Now, nearly 30 years after Pokémon first debuted in Japan, we’re celebrating the franchise’s legacy by taking a closer look at its newest game release: Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Z-A) for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 — its second major departure from the ‘classic’ style of the previous games and shifting the gameplay to something more adventure based and less turn based.
We’ve been playing with a third-person camera ever since the Nintendo 3DS era, when Pokémon first shifted from sprite-based art into full 3D. But Z-A — like its predecessor Pokémon Legends: Arceus — pushes things further, focusing on a more interactive battle system that moves away from strict turn-based actions and toward a real-time, action-oriented style.
Outside of combat, wild Pokémon roam freely, going about their business, occasionally reminding you that nature can be… surprisingly realistic. The games also include Alpha Pokémon: bigger, meaner, and stronger versions of familiar species that you can attempt to fight — or run from. Encounters like these show how much the traditional Pokémon formula has evolved, feeling closer to an adventure-type game than the usual Pokémon game — in a very good way.
But let’s be honest: as someone who has played every Pokémon game since 1998, this last installment is… fine. And I mean that in the most scathing way possible. The game is fine! Which might be worse than it being bad, because it leaves no impression at all. It’s forgettable and that’s the real let-down.
Z-A starts strong: it feels genuinely different, and the battle sequences are really cool. I loved exploring the world and stumbling into fights out in the wild. Trainer battles were another highlight — being able to sneak up on trainers and ambush them (or get ambushed yourself!) added a fun bit of chaos. There is also the city; climbing up and down and running all around exploring like never before in a Pokémon game! Despite these great additions, I still struggled with much of the game.
The game held my hand for far too long — offering help I didn’t want, drowning me in dialogue, and forcing me through cutscenes that weren’t even skippable because they needed constant player input. Just let me play! All that over-guidance also stripped away any real challenge. Legends: Arceus was far less forgiving, in a very fun way since you had resources on the line. Z-A is just plain easy. Trainer battles barely lasted two minutes before the victory jingle kicked in and locked me into a “wow-you-did-it-good-job-here-is-your-reward” screen. Boss fights were just as monotonous. Maybe the new Pokémon games just aren’t made for me anymore — and that’s ok.
Pokémon has come a long way since I first picked it up, now nearing the 30th anniversary of its original launch. Even if I didn’t love the latest game, it’s genuinely heartening to see the franchise still thriving — and to see other people enjoying it the way I did for so long. I can still fondly remember so many moments from my “Pokémon career:” flipping through the pages of the “Pokémon Gold & Silver: Prima’s Official Strategy Guide,” admiring the old watercolour art, getting goosebumps from those eight-bit battle themes, and feeling that same nostalgia squeeze my chest when the remakes reinvent them. I’ll never forget stumbling onto the mystery trainer in Mt. Silver in Pokemon Gold, wondering who this lost fisherman was only to realize he was anything but. It has been an absolute joy to watch the franchise evolve with every iteration, and this latest shift in the formula really does feel like a step in the right direction. Despite all my gripes, I know I’ll keep playing these games.
Pokémon Day — and the 30th anniversary — hits on Feb. 27, 2026. They already announced a Lego collaboration! So, mark your calendars because it will be a big one!
