made the previous game such a bestseller. As we’ve seen with this style of Pokémon before, we’ll also be getting content to breathe new life into a familiar location.
That said, the region we can look forward to exploring this generation is Kalos. Yes, we’re returning to the era of Pokémon X & Y, and we’re also going to be revisiting Lumiose City. Nintendo has confirmed that the game will take place in Lumiose City entirely. However, in the trailer it appears that the area is undergoing some urban redevelopment, so the city will probably be a lot more expansive than it was in the 3DS titles. Although, there is a little uncertainty around a story that takes place solely in a city. Right now, we don’t know if that means the map will be a full metropolis, or if the city will have different biomes.
Aside from that, though, we at least got confirmation of the featured legendary Pokémon for this entry: Zygarde. While the Dragon/Ground type legendary was absent in the trailer, the title art does feature a black Z with green hexagons on its surface, similar to Zygarde’s unique design. There aren’t any explicit details regarding the overall story, so I’ll hold off on the wacky theories for now. The Pokémon community, on the other hand, is abuzz with chatter of time travel and other hijinks.
Finally, we know that PL: Z-A is slated for a 2025 release, and we can expect to learn more the closer we get to launch. Coincidentally enough, this announcement also aligns with rumors that Nintendo is planning to reveal their next console around the same time.
Does Pokémon Legends: Z-A Confirm a Switch 2 Release?
Typically, what we’ve seen since 2016 is that Game Freak releases a new title every year. With PL: Z-A being confirmed for a 2025 release, this will be the first time since 2016 that Game Freak has broken their annual trend. Since 2024 will be skipped entirely, there’s hope in the community that the increased development time will lead to a healthier game. The argument before was that continuously releasing projects was harmful to the sustainability of the series. So, there’s a chance that Game Freak has finally taken the community’s concerns into account.
Another possibility that’s just as likely, though, involves rumors of PL: Z-A being timed to coincide with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. With it having been seven years since the Switch initially launched, it is about time for a hardware upgrade.
Moreover, Game Freak’s major console releases have gotten a lot of flak from the community, with the most recent being related to Pokémon Scarlet & Violet. Upon their release, many fans were disappointed with the performance and visual issues they encountered, some of which plague the games even to this day. As such, patches and updates are still occasionally rolled out to clean up any bugs and glitches. In fact, the last update occurred at the beginning of February.
That said, the gap in Game Freak’s release schedule could simply be to give themselves more time to polish their upcoming title. However, if they wanted to reduce the risk of running into any technological barriers, then waiting for a next generation console would be a logical choice. The coincidences just line up a little too well to be completely ignored, but keep in mind that nothing has been confirmed or denied.
Conclusion
I’m excited for a new Pokémon Legends title, but I also want Game Freak to take their time on this project. That’s not to say that PL: A was rushed or unfun to play, because it certainly wasn’t, but the Legends series is still a new concept. Consequently, that means there’s also more of a chance for failure. Although, I believe Game Freak has a clear vision in mind for this series. After nearly 30 years of repetitiveness, any Legends spinoff is unlikely to have a poor reception, and that’s because it’ll be different from anything we’ve experienced thus far.
As time goes on, I’ll be curious to find out whether or not this was a strategic play by Game Freak. Ideally, 2025 would be around the time we finally receive some official news on the Nintendo Switch 2, but who really knows?
Personally, I more than welcome the new innovations that Nintendo plans to bring to the handheld gaming market, but what about you all? What do you expect from Nintendo in the year to come? What do you hope to see with a new Legends-themed game? Are you excited to return to Kalos?
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References
Liam Doolan. (January 31, 2024). Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Version 3.0.1 Is Now Live, Here Are The Full Patch Notes. Retrieved from https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2024/02/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-version-3-0-1-is-now-live-here-are-the-full-patch-notes
Nicole Carpenter. (February 27, 2024). Everything announced during Pokémon Day 2024’s Pokémon Presents. Retrieved from https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/24083839/everything-announced-pokemon-day-2024-pokemon-presents
Nintendo. (n.d.). Nintendo Switch. Retrieved from https://www.nintendo.com/sg/hardware/detail/switch/index.html
Oliver Mackenzie. (November 23, 2022). Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are comprehensive technical failures. Retrieved from https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2022-pokemon-scarlet-and-violet-are-comprehensive-technical-failures
YouTube. (February 27, 2024). Pokémon Legends: Z-A releases simultaneously worldwide in 2025!. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-Znr_jGIg
