Nintendo has a knack for announcing things out of nowhere, and their latest surprise is a treat for longtime Pokémon fans with their latest entry: Pokémon Legends: Z-A, a brand-new adventure that takes place in Lumiose City. Fans of the franchise will get to explore the city, and they are bringing back the Mega Evolution feature. What’s interesting is that it is meant to be released on the Nintendo Switch, despite the rumors of a brand-new console on the horizon.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A could potentially be the first of many upcoming launch titles for the Switch 2.
Fans have been eagerly waiting for the next Nintendo console. Given the success of the Switch, some might assume it could be another hybrid that could feature docked gameplay and handheld. It would be prudent for Nintendo engineers to improve upon what already works and listen to the countless ideas of users since 2017.
Could the latest Pokémon Game be a Switch 2 Title?
Along with the announcement was a short trailer that showcases blueprints and schematics of an urban redevelopment that is said to be a haven for both humans and Pokémon. What that means exactly is unclear, but it is a new entry for the Legends series, so there is a chance that it may contain gameplay elements from Pokémon Legends: Arceus last 2022.
It was a massive success, even if it isn’t the traditional formula fans have become accustomed to, and it was released on the Switch. Perhaps this Legends entry could be among the launch titles for the next generation.
With a 2025 release window and reports circulating that the next Switch will be released in the early parts of the following year, fans are confused as to why they would have to go through the trouble of developing a separate port, unless the new console will have a similar build quality or even share a similar operating system.
The Switch 2 Seems More Like a Switch Pro
Reports indicate that Nintendo will formally release their upcoming next-gen console in the first quarter of 2025 and is planning to avoid the same problems that the PS5 and Xbox Series X had at launch. Nintendo is not in a rush to share their new hardware at all and wants players to have the best experience at launch by ensuring developers have an ample amount of time to create new games.
Perhaps the new Pokémon Legends could be a launch title and one of the very last games that can be played on the Nintendo Switch before formally transitioning to the next gen given the fact that Game Freak explicitly stated that it will release next year breaking the annual trend of new Pokémon games marking 2024 as the only year without new content.
Are you excited for a brand-new Pokémon game that could launch side-by-side with Nintendo’s newest console? Let us know in the comments below!
