If we were to talk about the two franchises that continue to sell a lot regardless of the quality of their latest games, Call of Duty and Pokemon are at the top. The latter is the one that has taken the spotlight today. The announcement of Pokemon Legends Z-A and its approximate release date filled many with panic and hope. Personally, it filled me with a little more of the latter. After having a new annual game, it looks like Game Freak learned its lesson with the next game in the Legends series. Fans don’t want something rushed. We prefer something made with calm, care, and, above all, quality.
Pokemon Legends Z-A’s Approximate Release Date Fills Players With Hope
As for many of you, Pokemon has been a fundamental part of my life as a gamer. It’s so big that whenever a new and tiny announcement for the franchise looms, it fills me with excitement. Whenever there was a Pokemon Presents, I would set my alarm to watch it regardless of the time zone. Sadly, that feeling began to wane after Scarlet and Violet. I can even admit that I had difficulty finishing the ninth-generation games. And Legends, which I thought was one of the most innovative things Game Freak has done in years, didn’t really take off. Well, it looks like things are going to change now.
Watching the announcement of Pokemon Legends Z-A and its possible release date was a roller coaster ride. First, I was betting everything that we would have something in Johto. I mean, everything in the show pointed to something from the region. But no, as soon as I saw The Prism Tower, I knew Kalos was next. But then I thought, “Oh no, Nintendo is going to release the game this year, and it will turn out just as bad as the recent ones.” That’s what I thought until I saw “2025,” and I sighed the biggest sigh ever.
For me, the fact that Legends Z-A is coming out in 2025 is a win for all fans. Instead of releasing an almost annual game, did Game Freak learn the secret recipe for success? Maybe. These days, we fans just want studios to take their time instead of releasing games every year that offer nothing or can barely run well on their platforms. Personally, I feel Scarlet and Violet needed more time in the oven, but that story is as old as Pikachu today. What is new is to see that the studio is being patient. If this mentality continues for the tenth generation, this legendary franchise could regain all the fan love it once had.
Of course, this is only the opinion of a hopeful who loved the first Legends game and hopes that the franchise will return in its full splendor. What awaits us in terms of gameplay remains to be seen. Most importantly, I want to see if this installment will be released on the now almost mythical Nintendo Switch 2. But, whatever it is, the future looks bright. Maybe it will be because of a simple release date. But for the first time, I don’t mind waiting another year to put my trainer hat back on.
