Pokémon Legends: Z-A has shown its first gameplay trailer, giving viewers a look at battles in a giant city. However, the game’s most important decision is not favored by all fans.
Which decision is meant? The trainer’s most important decision is which Pokémon they start their adventure with. In each part of the main game, there are three Pokémon that a player can choose from. They always have one of three types:
- Grass
- Fire
- Water
Each of the starter Pokémon has three evolutionary stages and can gain an additional type with evolutions. It is the strongest Pokémon in a trainer’s team at the start of the game, as it travels from the beginning.
The Pokémon Legends series continues this tradition and presents players with the agony of choice. However, no new starters are introduced here; instead, existing ones are recycled. And the selection in Z-A is not favored by everyone.
You can watch the trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A here:
Viewers miss a Pokémon in the Legends: Z-A trailer
What bothers fans about it? In Pokémon Legends: Z-A, trainers can choose between Chikorita, Tepig and Croconaw, to use them in dynamic battles. Chikorita and Croconaw both come from Gen 2, specifically Pokémon Gold and Silver. Tepig, on the other hand, is from the 5th generation of games, specifically Pokémon Black and White.
Many fans on Reddit do not understand why not all three starter Pokémon from Gen 2 were used. Besides Chikorita and Croconaw, there was also Cyndaquil to choose from in the Johto region.
Additionally, Tepig is a rather unpopular starter in the Pokémon community, as can be gleaned from several threads in the Reddit forum. After Torchic and Monferno, it is the third consecutive fire starter Pokémon that receives the fighting type upon evolution. Players would have preferred a different type.
Moreover, many find the final evolution Flamibrex ugly. The Pokémon looks like a wrestler engulfed in flames.
Why is Cyndaquil not here? Cyndaquil was already a starter Pokémon in its predecessor Pokémon Legends: Arceus and even received a new Hisuian form there. The developer team presumably did not want to use the Pokémon as a starter consecutively. However, this raises the question of why they chose to use two starters from Gen 2.
Nevertheless, there are many things that the Legends series does right. These include the open world, Pokémon behavior, and fresh mechanics. MeinMMO has summarized the improvements into 7 things that new Pokémon games must include: 7 things from Pokémon Legends: Arceus that must be present in new Pokémon games
