Pokemon Legends: Z-A’s Lumiose City Setting Might Justify the Return of an Iconic Spin-Off Mechanic

With Pokemon Legends: Z-A following up on the formula established by Pokemon Legends: Arceus, it will be interesting to see how this new game incorporates mechanics from its predecessor. Given that Pokemon Legends: Z-A is set entirely within Lumiose City, fans have been concerned about the game’s scale potentially being limited compared to Pokemon Legends: Arceus, which featured open exploration across several different areas of the Hisui Region. However, if Pokemon Legends: Z-A takes place entirely within an urban environment, it could make use of a forgotten spin-off mechanic.

Pokemon Legends: Arceus was a massive step forward for innovative mechanics in the series, giving players their first true action RPG experience in the franchise. The ability to throw Poke Balls and capture critters in real-time, as well as participate in active combat against Noble Pokemon bosses was the refresh the series needed, and Pokemon Legends: Z-A is in a great position to build upon the momentum of its predecessor. One way it could do so is by revamping the snagging mechanic from Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness to fit within Lumiose City’s urban environment.

The Snagging Mechanic from Pokemon Colosseum and XD: Gale of Darkness Would Be Perfect for Legends: Z-A

Two of Pokemon‘s most notable spin-off games on the GameCube, Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, were far more innovative for their time than many players might think. Rather than following the established series formula of traveling from town to town, battling Gym Leaders, and catching new critters along the way, these spin-off titles were much darker in tone and featured no wild Pokemon. Instead, players had to obtain new team members by snagging, or stealing, Shadow Pokemon from enemy trainers in order to purify them.

This mechanic added to the difficulty of the game since players had limited chances to obtain new critters to add to their team, forcing them to play strategically when facing an opponent with a Shadow Pokemon. With the way Pokemon Legends: Arceus upped the difficulty of the series by adding action RPG elements, bringing the snagging mechanic back in Pokemon Legends: Z-A could give the game a new yet familiar difficulty curve. The game’s setting within Lumiose City also provides the perfect justification for bringing back this mechanic and iterating upon it in a way that feels like a natural progression for the Pokemon Legends series.

How Snagging Could Work in Pokemon Legends: Z-A

Since Pokemon Legends: Z-A will take place entirely within Lumiose City, some players are concerned that the game will feel too limited in scope compared to the open zones spread across Hisui in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. While series like Grand Theft Auto and Like a Dragon show that a sprawling city can make for a great open-world environment, some fans have their concerns as to how this design would translate to a Pokemon game. With wild mons potentially being limited in an urban environment, Pokemon Legends: Z-A might have to get creative with how it allows players to obtain new critters.

Perhaps this title’s gameplay will follow a similar concept to that of Pokemon Colosseum and Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness and require players to snag critters from nefarious trainers or the game’s villains. Given that Pokemon Legends: Z-A will feature Mega Evolution, it’s possible that the energy that causes this phenomenon to occur might also cause certain creatures to frenzy, like Noble Pokemon in Pokemon Legends: Arceus. Rather than subduing them with balms of food, players may need to snag these mons from the trainers who are abusing them and purify their hearts using a similar method featured in those previous Pokemon spin-off titles.

Pokemon Legends Z-A

Released

2025-00-00

Publisher(s)

Nintendo