Pokemon hit its 29th birthday today and while it looks they play it safe with no new gen reveal, it marks a bold move into the future of the franchise.
Late 2025 is the deadline for Lumiose City much needed urban renovation!
It’s Pokemon’s 29th birthday and they kicked it off with some legendary game footage of Pokemon Legends Z-A. The visually pleasing Lumiose City is undergoing a much needed transformation into the future.
It seems like this will also be the theme, “renovation” while keeping respect for the past. You start with either Chicorita, Totodile or Tepig (Where’s Cyndaquil?) Heavily based on Gold/Silver/Crystal starters yet including Tepig is a bold move we haven’t seen as of yet. Then again, Legends is a series where Game Freak likes to do things differently.
The game looks great and even the Mega Evolutions have gotten a fresh new look with the prismatic! colors radiating around the Pokemon themselves.
The open areas around the city look well fleshed out and while Legends previously introduced the faster and integrated battle/catch system it seems that A-Z will expand on this with new mechanics such as position. Long ago rumors of Game Freak willing to integrate a faster and less turn-based system floated around the web. This could be a step towards this. At least it will add another layer of tactics to weaken/catch wild Pokemon in this new version of Lumiose City. The fun part is that the trailer shows us that this will also be a major mechanic into the trainer battles.
Lumiose City being heavily based on Paris boasts off its architecture and high roofs that will be able to be explored as well. You’ll even be able to jump from buildings to scale the Lumiose rooftops. A new vertical game-mechanic for exploration.
I feel like the theme of Legends A-Z is very clear this way, the old formula “A” with new improvements “Z”. Both in terms of theme and gameplay it challenges conventions. I can’t wait to try out this new game in the franchise in late 2025 on Nintendo Switch 1 & 2.
Finally a game focussing purely on battling it out: Pokemon Champions
Not a lot is shown yet in this nostalgia and empowering trailer but what we do know is it will be a new “Stadium” Battle Arena type of multiplayer game. It’s developed by Game Freak and Pokemon Works. Where A-Z takes on a fresh new way to play and flirts with RTS instead of turn based combat, Pokemon Champions stays true to what the core competitive scene wants from Pokemon. To know who will be the very best, like no one ever was online. The game will heavily rely on the underlying battle meta and will be released on iOS, Android and Nintendo Switch systems. The game is multi gen and features lots of special generational mechanics like the newer Terastalization but also the Mega evolutions as featured in A-Z as well. You’ll be able to connect to Pokemon Home to bring in your team and brawl it out online against the best trainers in the world. A bold move to open the Pokemon battle ecosystem to other platforms but we’re sure this will be a hit with the 30th anniversary coming up and popularity of the franchise building to heights never seen before.
Pokemon TCG Pocket gets new boosters on the 28th!
To celebrate the 29th birthday some exclusive boosters are hitting the digital TCG app tomorrow already. Arceus is the center of attention in the all new Triumphant Light set.
Even more news:
The Netflix series Pokemon Concierge has new episodes coming up and they look great as we can’t get enough of this clunky yet cute artstyle.
Pokemon Go Unova Tour is coming up as teased earlier this week. It’ll start March 1. Be sure to snatch White & Black Kyurem to please your fiery or sparkly needs.
Conclusion:
Next year is the 30th anniversary and while it looks like they played it safe with this direct, it does show that Pokemon is still going strong. A-Z will mark the theme of old vs new and with Pokemon Champions opening up to smartphones the 29th birthday is still a bold move that will dominate and culminate into the 30th anniversary next year.
