During the media hour at PAX West 2025, we stopped by the massive Nintendo booth to play the soon-to-be-released Pokémon Legends: Z-A for the Nintendo Switch 2. The staff offered two demos totaling fifteen minutes of gameplay, with the first being a demo of the new real-time battle style and the second against a new enemy type.
About the Game:
For those unfamiliar with the game, Nintendo describes the setting as follows:
“Lumiose City—a home for people and Pokémon alike. Here, thanks to an urban redevelopment plan driven by Quasartico Inc., the lush greenery of verdant parks and natural vistas intermingles with facilities made using the latest cutting-edge technology. A lot has changed here since the days of the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y games!”
As they set out on their adventure, players choose Chikorita, Tepig, or Totodile as their first partner Pokémon. Players experience all manner of sights in the streets around Prism Tower, including shops, restaurants, and places called wild zones—where Pokémon roam free.
Demo Gameplay:
The first demo, which featured the new combat and battles was a blast. The biggest change players will notice is that turn-based battles are no more. Instead, players can doge, use items, and command their Pokémon directly. Using the directional pad, players can strategically swap out their Pokémon, greatly helping themselves in this new style of battle by accounting for each move’s timing and area of effect. In other words, if an enemy is attacking, swapping out Pokémon at the right moment will allow them to avoid being hit.
In terms of attacking, players can use the ZL button to select enemies to attack, directing more advantageous Pokémon moves to enemies weak to those attacks. Attack moves are only limited by the cool-down time for each Pokémon’s individual move, but players can negate the wait by swapping out Pokémon or using other moves while the time passes.
I absolutely loved this change in play style. Battles feel lightning quick, fast-paced, and engaging. The controls allow for far more strategy on the players part, but also allow those seeking a more arcade-style experience to jump in.
The second demo featured a new enemy type that plays a big role in the game: Rogue Mega-evolved Pokémon; these are naturally occurring Pokémon who have Mega Evolved without a bond to a trainer. These enemies are a force to be reckoned with.
In the normal game, players must first acquire a Mega Ring and the desired Pokémon’s Mega Stone in order to have the ability to Mega Evolve, transforming its appearance, greatly enhancing its capabilities, and perhaps even change its type. For this demo, I was already equipped with these and given Lucario to Mega Evolve in a battle a Rogue Mega Evolved Absol.
The battle felt intense, and as I damaged Absol, it dropped orbs that powered up my Mega Evolution meter. This highlighted another huge difference in Pokémon Legends: Z-A: players can Mega Evolve more than once, using these dropped orbs during battle. I wasn’t able to defeat this advanced enemy during the demo (ran out of time!), but I’m hooked on the combat. I will be pre-ordering Pokémon Legends: Z-A, no question.
Tell us what you think! Will you be getting Pokémon Legends: Z-A when it releases October 16, 2025? What do you think of the new battle system? Share your reactions in the comments below or join the conversation on Boss Rush Network’s Discord, Facebook, and Twitter.
Featured Image: Nintendo
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