One of the more interesting elements about the Nintendo Switch 2 software lineup was that there were to be two games that would be a “dual release” on Nintendo platforms. By that, we mean that they would release on both the OG Switch and the Switch 2 simultaneously. The first of those two games has finally gotten its release date, as Pokemon Legends Z-A will debut on both consoles on October 16th. This announcement came via The Pokemon Company, which also revealed that a special Pokemon Presents event will happen on July 22nd. Clearly, they wanted fans to know a bunch about what they could look forward to in the coming months.
To add to all this, they even threw in a special piece of art featuring the new version of Lumiose City. You can check it out below:
To recap, for those who aren’t as familiar with the game, Pokemon Legends Z-A is the second entry in the “spinoff series,” and this time, it takes us back to Kalos instead of the ancient version of Sinnoh. Just as important, we’ll only be in Lumiose City the entire time. The twist is that the city has undergone a “redevelopment plan,” which has allowed it to be expanded in various ways so that people and Pokemon can live together in harmony.
To that end, trainers can go into “wild zones” within the city to try and capture Pokemon while also battling with their teams to get stronger. The game also has a day/night cycle, and during the nighttime sections, you’ll battle it out in a special tournament. You’ll start at the Z-rank and fight other trainers to get to the A-rank.
Undoubtedly, there’s more going on here, and that might be what the Pokemon Presents shows us in July. After all, we still haven’t learned about the role of Zygarde in the game, and that’s the thing that fans have been asking about for a while.
The differences between the Switch and Switch 2 versions will be increased framerates and better overall graphics. You can also buy the Switch version, when you presumably don’t have its successor, and then upgrade to the Switch 2 version later on, should you choose.
With this information out, many will speculate that we’ll be getting a Nintendo Direct soon so that we can get more information on upcoming Switch 2 titles and get release dates for them. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.
