Pokemon Legends Z-A Is Finally Here!

The moment I’ve been waiting for since that first trailer back in February 2024 is finally here!

I’ve been holding off for the right time to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 and finally get my hands on one, and this past Thursday on release day was the day. I woke up, saw someone streaming it on TikTok Live, and as the somewhat responsible adult I am, I drove straight to Best Buy that morning and picked up a brand new Nintendo Switch 2 with Pokémon Legends Z-A included!

The second I walked out of the store, I felt this crazy sense of nostalgia — just pure gratitude that I could even do something like this, and even more that I got it on release day. It was a morning full of emotion, and man oh man, the moment I powered up that Switch 2, I instantly felt like a kid again. And don’t even get me started on the game itself.

First of all, the game looks so sleek. I think that’s thanks to the Switch 2’s upgraded capabilities compared to the original Switch, which, wild enough, came out over eight years ago! The new console looks incredible, and Pokémon Z-A is no different. It’s stunningly beautiful, especially compared to the last couple of Pokémon titles. The gameplay feels closest to Legends Arceus, but even then, it’s something totally new. It’s honestly what Pokémon games should feel like. It reminds me of how battling in the anime looks and feels.

As someone who’s been a Pokémon fan for as long as I can remember, this gameplay feels like something out of this world. I was that kid who had every single Pokémon title on the Game Boy, DS, and even the spin-offs on the Nintendo 64 like Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Snap. I still have the original cartridges from when I was a kid. Two of my absolute favorites growing up were the GameCube titles Pokémon Colosseum and Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness. Funny enough, both are coming to the Switch 2 at some point through Nintendo’s Expansion Pack, which gives you access to classics from consoles like the N64, Game Boy, and my personal favorite, the GameCube.

Anyway, back to Z-A, the game that just dropped. I couldn’t be more excited to dive in and get as much playtime as I can. The game mechanics are where it really shines. The free-roam aesthetic across Lumiose City is beautiful, and the inclusion of Battle Zones and wild areas makes exploring and catching Pokémon so much fun.

It also breaks away from the usual eight gyms, Elite Four, and Champion setup. Instead, you rank up from Rank Z all the way to Rank A as the title hints. I’ve only just started my playthrough, but so far so good. There’s a ton of lore and content, and I can already tell it’s going to be something special.

Once I finish the story, I’ll definitely try to write some kind of review, biases and all, because I’m genuinely loving every second so far. And of course, there’s already a DLC available for purchase, so I’ll probably dive into that too at some point.For now, me and Totodile have a whole new city to explore and an adventure I’ve been waiting on for a long time. Until next time!

(And yes, I picked Totodile as my starter.)